The Siren’s Song

There weren’t always dragons in the valley.

There never used to be sirens in the lakes either.

Hearing music in the woods at night was usually a bad sign, even the most beautiful places turn dark during the night, but the alluring tune kept drawing me in.

I cursed myself when twigs snapped under my feet as I followed the off-beaten path but it couldn’t muffle out her song.

I thought maybe I could talk myself into going back home instead of following this trail that would surely lead to the siren who thought she could coax me away with her captivating lullaby.

Sirens have been the talk of the town lately. Last weekend a fisherman came stumbling in while I was serving to look for more rum weeping that he had watched one of the creatures drag his son down to a watery grave.

Of course, sirens weren’t the only danger around here right now, but they seemed to be the reason for most disappearances lately.

Finally, the lake came into my line of view and the first thing I noticed was a man standing by the shore. He stood in a trance looking out at the murky water.

For a moment, I couldn’t tell what he was staring at through the fog, but once I spotted her gleaming seaweed green eyes I couldn’t look away.

No wonder he was mesmerized by her.

He continued to stare at her flawless complexion in a daze as she glided toward him in the water. Her body stayed submerged and her honey blonde hair pooled around her.

Her eyes didn’t leave his. He staggered forward and dropped to his knees in the shallows, just a puppet to her song.

She reached forward and took his face in both of her hands in one fluid motion. She stroked his cheek delicately with one hand while the other slid behind his neck, pulling him closer to her.

My heart raced while I watched in horror as he leaned in closer to her. Her lips were inches away from his and as she slowly move deeper into the lake, he waded in after her.

Thoughts of the Fisherman's son who was drowned flooded through my mind and before I could convince myself out of it I raced out of the shadows and down to the lake.

The siren's head whipped around at the sound of my feet on the gravel and her once flawless face was now turned into a crooked snarl showing her razor teeth that could carve through flesh.

Her lips that had been crimson and full were now cracked and narrow making her look sickly with her sunken in cheeks and dark bruise-like circles under her black beady eyes.

She slowly rose out of the water showing something that looked to be small wings on her back. They were like angel wings, but wrong. Dark and sleek. Short and oily. They were built for the water.

Pulled out of his trance by my screams, the man stumbled backwards falling onto his back. He frantically pushed himself away, trying to get out of her reach, but wasn’t fast enough.

With inhuman force she reached for his leg, digging her talon like nails into his skin.

“Let me go!” He screamed in pain as she tried to pull him deeper into the water. The sneer on her face made it seem as though she thought she had already won.

Every bone in my body was telling me to run. No man had ever been at a sirens mercy and lived to tell the tale.

Deep down I knew this man was as good as dead but when his eyes met mine while he was kicking and screaming trying to get his attacker off, something inside me knew that I had to try and help him

I raced towards them, splashing through the water and took the man’s arm, hoping to tear him away from the siren.

My strength was no match for her and she continued to drag him into the water. He thrashed and kicked at her, only making her dig her claws deeper. Blood pooled in the water around us as he sobbed in pain.

The siren began crooning her song again and as if a switch had been flipped, he stopped fighting. I watched in fear as his eyes glazed over and he reached out for the sirens hand.

She gladly took it with a triumphant grin on her face but I had already come this far, there was no way I was letting her lead him into the deep without a fight.

I snatched the man's other hand and yanked on his arm, trying to get him out of the water, but he was under her spell.

She continued her chant, singing louder and louder. His arm slipped out of my grasp and I tumbled backwards into the water.

I desperately felt around in the water looking for a sharp rock, or really anything, I could use to try and stop her.

When my hand landed on a large jagged rock, I didn’t even hesitate before flinging it at the back of the sirens head with as much force as I could.

She hardly flinched.

A hopeless sob that I didn’t know I was capable of escaped my lips as I watched the man’s head slip under the water.

The siren glanced at me one last time, unaffected by my tears, and as she disappeared into the water I screamed out in a last ditch effort.

“Stop!” My hoarse voice was unrecognizable to me. I had never been so damn terrified in my life. Like the Fisherman at the restaurant the other day, I had just watched a gruesome siren attack.

