The Invasion

17 | A Song of Death

I can't believe I've told Zarius everything.

There is just something in him that compels me to say everything. Like a magnetic pull. As much as I'm aware of, he doesn't seem to want to hurt me. In fact, he has been protecting me.

Even though I'm an abomination to his kind.

Now that he knows I can't swim and how much more of a freak I am, I can imagine the look of disgust on his face. Maybe after this, he's going to abandon me after knowing how worthless I am.

I can't depend on him forever. I need to fend for myself.

Back in the bedroom, I dig under the bed and closet for a backpack. I need to gather the items for my travel; clothes, food, flashlights and any weapons that I can find. Grabbing two sets of the smallest male shirt and pants that I see, I stuff them into the bag. Next, I suit myself up with a black oversized jacket, pulling the hoodie over my head and rolling up the sleeves because they are long.

And that's when I notice the dull, grayish light spilling in from the outside.

Through the window, the scenery looks much brighter than before. The visibility is a lot better now; I couldn't see anything beyond five feet before, but now I can see the houses on the other side of the street. The rain is less intense and the wind howls have reduced significantly.

The storm is winding down.

Hope fills my chest. Light is coming back to us. And since it's something that the creatures hate, this means they will soon have to go into hiding, at least until the sun disappears.

I head back into the kitchen, but it's empty and Zarius is nowhere to be seen. Did I make him leave?

Disappointment twists my heart, including a twinge of betrayal. If he has truly left, he's such a hypocrite. The stuff he was making up about friends? Those were lies.

Whatever. His disappearance doesn't stop me from my mission. I rummage through the cabinets, tossing energy bars, canned food, and two bottles of water into my backpack.

Suddenly, the ceiling light above me fizzles out and I'm plunged into darkness. I wonder if the mutants have finally destroyed our power plant and cut off our electricity. My instinct forces me down on my knees as I pull myself behind the island counter. A shrill voice sings out of nowhere, coming from outside the house. Beautiful, yet cold and haunting.

Fear pulses through the blood in my veins, but my curiosity sends me moving closer. Staying low, I crawl across the kitchen floor and towards the sink where the window is. When I sneak a quick peek, my mind immediately registers what I'm hearing and seeing.

It's a siren.

According to legends, they sing with their bewitching sweet voice to attract the sailors and lure them to their deaths. Typically, by causing shipwrecks against the rocky shores. Their body structure is of half-woman and half-fish. From what I've read in books, they also mentioned that it's impossible to survive hearing a siren's song, but if any man lived to tell the tale, the sirens would perish. And how much of that last part is true? — I don't know.

I count the sirens. One perches on the roof of a wrecked car, another sits on a fallen concrete slab. There are two more of them slithering and roaming on the sidewalks, singing in harmony. Together, their voices meld together beautifully, humming words I can't understand, and it feels as if I'm listening to a live opera. However, as opposed to their enchanting voices, their faces are hideous with blood-red eyes, sharp teeth, and their hands webbed.

"There is a male in the vicinity."

A quiet voice comes from behind me, startling me so badly that I whip around with a kitchen knife. "Zarius!" I hiss, my chest heaving in anxiety. "You scared me! I thought you left."