Capture me a Mermaid

High Hopes

Agatha was in her cell trying not to cry. She knew that her plan would probably fail and she'd end up skinned. She knew that if Sophie were here she'd tell her to look on the bright side, to see that after the storm there'd be a rainbow.

But there was no bright side.

The rainbow wasn't that beautiful.

She pressed her eyes to a crack in the wall, that showed a view of the deck. There was fog surrounding the boat. The farthest she could see was Tedros standing at the front of the boat. A red haired boy was studying a map, another was steering the ship, one was doing something with a rope (she had no idea what) and Willam and Bodgen were sitting on upside down buckets dealing tarot cards.

The red-head and the one steering we're having a conversation with Tedros, but Agatha couldn't make out the words. She assumed the were discussing the fog.

Out of nowhere, she heard a voice. A beautiful voice.

Her eyes shot wide.

Sirens.

When sirens sing, to the mortal ear it just sounds like wordless beauty. But to mermaid it was different. They understood the language.

It was to hard to make out what she was saying, she was too far away. She just hoped that they were talking to her.

"What is that?" Tedros shouted. The crew had no idea what they were dealing with.

Agatha saw the fog part and it revealed a scaly  siren.

At least, that's how she looked to Agatha. To the crew they probably saw some gorgeous and attractive women, that looked like she needed their help.

"Hello?" Tedros called out.

Now Agatha could hear what the siren was saying.

Agatha. The siren was repeating her name in different rhythms of song.

Her face broke into a smile.

She thumped her tail on the wall that the ocean sat on the other side of, to get the other sirens attention.

She heard another voice enter the chorus. Your friends have been worried. She said.

Tears came to her eyes, thinking about them.

Another voice joined. We'll save you.

Agatha was now sobbing, it was unclear of her emotion. She pressed her eyes to the crack again. All of the men were entranced.

"Hello?" Tedros repeated. "Are you--" he cut himself off.

It was going to work! She was going to be free--

She heard a door slam open and four women ran into view.

Agatha's stomach dropped. She didn't know there were so many women on board, she'd only seen Dot and an albino girl. Women could resist the sirens lures, and could snap the men out of the trance. She just hoped they didn't know that.

"Sirens!" A girl with dark skin screamed.

The men didn't so much as flinch. Agatha dug her nails into her palm and bit her lip.

The girl dashed around the boat yelling at each other and trying to get the boys attention.

She saw Tedros jolt and spin to where the door to the brig would be, but was out of her view. He turned back to the sirens. He didn't seem so out of it anymore.

"Are you alright?" He said. "Would you like to come aboard? We can help you get home."

"No!" Screamed the dark skinned girl.

Tedros spun. "What? They're hurt!"

"They're sirens!" A girl with red-streaked hair shot back.

Tedros's eyes widened. He pulled his pistol out and started to shoot at them.

As he did their song turned into laughter.

The dark skinned girl jabbed his arm. She said something but Agatha couldn't make it out. The conversation went back and fourth between Tedros and the girls, until the one with the red streaks clubbed one of the other men in the head, knocking him unconscious.

Um... Agatha thought. That was unnecessary.

"That'll do it," Dot said.

"No it won't!" yelled another girl. "They have to resist it! At least one of them does!"

Agatha gulped. They knew how to kill the sirens.

The same girl turned to Tedros, who had already gone back to ogling at the women. She moved to another and tried to get his attention. "Hort!"

He was looking out at the sirens still.

She cupped his face with her hands. "Hort?" She whispered.

The supposed 'Hort' met her eyes. "Nicola?" He said, confusion in his voice.

The sirens started to shriek in pain.

One of them climbed onto the boat in desperation. Reaching out to the door of the brig, before it collapsed dead on the deck.

Agatha looked out at the water and discovered that they were all dead.

She felt her heart in her throat.

"No." She choked. Tears spilled down her face. "No!"

She fell to the ground and sobbed harder. This time the emotion was unmistakably, pain. She sniffle and gasped for air.

She tried to take deep breaths. To wipe up her salty tears and stay strong. Keep the thought of seeing Sophie again brighten up her sorrow.

But she couldn't.

"But, they didn't attack us for no reason." A women's voice said.

"No?" Said Tedros's.

"No. They came for her." Agatha didn't have to see them to know the women was talking about her.

No. The rainbow wasn't beautiful.

It was ugly.