Page 54 of Bewitched By the Siren
“That man––the guy from the beach and the club last night––he attacked me.”
“Hewhat?” she shouts, her hazel eyes darkening like thunderclouds in the winter sky.
I shake my head. “He rushed me, and before I could react, he picked me up and tossed me into the ocean. I…I phased, and he got it all on video.”
“Oh, no,” she breathes, and I take both her hands in mine.
“Brendan was there,” I whisper. “He…saw me.”
“Oh, honey,” she says, squeezing my hands.
I lick my lips and sniff, forcing some strength into my voice. “I swam to the cave by Mermaid Beach so I could phase back, and when I got back here, Brendan was loading his luggage into his car. He said he threw the man’s phone into the ocean, so the proof is gone. He told me to call the police and report the stalking, and when the man starts raving about me being a siren, the authorities will lock him up in an institution.”
“Well, that’s good, isn’t it? He made sure you’re safe,” she offers, her tone laced with hope.
“He left,” I groan. “He wouldn’t talk to me about what he saw. He just said he had to get out of here and drove away.”
“I’m sure he was in shock,” she says carefully. “He’ll call when he’s ready to talk about it.”
“I don’t think so, Mom,” I say, my eyes filling with a fresh wave of tears. “You didn’t see his face. Once the shock wears off, the disgust will take over.”
“Disgust?” she asks, her confusion evident.
“We…slept together. More than once. When it sinks in that he slept with someone who isn’t human, who’s a…fish…he’ll be disgusted. He’ll hate me for deceiving him. If he doesn’t, already.”
“Hali, stop,” Mom says, pulling me into a tight hug. “You are a beautiful, kind, talented, outstanding woman. Brendan knows how lucky he is to have found you.”
I don’t try to argue with her, but I know she’s wrong.I lied to him.I lied to him and slept with him knowing he’d never touch me if he knew the truth. That my true nature would repulse him.
And then I messed around andfellfor him on top of everything else.
Pulling out of Mom’s arms, I meet her eyes and say, “We have to move. It’s too dangerous to stay here. If that guy doesn’t get arrested, he can still post online about what he saw. Most will think he’s crazy, sure, but some will believe him. They’ll come here, searching for themermaid, and eventually, they’ll find me.”
“Let’s call the police before we panic,” she says, her voice firm and calm. “You can report the attack, tell them how he’s been stalking you, and hopefully, he’ll be arrested. And Brendan was right. If he starts raving about you being a mermaid, the authorities will assume he has a mental illness and hospitalize him. I think it’s all going to work out, honey.”
I don’t actually believe she’s right, but nevertheless, I pull out my phone to call the police. I’ll do whatever is takes to try to make this go away. To preserve the life we’ve built here.
The lifeMombuilt for us with her love, her devotion, and all of her sacrifices. I owe her that much.
I owe her everything.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Brendan
When I drove homeand walked into my condo late last night, it felt like a stranger’s home. Though I recognized all of my personal stuff, it felt it didn’t belong to me. It didn’t belong to themeI’ve become after my time on Circe Key. With Hali.
Who’s a fuckingmermaid.
I still can’t wrap my head around it today, so I do the only thing I can think of––research. I pull out my laptop and type “mermaids and sirens” into the search bar. The number of websites that pop up is overwhelming, so I get up and make a cup of coffee before sitting back down and scrolling through the list.
Clicking one site after another, I read about all the myths and legends. I watch videos of supposed sightings, and not one of them is as clear or concrete as what I saw on the beach yesterday. I keep at it all morning and late into the afternoon, only pausing to order some food when my stomach starts grumbling.
As I delve deeper and deeper into the folklore, I find a passage that freezes me in my seat.
It talks about the magic of the siren’s song. How it compels people and draws them in. Controls them and turns them into slaves, willing to drown in the depths of the ocean with no fear and no regret.
A shiver rushes through me as memories of my time on Circe Key trickle through my mind. How I felt when I heard Hali sing at the bar. How I automatically put my phone away the moment she commanded it from up there on that stage.
