Errol had been the first and final man to visit her on her rock-pool island in the uncharted sea. He’d been a handsome captain of an exploration vessel, and when her wailing had hit his ship like a vile storm, when mens’ ears bled and they begged for mercy, it had been Errol who’d tied cloth around each of their ears, dampening the terrible sound. It’d been Errol who’d rowed alone in a smaller vessel to find her.

To stop her.

Now, many years later, she watched this new vessel with interest, her mouth — for now — closed.

Although this ship was much larger than Errol’s had been, it wore the same livery and flags as Errol’s ship once had. Bore the same topless goddess carving as its figurehead.

​

—

​

Men and women screamed alike as the sea bubbled up around their ship. Babies wept in their mothers’ arms. The ship moaned, rocked. Lifted.

”Where’s the captain?” yelled Maria, struggling against the rolls of water that rushed through the inside of the ship.

Morgan, the dogsbody, pointed to the stairs, said, ”At the wheel. Not that it’s—“ Salt water sprayed against him, a wave threw him to the floorboards.

”Here, take my hand.” Maria helped the boy to his feet then made her way up the stairs, knuckles red as she gripped the bannister each time a wave battered against her.

”Captain!” she yelled, stumbling towards him like a drunk. “Captain!”

When the captain saw her, he took the rope from off his own waist and tied it around hers. “It’ll keep you from being washed away.”

“What’s happening?”

“I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have brought us this way. It’s where Errol vanished — I knew it as well as anyone. Better, even. This sea is cursed!”

”That was a century ago! It’s a legend, nothing more. And if you—”

Her mouth remained open but no words left.

The creature rose above them.

It blotched out the sun and shadowed the ship. Loomed over it like a tidal wave of scales and teeth.

A tentacle as thick as a tree crashed down on the deck near to them, splintering wood.

”God help us.”

-

Errol had landed on the pebble beach; she was sure he’d come to kill her. His head was wrapped by shawl and scarf.

Her singing was of no use.

She swiped at Errol with her clawed hands as he tried to clamber out of his boat.

”Please!” he said. “I come unarmed. I come with only peace in my heart.”

​

So long ago, she thought. She held a piece of cloth that had once covered Errol’s ears and watched as the Kraken rose above the latest ship.

-

A body lay next to Maria. A man — one of the few soliders on the transport vessel — lay crushed, chest flattened.

She untied the rope from her waist, then uncurled the dead man’s fist and took the spear from his hand.

”Maria, don’t be a fool!” yelled the captain.

She charged towards the tentacle wrapped around the mast, as it slowly cracked the wooden pole like a spine.

She shouted over her shoulder, “You have a better plan?”

He didn’t. He had no plan at all.

She thrust the spear through the scales and into the wet flesh.

The creature didn’t even flinch.

The mast snapped. Fell.

“Maria!”

-

Errol had stayed with her. His ship had sailed on without him, as he had instructed. He wasn’t sure how his plan would pan out — if he’d calm her or only enrage her further.

”Your singing,” he’d said. “It… It repels people. It hurts them.”

She had meant it to. It was the song of her heart. As tar-black as the depths of the sea.

She could not swim and had been stranded here as a child, a freak of gods and demons, on this lonely rock, to live off whatever washed up in the pools. To harbour hatred for all she was jealous of.

Here she had been for centuries.

It was her heart’s song. It was all she could sing.

And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to kill him. Not yet, at least.

She made Errol tell her of life outside of the island.

Eventually, she told him about life on it.

They fished together that night.

Cooked by fire.

Told stories of the stars.

Slowly, over many weeks, they became enchanted with each other’s quiter siren song.

-

The captain jumped at Maria and they tumbled to the floor as the mast collapsed.

Too slow. His left foot was caught, crushed. He lay trapped.

Maria had his hand, tried to free him as a tentacle rose above them.

”It’s okay,” he said. “We had a good run, didn’t we?”

”It’s not over.”

He smiled against the pain. They both knew it was.

​

And then came the sound.

A melody that seemed to rise from within each of them and make its way outward. But that wasn’t right; it was on the air, in the breeze and water. A melody so delicate and wondorous that it seemed written by the gods themselves.

The captain thought it was the song of cherubs who must be, even now, taking him beyond.

”The sound,” said Maria. “It’s like a harp being strummed in my heart. It’s beautiful.”

The tentacle, high in the air above them, slowly lowered, gently, back into the sea.

The creature itself rocked slowly as it settled and sank peacefully into the water, lulled into a deep, deep rest.

​

-

She watched the ship long after the Kraken slumbered, as the people on board repaired it the best they could.

She sang for them as the worked. All the while she held the precious rags to her chest.

Whether these people visited her after or sailed away, she didn’t mind. She didn’t feel lonely.

She was glad just to have sung the new song that possessed her heart.

“Ah, another mortal who has fallen for my charms. It’s almost too easy. Come now, I’ll draw you in with my song of love. OOOOH WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR? WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR? WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR? BOATS ARE REALLY BORING. PUT THE CAPTAIN IN A JAR IF HE’S NAUGHTY, PUT THE CAPTAIN IN A JAR IF HE’S NAUGHTY, PUT A CAPTAIN IN A JAR, EARLY IN THE MORRRRRNING.”

Xali watched as the sailor cringed, nearly sinking as he covered his ears. The momentary stop of his paddling causing the rough sea waves to rattle him, nearly pulling him under. Soon the sailor gritted their teeth, continuing their paddling towards the shoreline where the siren laid, trying desperately to avoid listening to anymore of that horrible slaughtering of a beloved song.

