The Mary Celeste

Aboard the Mary Celeste, Sarah Briggs stood on the deck watching the waves gently lap up the hull. The sun was settling down beautifully on the horizon. The sea breeze whispered to her, lifting the hair on her arms. Captain Briggs wrapped a scarf around her arms and held her in his. 

“You look awfully cold out here,” he said. She looked down at their daughter. She was sitting on a blanket, playing with her toys and singing to herself. 

“Best I take Sophia in for the night. Gets cold after sundown,” she replied turning to look at her husband with a smile. 

“As you wish. I’ll join you shortly,” he replied and then kissed her forehead. He felt so warm she wanted to bury herself against his body. 

“Come quickly,” she said and let him go. She scooped her daughter into her arms lovingly. “What are you singing sweetheart?” 

“Pretty girl song!” Sophia exclaimed. Sarah laughed. 

“Why of course! The perfect song for my pretty girl. Did you make that up yourself little songbird?” Sarah asked. Sophia shook her head and pointed at the sea. 

“Pretty girls sing,” Sophia said. Sarah watched the calm waters. She laughed nervously and clutched the cross around her neck. 

“What a wonderful imagination you have,” she said, quickening her steps towards the captain’s quarters. 

“It’s odd ain’t it, Sarah?” Edward Head said as she was passing by. She turned to him. He was the only friend she had on the ship, the crew’s cook and caretaker. 

“Sorry Eddy I didn’t see you there,” Sarah said. 

“Don’t apologize to me m’lady!” He stepped closer to her. “Tell me, missus… ye feel it too, don’t ye?” He looked at the sea warily. 

“I’m not sure what you mean,” she said, looking away from him. She wasn’t ready to admit it to herself. He sighed. 

“It ain’t right for the sea to be so still. She’s holding her breath m’lady. It ain’t a good sign,” his words were full of contagious worry. She pursed her lips. 

“I’m not sure what I can say to my husband, Eddy. He’s no superstitious man. Look at him,” they looked over at Benjamin Briggs. He was laughing with his crew. Sarah and Eddy looked up to the sky where the sea birds flew around the ships mast in circles. She heard that was a bad omen and by the look of Eddy’s face, he believed it too. Sarah notices Godfried Engels watching the birds. He points them out to the crew. The captain of the ship laughs at him and pats him on the shoulder. Sarah couldn’t hear her husband but she knew he was dismissing Godfried’s concern. Godfried was the oldest and most experienced member of the crew. She looked at Eddy with a frown. Then, she took her daughter inside and gave her a bath. Sophia began to sing again. Sarah watched her daughter playing with her toys. The little dolls swim in the water pulling each other down while Sophia sang and giggled. Sarah rocked her daughter to sleep.  

“Goodnight mommy. Goodbye daddy,” Sophia said. Sarah’s heart thudded heavily in her chest. She couldn’t rest. She paced the room unable to settle enough for sleep. The room felt tight, suffocating, so she went searching for her husband. She found Benjamin below deck, laughing with Volkert and Boz—oblivious. Unaware. The only men left in good spirits. They were in the crew’s quarters having a drink.

“My beautiful wife, I was just coming to join you,” said Captain Briggs. 

“We was just washing down the day ma’am,” said Boz with a wink. The boy was only twenty, the youngest of the crew. His brother, Volkert, had sailed with Ben plenty of times.

“Can I talk to you privately?” Sarah asked her husband.  

“Of course darlin’,” said the captain. They stepped a few paces away from the brothers. 

“Something is wrong. Sophia is acting strange and I have a bad feeling,” Sarah said. Benjamin’s face softened with a mixture of concern and exasperation. 

“Sarah, love, I know you’re scared. But you’ve got to let go of all these... stories.” He ran a hand through his hair, looking out at the horizon. “We’ve been through worse before, haven’t we? This is nothing.” Ben asked. 

“I... I don’t know, Ben. Something feels wrong. It’s the way Sophia’s been acting, and the birds—“ He cut her off gently. 

“You know what the men are like. They’ll talk about curses and omens until the cows come home. I’m telling you, Sarah—there’s nothing to fear here. Not yet.”

“But-“

“Listen, sweetheart. I don’t mean to brush you off. We’re nearly across the sea! Why don’t you get some sleep? The night is sure to make you more anxious.” He said, taking her hands in his. 

“Will you come to bed with me? I worry about you.” Sarah said softly. 

“Alright. You’ll see when the sun comes up, all will be well.” He kissed her forehead. She took a deep breath and decided to trust her husband. He’s sailed across the seas many times before. “G’night lads!”

“Night cap’n,” said Volkert

“Goodnight ma’am” said Boz. Benjamin checked on his sleeping daughter and kissed her head. Sarah crawled into his arms and his steady heartbeat lulled her to sleep. 

