Short Stories

A New Siren's Song

    A woman was jerked from her hiding spot, where she had been tucked neatly behind stacks of supply-filled barrels. Her black hair fell from her once neat bun as she tossed her head back, resisting the bearded man who had grabbed her.

      "Get your hands off of me!" She snapped, jerking away from the strong hand gripping her arm. He caught her again by the collar of her loose white shirt, jerking her back again.

     "A stowaway?" The man guessed, thick eyebrows lowering across almond shaped eyes. "And a woman at that! The cap'n will love to hear about this!"

      She found herself thrown to her knees at the helm of the Windswept, her coal-colored hair falling into her dark eyes. She tossed her head back with an angry his at the man who had deposited her, then looked up to see the captain.

       He wore a fancy coat over a white ruffled shirt, perfectly ironed and smooth as fresh snow. A sword hung from a belt at his hip, engravings made of gold against the fine steel. His eyes were gray, narrow, and cold. There was a look of disgust given away by the slight lift of his upper lift that showed the tips of white teeth. He leaned against the steering wheel as he studied her.

       "A stowaway, sir," the man who had found her reported, smirking at the looks disgust on the regal captain's face.

       "I can see that. And a woman, no less." He rested a hand on the hilt of his sword, smirking at her. "Care to give me your name, stowaway?"

       "Dala Crown," she managed through gritted teeth, her dark eyes regarding him with nothing short of hatred. The wooden deck was pressing into her knees, making her very uncomfortable. Even so, she knew an attempt to stand would be fruitless in front of these men.

       "A slave?"

       "Former slave. I am no longer submissive to those believing they are superior."

       "Yet here you are, on your knees," he sneered, and her lip curled. "An escaped slave, stowing away on a ship bound for Tress. And a woman. Don't you know it is bd luck for women to sail?"

        "I have no reason to dread this ship plunging you to watery graves," Dala replied tersely.

       "I, however, rather that didn't happen." The captain barked an order at a passing sailor before returning his attention to her. His silver eyes glittered with malice. "Thus, you will be removed from our company. Goodbye, Dala Crown."

       The man beside her bound her wrists and feet despite her protests and struggling, and Dala spat a curse at the captain as they dragged her towards the edge of the ship. She refused to scream as she was thrown from the deck into icy waters.

       She couldn't swim, couldn't keep herself above the surface. Her clothes collected water like a sponge, dragging her away from the shimmering light just above her head. She writhed in the water, struggling to keep that light from rising out of reach. In a mere blink of an eye, it was gone, and her breath went with it.

       As her lungs began to ache, her eyes filling with spots, an ethereal voice penetrated the eerie silence. "You have a choice... die like the rest or live with us."

      She was dimly aware of creatures twisting around her. Humanlike creatures with pearly skin, large eyes, and webbed hands. Tails propelled them each through the water, their flowing hair streaming out behind them as they swam.

      Dala knew from the tales that these beautiful creatures were a sailor's worst fear: sirens.

     A siren with glowing green eyes and auburn hair grew closer than the rest, and Dala began to choke on the water. She couldn't hold her breath any longer, and her body began to convulse. The closest siren sliced through her bonds with sharp claws, but it was much too late for Dala to attempt returning to the surface.