“Works every time. He was so stunned by my beauty that he nearly drowned. Another verse for my sailor friend? WAAAAAAY HEY ROUGH DISGUISES, WAAAAY HEY ROUGH DISGUISES, WAAAAY HEY, ROUGH DISGUISES, EARLY IN THE MORNING.” Xali threw up her hands, unable to stop herself from enjoying her own tune, having so much fun singing the song.

The sailor didn’t seem to have half as much fun as the siren, struggling once again as he covered his ears. This time he submerged, only rising when the water in his ears dulled the sound coming from the shore. When he reached the shoreline, the seawater was already oozing from his ears. The sailor hugging the ground as he coughed up water. “Ah, gah. Blugh.”

“Great song, right? You may now give me your treasure!” Xali said cheerfully, holding out her hands, expecting grand riches.

“Y-you killed that song. Why are you so bad at singing? The crew is going crazy listening to your songs every day. Why do you torment us like this? Can’t you just kill us and spare the misery?”

“Bad? But my voice is as smooth as the ocean and just as beautiful.” The man’s words confused her. Why would she want to kill him? “Kill you? I just want some of your treasure. I hear pirates have a lot of treasure and I want some. Something shiny or pretty will do. Oh, I’ll have that ring of yours.”

“That’s my wedding ring.”

“You can get another. Come on, gimme. OH, WHAT DO YOU-“

“FINE, FINE, YOU CAN HAVE IT. Please, just no more singing…” He tossed his ring at the siren, the small silver ring bouncing off her forehead, leaving a small red mark as it rolled down onto the shore. She collected the ring, looking it over before tossing it onto the ground behind her, already bored with it. “Got anything else?”

“Do I look like I have anything else?”

“Hmm, maybe I should sing again. If I get more of you to come over, I can get even more rings.”

“No one else will come.”

“Yes, they will. My songs have the power to charm anyone to my side.”

“They don’t. The only reason I’m even here is to tell you that your singing will never work. No one will ever be charmed by it. You say your voice is as smooth as the ocean and you might be right.” The sailor pointed at the rough waters behind them, the waves crashing against the rocks, sending spurts of water flying. He hoped that would emphasize his point.

“Aw, thank you. Wait, that didn’t sound like a compliment.”

“Because it wasn’t. What if we give you some treasure and you stop singing?”

“But that’s not how it works. I don’t want treasure that way. I want to earn it.”

“Why do you even want treasure? Don’t sirens eat humans?”

“We do? Mother never mentioned that before she left. I just assumed you wouldn’t taste very good.” She leaned over to the sailor, opening her mouth, revealing rows of sharp pin like teeth. She went to take a small bite out of his arm, only for the sailor to blurt out a few quick words.

“We don’t. We taste awful. It’s like eating gunpowder and sweat.” That description was enough to halt her bite. The siren considering it before shifting back.

“Thought so. I don’t get it. Why don’t you like my singing? Isn’t this how my kind sing?”

“No, your kind hum beautiful sounds that enchant the hearts of sailors. They don’t sing their own versions of our shanties.”

“Oh? Like this? Hmmm mmm hmm hmmm hmmmm” She hummed a small tune, one that eased even the hardest heart. The sailor found his anger waning, feeling an urge to throw himself into the water for her. He stood up, turning to approach the water once more.

“EARL LIVES IN MOURNIG. WAAAY HEY, ROUGH DISUIGSES.” She threw up her hands again before laughing. “So much fun.”

The sailor snapped out of the trance, the cold water drifting across his toes. “Huh? So you can actually sing like a siren? Why do you choose to sing our songs, then?”

“They sound like a lot of fun. Every time your ships pass, I always feel an urge to sing along to your songs. I love your little tunes.”

“You know you're singing them wrong, don’t you?”

“Well, it’s hard to hear them from all the way out here. I’m getting better though. In a few years, I might even know the entire song.”

“My ears won’t last a few years. How about I teach you how to sing it?’

“You would do that for me?”

“If it stops you singing that other version, yes.”

So, the sailor spent the rest of the evening teaching the song to the siren. Enduring her horrible, customized lyrics until finally she had memorized it. The siren able to pick up the shanty rather quickly. When she sang the correct lyrics, the sailor felt that trance hit him once more, her shanty a thing of beauty, the perfect tribute to the art of piracy and one that made his heart swell with bravado.

“That was amazing. I feel like I could sail into Davy Jones’ locker after hearing that. How about this as a trade? If you sing that song for us every time we sail past, I’ll drop some treasure off for you?”

“You will?” The siren smiled, baring her sharp teeth. When her pointed teeth were fully in view, the sailor backed away, putting some distance between them.

“I will. Swear on my captain’s ship. Which is technically my ship too, since if it sinks, I sink.” He laughed, but the siren only looked at him, confused, unsure what he meant by that.

“Then I will happily sing it for you.”

“Just make sure it’s the right version. When you sing it properly, it actually sounds beautiful, unlike that horrific version you used to sing.”

“Aww, I still like that version. Fine, I’ll sing your version. Will you all sing back? I hear how much fun you have when you all sing it together. I would love to join in.”

“Sure. As long as it’s sung properly.”

“Yay, I can’t wait. Make sure to sail past a lot!”

While the siren was daydreaming about them all singing together, the sailor snatched his ring, sliding it back onto his finger. With his ring back, he dived into the water, swimming to his boat with a newfound energy. Maybe sailing this route wouldn’t be so horrible anymore.

     

(If you enjoyed this feel free to check out my subreddit /r/Sadnesslaughs where I'll be posting more of my writing.)

I am so proud of myself.

Yet another day where I accomplished mission success. I watch the young man who is 20 years old at most slowly but steadily closing in to my small chunk of land in the midst of the vastness of the seas.

Seduced by my sheer will to make him obey he is willingly sacrificing his life. For me.