She dreamt of stormy seas and ferocious waves. She watched herself walk across the deck as the waves crashed around her. She saw the crew in the cabin calling out to her but she couldn’t hear them. She saw Benjamin banging against his window, tears in his eyes, begging her to stop. She was in some sort of trance as she climbed the ledge. She watched herself step off the ledge. Then, she gasped awake, clutching at her chest. She looked over at Sophia sleeping, peacefully. Benjamin was sleeping soundly too. She put her feet on the wood floor and crept outside. The sea was still and calm. As she opened the door a beautiful voice spilled into the room. The singing was so enchanting her feet followed it on their own. She found Boz standing on the ledge. He was walking along it, stumbling. 

“So beautiful,” he mumbled. She followed his gaze. At first, there was nothing—just the black, yawning sea. Then, a shape. A woman’s shape. Rising, gliding across the waves. Hair like ink, lips slightly parted—her song curling into the air like mist. That’s not possible with no other ship in sight. No land either. Her singing was alluring. The figure was moving closer. 

“I’ll follow you anywhere,” Boz said laughing. 

“Boz!” Sarah shouted. As the sound came out of her, it drifted on the wind toward the siren. ‘Boz!!’ She tried again. Her voice had been stolen. Sarah lunged. She grabbed his arm—but it slipped from her grasp, slick with sweat. He laughed, a soft, dreamy sound, as he dove into the waves. The siren’s song curled through the air like silk. She watched as he swam to the singing siren. The siren had long black hair flowing over her shoulders and down her chest, into the water. She was undeniably beautiful in an other worldly way. Her features were ethereal and seductive. Sarah could see her clearly now. She looked human if not for her silver eyes. Sarah watched her wrap her hands around his head and kiss him. The young sailor was excited even in the daze. The singing stopped and Sarah unwillingly missed the song. The siren pulled away and they could see her true face for the first time. Her skin was pale and grey with scales around her face. Her eyes were entirely black. She pulled back her lips in a smile and bared two rows of fangs. He jumped back and she laughed slapping her webbed hands around his neck. She dragged him down. Sarah screamed with no sound escaping her lips. She could see other beings moving under the water towards Boz. She could see the water change colour with his blood. Her eyes welled up with tears. He was only a boy. 

“Boz?” Volkert stepped on the deck. “Sarah, have you- oh! Sarah what’s wrong?” He ran over to her. She tried to speak to no avail. She frantically pointed at the water. “Why aren’t you speaking Sarah?” Godfried said, catching up to them. 

“Where’s Boz?” Volkert repeated. Sarah pointed off the ship. 

“No…” Godfried whispered. They walked over to the edge. 

“Boz!!” Volkert called out. Another beautiful creature rose up from the sea. She began to sing and Sarah watched Volkert change from searching for Boz to the same trance. 

“Beautiful,” Volkert said. 

“No…! Sarah, get yerself gone! Take the little one an’—“ Godfried started but as a second siren joined the song his eyes glossed over. The tears were streaming down Sarah’s face uncontrollably. She watched his face contort as he tried to fight. He’s seen them before, she thought. She watched his eyes return to his own and back to gloss over and over. Until a third siren, joined the song. She tugged at their arms trying to hold them back but they marched on. She watched them jump over and they too were dragged down. This time as soon as they broke the water’s surface. Sarah’s heart slammed against her ribs. She turned— the crew was moving toward the ledge, their steps slow, unnatural. Their eyes empty. As long as the sirens sang, they would follow. She ran toward her room. She would cover her husband’s ears and hold him until morning. She looked in the window. He was still asleep. She opened the door and quickly shut it behind her. 

