This is Part IV. Part I of Siren’s Song is here.
he children heard it first. Their ears sprang up like dogs and they fought their ways up the ladder to the deck. You, being young and virile, heard it next.
You must have died and gone to Heaven, for you’ve never heard anything this beautiful. More beautiful than your favorite song. Yes, more beautiful than the first time you made Eliza stick her claws in your back. And yes, even more beautiful than Biddy’s first cry.
She sang otherworldly. She had to be an angel, for all you heard was her voice.
The tempest raged on
The tempest continued. Children spilled over the deck into the seas. Their parents, mesmerized by the sound, didn’t even make a move to save their children. Instead, they all moved forward. Closer to the voice in the distance. Closer to the railing on the port side of the boat. (You finally learned port and starboard).
They couldn’t wait to hear where the voice came from. Like the children, they too spilled right over the railing, into the towering waves that were already splashing onto the deck.
Eliza and Biddy completely disappeared from your thoughts. As did Boston. As did McGraw, your responsibilities, everything.
The only thing that mattered was you needed to hear that voice. You walked closer to the railing and climbed right over into the sea. Or maybe you didn’t. Maybe the ship had already tipped.
It didn’t matter. That didn’t matter. The ship didn’t matter. The crew didn’t matter. Your new friends didn’t matter.
You swam closer to her voice. You saw the others swim until they disappeared in the frantic waters. They didn’t matter.
Keep swimming. You need to get closer to her song. Keep swimming. You need to get closer to her song. Keep swimming.