I am flattered. I feel so adorable. Another lover for eternity, collected inside of my beating heart. Hell yeah, I will get them all! As I keep dwelling in these thoughts of pure ecstasis, the sailor has now reached the bottom of the cliff. He desperately looks for a way to get up to me, his new godess of love, his new haven of safety. And safety he will get. The certainity that he will be a part of myself for eternity.

I am amused as I see the desperation in his eyes giving way to determination. This is what my song I am singing right now is doing to him. Taking away his free will. Making him MINE!

I sing him the most beautiful song of desire and freedom. My words are shifting his reality into a mere illusion of the thought of a better world, which I create for him with every beat of my heart.

Just a couple seconds left.

There we go....

I am getting ready....

"You finally made it, honey."

"Ma'am, I am sorry to disturb you, but would you please shut your mouth already? This is a public place and the people are getting annoyed by the sheer madness you are inducing onto them."

Wait.

WHAT?????

The illusion is gone.

I am sitting in my cell. Alone.

The walls are made of rubber.

The jacket that's keeping me warm at day and night is putting a squeeze on me.

Tears start pouring down my face.

"Who.. and what... am I?"

edit: phrasing

edit2: wow, I am flattered. 48 upvotes may not be much at first but.. I absolutely love the idea that I was able to make you guys read it until the ending - and you even enjoyed it <3 Pardon these grammar and occasional typing mistakes, english is not my first language :-)

Have a great day!

Sending love from germany <3

Their songs call out to sailors. With beautiful hums and hymns. But men alike, they lose their psych, when they see the beast within! Captain Starbord's tune rang out over the ocean, his men chanting along merrily. Upon reaching the last line the crew took hurried gulps from their cups then started the song back up from the start.

Starbord was always a jolly man, or at least as jolly as a captain could be in these times, but his song was for more than just to lift the spirits. It was to clog the men's ears. Fill their minds so no other voices could be heard, and it worked, mostly.

"Keep it up lads! We've almost crossed the sound!" Captain Starbord yelled out over their chants. Looking out over his ragtag crew he thought back to years prior. To tying men to the posts and watching them thrash about upon hearing the sirens lure. Of watching men, his men, dive overboard to their inevitable deaths, helpless to stop them.

The singing would work, but how long until it didn't? One trip? Two? It wasn't enough. The song reached its end once more.

"Start it back up lads! Next year I'll give it more verses, make it easy to sing our way through!" Once again the song started back up, only a little less merry this time.

"Oh, and Lars, give me your scope for a tick. I want to see what we're up against." Starbord gestured to a man nearby.

A tall man to Starbord's right went to pull something from his coat but paused halfway through the movement. He froze in place, eyes glassed over, staring out into the sea. Starbord had seen this before he feared. Too many times. He reached into Lars' coat where his frozen hand gripped the scope and yanked it out, putting it up to his eye.

Scanning the sea he saw the hag where she had been last year, the year before, and once before that too: sitting casually on the rocky shore, her lower half dunked in the water.

"Tie Lars to the mast! Keep the song up lads, and do it with feeling, lest you want to be fish food!" Their song calls out to sailors! With beautiful hums and hymns!, Starbord started them off again, to which they followed his voice.

"Attaboys! Now wish your captain luck!" Before any man could stop their beloved captain he was off the side headfirst. He could hear a few of their screams behind him, but even more so he heard his song grow louder.

The moment Starbord crashed through the waves it became clear to him what had gotten Lars. Through the crashing of the sea, past the sound of his men, and beyond the noise of his own labored breathing there was something else. A screeching. A horrible noise like swords clashing in a duel. He had never heard the sirens song, but this horrible noise could be mistaken for no other.

With one arm before the other the captain paddled forward, each stroke bringing him closer to the shore and further from his watery steed. Finally as he approached he got a good look at the beast. A woman, fair haired and soft. Her face was a thing of beauty, and if it wasn't for that awful sound coming from her he'd have been fooled into finding it attractive.

As he swam up the song stopped, the beast looked down to him in the water.

"Couldnt resist?" it mocked.

"Ha! Couldn't resist shutting ye up. Whaddya call that babble anyways?" he drew his sword from his belt for emphasis.

The women looked taken aback. She clutched her bare chest as a women clutched pearls. "This is the first I'm hearing of it. It worked on your men before didn't it?"

Starbord gritted his teeth at the thought. The thought of his crew saimming to their deaths at the hands of this beast. Of dying such a pathetic way to underhanded magics. But she hadn't said her words with malice, but with genuine confusion.

"You- you don't know do ye? Yer song is, well, awful. Sirens are said to sing such beautiful hums than men can't resist. They swim to their deaths, their captains sailing them to demise. Ships crash up on the sho-" he cut himself short, now noticing that there were ships on this shore. Plenty of piles of planks and prehistoric wood floating about. Crates of supplied washed up on the rocks.

The siren smiled, showing rows of teeth like busted bottles of rum.

"It seems, good or bad, my song is irresistible either way. It worked on you did it not?"

Starbord held fast to his sword. "Irresistible? I'll show you a tune hag.":

Their songs call out to sailors. With beautiful hums and hymns! But men alike, they lose their psych, when they see the beast within.

The women look like gold, bare chests and songs so sweet, but look into their hearts and mouths and lad you'll surely weep.

The siren claimed another on that day, but her tune changed. No longer the sound of clashing swords but Captain Starbord's tune now rang out through the sound. And that song, a song of warning, well the siren couldn't resist singing it, and the men stayed far away.

I couldn't help but giggle at the sailor as he swam towards my island. He was so eager to meet his doom, and I was more than happy to oblige. "Please," he begged as he reached the shore. "Stop. You're so bad at singing."

I put on my best pouty face and batted my eyelashes at him. "But why?" I asked in a high-pitched voice. "Don't you want to hear me sing?"

