Siren Song

July 27, 1663

Birmingham, England

Breathing. Breathing. Breathing. Don’t speak. Breathing. Breathing. Breathing. Stay quiet. Breathing. Breathing. Breathing. Footsteps. Coming closer. Breathing faster. Coming to the chest. Silence. The chest opened slowly, revealing the young girl inside. She couldn’t have known that the ship was leaving the dock as she hid from her brother. It was only an innocent game of hide and seek. She had heard the things the Father said about women on ships. It was unlucky. But in the thrill of the game, she forgot these words. Now that the chest was open for all to see, the girl shivered in the sea air. 

The pirate looming over her hoisted her out of the chest. “What's this?!” A chorus of surprised voices rose up at the sight of the girl.

The captain looked over the child in his first mate’s arms, “Well Briggs it seems that it's a child. And an unlucky one at that. What's your name, girl?”

“An-Annalise,” she stuttered.

They kept her on the ship for one night and the next day a storm blew in that went on for days, only cementing their belief that she was unlucky. As soon as the storm passed they took the girl to the figurehead making sure it was the last face she would ever see. 

As Annalise sunk into the water, she didn’t struggle, but closed her eyes hard and imagined her brother's face. Oh how she missed him.

She hit the sand still holding her breath. Still imagining her brother’s face. 

There was a tingling in her feet. She thought that it was Death creeping up and catching her soul. The feeling continued up her body. There was a buzzing in her skull. He was here, she was leaving. Until she wasn’t. She was still here. Her bonds were gone, dissolved into nothingness. Annalise risked opening her eyes. She didn’t have legs, but a sea green fish tail. Mother had told her stories about the sirens before she fell ill. The sirens were magical creatures that could breathe underwater and sing beautiful songs. 

Was it possible that she was a siren? Or was it wishful thinking and she was already in Heaven with Mother?

No time and all time passed as she sat on the sandy floor thinking. Soon enough, the siren girl’s stomach was empty and she decided to try to swim. She failed. And failed. Swim. Collapse. Repeat. Swim. Collapse. Repeat. Swim. Collapse. Repeat. Until something heard the splashing and thrashing and picked her up. Annalise didn’t know nor care what it was. As long as it ended her suffering.

“You're alive! Great Calypso I thought you were dead!”

Annalise’s only response was to cough and struggle to comprehend that she was breathing underwater. 

“Here darling, eat this,” The figure handed her a piece of glowing seaweed.

Annalise took it hesitantly and put it in her mouth. It tasted like her mother’s chicken soup but in a thousand colors. 

“I’m Jolie. What's your name, dear?”

“Annalise,” the girl replied, “Wh-what are you?”

“I’m a siren. You are too it seems. How old are you?”

“I'm eight,” Annalise looked down at her tail.

“Oh and so young. Tell me, how did you get here?”

“I was playing a game with my brother and I ran upon a ship. Then a pirate found me and I was unlucky, so they got rid of me.”

“You are not unlucky. Let me teach you the ways of a siren.”

July 30, 1689

The Atlantic Ocean

“Jolie! I finished my siren song!”

“Excellent! Let us find your pirate. The one that blessed you with your gifts.”

The Dark Serpent had the same crew and captain as it did 26 years prior. Jolie and Annalise spent days looking for the cursed boat. Swimming. Swimming. Swimming. Until they found the ship. 

Annalise began to sing. She had a beautiful voice just like the sirens her mother had told her about. She barely thought of them anymore and no longer resented the pirates for what they did. 

This was her song: 

A game of hide and seek,

She hides, you count.

She will always win,

Stays in hiding, won’t come out.

Her game of hide and seek.

Never seeks, but always hides,

Behind her fun and games,

The little girl inside,

Is scared

Feels like she is trapped

With no way out. 

She must adapt.

To this game of hide and seek.

This enchanted the crew to the edge of their boat. Even the figurehead seemed alive. The first face that appeared over the side of the hull was Briggs. Singing. Luring. Enchanting. Come closer. Come closer. Come closer.

He was overboard but only wanted to get closer to the sound. There was a commotion on deck and her song lost its glowing appeal to all the others. 

Annalise pulled the pirate underwater, his eyes widening when he realized that the last face he would ever see was of the child that he had tried to kill.