The Song Beneath the Waves

Many wonders and curiosities fill the deep and expansive ocean. Within the corals, nestled with the fishes and kelp, is the enchanting Kingdom of Sirenia. This Kingdom is the heart of the sea and the home of many lustrous and beautiful sirens. Their primary duty? To take souls from lost sailors above water and give them to the Sea Elders, the guardians of the ocean’s balance. One Sea Elder in particular, named Marisela, has a daughter named Mira who has just reached the age of eighteen.

Mira sits in front of her vanity mirror. Her purple hair pools around her in the ocean waves. Today is her initiation day. A day she has been preparing for her entire life. The day that she can finally and truly become a siren. Like all the newly turned eighteen-year-old sirens, she must go to the surface, find sailors, and take their souls. Her mother has been preparing her for this day since she could remember. Her hand touches the cold, dormant emerald stone around her neck.

“Mira?”

Mira turns around to see her mother. “It’s time.”

They swim out of their small hut and head to the other sirens waiting near the ocean’s surface. Many sirens have gathered here. Each one looked as nervous as the next. They chatter amongst themselves about the mortals they would finally lay eyes upon.

“I heard they have barnacles covering their face and starfish for eyes.”

“Oh, but I heard they have two fins that look like tall stalks of seaweed.”

The authorities forbid all young sirens from the surface until they turn eighteen; thus, rumors about mortals' appearances constantly circulate. From what Mira has heard as a child, mortals sound scary-looking.

One of the Sea Elders, Arelia, gets the attention of the Sirens. “Now, as you can see, there is a black thing near the water's surface just a few meters away from where we now float. This is one kind of floating device known as a ship that these mortals use to sully our waters.”

“As you know from your studies, you will sing our song and collect their souls from the necklace around your necks. We will now start one by one. First up is Renee.”

Everyone swims closer to what Arelia referred to as the ship. All of their heads pop up from the ocean’s surface. Mira’s eyes squint from the blaring, bright ball in the air as she takes in the view. The floating device is huge and filled with many objects that her eyes have never laid upon. Suddenly, a mortal comes in view. The similarity between them shocks Mira.

The rest of the sirens stay back as Renee swims closer to the floating device. Suddenly, the mortal walks closer to the end of the ship, and Renee soon opens her mouth and sings:

Let me devour your soul,

Take away what is mine,

Give it all to me,

For I am the Siren of the Sea

The mortal man soon becomes lightheaded, and his body hits the ship's floor. A clear substance makes its way out of his mouth and floats right into Renee’s necklace. Renee turns to face them with a wicked smile, and everyone claps for her. Mira floats there, feeling the pit in her stomach become heavier.

“Next up is Mira.”

Renne swims back to the group, and Mira swims further up. She waits for another mortal to walk out. Her heart thumps in her chest and ears. Please, please don’t come out here.

Another mortal arrives, and she has no choice. The sirens watch her in anticipation as she opens her mouth and her melodic voice sings:

Listen to my voice,

Sail into the melody,

Open your spirit to me.

For I am the siren of the sea

The sailor succumbs to an uncontrollable stirring, his eyes turn obsidian black. He walks to the ship’s edge and plummets into the ocean. His soul floats directly into Mira’s emerald necklace. But she feels nothing. She does not feel happy while her comrades cheer for her. She feels like death.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day was like any other day. Another lonely sailor lost his way and was stuck trying to find the best route. Sailors never seem to learn, do they? But when Mira surfaces in the water, something feels different. She faced a man unlike any other she had seen. Yes, he was very handsome. But he had a unique aura than most mortals. She bobs on the wave, watching him as he looks at his map, cursing to himself. She sings:

Listen to my voice,

Sail into the melody,

Open your spirit to me.

For I am the siren of the sea

The man did not budge at all. He was sifting through the papers of his map, moving them in different directions. Mira grew more curious. How is this so? She tries to sing louder this time, and they lock eyes. Her eyes widen as they make eye contact.

“Hello?” He says, but before she can respond, she turns to swim back down.

“Please don’t go.”

Part of her hesitates, but she stops and wades into the water. He approaches the edge of his small sailboat, captivated by her beauty. “Who are you?” he asks, while she avoids direct eye contact.

“Mira.”

“I’m Atlas.” He smiles as she looks at him. His smile puts her at ease. This was their first meeting, and it definitely would not be their last.

For the next few days, she doesn't capture souls because she continues meeting with him. They exchange stories about Sirenia’s secrets and the wonders of the land above water. She has not captured a soul in a few days, and the necklace on her neck grows heavy and dull.

“Why have you not taken any souls?” The Sea Elders have called her to a council meeting because her lack of souls for the Kingdom is causing small decay to their foundation. Since meeting Atlas, her mind has been confused. Taking mortal souls felt wrong, and she did not want to continue.

The Sea Elders' ultimatum: take another soul in 24 hours, or face exile from the Kingdom. Her mother does not say a word to her at the trial and only looks at her with disdain and disgust. The first thing she does is find Atlas. She finds him at the same spot in his sailboat.

“I have done bad things, Atlas. But it is who I have had to be. I have to be this way.” Tears trickle down her cheeks, disappearing into the water. She explained to Atlas the situation, and he looked at her with sorrow.

“You don’t have to be this way, Mira. You can find a way out of this, and I promise I will be here when you do.” His reassurance echoes with the ache in his heart, seeing her inner turmoil.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Mira did not know what to do, but she decided to talk to her mother. It was a shot in the dark, but maybe she would understand.

“You can not be serious.” Her mother yells at her as she sits on her throne.

“I want to be with him.”

“A mortal man? You will not disgrace this family by doing such a thing.” Her voice echoes amongst the waves.

“Mother, I don’t want this life anymore.”

“What are you asking me?

“I'm asking you to understand me for once. To let me be. I was never cut out for this life.”

“You choose to disgrace your family. I will not help you. You’re on your own,” Marisela swims out of the throne room.

Mira feels the tears well in her eyes as she sits with her mother's words. She swims away to the surface in hopes that Atlas is there. She surfaces the water to look at the beautiful sky filled with pink and orange hues. Her thoughts consume her until she hears the soft hum of an engine.

“Mira?”

Mira turns around, and‌ shock is all over Atlas’s face. “What happened?” Mira’s sobs rip through her, and Atlas goes to the edge of his boat. He suddenly jumps overboard into the water with her. He swims closer to her and pulls her into an embrace as she cries into his arms.

She cries into his chest as her sobs continue. The necklace around her neck hums softly, her hand reaches for it, and she snaps it off her neck. Subsequently, the water surrounding Atlas and Mira begins to churn, and a searing pain courses through her tail, as if a blade is slicing it in two. Crying out, she clings to Atlas, and the burning sensation intensifies, spurring more tears. Her tail transforms into two legs, marking her profound metamorphosis. As the bubbles subside, all of her negative emotions have cleared, and her heart swells with hope and love.

Atlas places his hands on her cheeks, wiping away the remnants of tears. The atmosphere around them shimmers as they float in the ocean. Mira’s heart pounds with intensity as she gazes at Atlas. Her eyes flutter shut as he draws near, and the anticipation of their kiss fills her with wholeness. Every emotion surged through her with the touch of his lips—an amazing experience of love, a union of two souls bound by fate. She would choose Atlas repeatedly, even if she had to break the rules.