To the Depths of the Sea

The screams of a woman in immeasurable pain were put to rest when the sweet sound of a baby's first cry flooded through the windows of the fisherman's quaint cottage. This moment of relief and joy, however, was cut short when the horrified screams of the mother and midwives overtook the newborn babe's cries. 

Worried for his wife and newborn child, the fisherman rushed into the two-room cottage. He walked in to see the dishes still strewn across the table from the original rush of fear and excitement when his wife, Milena, went into labor during their breakfast. He had originally planned on a successful day of fishing out at sea, but he promised Milena he would remain right outside the cottage until he laid his eyes upon their son or daughter. He moved passed the dining table and through the curtains Milena had hung between their sleeping and living space for privacy and saw the two midwives huddled in the corner looming over the babe's cradle. On the bed, Milena was shaking with sobs and her cheeks were wet from the water flowing from her eyes. He ran to Milena's side and moved her hands from her face, clutching them tightly in his hands. 

“What is the matter, my dear? Is the baby okay?”

Between sobs, Milena responded, “She is alive, but Alden, I-I fear she has been cursed! Though I cannot call to mind what we could have done to offend the gods in such a way.” 

“What do you mean, my love?” 

The midwives turned around at this moment, having cleaned the babe and wrapped her tightly in a woolen blanket. Looking at the child's perfect face, Alden could not imagine what possibly could have caused Milena to believe their daughter was cursed. They handed the child to Milena who looked at her husband and began to unwrap the babe. “See for yourself.” 

Alden gasped when he laid his eyes upon the now naked infant. From the waist up the babe was like any other. Her pale skin matched that of his wife and her head was covered with fine blonde hair similar to his own. The child's legs, however, revealed the tragedy. From her knees down, the child's legs and feet were fused together like the mermaids and sirens of myth. 

* * *

For sixteen years, Alden and Milena kept their daughter, Linnea, hidden from the world. Only the doctors who searched for a solution and the town carpenter who fashioned a chair with wheels had ever laid eyes on her. Afraid that any other child they may bear would also be cursed, Milena and Alden had no more. As they aged, however, they realized their mistake. When their lives came to an end, there would be no one left to look after Linnea. So, the search began for a suitor. 

They planned to find someone in a nearby town who had never heard of the curse that fell upon their child. If they could convince someone to enter into a marriage contract before laying their eyes upon her, the man would be unable to back out of the legal agreement. However, Linnea was more determined than her parents expected. Each time a suitor was found, she would write a letter detailing her impairment and have it delivered without her parent's knowledge. 

One day, however, her plan backfired. After one of the suitors received her letter, he decided to pay a visit to the fisherman's cottage. 

“Stop fidgeting, Linnea!” Milena used the little makeup she owned to powder her daughter's face. As she applied a small amount of rouge to the girl's cheeks, she said, “We must make sure that Mr. Jacobson is so taken with your beauty that he forgets about the ugliness hidden beneath your dress.” 

Linnea pushed her mother's hand away and said, “Why should I even want to marry a man who cannot accept all of me?” 

“Because that is not how the world works, Linnea. Sometimes we must do what is best even if it is not what we want. You are too much like your father; neither of you knows how to make hard decisions.” 

Linnea furrowed her brow. “What do you mean? Papa makes difficult decisions all the time.”

“All your father does is decide if the surf is too rough to go fishing. He has never made a life or death decision. The only time he did, he made a selfish decision. If he had agreed to let the doctor—”  

“Milena!” The women jerked their heads toward the front door where Alden was standing with his arms crossed and his lips set in a firm, thin line. “Go outside and wait for our guest to arrive. I will bring Linnea out when she is ready.” 

Milena walked toward the door and as they passed she grabbed his forearm. In a hushed voice she said, “She needs to know what we gave up for her. The sacrifices—” 

“That is enough,” Alden wrenched his arm from her grasp, “I do not want to hear another word.” Milena's eyes flickered to look back at her daughter before she gave in and walked away. 

Alden knelt in front of his daughter and smiled. “I hope you are ready to meet your future husband. I just received a letter from Mr. Jacobson saying that he is bringing a minister with him today. You will be married by sunset.” 

“I told Mother and I will tell you. I do not want to marry this man. He will never love me. To him, I will always be an aberration. Something to be stared at.” Alden reached for her hands and clasped them between his calloused fingers. 

“Unfortunately, Linnea, no one will ever view you as more than an aberration. You were cursed by the gods for some unknowable reason, and we should all be grateful that someone is willing to bear the responsibility of taking care of you after your mother and I pass. He is giving up everything to marry you. He will never have children or a career that takes him too far from home.” 

