The Sound of a Siren's Call

50.) The Siren's Witch

The sea was a welcome sight, even if Ryan insisted we'd have to go further. The sun was in its last fleeting moments of light, making the shine off the waves so much more beautiful. Ryan and Castor had the tub, and the walked toward the water. Castor looked on the verge of collapse, but he still lifted Juniper up and into the sea. I walked until my knees were in the breaking waves. Castor sat down, but the water reenergized me.

Ryan joined me and splashed water on me. I did the same and soon Juniper and Leland joined us, all of us playing in the water until we were too exhausted to continue.

Castor and Juniper slept several feet apart, evidently having deemed the waves to be too much of an obstacle for them to stay cuddled up like they had been. Me and Ryan slept next to each other, Leland of the other side of her.

Her finger traced up and down my arm as I stared up at the stars. She felt comfortable next to me. Like having solid ground under my feet.

The wariness was slowly ebbing away, her lips seeming too perfect and whole to tell anything but the absolute, unfiltered truth. I knew deep down that wasn't true of anyone, but my heart had decided to have its hand at running whatever part of my brain managed logic for a time being. It did a fair enough job for everyone but her.

I fell asleep within minutes, Ryan's hand still tracing up and down my arm.

Ψψψ

When Ryan woke, I'd been up for a while. Her chin found its way to my shoulder. Eventually, I turned to face her.

"I haven't been to the ocean since Leland was a baby."

I looked at her. "I don't think I'd ever been away from the ocean before you know."

She nodded. "I like the land better. The ocean seems scary. Well, it seems nice and then it sucks you into it."

"I'm a siren. I don't have to worry about getting sucked in."

"No?"

I laughed. "No."

"I always wondered what it'd be like to be able to swim forever."

"Not forever. Just like you couldn't walk forever. But a good way."

"I know I might be overplaying my hand, but since you're leaving..."

I looked at her, my eyebrow cocked.

"...would you take me for a swim?"

It wasn't like we were in a hurry, but it felt weird to stay still. Ryan pouted and reasoned and it was all I could do to relent. No one else was up yet. The sun was barely up. The dawn was still weak on the waves.

Ryan shamelessly bundled her overclothes. I smiled as she walked toward me, most of her body open against the air.

"Aren't you scared the water will be cold?"

She shook her head, stepping into the foam on the shore.

I left my clothes next to her. I waded out a good way, far out enough that Ryan was up to her chest, her short hair barely staying dry.

It hadn't occurred to me to ask if she could swim. She struggled when the waves came, but she still bobbed above them. I let myself drop, breathing in the water. My breaths bubbled to the surface as I waited to the tail. I waited for a big wave, and just as Ryan jumped, I grabbed her by the waist, and we shot up.

The look of terror on her face might have been comical, but the way she clutched me wasn't.

"You okay?"