I quickly stood up and raced out of the water, collapsing on the shore. Moments later, loud splash startled me, making me jump and when I looked back out to the water expecting to see the siren coming for her next prey, I saw the man I thought she had killed paddling towards shore choking on the water he’d almost drowned on, trying to stay afloat.

The siren’s head bobbed above the surface a few feet back, watching to see that he made it back to shore.

I barely had the energy to get up and help him, he collapsed on the ground next to me and we both lay there, trying to catch our bearings.

“How did you do that?” The man managed to mumble through his ragged breathing.

He was looking at me like I was crazy and I was confused by his question.

“How did I do what? You’re the one that just escaped a siren! I thought you were dead!” I shouted exasperated, but he shook his head continuing to watch me closely.

“I thought I was dead too.” He mumbled, looking like he was trying to add something up in his head.

“Her voice didn’t affect you. She was singing her song and you weren’t even phased by it!” He announced excitedly.

He was right. I hadn’t thought about it. Yea, I thought it was beautiful, but her voice didn’t lure me in.

He grimaced in pain and pushed himself up into a sitting position. My stomach turned when he gently pulled away his mangled pant sleeve to reveal the grisly gash the siren had left on the inside of his calf.

Her vicious claws had cut deep. Blood continued to ooze from the mans wound. I’d never done well with blood, and looking at it made my vision spotty and my head spin.

“Don’t tell me you just scared off a siren but the sight of a little blood scares you.” he laughed sofly as he removed his shoe, taking off his sock and tying it around his leg to stop the bleeding.

“I guess I should probably thank you—“ he grunted as he pulled his shoe back on, “I didn’t catch your name.”

I get up, brushing the dirt off my jeans as if it’ll make a difference and reach my hands out to help him up.

“I’m Rosalee.”

He pulled himself up and tripped forward as he put weight on his sore leg.

He was standing so close to me I could see the individual flecks of gold in his eyes flickering from the moonlight. His brows were arched and elegant, and without even realizing what I was doing I reached up and traced one of them with my fingertips.

He abruptly grabbed my hand. My eyes flew to his and my skin seemed to burn at his touch. I was embarrassed that I had been so forward.

His eyes stayed locked on mine and I held my breath. His lips were inches from mine. So close, that he hardly even had to lean in and his lips brushed mine.

It was just a soft kiss, but the chill that I had from the icy lake was gone. He let his lips brush mine one more time, his hand lingering at the nape of my neck.

“Thank you, Rosalee. I’m Eli.” He murmured near my ear before pulling away.

“Brother!” Our heads both snapped in the direction of the shouting.

A man with identical caramel brown curls to the one I just kissed was racing towards us with three other men, all riding horses.

The three men followed behind him, one was leading a horse without a rider beside him. When they reached us, they all dismounted and hurriedly rushed over to us.

“Are you alright?” He looked his brother up and down and his brother waved him off.

“I’m fine, but my horse spooked and ran me into a tree, so I’m sure I’ll be hurting tomorrow.” He chuckels, making light of the situation.

The man that was leading the spare horse walks up with the horse , putting the rein in Eli’s hand.

“Do you need me to take you somewhere?” Eli turns to me, putting a hand on my arm. One of the men raises an eyebrow and the others look surprised he’d offer to help me.

Little do they know I just saved him from an actual siren.

I contemplate his horse. It’s shoulder is well over my head, it stands tall and proud, it’s black coat glistening.

“No, thank you. I live close.” I smile politely and and he climbs up onto his horse effortlessly.

“I should be thanking you, Rosalee.” He nods his head and lifts his reins, signalling his horse forward. His brother rides up beside him and the three men follow.

When they’re out of sight I turn and run. Away from the lake. Away from the siren. I was a fool to turn down a ride home all because I was scared of the way a boy made me feel when he kissed me.

I lied to Eli when I said I lived close. Now I’m stuck running through the woods in the dark.

Racing through the woods filled with monsters and creatures that are anything but innocent.