The Scream of a Siren

Let Me Tell You a Secret

" I die"

He looked up into my eyes and I could see something there, it was a sadness I had never seen before, the kind you carry after the death of a loved one, the broken sadness.

I fell to my knees, unconsciously clutching my stomach in my shaking hands, the floor set shocks though my body but I stayed dead still, a hundred thoughts battling in my mind, but on the outside I was motionless. I watched as Levi bowed his head and left the room, as Caspian began to pace up and down feverishly. His face contorted into every expression all at once, his lips moved silently as if talking to himself. There was a tiny life inside me... A life that would never get to see the sky, or a sunset, a white sand beach, a snowstorm, never get to graduate, never get to have children of their own, never get to love.

It must have been a good half hour before the pacing stopped.

" Tylah" Caspian whispered, crouching down next to me on the rocky floor.

" Tylah!" He said more urgently, bringing his face just centimeters from mine.  I couldn't bring myself to speak, I had died, been told I was pregnant, Been told my baby was dead  and being told there was nothing I could do unless Caspian died. All in the space of  48 hours. This boy had put me through so much, he had confused me, pissed me off, hurt me beyond recognition, and saved my life.

Suddenly one specific thought in my head hit home.... I was in love with Caspian.

I looked at him, his face plastered with worry, his eyes usually sparkling with light were still, his hair teasing at his eyes and I knew that I loved him.

" Tylah!" He said, the strength in his voice didn't touch his eyes.

" Yes?" I replied quietly

" What are you thinking?" He whispered, his icy breath rippling over my face.

" What are you Caspian?" I whispered so quietly I was sure he hadn't heard.

" What do you mean?" He said his eyes locking with mine, now they were moving, twinkling. They paused for a short moment before flickering quickly to my lips and back to my eyes. I felt my heart speed up, beating in my ears.

" What you did back there- w-whatever it was, it wasn't human, it wasn't even animal" I said, struggling for words at the space or lack there of between us.

He reached up a hand and gently let it fall through my hair.

When he spoke his voice held an eerie echo, a rough smile played on his lips which now rested so close to mine I could feel the chill.

" Siran"

" Siran?" I asked confused.

" Yes" He said simply. He leaned his head forward so I could feel his lips brushing mine, sending tiny shivers through my body, I couldn't tell if they were from the cold or Caspian's closeness. His breath didn't seem so cold as it swept across my cheeks.  He reached his hand up, resting it gently on my cheekbone by my hairline.

Suddenly he pulled his head back. His hand fell from my cheek.

Suddenly the thoughts started again. Why had he pulled away? Was it something I did?

" Caspian?" I asked slowly, trying to show as little emotion as I could.

" Tylah" He replied.

" Why?" I whispered, concealing the hurt coursing through me.

" You don't know how hard that was for me" He said, lowering his gaze to the floor. The muscles in his shoulders flexed as his fists clenched in his lap. I didn't understand what he meant, he had pulled away.

" What was hard?"

" To not kiss you"

" Then why  didn't you?" I asked, frustrated by his lack of explanation. I soon got what I wanted. He shifted his weight, running his hand through his hair.

" Tylah, I'm a Siran. People who have seen us  call us the Terror of the Ocean, The Love Cry, Temptresses, Cold People, The Watchers, Cursed Ones, and  Death Birds.

I'm dangerous Tylah, no forget dangerous I'm deadly.

My kind are known for our women who go out to find sailors, they are the most beautiful women  on earth, there job is to coax the sailors into the water... Then they eat them.

We kill people....people like you.

That's why I followed you.

One of the ways we capture people is by using, I guess you humans would call them powers. If a person looks into our eyes, they fall in love and they will never get away. You never did that, even when you would stare into my eyes. You would still yell at me and tell me to leave.

I don't know when but something changed inside me..... I had to come back. I risked my life to come back to see you because I was beyond confused by you.

So I tried what my kind view as a last resort, the chant that will make anyone fall for us. Except it did the opposite for you, and I don't know how or why it's impossible. I watched you burn to death in front of me. That's when I realized that I felt something for you that is impossible for Sirans to feel.

But I can't kiss you because your human, I don't know what happens if I kiss a human, you turned my chant on me, your unpredictable and I don't want to hurt you.

Sirans have two hearts, one can be used to save a person from death, its something our ancestors needed but we hardly ever use it.

When I saved you, one of my hearts died.

I can live with one heart but if I save your child........ I can't live with none.

I'm a killer Tylah, a killer that loves you.... You need to get away from me and never come back. "

I just stared at him, his eyes, his lips, his hair, his arms, his body, sitting across from me.

That wasn't the face of a killer.

" I can't" I whispered.

" Tylah, My family carries an ancient curse, Every child born will become either evil, which threatens our way of living and will turn on even their closest friends. Or good, and stay, help, be kind and honest, loving and caring. They will still hunt humans but kill as little as possible. This happened within the first year of birth for every first, third, fifth etc born. But it happens at eighteen for every second, fourth, or sixth etc born. Levi became good when he was just two months old, and my sister Freya also went good at four months. If I don't follow this pattern I'll kill you, and nothing will stop me Tylah."

" But what if you don't?" I asked

" I'm not taking that chance, you need to be safe, you need to leave.

" Caspian I can't" I said more firmly.

" Then I won't give you a choice" He said turning away from me in shame.

" What do you mean" I asked.

" Go to sleep Tylah" He whispered. I started to panic. What if the burning happened again. But then he started singing, it was a haunting song about a far away land, a white feather and a gulls cry. I soon felt myself drifting into a strangly silent slumber. I tried to fight it but I was sinking deeper, losing my grip on reality.

The last thing I remember was a soft pressure on my stomach and a gentle voice filled with strange emotions.

" I love you"

" CASPIAN!" I heard a strangled yell, I felt my body leave the floor and land onto something soft, footsteps, light, blurs, blue mist, shapes, cries, a body crouched on the floor...... Caspian's limp head hitting the dusty floor.

The silence screamed.