He shook his head adamantly. "No, no, no," he said pleadingly. "You're terrible!"

I pretended to be hurt by his words and lay down on the sand dramatically. But deep down, I was delighted that I had finally found someone who could resist my charms.

I cleared my throat and then began to sing in a deep, throaty voice. My song was filled with words of temptation, seduction, and desire. The sailor's eyes widened as I sang, and he backed away slowly. I could see that he was trying to fight against the urge to be lured by me—an effort which was eventually in vain.

As my song came to an end, the sailor found himself standing before me, completely under my spell. I smiled mischievously and slowly began to draw him closer with every wave that washed ashore. He was powerless against what I had done; he could no longer resist my charms.

And that is how I lured my first sailor to his death. But it certainly wouldn't be the last. With time and practice, I had become a master at my craft — an unbeatable siren with a song that none could ignore. My island would soon become overrun with willing sailors, all of them delivered to their watery graves by me, their irresistible siren. I had found my true power, and it was beautiful.

He stood up in the waves, hands covering his ears, and began shouting as he walked toward me. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, so I stopped singing. No one had ever actually made it onto the island before, and I was curious to see what he had to say. Would he be furious? Insatiable? Frenzied? I licked my lips in anticipation.

“Please!” He shouted. “Stop!”

I smiled. He was under my spell, just like all the others. I opened my mouth to sing again, but he cut me off.

“You’re so bad at singing!”

No gob has ever been more smacked then my own was in that moment. His words froze the notes in my throat, causing me to literally gag in response. “Huhck,” I choked out, astonishing myself.

He came to a stop in front of me and leaned forward, hands pressed on his knees while he caught his breath. “Oh god,” he panted. “It’s like nails on a chalkboard. Just stop. Please.”

Mouth agape, I stared at him. This mortal morsel had the audacity to not only invade my home but to also criticize my siren song? I.think.not.

“Mortal,” I said, using my polyphonic voice to put the fear of jeebus in him. “Take care in what you say, for these words may be your last.”

He placed his hands on his hips and arched his back. “Ugh god—I don’t care.” He flapped his hand at me, like I was moth he was shooing away. “Just don’t sing.” Then he tilted his chin down and looked me in the eye. “You fucking totalled my boat you know.”

Does the mouse scold the cat when it’s been caught? Does the rabbit look the fox in the eye and say “Oi! You fucked up my nest!” No! It cowers and gets eaten! And that’s exactly what was going to happen here.

I furrowed my brow and squinted at this brazen bit of man flesh. “I usually try and make this quick, because I’m not a sadist,” I explained, forgoing any further formal language since this twat had seen fit to dispense with the proper order of things. “But given your lack of respect, maybe not this time.” I opened my mouth and screamed—a piercing roar that would strip the flesh from any living creature.

But it had no effect on him.

“Demeter was right,” he said, wiggling a finger in his ear. “You’re a nasty piece of work.”

My blood froze. Demeter?

“Maybe you’re the one who should learn some manners.” He held his hand out and a golden bow came flying up from the wreckage of his ship and into his hand.

“No,” I hissed, backing away. “I didn’t know it was you.”

“Well, now you do.” He held out his other hand, which soon became a fistful of golden arrows. “And I really didn’t like your singing.”

“Apollo—no! I can repair your ship! I can change my voice!”

He notched an arrow. “I think,” he paused, looking at me. “Not.” And he let the arrow fly.

I saw the sailor swimming to me. I expected it to be another meal. They crawled onto the rocky shore with scrapes and bruises. I smirked preparing for my meal. Expect the mortal said something that shocked me.

"Hey. Can you stop singing? You're making my crew go mad with your high pitched wail." The pirate said. I was confused. How was this human not under my spell? I knew I wasn't the best singer. I was pitchy, but I could at least carry a tune well enough to attract male sailors. Even the worst sirens could do this.

"That's odd. You should be under my spell no matter how bad my song is. A siren's song is guaranteed to attract all males." I replied. Then I noticed something odd. Under the shredded top that the human wore were breasts, which were similar to mine. They also had a high pitched voice, gentle features, and long locks of hair spilling from their disheveled cap. "You're not a male sailors are you? You're a tom. A lady disguised as a man"

"That obvious? But yes. You're correct. That's why I'm not affected by your siren song. Because I'm a girl." She explained. I was curious about why she was here.

"Why are you here if you're not affected. What purpose do you have for coming here? And what is your name?" I questioned. This human reminded me of someone I had met years ago.

"My name is Mary Bonny-Rackham. I came here looking for freedom and safety. I've been sailing for years trying to follow the path my mother, aunt, and father set for me. My mother was Anne Bonny, my father Calico Jack Rackham, and my aunt was Mary Read. My father and aunt died and my mom escaped and had me. She took us to safety in a foreign country. But now I am grown and wanted to sail and learn who I am. However, my ship wrecked and I landed here. I was looking for help." She explained. I smiled.

"I knew your mum. She came to my island on her voyage. She's infamous in the oceans. What help do you require and what is my payment?" I asked. She smiled.

"I require passage and your power. My goal is freedom. I seek to go to the new colonies or the Isle of Sirens. I hear it's a place of dreams and freedom. Your pay is my companionship. I may be immune to your song, but I am like my mother and not immune to a woman's beauty. So is it a deal?" She questioned. I smiled. I had wanted love for as long as I could remember and I wanted to go home to the Isle that my people came from.

"Deal. But we must seal it with the Siren's Kiss. You will give me your heart." I countered. She nodded.

"I am willing to give my heart to a creature as lovely as you. Seal it. You own my heart." She agreed. With a wicked grin we shared a kiss with a deal on our minds. The sailor grew a tail and became like me. I smiled and felt adrenaline at having a mate.

