The Siren's Flute

Chapter Three

Alex and I found our way to the balcony of the boat, after a few wrong turns. Despite the large ferry boat, only a few people occupied the area and it didn't seem as if many were going to be accompanying us... Those on the boat, were dressed in a similar fashion to "Eric" and seemed to stare and whisper as we passed them by, minus for a red-head who had already wandered to the bar section and gave us a quick smile in passing.

    "You don't think it's too late to get off?" Alex asked me, as we looked over the rail at the Thames River, the ferry boat chugged along. The river glistened in the sunlight, tranquil and peaceful, even as waves crashed into one another.

    "You feel it too? The...peculiarity, of it?" I responded, quieter before I glanced over my shoulder.

    "It's off...something is urging me. As if someone is  saying 'no' to me, ...but also 'yes' at the same time."

    I bit my lip,  I didn't feel a whole lot of 'yes', as she had so eloquently described it...but I felt there was something about to happen. Change. The sound of the churning water filled my ears and somehow gave me a relaxed feeling. "A bit late now," I muttered as the ferry beneath us chugged along the river. I gave a small wave as we left behind  London, the cars, the lights, and busy streets fading away as other places made themselves known. Canvey Island. So far out.

    "I'm going to take a look around the ferry." Alex voiced as she pushed herself off the rail. "You in?"

    "No, I think I'll stay here." Alex nodded before she slipped away, whistling loudly as she left me with the view.

    I pulled my phone from my jeans pocket as I hummed the tune Alex had whistled, quietly. I looked at my notifications, desperate for an update or sign that Chloe attempted to contact me - despite the fact I knew it was impossible - and sighed in frustration as I found nothing. I bowed my head and took a deep breath and wrestled with my thoughts, I'm done for. For now, at least, unless I can find any clients who haven't believed that asshole's story.

    "Thinking deeply, are we?" A heavily-accented voice cut through the air. I turned around and glimpsed the blonde, or "Eric" as Bell had referred to him sending me a crooked smile before he walked over to accompany me beside the railing.

    "Hello," I responded simply before returning my gaze to the view. "It's...Eric, right?"

    "Peter," he corrected me. I noticed his green eyes analyzed me intently, chills ran down my spine.

"Who's Eric, then?" My brows creased before I turned to him.

"Also me." A mischievous grin emerged onto his lips from my raised eyebrow. "Peter Eric Pan. Bell uses Eric in public, privacy, and all that."

I tilted my head towards him, slightly amused. "Famous name."

"Ring a bell, does it, lass?"

"Only slightly."

Peter's laugh was loud, reckless, and bold ...it seemed to fit him and I noticed his silver necklace dangled from his neck, dancing in the sunlight carefree, suddenly, his shoulder bumped into mine in a fit of laughter, causing me to jerk back and drop it. Into the water. He paused before glancing down at the water as my phone plummeted into the Thames, his cocksure grin never leaving his face. "Ah, sorry lass."

I frowned. His eyes conveyed something else, glimmering as if he was anything but sorry. I gaped at him, unsure of how to respond at his crude laugh, cocksure grin, and seemingly no remorse for the loss of an expensive item before I looked back over the ledge. Then, back at him. Before looking once again over the edge, my braids fell over my shoulder as if to match the path my phone took. "You just caused me to drop my phone into the Thames river," I reiterated slowly as it came crashing down on me. Chloe wouldn't be able to call me. I also had yet to back up my phone in the past few months.