Song Of The Siren

❦Chapter Five❦

Chapter Five~ The Real Story

" Back a long time ago, just when Syrene became Queen, there was a huge storm, remember? And it was trading season, so there were a lot of ships. One grand ship- I still remember; The Viper, was sailing through my territory. A huge wave came rushing towards the boat, but it did not tip. It was a great big ship, so I decided to help. There was many people on board, and I could not pass up the chance to get some prey and treasure, so I began to sing." I begin, a bit anxious as to where the story would go. I was also a bit wary that I would break down and begin to cry in front of Iyrae.

"Did it crash?" Iyrae asks curiously. I nod. 

"Yeah. But there was not much people on board and most of the sailors drowned." I speak softly, remembering the exact day I met James. 

"But not James right?" 

"Could you stop interrupting and let me finish the story?" I snap. "But yes, James did not die. He was floating in the waves, unconscious, and I found him very... attractive. I took him to my cave and nursed him back to health. We became good friends after that. I told him about us, you know? He knew we were sirens." I took a slight pause before continuing, "I found myself falling in love with him. Remember? I told you guys at a meeting once."

"I remember." Iyrae says quietly. I nod and continued.

"But then, Auraline decided to visit one day, and we were conversing together. I left to get something; once I got back, I see Auraline and James kissing! A full on snog!" 

"Oh um... Mean." Iyrae says, unsure what exactly to say. 

"Exactly! And right afterwards, Auraline had the nerve to smile at me. She knew I loved him!!" I take a small breath, "What was worse was that after Auraline left, James told me he loved her." 

Iyrae lets out a small sigh of sympathy as I dip my head, waiting for the anguish to come. "One day, James told me he wanted to leave to be with Auraline. I asked why and he told me he loved her so much! I-I got so mad! And I-" I break off, tears coming up to my eyes. 

"What did you do?" Iyrae asks softly and gently, though she probably already knew the answer. 

"I let him go!" I sob as fresh tears ran down my cheeks. "And then later I find out that Auraline used him for... pleasure and tossed him away like a rag doll afterwards! I tried to find him, but turns out he was dead by the time I got there! Auraline had let him drown- you know where she lives! The waves are always strong, there's no way a mortal could've survived!"

"I am very sorry." Iyrae says sincerely as she rubs my back as a gesture of comfort. After a while I had calmed down and I brush the remaining tears away from my swollen eyelids, annoyed at my sudden breakdown. I thought I steeled myself better than that!

"I am sorry I have wasted your time, " I say.

"No, not at all," Iyrae responds quickly, "It's good to see you finally opening up." She shoots me a flashing smile which I don't return.

"Goodbye Iyrae. Until the meeting." I wave goodbye before splashing away.

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I sit down comfortably down on one of the boulders before trying to untangle my hair from the rotten pieces of kelp that clung to my hair like vampires. I felt even more uncomfortable, especially since I had just poured my heart out to Iyrae. Since I am one of those kind of people who keep their feelings to themselves, it was a strange feeling.

"I am an idiot." I mutter to myself as I picked the rotten kelp and flung it far far away. My eyes flicker away and fall upon a human boat bobbing towards the shore, getting closer to the rocks. Wait... 

There were two people on the boat, a boy and a girl. The girl was wearing something that made her look practically naked and the boy was... well. He was wearing glasses and had tousled brown hair that clashed with his t-shirt. A small flicker of recognition opens in my brain, but I push it away dismissively. I watch as the girl made her way over to the guy and started hugging him, but what I couldn't help but see was how the boy seemed uncomfortable. Why?

Then the girl starts pecking him on the neck, and the boy blushes a deep red, trying to push her off gently. But the girl quickly pushes herself onto him and embraces him in a sloppy kiss. Stunned, the boy loses control of the boat and it steers off course, hurtling towards the rocks. I watch in amusement and horror as the boat got ripped apart by the rocks, wooden splinters crashing everywhere and the boy and girl was plunged into the cold, deep waters. I would've thought that humans improved their boat-making skills over the centuries.

Should I help? I contemplate letting them drown, my evil side taking over. But the more I think about it, the more I feel guilty about the (I admit, handsome) boy. 

Groaning, I make my slowly over to where the boy was, his body being tossed around by waves. I approach him and grab him by the waist, surprised by how light he was. His hair was soaking, but was as wispy as sea anemones. His turquoise eyes were dazed and there was a huge gash upon his forehead, seeping with fresh blood. I purse my lips and ignored it. Turning his body around so it would be easier for him not to choke on the seawater, I finally got a good glance at his facial features. And what I saw up close shocked me a lot. He was the stunning image of someone I knew once. Someone I wished I never knew once. But someone who never left my mind, not once.

"James?!"