Rite of Passage

Chapter Four | To Drown or Not to Drown

The wind howled, sending wisps of the young siren's hair flailing into the air. Aphria gazed at the cliff's landscape in awe; she'd never been on land before, and the feeling was indescribable. For the first time, her feet didn't feel awkward and heavy and useless.

It felt as if she were meant to be. 

And Aphria decided she liked the feeling.

She bent and ran her fingers through a nearby blade of grass, relishing the feeling. Drops of mist clung to her fingers. 

"It's so green," the princess muttered, straightening.

Okay, stop. Aphria closed her eyes. Choose a victim, Aphria. You can't hold it off forever. 

Scanning the countryside, the princess saw little spots dotting the land. Humans. A thrill ran through her as her eyes landed on one figure particularly close to the water; Aphria walked to the edge of the cliff and knelt. 

If she squinted, she could make out the human's indistinct features: two legs, dangling off the boardwalk and into the sea; two arms. 

 Humans have legs, too. 

For the first time, she felt a spark, a connection to these strange creatures of the land. 

Then a misty voice seemed to whisper, "Sing, Aphria, youngest of the royal siren bloodline.. sing." 

And so she did.  She sang like she had never sung before.

The young siren's voice was bright, full of joy. It sounded less dreamy than she remembered it. 

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Aphria thought: this is not alluring. 

But she liked it. And so she sang.

The princess noticed strange things when she sang. She could see the wind. She could see for hundreds of miles around her; the siren turned in circles, taking in the vast landscape. She noticed the blood-red apples hanging on the dark green trees. She saw the animals of the land: furry critters, miniature insects. 

As she finished her circle and turned back to face the sea, she could make out the features of the human below her - right as he tripped and, with a splash, disappeared into the sea.

Bright green eyes full of life that were the color of leaves. Brown hair the color of chocolate. 

It all disappeared from view as the human vanished from her view.  

Swallowed by the sea. 

All of a sudden she was very conscious of her heart thumping.   

Panic, an icy blade, stapped through the singer as the human sank like a stone. The young princess had heard all about it - how humans couldn't fight off the enchantment and would hopelessly swim to their deaths - towards the sirens. 

But this human, he was sinking. He wasn't fighting. 

Aphria willed herself to stop, to do something, to save this helpless human. She clambered onto her knees and stared down the cliff at the human. The question she hadn't realized she had been asking herself all day - to drown or not to drown suddenly had an answer. 

No! she screamed at herself. I don't want to drown a human! 

But she all of a sudden she couldn't. Stop. Singing.