“I’m sorry, what?” I looked at the man with disgust. He looked frightened as I bared my fangs, ready to rip a chunk of his meat out and eat it in front of him, and said, “Th-that was one of the worst renditions of ‘The Spy and the Liar’ that I’ve ever heard. Please, stop. Singing just isn’t for you.” I glared at him. “Alright, then, you try.” He seemed taken aback. “What?” “You heard me. If my singing is so bad, you give it a shot. Let’s see how well you can sing.” He glanced around, as if he was trying to find a way out of this. I smirked, and said, “That’s what I thought.” He looked defeated, and my magic swirled around my throat as I began to sing once more. “From the spotlight, I can see you…Play your cards right, kill your stage fright, this could be you…If all the world’s a stage, let’s set it on fire…So you be the spy and I’ll be the liar!” Suddenly, he started to continue the song from the pause. “From the background, you can hear me…Highest billing, makes a killing, they revere me! That beautiful mask you wear, is all I desire, so you be the spy and I’ll be the liar!” I turned to look at him, and he smiled. “How’s that? Now do you see what I mean when I said singing isn’t for you?” I was seething. “Let’s do something instrumental. Why don’t you try this on for size?” I said through gritted teeth as I began to sing Selever’s part of Attack. He looked shocked, and stumbled over the notes. By the end, he had just given up, and said, “Fine. I take it back. You can sing, just stick to instrumentals. Give me whatever punishment you want.” I smiled, and said, “Any punishment?” Before he could answer, I poured my magic into both parts of Split EX. He stumbled back, and to his horror, (At least from what I could tell) blue scales were appearing on his arms. “No, please! Anything but that!” I ignored his pleas and continued singing. By the end, he was a siren too. “Well? Now how do you feel about my singing?” I asked. He screamed some curses at me, and dove into the sea. I smiled and resumed my singing. Humans are so fun to screw with.

It has been quite sometime since I had any visitors, even though clearly I was a bit rusty and decided to lure an excuse for a ship that I had spotted about 4 mid-waves far. I open my mouth and sing the songs of the great, a song I have been taught as a young Sirentress by my grandmother. She was a lovely one, had amazing vocals that would lure not only Human but pther creatures as well, those of the material and non material world alike.

I will spare you the cliché, safe to say the only thing I inherited from my grandmother was her temper.

"Pay no heed" I yell outloud to the rocks, I shall fulfil my calling and catch myself a good meal tonight.

I take a deep breath and continue my hymn, and only moments later I hear splash of water nearby, wow is this it? wasn't so hard

"Ooi" said a deep voice. I was too stunned to speak, does a human think me his equal as to speak so boldy

"Ooi you out there in your little fancy rock..... I"d really appreciate it if you never open those lips to do what you think you were doing"

What atrocity!! I mean i understand my quality of voice is not one without fault but for your food to come and beg you to stop, now this is a new kind of low, thank goodness I was banished alone, I wouldn't have heard the end of it, oh but the waters can talk, I should silence this being before he continues.

"Are ya deaf, with that atrocious sound i bet your own ears left ya"

How dare he, I plunge my self at him and as soon i am two fins close to his face bearing my whole teeth, i see him preparing a stake preparing to nab at me at the right moment. I change course last minute and jump to the side then move to where his back was facing a moment ago. I am between him and the water. I stand striaght from my crouched position.

"Its not very nice, is that how you speak to your womenfolk?"

"Well you ain't no woman are ya?"

"Wouldn't want to be, whats you life span, 100 years?"

"If you're lucky" he smirked

"What!!! You can't even live to a hundred, no wonder you lot are always causing wars, must be frustrating knowing you might die at any moment"

{ commenter note: Hey this is as far as i can think for the day/night dont know the direction of the story but definitely bending towards the tragic comedy aspect of it, hope you enjoy}