“How can you say that? I'm your daughter, do you not love me at all?” 

Alden sighed. “If I did not love you, you would not be here at all.” 

Before Linnea could respond, they heard the sound of hooves clopping on the gravel and rickety wheels working overtime to hold up a too-heavy carriage. Through the window, the sound of Milena's voice greeting their guests let them know it was time to exit the cottage. As Alden pushed Linnea's chair out the door, she took a moment to enjoy the warmth of the sun caressing her cheek which was something she normally only experienced through the window. Then, her eyes shifted to the men her mother was talking to. She paid little attention to the one dressed in the minister's garb. Instead, she focused on the young man who could not have been more than twenty-five years old. He was handsome and resembled what she used to imagine the princes from the fairytales she read as a child looked like. But, she knew she could not get caught up in his appearance. Since her letter did not work, she had only a few hours to convince this man he should not marry her. 

He turned his gaze from her mother and locked onto her. He said something to Milena that Linnea could not make out before walking over to where she sat beside her father. When he was close enough, he extended his hand to her. She placed her hand in his and he bent down to gently brush his lips against her knuckles. “It’s lovely to meet you, Linnea,” he said before placing releasing her hand. 

“And you as well, Mr. Jacobson.” 

“Please, as we are to be married today, call me Carian.” Linnea nodded in agreement and smiled. Carian turned to her father and asked, “May I have your permission to spend some time alone with your daughter? I believe we should get to know one another before the ceremony.”

“Of course. I will go speak to my wife and the minister while the two of you get acquainted.” 

As Alden walked away, Carian walked behind Linnea. He leaned down and spoke directly into her ear, “Why don’t we sit in the shade underneath that tree while we talk?” 

“That sounds like a nice idea, but you would need to push me over there in this chair.” As he began to push her toward the giant oak tree, Linnea finally asked the question that had been gnawing at her since she laid eyes on him. “Why would you choose to marry me when you know my condition? I cannot give you children or perform other wifely duties like cleaning or, for the most part, cooking.” At first, he did not answer. Instead, he stopped under the tree walked to her side before bending over and placing his right arm underneath her knees. Startled at his forwardness, Linnea placed her hand on his shoulder to stop him. “What do you think you are doing?” 

“I thought we could sit against the tree on the ground so that we could speak at an equal level.” There was a gust of wind and a lock of Linnea’s hair blew across her face. Carian smiled used his left hand to brush the hair from her face. Linnea felt heat rush to her cheeks. “Is that okay with you?” 

“Yes, but please always ask me before touching my legs in the future.” 

He nodded, “Of, course Linnea. I did not mean to offend.” Then, he lifted her from the chair and gently placed her on the ground. 

A part of her felt guilty for reacting in the way she did. Carian clearly did not have ill intentions, but after years of being poked and prodded against her will, having her legs touched was something she preferred to avoid. The feeling always sent her back to when she was a young child. Each year a physician called Doctor Jacobson would show up on Linnea’s birthday to conduct an exam. He would use his hands and metal instruments to poke and prod at her legs to, according to him, ensure that her condition was not worsening. However, Linnea knew better. At the end of each exam, Dr. Jacobson would pull her parents outside of the cottage. But, she could still overhear the conversation if she paid close enough attention. Each year he would ask for Alden and Milena to grant him permission to “fix” Linnea through a simple procedure that would separate her legs and, supposedly, allow her to live a normal life. And, each year Milena would be on the brink of giving him permission but Alden always declined. Finally, on Linnea’s thirteenth birthday, she mustered the courage to decline his exam much to the displeasure of her mother. Since then, Dr. Jacobson has not come around and Linnea would only allow her mother to touch her legs when absolutely necessary. 

Carian sat beside her on grass said, “In response to your previous question, I am aware of your limitations. To be quite honest with you, I am not even home all that much. As a physician I must go where I am needed, so you will have a lot of time without me.” 

Linnea’s heartbeat quickened. “You’re a physician?” 

“I am, but I promise I have no interest in harming you. My sister and her husband recently passed away from the sweating sickness and they left behind a young baby girl who I am now in charge of raising. I have hired someone to stay at home with her whenever I am away, but she still needs a motherly figure. Someone who will love her and teach her. Based on the letter you sent me, I can tell you are literate and, therefore, capable of doing such a job.” 

His honesty shocked her. He was only looking for a wife in name, someone to be a mother to his niece instead of a woman to give him his own children. Although not a marriage based in love, Linnea could not help but be intrigued by his offer. If he was telling the truth, and he had not given any indication that he was not, she would left alone without him most of the time. For once, she could have her own life. 

