The Siren

The sage green fin glides across the ocean slowly, barely visible through the thick mist layered over the dark water. I squint my eyes trying to get a clearer sight, looking for confirmation that this fin was another sign of the creature that has taken over my thoughts.

As the fin dives disappears into the water I feel the familiar pull, commanding me to chase after it. I have to force my bare feet to stay planted on the cold dock. The temptation gets stronger as I refuse it, the fin seeming to tease me as it makes a slow descent into the murky waters.

I climb into my knees and hold my goose-bump ridden arm towards the sea, letting the cool water glide across my pale fingers.

The urge to leap in becomes stronger.

"Mira!" An old harsh voice calls out, making my snap back into reality and pull my arm out of the water. My eyes grow wide in horror as I see my Aunt stand on top of the beach hill.

I give the water once last look before running up to meet her. As I get farther away from the water the pull returns, by the time I make it back home I long to go back.

"I told you to stay away from the water." She yells at me, grabbing my arm and dragging me towards my room. She throws me inside and grabs the door handle, making the wooden door slams shut, I jump at the loud sound.

For a few seconds I stand in the middle of my small room, holding my arms to my chest.

"You got sand all over the carpet!" My aunt screams, making me jump onto my bed all pull my blanket over me.

I face my window that looks out onto the beach and lay down, gazing at the water. I start to shake as the feeling of loneliness comes over me, making me quietly sob myself to sleep.

I startle awake from my nightmare filled with terrible green scales and bony long fingers pulling me under. My heart slowly goes back to its normal rhythm as reality sets in, though my breathes are still shaky.

I turn towards my window and focus on the waves. Watching them tumble over each other, then I look to the dock. In the darkness I see a figure stretched over the boards, I small rush of fear enter my stomach as I make out the entity.

Skeletal arms hold the creature up, while a skinny lengthy tail is in place where I humans' legs would be. My breath catches as the being's head turns toward my window. I don't move in fear of being noticed, the creature continues to look towards me.

"It can't see me." I reassure myself.

Then, the strange feeling that eye contact brings washes over me, my stomach drops instantly as a wave of shivers covers me. The creature suddenly crouches down and uses its terrible skinny arms to drag itself closer in my direction, looking like a monster out of a horror movie, but much worse.

A terrible feeling of primal fear fills me, I instantly begin to cry. I jump off my bed and run into the hallway outside of my room, screaming the entire time.

 A light breeze snaps me back into reality, I turn to see the front door wide open. My vision is instantly drawn to a person in the ocean water, bobbing up and down, staring at me.

"Why are you scream-" My Aunt stops speaking as she notices the open door. But I don't answer, memorized by the mysterious lady in the water, though she is far away I can make out her face easily, she is surprisingly...beautiful.

I take a step closer to the door, my legs are begging to chase after the creature before she leaves again. This can't be the same thing I saw just a few seconds ago, she looks so different, so friendly. My feet seem to decide for themselves as I take off out the door, towards the ocean.

"Mira! Come back, it'll dro-"

But I don't stay long enough to hear, I finally make it to the dock and search for the creature, doing a full scan of the water. Disappointment fills me as I see nothing,

Then... a cold, grey, claw-like hand grabs hold of my ankle from the murky waters below, dragging me off the dock.