The Sound of a Siren's Call

4.) On a Dark and Stormy Night

"I'm not waiting." I signed quickly, not getting any response as we all scattered to avoid falling debris that floated down to us. I swam up, dodging whatever fell my way. I immediately felt someone by my side.

"What do you need me to do?" The girl asked.

It occurred to me I didn't know what I planned for myself or anyone else.

"Can we help the sailors?"

"Maybe," she responded, her face full of doubt.

We both swam up with as much force as we could. I had to dodge as much as I could, and that fact didn't get any better the more I swam up. Gunshots sped above my head. The waves tried to bash me and my newfound friend first into one ship and then the other. Even my mother was having a hard time staying in one place against the churning of the waves.

Dark, heavy clouds were starting to move in. The rain hadn't started yet, but the air buzzed in anticipation.

I caught my father's eye as he glared over the deck of the Red Revenge at the other ship.

"Plug your ears!" I signed desperately, not knowing if he'd seen the sirens the surrounding the scene.

He didn't respond, but he still stared at me intently. "Mom's going to be singing. Plug your ears!"

The distance and waves must've made the signs too small for him to see. I resorted to bold pantomime, squeezing my hands against the side of my head and gesturing around him. He finally seemed to understand.

I didn't see him as he sprang into motion but in a few minutes, my companion got my attention.

"They're singing."

I looked up, hoping I wouldn't see confirmation she was telling the truth. My mother and her companions were singing alright. No one immediately flung themselves off either ship and I held my breath. Had both crews soundproofed themselves?

Then came my answer. The first one hit the sea, joyfully swimming down. He was from the government ship I reassured myself.

A second one followed, then a third.

My father's ship bobbed perfectly undisturbed. I watched anxiously.

Four men.

Five men.

Six men.

None of them were from my father's crew.

Twelve men.

Sixteen men swimming down.

I stopped keeping track.

My friend tried to haul a few back to the surface. She only ever came up empty-handed and exhausted.

Rain started to fall, making everything look even bleaker. Flashes of lightning light up the horizon and gave the two ships, now in tatters, an even more menacing look.

Both ships seemed to still have enough crew that they could've sped away, but the Red Revenge had nowhere to run to and the government ship didn't much look like it wanted to run. The men that were still on board were the ones that'd probably been terrified with tales of sirens as little boys.

They'd needed to plug their ears. It was a common sentiment that tying yourself to your ship would keep you from jumping off without a care in the world. The men had probably scoffed at the idea of mystical women luring them to their deaths being a real threat, and that disbelief brought them to a little town, tied to a ship, surrounded by pirates and sirens.

The Red Revenge was thrumming with nervous energy. Then was the perfect time for a raid.

Still, the sirens sang to the beat of the thunder that shook the sea. The waves still hit me with the same raw force. My stomach still gnawed at me with the feeling that something was still going to go terribly, terribly wrong.

I looked up and I saw to my dismay that my father wasn't going to sail away to safety and call it quits. I saw my mother wasn't going to go to her cave and sleep out the night.

I'd seen it before but then was different. The Red Revenge was boarding the larger ship.

Lightning arced across the sky as though it wanted to reach down a spindly hand and contribute something to the mess unfolding on South Hellendun's seas.

I watched with my companion. I felt the rest of the group that wasn't singing gather around me.

We watched as though we were at a funeral. As though in some agreement, we all fanned out. In moments we had the remainder of the defeated crew jumping into our arms. The waves would've been too much for them normally, let alone when they wanted to die. My companions each caught the plummeting men and forced their heads above the waves.

The group singing caught on that my father's crew wouldn't bring any luck. They swam over to us, and our focuses all got a resurgence of energy, kicking and screaming.

I had one in my arms. The younger ones always were the most eager to go. My mother came over and he started fighting like a cat in water.

My mother smiled at him and he calmed for a minute. I wanted to sign to him that she was only selling him a lie, but he probably wouldn't have understood anyway.

My mother offered him her hand and he reached for it like a child for candy.

A wave came and I fought to keep our heads above it. My mother let it roll over her.

He looked at where she'd been and started fighting me until she resurfaced. She grinned, and I almost saw why people were willing to die for her. Almost.

She took his hand gently as though she expected me to just let go. My companion surfaced next to me, smiled with genuine sweetness at the boy and nodded for me to pass him to her.

I gave my mother a spiteful look and she had him in a moment. The sirens were all leaving in a race of sorts. I'd pitted the whole group against each other.

My new friend, my mother and I were all in a contest of wills, and I didn't know who would win.