Edit : spellings

“…what?” was all I could muster. How could this man, middle aged, and as weak minded as the rest of them, have resisted the effects of my song? In all the years I had spent here none of the ships that were unfortunate enough to pass by my favoured spot had survived, except those who were just far enough away that my voice couldn’t reach them. But this lone, old man somehow stood out from the rest. As his crew were meeting their watery graves, he climbed onto shore. “I’m begging you, please no more. Drown me if you must, tear my heart from my chest, but please stop the Damn singing!” Again, all I could muster was “…what?” This was, to my memory, the first time a human had actually spoken to me, and it was a little jarring to say the least. “My wife back home could do a better job, and her tongue was taken by the gov’ner for speaking Ill of his father, lord bless him.” This man was somehow…being casual with me? Well, as casual as you could be when you insult someone’s who livelihood. “How are you not entranced?” Was it a spell? Was it a hallucination? Were other sirens playing some elaborate practical joke on me? Was it-“I mean, you are beautiful, don’t get me wrong. I can see how most men would lose themselves to you.” He pulled me from my thoughts, but didn’t answer my question. “But that SINGING, I mean seriously, did they only make you a siren out of pity?” “pity?!” I hissed, this has not only survived, but had the gall to disrespect me to my face? Did he not see the razor sharp talons at the ends of my fingers? “I’ve been a siren for longer than you’ve been alive, mortal. And I’ve killed more men than you’ve ever seen! How could you-“ with that, I felt a odd sensation I had never felt before, in my abdomen. Was it admiration, I thought?No, I had admired the songs and beauty of other sirens before. Was it some type of respect for the man who was brave enough to stand before me? No, my eyes were still locked on his, and I could feel the burning hatred for him in my heart. This was… different. This was… bad. I looked down, breaking eye contact for the first time since he climbed onto my rock, to see a piece of metal, broad at the base but growing narrower towards the tip, sticking about 7 inches out of my abdomen, right below my exposed breasts. Then it was suddenly gone, and red liquid replaced it, quickly followed by that same feeling, I recognized as pain, intensifying. I looked back up at the man, he was smirking, and all I could muster was “…what?” Before I collapsed. I could no longer move my lower body, but I knew I could still sing, still had some semblance of a chance at survival if I could only compel this man into the deep seas. So I sang, harder and louder than I ever had, only to feel something quickly grasp my briefly exposed tongue, then sever it. I could no longer sing. “My talons!” I thought, but I lacked the strength to move them, somehow my body was losing energy, and I was getting…cold? “This can’t be happening, I live in the sea, I don’t get cold.” I thought, eyes still trained on the man. Suddenly, a group of 3 other men appeared into my vision, from behind me. The first one nodded at the others. “Well,” he said, removing something from his ears “that was easier than I anticipated, I figured at least one of us wouldn’t return home…and I was sort of hoping it would be me, that part about my wife was true, you know.” They all shared a small laugh, before turning their attention to me. “How is this possible, what sorcery is this!?” I asked with my eyes, and they got the message. “When we heard the stories of a lone siren, who has been luring men to their deaths for centuries, we were all terrified. Hell, you would be too, given the accounts of you. Those faaaar of ships? They were close enough to see you, to see what happen to those who ventured to close. Dead men tell no tales, but live one certainly do. That ship I was on? Full of prisoners, given the death sentence. The gov’ner figured ‘if they’re gonna die, let them die with purpose’ and distracting you was purpose enough. Shame, if only we’d thought of this sooner. cork from the ale bottles, it completely deafens us, see?” He showed me what he removed from his ears, a tiny thing, the size of a pebble. “We weren’t sure, was it the song? Was it the beauty? Or was it some joke of the gods, would we be effected simply by being close enough to you? Turns out, it’s just the song. And with that ability gone, you’re hardly a danger.” I was scared, I knew what this was. Some base instinct, telling me I was in horrid danger. Is this what all those men felt, as they sunk deeper and my song lost its effects? “Alright lads, let’s take the head and make our way home, it’s gonna be a long trip in that small dingy.”

as a siren, it was my duty to sing and try and lure sailors to their death. i mean, that's how we sirens survive, right? what else can we eat if not human men? (or women, the fucklets that more often than not end up falling prey to us are men though)

one human male is enough to feed around 4 sirens, I've been leeching onto the kills of my family or friends. we normally start singing in groups, recently found out humans liked acapellas and choirs. anyway, that's besides the point. never in my whole siren career have i felt so humiliated.

it was just another one of those nights when you just wake up hungry for no reason, and all my friends are asleep. It'd be nice to give them a surprise breakfast with my leftovers, I pride myself on being rather charitable. so I swam out to sea in hopes of finding prey.

and here i was, perched on some random rock and sang my heart out. you know since the weather was getting a bit chilly i figured singing these poor sea-men a christmas song would be nice,

"I don't want a lot for christmas....." I sang, at the top of my lungs.

"holy shit the spirit of mariah carey is out here with us. or is it seasickness?" one guy said.

"dude what the actual fuck." another one said, "go back to sleep."

"there is just one thing i need," I continued, the dude rushed out to the deck.

"Yo who's singing," he yelled. looking out in my general direction- i think its working.

"I don't care about the presents.." I kept singing, the dude just stared blankly and then..threw himself into the sea. holy shit. it's that easy? "Underneath the christmas tre-"

"stop." I heard his voice. Didn't this bozo just drown or am I the one hallucinating the spirit of a vengeful soul? "You're so bad at singing." he continued, I looked down, and there he was- clinging onto the rock I was on.

"Oh."

"You sang it in E major... the original song is in G major," he said, "And I really appreciate you trying to get festive but I'm afraid this is the fucking southern hemisphere. We're in Australia, dipshit, it's July."

"Ohh."

I just didn't know how to respond. This is the end of my career. I pushed the sailor away and swam as far as I could. Someone put me in fish glub glub-a-blub therapy or some shit because it's been 3 fucking years and this still comes back to haunt me.

Violent, mountainous waves churn overhead. The full moon dances and bends in the refraction from below. Ever moving hues of starry purples, steel blues, and mossy dark greens swarm and undulate, lifelike in its oceanic rhythm. Amidst this darkness, this veil of shadows, I reign. Amphibious mortals, sentient or simple-minded, all know to fear us. We, the few. We, the sirens. Luring the scaleless ones above to be ours till the end. A meal. Such sweet ecstacy that only the fear and the blood of the scaleless ones can give. Hundreds have fallen prey. Tonight will bring no change. No alternative. Only death awaits. And I relish in the bloodlust. It is time to strike again. Time to set the bait. Swiftly, eager for blood, I swim up through the murk, ascending through the threshold onto the rocky coast of the expansive island the scaleless so often sail by.

Lightning flashes. In the light the outline of the small ship becomes visible. Weather is no obstacle, nor night, nor distance. Far off through the cresting waves my prey is seen clear. Two men, as they call themselves. So clever with their ships, they think. They should've stayed on dry land. But who am I to complain? I won't say no to such an easy meal.

Atop the craggy, jagged rock face, I get to work. Shifting my face and torso to a less aquatic form, folding in gills and shifting the hue of my scales to match the mens tan complexion. I close my eyes and release my sirens call.

Like the glow of an Anglerfish, of which I admire in our similar approach to hunting, the prey can't resist the bait. Almost in an instant, a boat is lowered from the ships side with one man rowing quickly to his death grip. The other jumps over the back, surely to drown in these unforgiving torrents.

He and I lock eyes. Predator and prey. Taker and the taken. Queen of dark waters and the scaleless who bleed beneath me.

