Page 103 of Sea's Secret

We need blood,

We hunger;

We must feed.

I ran to the edge of the ship where a candle burned. I broke off some of the candle wax, and with my hands, I kneaded it until it was soft and malleable. Quickly, going from crew member to crew member, I instructed them to place the wax in their ears. Once they regained their minds, I motioned for them to help the most susceptible crew members. Some, like Sands, were not affected.

Where is Dominick? I wondered as I moved about the ship.

Had he been pulled under? Was he dead? I could not think of that; it was too painful. Once I finished and the crew appeared to be no longer affected by the corruption, I again found Sands.

“Where is Dominick?” I begged, clutching his shirt in my hands.

“I have not seen him,” he said, worry on his brow.

I heard angry screeching from the sea and looked over the edge of the ship. The sirens were leaving.

“Humans are weak,” I heard one siren screeching. I peered into the water in horror. Dominick was in her grasp. His eyes were closed.

“NO!” I screamed. Before I knew what I was doing, I jumped into the water. My tail returned, and I swam after that siren.

“He is mine. His heart is mine, he dove in–he wanted this,” she hissed in a scratchy sort of coo.

“If his heart is yours, why is he still alive?” I knew somehow they had knocked him into the sea, perhaps had lured one of the crew members to do it for them. He would never go willingly.

“He is tied to you. Why?” she squealed.

“Go, you can only have free hearts, and you know it. He is already taken.”

“I can still watch in joy as he drowns,” she hissed.

“Go, I command you to leave this place, siren.” I swam closer to her, took one of Dominick's hands, and his glove came off. Then, an idea came to me, as I realized that the siren was not going to let him go; her sharp claw-like nails had pierced through his shirt. She needed to touch his skin–his curse. It could save him.

“Fine, take him, but I want these,” I said, pulling away the second glove. I watched as the siren smiled a horrible awful smile and moved in closer to Dominick, but not before touching his hand–his cursed skin. Even without the veins in his hands, I knew the curse was still there inside of him.

I watched as she touched him and then began to writhe in pain. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head. I watched as the pain caused her to let go. Then, Dominick was sinking into the depths. I swam to him, pulling him up above the water.

“He is cursed!” she snapped and swam back.

“Go!” I shouted with emphasis from my melody. She screeched one last time, then slumped down into the sea and was finally gone. I did my best to keep Dominick's head above the water, which was moving back and forth rather aggressively. I touched his face–it was fine, but his arm was bleeding from the siren’s grasp, but everything else seemed okay. I had no idea why he was not conscious, but I had to get him out of the water. I swam to the side of the ship where Sands was looking overboard, and he tossed us a rope, and some crew members pulled us up. Once we were on the deck, Dominick lay there, only breathing slowly.

“Is he–” Sands said carefully.

“No, he is still breathing. I don't know what they did to him, though.”

“Did they rip out his heart?” one crew member asked in a whisper.

“I didn't mean to push him, I swear–they got in my mind,” another sailor cried out.

“They knocked him out–” someone else said. Their minds must be clearing as the sirens stopped their screeching and swam away.

I shook my head. Tears dripped down my cheeks, and I let them fall onto Dominick’s face.

“Please, wake up, Dominick,” I begged, touching his scruffy jaw.

“I wish you would wake up. I wish we could leave this place.” I caressed his face and leaned over his chest, resting my head there.

“I don’t know if you see me in this way. I would not blame you if you didn’t, but I love you, Dominick. I love you, and I want to give you all that I have. I want to be there for you always. Will you let me? I want to be with you. Please do not leave me,” I cried, and more tears fell from my eyes, I hoped they were doing something–anything.