“Does this proposition interest you, Linnea?” 

“I’d be lying if I said no, but—” She was about voice her concerns when her mother appeared beside them. 

“The minister is ready and waiting for the two you.  

“Of course. I will bring Linnea right over.” Milena smiled then turned and walked back to where Alden was waiting for her in the cottage doorway. 

“Linnea, I wish I could give you more time, but I cannot. You must decide now. If you do not want this, I will tell your parents that I have changed my mind and you will not have to see me again.” 

Thoughts were whirling through Linnea’s mind, but he was right. It was now or never. At least she knew what he expected of her. The same could not be said of the other suitors her parents had messaged with. “I will marry you, Carian.”

The ceremony took longer than she expected, or maybe they began later than she thought, and the sun was already beginning to set when they finished. Linnea found it strange that Carian would want to travel in the evening when bandits were known to attack carriages, but he loaded her belongings and bid her say goodbye to her parents. She asked him if they should really be traveling so far in the dark but he assured her that everything would fine. He helped her into the carriage before pulling himself in. The minister was to stay with her parents until Carian could send transport for him since the carriage was on the smaller side. Once situated, Carian gave the driver a signal to pull off the gravel path onto the dirt road that led away from Linnea’s home.

* * *

Linnea fell asleep at some point during the carriage ride and by the time she opened her eyes again, it was daylight and the carriage was stopped outside of a small cottage. It was similar to the one she grew up in, but instead of being at sea level, this cottage sat atop a steep cliff where the waves crashed against the earth in rough storms, often taking ships along with them. 

Linnea looked and Carian and asked, “How long have we been here?”

“Not long. I did not want to wake you so I had the driver carry your things inside while I waited with you. Are you ready to go inside now? My niece will be brought here tomorrow, so you will have time to settle in.” 

She smiled at him and nodded. He stepped out of the carriage and pulled her chair out as well before lifting her out. She could smell the sea salt on the breeze; she was glad there was something to remind her of her father. He pushed her toward the front door and through it. She expected to find the cottage similar to the one she grew up in on the inside since it was so similar on the exterior. But, instead of a place to cook and eat, she found shelves overflowing with papers and books, a large wooden table in the center of the room with a smaller one covered in physician’s equipment to the side, and a small curtain hiding a part of the room from her view. 

“What is this Carian?” 

“My dear Linnea, this is where my mentor and I, now that your parents no longer have a say, will do what must be done so that you can live a normal life.” 

Understanding of Carian's true intentions settles in Linnea's mind. She did not need to ask; she already knew. In disgust, she whispered, “You only married me to experiment on me.”

“Experiment is such a harsh word. We simply want to help you.” 

“If you want to help me, just send me home to my parents. At least there I am loved and my mother has given up on trying to give me a normal life.” 

“Oh, Linnea,” a deep raspy voice said from behind the curtain before the man stepped into her view to reveal himself as Dr. Jacobson, “if you are truly loved by your parents then why did you mother beg me to end your life when you were just a babe?” Her heart dropped. Could her mother have truly wanted her dead? Milena always became easily frustrated with her, but Linnea always thought that, on some level, her mother must love her.  

“You see,” Carian interjected, “if your father had not been too weak to allow Dr. Jacobson to do as your mother requested, you would not even be here.” 

“Carian, get your new wife onto the table so that we can begin the procedure. Her understanding or consent is not needed now that she is yours.” 

Carian bent down, similarly to the way he did just yesterday, to pick her up. Linnea grabbed onto his shirt and pleaded, “Please, Carian, don’t do this! What about your niece? We can forget this ever happened and I will still help you raise her.” 

He laughed. “Are you really that naïve? I don’t have a niece. It was simply a way to get you to agree to our marriage.” Carian picked her up and placed her on the wooden table. Dr. Jacobson entered the room again, this time with a sponge in his hand which he handed over Carian. “Breathe this in Linnea. It’s an anesthetic of opium-steeped water, you shouldn’t feel a thing.” 

“Carian, please—” 

“I said breathe.” Unable to think of any other options, Linnea listened to Carian and breathed in deeply until the world around her went black. 

Dr. Jacobson was unsure how long Linnea would remain asleep having never used this type of anesthetic for a procedure this intense before. So, the moment he and Carian determined she was unresponsive, he took the knife and cut into the flesh covering her conjoined legs. As he cut deeper, he realized how wrong his assumptions about Linnea were. For years, he had believed she had two separate legs that were simply held together by an excess of flesh. However, once he cut through the muscle he could see that Linnea's bones themselves were joined together. At this sight, he hesitated. Using a saw to cut through bone was dangerous and usually only done if the patient would die without an amputation. 