Eagerly he rows forth. So blind to the wind that shall extinguish his flame.

"Please", he begs.

Ohh the begging. My bloodlust intensifies, almost an ecstacy in these final moments. Beg for me scaleless one. Beg before I rip you asunder.

"Please. Please stop singing. You're so bad at singing."

The sound of rain fades from my ears as if the storm had just cleared. What? He's not affected? And insults his death call? Interesting. I force my face into the lovely smile I know these scaleless ones like. I reach out my hand and try something new.

"If you're not here for my singing, is it my beauty that lured you in?"

A hearty laugh, so in contrast with the situation he's in. "No, no. Wow, you are beautiful though."

Fool. I fake a blush.

"I'm a renowned vocalist", he explains grabbing my hand and climbing up to the rock face with me. I'd kill him now, but let's play for a bit. I've never spent so much time with a scaleless who's still alive.

"You think I'm bad at singing?" I feign hurt.

He stops to catch his breath, wiping his soaked hair out of his face. "Well, not horrible. I was stressed from the storm, and have been known to be... arrogant about singing. I came here with the intention of hearing a siren sing, and give my critique, and tell the others back home that even a siren can take a lesson from me"

Arrogant indeed. But I'll bite. "Then teach me. It would be an honor to learn from you."

The rain let up. Dark drops drip silently from his hair. The look in his eye is like he never expected me to say anything else but "Yes".

Three hours pass by where he teaches me how to control my vocal chords, manipulate my head and chest voice, adjust my tongue to regulate sound and air flow, and tips to practice in the future. I will be honest, I forgot he was my meal. The time passed easily.

"You have skill, and you're not tone-deaf. Keep practicing and you should see steady improvement." He looks back to his ship, squinting to see the captain he's unaware is no longer there. Ah, right. I forgot myself. Meddling with scaleless. If the others knew, I'll be outcast. Time to bring this to an end.

"Thank you for everything. You really are amazing!" I coo, touching his shoulder in evanescent friendship.

"It's been a joy, my dear. This is a new one for me. Thank you for letting me be your vocal coach." He pauses, an idea striking him. "I know, I'll return this time next year and we can make a little music together. Maybe it'll bring us closer, Men and sirens."

Our gazes linger. "Oh you scaleless. Sing with you? You are my prey, and this..." His eyes go wide in disbelief. "This was just a way to pass the time." I slowly shift back into my aquatic form, unfolding gills, fins, and scales, letting my fangs lengthen. "The only music I want from you is your swansong when I extinguish you from this hell."

He backsteps, slipping and falling backwards off the rocks sharp edge. A bloodcurdling scream escapes as I widen my fangs and jump over after him, solely focused on the kill as I drag him down into the inky treacherous abyss.

It amused me as the sailor struggled against the waves. Oh, how many had tried before. They were all ground up by the breakers. He, too, would be reduced to a bloody pulp of flesh and bones soon.

Or... not? He kept on swimming! He had reached the rocks... and found his footing!

Could it be? Could I finally have found someone worthy? A true master of the elements? Indeed, his strength seemed still to be intact as he started climbing the rock me and my sisters were perched on. "Please" he begged. "Please" he pleaded, as he reached our summit. Impossible! No one had reached the top before! Could he be the one?

"Please. Please stop! You're so bad at singing!" he sad. As one, my sisters and I gasped.

"Impostor!" I cried. "You dare defy the Gods?" "Death to the false ones!" a sister cried, slinging herself against him, toppling him over the edge. "The Gods?" he incredulously yelped as he fell over the edge.

"Aye, the Gods" I confirmed before we resumed our song, not even waiting for his body to come to a rest at the bottom.

"The Gods Made Heavy Metal And They Saw That It Was Good
They Said To Play It Louder Than Hell
And We Promised That We Would
When Losers Say It's Over With You Know That It's A Lie
The Gods Made Heavy Metal And It's Never Gonna Die!"

"Well, uhh, you're not exactly the best at sailing, considering you're trying to sail the Gorgon Straits with only a wooden hulled vessel." The siren replied, and I scowled. "Like, I get it, you're trying to, I don't know, set a record or something, but the only record will be your deaths."

"Please, the Aster is unsinkable." I said. "She's been blessed by Anatha Seastiller for this journey." I saw his expression change, and I turned. What I saw was... Shameful. The fools were weighing anchor. I told them to wait before I left.

--

"They left you." Rickon, the siren, says, and I sob.

"They're going to die without me." I say. "And no one will ever--"

"Mourn them." Rickon says. "Anatha Seastiller won't protect them after their betrayal of you." Two days had passed since, and Rickon was kind enough to feed me and let me live with him.

I look at him, shocked. "H-how? How can you say that?"

"Listen, Aret." I close my eyes and the sound of shattering wood and screaming torment flutters into my mind. "The Kraken Queen has found their tribute unsatisfactory. She's feeding the crew to her spawn." I shudder at the thought, men and women being ripped apart by a crush of tentacles.

--

Months had passed, and Rickon had lured ships. Pirates, mostly. I put them to the sword as was required by my goddess, and used the wood to build a cottage. Mostly for me, since Rickon preferred the tidepools, but I'd come to... Care, I want to say. I'm not sure if I'd call it love, but it certainly felt like it. I heard a knock at my trapdoor, and opened it. Rickon was in the water, with a box.

"May I surface?" He asks, and I nod. He climbs up, and I see he's got a box in his hand. He walks up and kneels.

"Rickon?" I ask, but he merely shushes me.

"Aret, I... I..." He stammers a little, before giving me the box. "Willyoubemineforeverplease?" He blathers, and I blush.

