Cursed to the Sea

Sacrifice

I looked away as the light stung my eyes.  Black laughed as he showed me to the rest of the crew who stood before us.

"The temple of the seas..." Black glanced to the East.  I followed his gaze to where a large stone pillared temple floated atop the waves.  My mouth dropped open at it's eerie beauty. "You shall die there, and we shall be freed from the curse!"  Black announced to the crew who cheered.  I looked out towards the sees.  There was no escaping now.

"Prepare the boats!"  the Captain called to his crew.  They obeyed and quickly began at work whole pulling ropes and pulling the anchor down.  I noticed the hourglass in the corner.  Only a day's worth of sand was left, seeping down, loosing time.

Will immediately came into mind.  I couldn't imagine where he was.  Would he die on the island, suffer as his curse took place.  Die on the beaches, stranded form the world.  No one would ever find his body, or whatever was left after the curse took him.

Black tied my hands with rope and brushed his lips up against my cheek.  His breath smelled of salt and blood, it was warm and sour.  I tried to pull away as he cupped my chin in between his long black nails.

"The temple awaits.  Too bad your love couldn't be here to experience your own death and his reliving."  I fell back, my tail smacking him to the floor as well.  He groaned.

"Damn Mermaid," he cursed and smacked me across the cheek.  He then grabbed me and threw me into one of the boats with himself.  "Bring us to the temple," he hissed.

________________________

I screamed as the pirates carried me into the dark temple.

"LET ME GO!!!"  I shrieked as Black clapped his hands and the candles were lit with a shadowy light.  The room glowed, a strange pool and a two single ropes attached to a post above.

"Tie her!"  Black commanded.  Two men tied my wrists to the Post above the pool.  I hung there helplessly, tears dropping from my eyes into the pool bellow.

"Calypso..." Black whispered the ceiling, his voice echoing off the walls.  "We have brought your sacrifice, now take away this fatal curse you have cast among us.  Calypso?

Black set the hourglass down before him.  Only just a hand full of sand was left.  Just an hour until the curse took it's place.  Less than an hour until I died here, until the pirates thirsted on my blood.

"Any last wishes?"  Black's eyes bored holes through me.  Hatred for me flowing through his veins. 

I had many wishes.  A wish to see my mother.  To hear my father laugh again.  To be human.  To spare Will and free him from his death.  I wished to spared of my own death.  To let Captain Black and his untimely crew die like they were meant to be.  Instead I said nothing.

"Anything?  No?  Good.  Let your death begin." 

He raised his arms to the heavens as he plead out strange prayers in Latin. 

The pool began to bubble below.  Drops of water formed at the surface and circled around me.  They glinted off my scales, swarmed like living creatures until they engulfed around me.

I saw the reflection of a beautiful woman before me.  She had long ebony black hair, dark smooth skin, and caribbean blue eyes.  She smiles.

'You are not Mer, the curse shall not be lifted...' she whispered. 

"C-Calypso..." I whispered.  The reflection nodded.

'You are not Mer, the curse shall not be lifted....' she whispered again, and again until she screamed it.  The pirates cowered in fear as the sea goddess's laugh echoed through the temple.

"What's going on?!" I heard Black yell as the water droplets turned into waves and encircled around me.  The woman began to laugh. 

'cursed to the sea, shall scales not take you, shall you be mortal,' her voice was like smooth honey as the water around me pressed in. 

'and shall they die to the curse, forgive me, Syrena of the land.'

The water touched my tail, pulled in as it began to split and the scales faded into skin.  I screamed as the water took me in, disintegrated the ropes until I dropped into the pool below.  Bubbles of air circled around me as I kicked my legs and tried to take in air as my gills faded away.  I resurfaced and took in lungfulls of air.  Everyone stared in awe as I coughed up water and pulled myself out of the water.

"S-she's not a mermaid..." I heard someone whisper.  I looked down to see I was no longer covered in silver scales, but porcelain soft skin.  I began to cry.  I was no longer cursed.

"Not so fast," I was grabbed by the neck by Black.  He pulled me up to him.  "Why are 'ye mortal!?"  He nearly bellowed.

"I..w-was...cursed." I tried to breath but his grip was tight against my neck.

"CURSED!?  Calypso tryin' to save ya from death?  I don't think so!"

He brought a sword to my neck, its sharp blade touching my skin, threatening to pierce through my flesh.

"I don't care if you're a mermaid or not!"  He laughed.

"Let her Go!!!"  I heard someone yell from the entrance.  Black dropped me.  I managed to catch a glimpse of who had yelled.

I gasped as Will stood bravely, a sword pointed in the direction of Black's heart, the familiar smirk on his face.

"Or I'll have to kill you."