The Song of the Sea

Lyle's Story - The End?

I was on the beach again. Waiting as Raephier swam to shore. Only this time he came right out without hesitation. And I didn't avert my eyes. His skin glowed as the sun bounced off all the droplets of water and I wondered what it would be like to lick them all off.

Raephier waved at me then came running over. Not stopping as he reached me, but running straight into my arms as we embraced like long lost lovers.

He pulled back, but not far enough to be out of my embrace, and looked at my face, checking me over.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Much better now you're here," I answered without hesitation.

I knew in the back of my mind that something dramatic had just happened to me, but whatever it was seemed irrelevant now that Raephier was in my arms.

He smiled widely and we held each other's gaze. I could have died happy looking into those beautiful blue eyes.

The colour of the summer sky.

With a ring of gold.

Wait, gold?

Raephier's eyes suddenly blazed with a light that had me cowering back, fear striking through my body like a sword, cutting my heart in two on its way through.

I sat bolt upright with a gasp.

I took deep breaths as I looked around me.

I was on the island.

The one Captain Hawkins left me on.

I looked around me and saw no sign of the Siren, or anything that had happened.

I flopped back down onto the sand and stared at the now cloudless sky.

I felt something bubble up from inside. Like a tidal wave of emotion. And I laughed. I laughed louder and harder than I ever had before. I laughed until my belly ached and I was gasping for breath. And that's when the laughing turned into sobs. Great big huge heaving sobs.

I don't know how long I lay there for. I think I fell asleep again when the sobbing finally subsided. But this time I didn't dream. Something else woke me, and for a second I thought it might be Harmony coming to pick me up.

But when I looked around for the source of the unknown noise, it wasn't a ship I saw, but a woman. One I'd definitely seen before.

"Ahh, you're awake," she said, getting up off the rock where she was sitting.

"Do I know you?" I asked. "No, don't answer that. I know I know you but I can't place from where. And," I said looking round, "how did you get here?"

There was no boat to be seen other than my small sail boat, and she definitely hadn't swum here. Her long brown hair was dry and was pinned neatly up off her face, while the rest fell in ringlets around her shoulders. She was a rather curvy woman, with a bosom that many other men would have liked to spend the night with.

"I'm Sally, let's start with that," the woman said, and then it suddenly dawned on me where I'd seen her before.

"Yes! You have that Inn on Jachico! You know my Captain, Captain Jacob Riley!"

"Yes," she said with a laugh that made her bosom shake.

"But what are you doing here?" I asked, looking around again as if I might find a clue.

"Hmm, it's a good question," she said, cocking her head slightly to one side. "And one, I'm guessing you have the answer to. You see, I was on Jachico making my famous Chicken Broth and then 'boom' here I am on this island."

My eyebrows rose, whether in disbelief or surprise, I wasn't sure.

"You what?" I spluttered.

Sally laughed again, but it stopped quite abruptly as if she had just remembered something of importance.

"Ahh, I think I know why I'm here. You did it, didn't you? You killed Hermoine."

I flinched on hearing her name.

"Aye, I did," I said, trying to ignore the slither of guilt that I felt on hearing her called by her name.

Sally sighed.

"Then I better do my duty and tell you that for killing the Siren, you are now cursed with The Song of the Sea."

"What?!"

Cursed? Song of the Sea? What was she going on about?

"A Siren is a living being that carries a curse. A curse that is created and placed on them by a Sea Witch. A curse is kind of like a living thing, and the person who becomes cursed is just the host. If you kill the host, the curse will transfer to you instead. By killing Hermione, you have now taken on the curse."

Lyle felt his blood run cold.

"So, what you're saying, is that now I'm.....I'm one of those...?"

"Yes," said Sally matter of factly. "A Siren. You're a Siren."

"Oh my god!" I said, falling to the floor.

I'd become the very thing that I hated.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic!" Sally said, brushing some imaginary sand off her dress. "It's not as bad as you think. Come on, let's get back and then I'll tell you everything you need to know."

"Back where?" I said, for some reason getting to my feet and following her back down towards the sea.

"Back to my Inn of course," she said, holding out her hand for me to take.

"But I don't understand," I said, my mind trying to catch up with what was going on. "Why are you here again?"

Sally sighed, like a mother who was explaining something to her child for the umpteenth time.

"You killed Hermoine, so I was summoned here to let you know about the curse."

"Summoned by who?" I asked.

"The curse of course."

"And why would the curse summon you?"

"Why do you think?" she said, raising one eyebrow at me.

When I just looked back at her blankly she sighed again.

"Because I was the one who cursed Hermoine. It's my curse."

I blinked.

"So that makes you a...."

"A Sea Witch, yes. Now take my hand. It'll be much quicker this way."

I slowly reached out my hand and Sally grabbed hold.

"Wait!" I said, snatching my hand back. "What about Captain Hawkins? He should be coming back this way soon?"

"Oh don't you worry about that smug bastard," she said, taking back hold of my hand. "You've done him a favour, and now I'll have to think of another way to punish him. Now, hold on tight and close your eyes. It can be a bit disorientating, and don't be surprised if you vomit when we land."

"Land where?" I asked, quite alarmed.

Sally rolled her eyes. "I told you! My Inn. I sure hope you're not always this stupid. I have high hopes for you."

"Hopes?"

"Yes, I have a brother...well he's not really my brother, that's just what we tell people, but he's also suffering from a curse and, well, you might be just the person I need to break it."

"Me? Because I'm a Siren?"

Sally laughed. "No, not because you're a Siren. It's because you're - well, let's just say I'm hoping the two of you really hit it off. Now hold on tight, it might be a bit bumpy."

I had more questions. Probably millions of them. But they would have to wait. The world suddenly dropped away and I felt myself falling. I was about to panic, but then I felt Sally's hand wrapped firmly round mine, so I did what she said. I closed my eyes, held on tight, and wondered just what new adventures were waiting for me when we landed.

Thank you for reading xxx