Blood Moon

I floated just below the surface as the last of the sunlight faded away. The once in a lifetime blood moon was due tonight. It’s said the goddess Selene grants one wish to a worthy soul on the blood moon. I’d been praying to her my entire life waiting for this moment.

I fluttered my fin enough to break through the surface of the water. The cool night air was relaxing. I leaned back and floated on the surface staring up at the moon waiting for the change to happen. I didn’t really know what it would look like, but I knew it must look different than normal.

I felt weightless riding the small waves. I felt excited. This was really going to work. I felt worthy. I always prayed hard. I kept out of trouble. I’ve only ever wanted one thing in this whole world. But I was too invested in my dream and didn’t pay attention to the subtle wave change. A net flew over my view of the sky. I twisted to try and escape but it was too late I was already tangled up.

They were not gentle as they drug me onto their small boat and let me slam to the floor. It was only two men, but they had swords pointed at my face. My heart was pounding like thunder in my ears. I’d never been caught before. 

“If you even try to sing we’ll cut you up into fishing bait,” one of them said from the other side of the sword.

They were exchanging glances, trying to speak subtly, but neither of them seemed to understand the other. I could see the frustration beginning to build on their faces. I didn’t know what to do so I tried not to move. If they started fighting I was going to roll off the boat and hope to free myself in the water.

“Gag her before she starts singing.”

“I’m not putting my hands near her mouth. Have you seen siren teeth?”

“If we don’t restrain her somehow she’ll be in control soon.”

“Agreed, you gag her then.”

They started mumbling and the tips of the swords started to droop. I didn’t know any songs. I never went with the older groups on their sailor luring trips. It didn’t sound like fun to me. My guts were letting me feel the regret of not learning.

They were staring at each other in the pale moon light still arguing over who was going to restrain me so I started working the net off my body. I started slowly, but they didn’t seem to pay me any attention so I kept going until I found the end. 

“Do you have any idea how much gold we’ll get for her?”

“And how do you intent to get her off the boat if you won’t touch her?”

“We can just drag her by the net.”

“That would end up killing her.”

I wadded up the net and threw it off one side and rolled off the other. They stopped talking and started searching for the sounds. I floated next to the boat with just my head out of the water. They finally looked over my side.

“Quick, grab the net before she gets away.”

“She threw it over too.”

“Being dragged over land by net seemed a painful way to die,” I said.

“She’s talking. Quick, close your ears.”

Their swords hit the bottom of the boat with clangs as their hands flew up to their ears. They just stood there staring down at me. Curiosity was keeping me floating there. I looked up at the sky and the moon was three times its normal size and at least twice as bright. But it still didn’t look like what I had imagined.

“Get back in the boat!”

I looked back at them and shook my head.

The other one bent down a little, “What if we said please?”

I moved my lips to emulate talking and he dropped his hands, “I couldn’t hear you.”

“Cover your ears!”

His hands flew back up and I shook my head. I brought my arms back wide and brought them back together quickly causing a wave of water to soak their clothes. They stumbled back looking down at what happened. I used the distraction to reach over the side and grab their swords.

“Give those back. They’re sharp. You could cut yourself.”

“Alright we need to cut our losses and go back. Start rowing.”

“You start rowing.”

“I’m not uncovering my ears.”

“Well then neither am I.”

“Doesn’t it defeat the purpose of covering your ears if you can hear one another,” I asked playing with their swords.

The aggressive one knelt down to the side of the boat, “Are you not afraid of us?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “Why would I be?”

“Because we caught you,” he continued.

I held up the swords, “It looks like I caught you.”

The other one nodded in agreement, “She has a point. I think she was floating there as bait this whole time. I knew it was too easy.”

The mean one shook his head, “No she was moon bathing. We caught her fair and square.”

“We apologize for trapping you in our net miss,” the other said. “We’re going to be on our way now.”

They both reach for oars, but I grabbed the side of the boat. The mean one held his oar over his head and swung towards me. I dropped the swords and pushed myself under the water. He hit the water wildly in hopes of getting lucky. I was under the center waiting for him to tire out.

He kept going from one side to the other not realizing I could do this all night. With the moon above him I could see him perfectly. It was becoming a game. I was starting to understand why the others went out now. He turned his back to me so I crept back up the side of the boat. I grabbed the edge with one hand and pulled myself up and out of the water enough I could grab the collar of his shirt and pull him down to the floor.

He dropped his oar trying to brace for the fall. I pulled his head back over the edge while he kicked around trying to break free from my grip. The other stood up with his oar looking to bash me in the head to free his friend. 

I started humming. I didn’t know any songs, but my mother used to hum to me as a child. I hummed the same tune and he sat back down looking confused. It didn’t seem to be affecting the mean one as much. He kept fighting.

“Let go of me,” he screamed.

“You were willing to take my life for payment,” I said looking at the fear in his eyes.

“It wasn’t personal,” he screamed trying to swat at me with his hands.

“Neither is this,” I replied. I opened my mouth and felt my teeth double in length. My heart started racing again. It felt like someone else was controlling my body as I leaned in and removed his throat. His screams turned into gurgling and his body started to convulse.

I spit out his flesh, but the blood had already filled my mouth. It was sweet with a hint of mineral. My body tingled from the taste of my first kill. His blood was staining the water around me. I looked up and the moon had a faint red tinge to it now. I smiled looking back at the other who was in shock staring at me and his friend.

“Are you going to kill me too,” he stammered.

I smiled and let go of his friend. I pulled myself up on to the edge of the boat to get our faces closer. He was trembling but didn’t back away. I stared him in the eyes as I licked the blood from around my lips.

“No,” I said smiling. “You can go. Tell your friends where the siren swims.”

I slowly sank back in to the water and he started rowing away. I leaned back and floated in the blood looking back up at the sky. The smell was invigorating. I’ve never felt so full of life.

“I’ve changed my mind goddess,” I whispered. “I’m exactly what I was meant to be.”