Carian snapped his fingers, pulling Dr. Jacobson from his thoughts and said, “What are you waiting for?” 

“The likelihood of her surviving her bones being sawed through is extremely low. Are you prepared for that conversation with her parents?”

“She is no longer their problem. They made that choice when they agreed to the marriage. Now, get on with it.” 

Dr. Jacobson nodded then began cutting into her bones. After only a few minutes of sawing, Linnea began to wake up. She tried to move away from the men, but the more she thrashed around, the more pain she could feel. She cried out in agony, but Dr. Jacobson continued the procedure. Carian used all his strength to hold her down, but he could not keep her still enough. 

The next time Linnea jerked as Dr. Jacobson sawed into her bone, she pulled too far to the side, and his saw sliced into an artery. The bleeding quickly became uncontrollable, so Carian and Dr. Jacobson gave up trying to save her and moved on to discussing what to do with her body. More concerned with their reputations than her or her family, they wrapped her in a sheet with rocks and threw her off the cliff into the ocean below.

As her body was engulfed by the waves, a tempest began to rage forcing Carian and Dr. Jacobson to seek shelter inside the cottage. As the waves became stronger, the ropes they used to secure the blanket around her body came loose and her body was left open to the salty seawater. A soft song began as the waves carried her body deeper. Once she was far from the shore, her body was caught up in a powerful maelstrom and the song grew in force and volume. Her legs returned to the form she was born with, scales formed at her waist and covered her down to her feet, where the scales ceased a tail formed, and her eyes opened. With one swift movement of her new tail, Linnea expelled herself from the maelstrom and swam into the depths. 

* * *

“Alden,” Milena yelled out the window, “you cannot keep avoiding the ocean. If you do not have a large catch soon we will have no money or food.”

He turned toward the house and waved her over. Once she was beside him, he said, “It cannot be a coincidence. They said they buried her at sea and now, within two nights of each other, Carian and Dr. Jacobson have washed up on the beach after having drowned. Something is not right.”

“You cannot let fear run your life, Alden. The cause of this worry is simple tales that fishermen tell to pass the time. There is no proof that they are real.” He looked out at the rolling waves and sighed before nodding his head in agreement; he would take the boat out that afternoon and only return once he had a large enough haul.

That night, while Alden was still out, Milena decided to take a walk along the beach. The sand between her toes and the crashing of the waves against the shoreline always calmed her when she was waiting for her husband to return home. She paused to watch the sun disappear beyond the horizon. As she began to turn back toward the cottage, she heard the strangest song being sung:

“Come, come away with me

To the depths of the sea—

You can stay forever with me”

She looked around to see who belonged to that haunting melody, but the beach was suddenly covered in a thick fog. Milena was so focused on the sound that she did not notice she had turned back toward the ocean and started walking in until she felt the water wash over her toes. She had to know who that voice belonged to. 

The song continued to repeat as she inched farther and deeper into the ocean. Once she was waist deep, the song abruptly ended. With the singing gone, clarity began to return to her mind, but it was too late. When she tried to turn back something grabbed her ankle and dragged her under. Milena tried to get loose, but whatever had her was too strong. She tried to catch a glimpse of what, or who, had her but the water was rushing past her at immeasurable speed. When they came to a stop and she was released, Milena rushed to the surfaced to take a breath. She expected to be pulled back under before breaking the surface, but instead, her abductor surfaced as well. 

Milena wanted to say something, but no words came. The girl's long blonde hair was unmistakably the same as Alden's and her pale skin the same as Milena's. But, her once ocean blue eyes were now a startlingly bright amethyst and all the joy and innocence that once filled them was gone. Milena's eyes shifted downward and she gasped. Where her daughter's legs used to be there was a deep emerald green, scale-covered fishtail. 

“What's the matter mother, do you not recognize your own daughter?” 

“You're a…”

“A siren? Yes. Unlike you, Carian, and Dr. Jacobson who were so desperate to forget about my legs, the ocean has embraced them. But, it will not be kind to you.” Linnea reached out and grabbed her mother's wrist. 

“Please, Linnea, do not do this.” 

Linnea smirked and, as the moon finished its ascent into the sky, she dove under the waves pulling her mother with her. The last thing Milena saw before running out of air was a green tail illuminated by a single beam of moonlight.

About the Author

Sierra Tufts-Sicard is a Sophomore English major in the Creative Writing concentration. She is an avid reader and writer. When she's not on campus for classes, she can be found lounging at home with her cat, and a good book in hand. She likes to write YA Fantasy and Fiction short stories and novel-length works when the inspiration strikes. These are also the genres often found in her bookshelves.