SirenSong

There are always secrets -- written on folded paper, scrawled along the cracked tiles of a dirty bathroom stall, hidden deep inside a person's essence like a vial of poison ready to crack open. But the most dangerous are the ones that threaten to rip your heart in two, the ones that others force onto you because their secret is to heavy a burden to bear alone. So what happens when one of the two people sharing that very special secret let it roll of their tongues and shaped by their daring lips to let it slip into yet another person's ear?

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We are shadows. Crouched among the grass as we slip behind the trees. Moving as quickly and quietly as we can.

I can tell we're heading towards the lake. I can smell it's thick, airy scent coating the trees and air before us like an open snare ready to close behind us once we're to far in to turn back. Trapping us like panicked animals with no escape.

"Sam, did you bring the flashlight?"

Wordlessly, I hand the small red flashlight over. Watching as Syl flicks it on and directs its bright glare into my eyes before lighting up her own devilish smile. She winks at me, then turns and begins leading us toward the rocky shore, the sound of small waves lapping gently against the rocks becoming more distinctive as Syl becomes more untensed, less watchful and weary as she straightens up.

We follow her example, glancing around curiously. But the shadows are still to dark, the thick trees and undergrowth obscuring our vision.

Syl starts humming as we continue to relax. I want to ask her where we're going, but I already know she won't answer. Just give me an appraising look with her dark brown eyes and curl her lips mischievously. So I don't ask, I obediently remain quiet as grass curls underneath my feet, anticipation crawling through my blood as my eyes become more accustomed to the dark.

After a couple more minutes, we emerge on the rocky shore of the lake. There are no lights but that of the moon, and I have to be careful not to trip. Groups of people from our school are already there and talking and sharing drinks of beer or doing shots of vodka. When Syl spares Mark-- the play list maker for the secret party --a plastic smile, he grins like an idiot and puts his Ipod onto his Ihome, which is hooked up to small box like speakers surrounding the clearing. After another minute of adjusting the volume, Mark puts on Fences by Paramore.

"Whats that all about?" I ask her, my mouth forming a questioning smile as her gaze slides to mine, a secretive light dancing across her eyes, "Hes a good kisser." I laugh just as she launches herself into the crowd, her hand snapping back out again to close around my wrist before she drags me in with her.

The music blares loudly all around us as people start to dance. The group me and Syl had traveled with dispersing among the crowd to find friends or someone to hook up with. We're safe, deep within the forest where no cops or nearby neighbors will hear us, so there is no whispers or talk of exposure, though there is always a possibility, and it makes our blood sing with excitement. Aware and alive with our heightened senses.

"Surprise," Syl breathes as she grins. Her eyes flashing to mine for an instant before she's hugged from behind by her boyfriend Blake. I hear her laugh as I walk away, my eyes searching the crowd. A boy hands me his shot of vodka and tries to tell me something in my ear, but the music is to loud, the cadence of voices and laughing overriding what he says as I give him back his shot and flash him a friendly smile before getting lost within the bodies of dancing people. My eyes look at the faces, searching, but he's not here.

I feel a pair of hands grip my waist from behind, encouraging me to dance, but I smoothly move away. I can't see him, and I realize he must've not come. The disappointment is a heavy stone inside my chest, but I guess some part of me expected it. That he wouldn't show up to something like this, so I slip through spaces between the dancing people, out to the edges where small groups just laugh or talk together. One of them waves me over, but I decline with a soft shake of my head. In the end I choose to go away from the party, climbing onto a large boulder near the lake.