"Rickon..." I say, and I open it, finding a ring of coral and gold, probably salvaged from the ships he lured to the isle. I slip it on, and turn away, retrieving from the end table near my bed a box of my own, and I offer it to him. "Only if you'll be mine." He smiles, and opens it. Inside is a similar ring, and I slip it on him, and kiss him.

i stare deeply into the horizon. my species is known for luring and drowning unworthy sailors, and i am no exception.

a ship passes nearby. the perfect victims.

i sing my songs of enchantment to perform my deadly ritual, but the ship stays where it sits.

i sing louder, thinking they simply didnt hear me

suddenly, a very brash and arrogant man yells at me, “you're so shit at singing it hurts my ears!” angered, i belt at him, but this only fuels his anger. “is that all you got you whore?” he barks at me. my temper gets the better of me, and i let out a scream so loud it bursts his head open like a grape.

the ship i tried to lure begins sinking into the depths, presumably because the crew had been killed by my screeches

i swim into the water, pull out the corpse of the man, and i drape it over my rocky perch

i had failed, but at least i could have a light snack

My pet rams into the boat, smashing it into pieces before swallowing them all. Within minutes the sea is clear again, the wreckage sunk to the bottom and not even a drop of blood to dirty the waters. Some may call my methods cruel, but frankly I think a quick death is better than the slow drowning the others usually subject them to. I kiss her for a job well done and she nuzzled against me before we left.

We swim back down, passing the others while they scavenge the boat's remains for anything worthwhile, some of them looking at me bewildered. I wait till I've left them far behind before I allow myself a bit of a smug smile.

It's funny to think how they called me a disgrace of a mermaid, not only was my singing horrible, but I was doing it ON PURPOSE too! I can tell some of them have already caught on at this point, but their pride won't let them screech the way I do.

The sailors aren't stupid. We've coexisted for thousands of years now, and they know our ways far too well. Of course sticking to the same old methods isn't going to work anymore. I watched them since I was a child, they'd simply pass on perfectly content to hear the melody from afar, sometimes they'd even condescendingly ask for an encore.

Then one day I stumbled upon the book "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" and the "Vogons" in the book gave me an idea... Everyone can ignore a sweet melody, especially after hearing it so many times, but few can ignore a sound so horrible it makes your ears bleed, and now I think I've set a new record.

But I'm not so arrogant to think my methods are fool proof. They'll probably just get something to plug their ears for a few minutes from now on and that'll be the end of it. I can only screech for so long before my throat hurts.

Some of my sisters have completely given up on our little world at this point, considering our way of living archaic and barbaric. I heard one screaming "Even the orcs have joined civilization at this point and if you ask me, they're better for it! While they created flying boats, we barely managed to grasp reading and writing! THAT'S AN EMBARRASSMENT! Not Lydia actually trying something new and SUCCEEDING at it too!" before she left us about a year ago. I wonder how she's doing...

Some say I'm proof that she was wrong, that we'll go back to our glory days if we try experimenting, but I disagree. Our way of living has long since become completely inefficient and dangerous, especially now that the prey can fight back to the point we have to make sure they're unarmed before we do anything.

The united world has already given us the offer to join it and some of our sisters have even come back on a vacation to visit their old homes before going back again. They're clearly much happier with their new life then they ever were in this abyss...

I plan to stick around for another year or so until I find out how I can bring my sweet pet with me and I'll be gone soon after. I'll miss this place, but I still have quite a long life ahead of me and I plan to spend it exploring the world's land and oceans until I find a new place to call home. Who knows I might even meet with some of my sisters along the way.

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

Reminders:

>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include "[Poem]" >* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail >* See Reality Fiction and Simple Prompts for stricter titles >* Be civil in any feedback and follow the rules

&#127381; New Here? &#9999; Writing Help? &#128226; News &#128172; Discord

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[removed]

[removed]

[removed]

[removed]

[removed]

[removed]

[removed]

"What do you mean?" I ask. Singing was not my tactic for luring. Sure, it's the most well-known way, but I've always been more of the type to tell the sailors sweet promises.

We stared at each other in confusion for a few seconds before the sailor covered his ears and screamed. "God, make it stop! It's horrible!" He fell to the ground, still covering his ears, and began to rock back and forth on his knees and whimper. The scariest part is: I couldn't hear anything. Frozen by shock, I stood there and watched as a once brave soldier crumbled to dust from the voices.

I snapped out of my daze when he let out a blood-curdling scream and toppled over onto his side. I knew what I had to do. I kneeled next to the man, placing my hands on his, and began chanting a blessing in Latin. "Animi, suscipit iste dolores et dolorem. non facit iniuriam ad hoc warantizandum.Obsecro te; Imo ego praecipio tibi, cura hunc!" The man stopped whimpering, but stayed where he was. Slowly, he lifted his head, tears streaming from his eyes, which were full of wonder. A smile spread across his fave as he let out a relieved laugh. "Thank you! Thank you so, so much," he cried, burying his face into my chest. I pulled him closer to me, holding him tight. I was so relieved.

We became closest of friends after that happened. I was always there for him, and he was always there for me. And we lived out our lives together until the very end.

"Please." He begs as the anticipate how he will taste. Then the man continues "Stop, you're so bad at singing."

You lean down pulling the man up and dragging your claws down his sides to keep him in place.

"I'm only bad because I have to be." You say drag out grinding noise of stones that is your voice.

You grab the sailor and use the rope tie him to a tree in a way that makes him have bend his arms backwards.

"You can't fight a siren. You can only die." You say while grabbing another sailor and tying his body to a flat rock to burning hot rock.

'Nice for torture, I should use this rock more often.' You think as the man screams from the heat.

You quickly tie up the other sailors and late at night you tie one to cooking fire.

You had a nice dinner for the rest of the week because of those sailors.