“Sarah?” He said. He saw her face and sprang up. “What’s wrong?” He asked. She couldn’t say anything. She didn’t have a voice. She didn’t want him to go out there. There was too much to explain but no voice to carry the words. She could only cry and block the door with her body. Benjamin held her shoulders as she sobbed. “Tell me what happened, my love,” he said. He looked out the window and saw one of his crew on the ledge. “Arian!” Benjamin called out. He tried to move his wife aside and get through the door. She gripped the doorframe. “Sarah! Enough of these games! Arian is on the ledge!” He pulled her aside and threw open the door. He watched Arian step off the ledge. “Arian!” He shouted. He watched the other men jump. “What are they-“ then he heard the song. Except this time it was Sarah’s voice singing. Sarah saw his eyes change. “Sarah?” He asked the sea. She felt the cry build up in her chest unable to release it. He stepped toward the ledge. She grabbed his arms and pulled hard trying to stop him. He stepped toward the ledge. She slapped him. He looked at her briefly and then stepped toward the ledge. For a brief second she saw him. She tried to hit him and pull him back. She jumped on him. He stepped toward the ledge. ‘I’m here I’m HERE!’ She tried to scream out to him with all her might. “I’m coming Sarah,” he said. She thought of Sophia alone on the ghost ship and got off her husband. She grabbed his hand and prayed for him. Her voice filled the air around them. It was more beautiful than when she sang. She squeezed his hand as he walked along the ledge. She saw four sirens in the water. There was nothing she could do to save her husband. The pain in her chest was too much to bear but it wasn’t going anywhere. “I love you Sarah Elizabeth. I’ll follow you forever,” he said and stepped off. His hand slipped out of hers. She watched in horror as he dropped in the ocean and the sirens immediately dragged him down. She was filled with unbearable grief. She crumpled to her knees as sobs wracked her body. She would never have gotten up from that spot if she didn’t have Sophia. She would’ve jumped in with her husband. She pushed herself up and ran to her sleeping child. The singing continued and continued. She heard her own voice mixed in with the others in a beautiful haunting melody. She scooped her daughter in her arms and kept a blanket around the child. She ran to the life boat where she found Eddy curled up in a corner with his eyes shut tight and his hands over his ears. He was muttering prayers to be saved. She climbed in with him and placed her daughter down gently beside her. She pulled the lever to lower the boat into the water and prayed with Eddy. Maybe, if he couldn’t hear them sing he could be saved. She began to row the boat away from the ship. She prayed and prayed but the sirens followed. They circled the boat. She knew if they continued like this the sirens would sink the boat. She brought the oars into the boat and walked over to Eddy. She shook him until he looked at her. It’s okay, she mouthed to him with a sour taste in her mouth. She knew what she had to do to save her child but it didn’t make it any easier. Sarah stared at Eddy, her hands trembling. The weight of the decision pressed down on her chest. She opened her mouth, but no words came. She could hear the siren’s song growing louder, a haunting melody that filled her mind with cold certainty. Her hands shook as she took his wrists, feeling the warmth of his skin against her own. She looked in his eyes and saw pure fear. She hoped he could see her desperation. Her eyes held his, begging for his forgiveness. He understood. As the singing flowed into his ears his eyes glazed over. Sarah knew what she’d done. She killed him. She sacrificed him. She would never be the same. She slowly backed away from him. The sirens swam to his side of the boat.

 “Mommy?” Sophia asked, rubbing her eyes. She watched her daughter’s face contort in horror as Eddy was pulled from the boat by the terrifying sirens. Grey slimy skin and rows of fangs filled Sophia’s vision as they tore Eddy apart. Sarah picked up her daughter and covered her eyes as quickly as she could but the child had seen the horror. She’d already been scarred. 

As the boat floated aimlessly, Sarah became cold and numb. She was alive but in a state of shock. She couldn’t see the sirens anymore but she knew they were there gently pushing the boat along to land. She knew it was them. She believed it was them. Sophia hasn’t stopped crying and calling for her mom. She was terrified but all Sarah could do was stare at the water. 

Finally, the boat washed up on a beach. A family passing by saw them and helped them. They provided food and water and fresh clothes. Sarah sat by their fireplace and watched the flames dance. She knew she could speak again. She felt her voice return when she stepped on land. She had no desire to hear her voice again. It was the voice that drew her love to his death. The family didn’t push her. They saw the pain in her eyes. They cared for Sophia who was only two years old. She cried for her father and tugged at her mom to speak. Sarah couldn’t hear them. She only heard the siren’s song and Benjamin’s last words. Her breathing was always shallow. Three days passed when a policeman came by. She didn’t speak. She didn’t hear him. Only the song and Ben. 

On the third night, Sarah Briggs aged 31 got up from her place by the fire. She hadn’t eaten or drank anything. The policeman was to return the following morning to bring Sarah to the hospital. He told her if she didn’t speak by the morning he wouldn’t have a choice. The family around her had gone to sleep. Husband and wife. Two little kids to play with Sophia. Sophia was safe. Sarah walked along the shore she started to sing to herself. The song of the sirens. She looked to the sea where the waves crashed. Where the sirens are. She thought of Eddy. He had accepted a cruel fate for her and she couldn’t bear it. She was riddled with guilt and grief. She was a monster too. There was a storm in the distance and the waves thrashed towards the shore. She sang out the same way the sirens had when they took Ben. She stepped into the surf. The cold bit into her bones, but she barely felt it. “I love you Benjamin Briggs. I’ll follow you forever,” she said. She felt lighter with every step, as if the weight of the world was slipping from her shoulders, dissolving into the tide. The waves welcomed her, lapping at her ankles, her waist, her chest, pulling her further, urging her onward. She felt pale and grey. The water reached her chin, then her mouth. She continued to hum the eerie song as she submerged her head underwater. She closed her eyes and took a breath. For the first time in days, she took a deep breath. Cold rushes in. But there is no panic, no struggle. Only the siren’s song. Only the pull of the deep.