Siren

Water slams onto the deck on the boat and thunder cracks open the sky. The captain loses control of the wheel, the storm has the boat under its complete control. It rocks side to side and everybody onboard grabs hold of the nearest solid object. Holding onto the side of the boat was Michael regretting joining his father on this trip. 

His father lost balance and fell over. Michael tried to run over to him but the storm rain poured down on him, messing with his vision. The only person who wasn’t bothered was Richard.

He sat on the deck, sliding back and forth; holding a bottle of whiskey.

“Just relax Mike it’ll pass” he said then he chugged the bottle of whiskey. 

Michael narrowed his eyes on Richard. He understood that Richard was going through a breakup but that didn’t mean he had to act like everything else was small compared to it. Lila left him for another man who she was seeing on the side. 

The other person on board was named Otto who was a long time family friend. He practically helped raise Michael after his mother died. Otto and Michael’s dad grew up together and shared the same passion for sailing. Otto was trying to help Michael’s dad up but both of them fell down in the process. 

Michael calmly made his way over to help no thanks to Richard. He managed to help both of them up and help his dad to the wheel. They all grabbed hold in hopes a tight grip would help steady it. 

An hour passed and they made it out of the storm. Michael walked over to Richard who was just lying there next to four empty whiskey bottles.

“How much of this did you drink?”

“You can clearly count”

Michael sucked his teeth.

“I was hoping some of this just spilled out during the storm”

“Nope pretty sure about 98% of it is in my body”

Michael walked away. Fed up with Richard and his wallowing. His best friend who was always full of life was now a drunken lifeless mess. 

He knew he should’ve just stayed home with Caroline. She begged him not to go on this silly trip. She and Michael were planning on starting a family and that meant no random trips at sea with three guys, two old and stubborn, the other one broken. Michael pulled out a picture of Caroline from his wallet hoping it wasn’t too ruined. It was perfectly intact, he smiled at the picture. 

“Mikey mike!”

“Richard?”

Richard put his arm around Michael. Michael quickly put the picture away. 

“Do you know where the rest of the whiskey is? Otto won’t tell me.”

“No I don’t and that’s probably for the best.”

“Come on, I'm hurting!” He said aggressively 

Richard stomped his foot. Michael pushed his arm off him.

“Get away from me you smell terrible.”

Richard walked over to Otto to harass him about the whiskey. Soon as Michael looked at his dad steering the ship, his dad yelled.

“Land!”

Directly after that they heard singing. Michael didn’t like it, it sounded terrible. Richard walked over to the edge of the boat. 

“There are some women on that island just sitting there. They are really beautiful.”

Michael rolled his eyes. 

“I know you’re going through a break up but focus.”

“No really look!”

Richard pointed. 

What Michael saw made his face turn white. He had never seen such horrible looking women before. They didn’t even look like women, more like creatures masquerading as women. His dad, Otto and Richard pupils were dilated. Tunnel visioned on these creatures. 

“Alright guys … guys?”

But they didn’t pay Michael any mind. 

His dad started to steer the ship in the direction of the strange women. Michael ran to his dad and fought with him over the direction the ship was to go in. 

He pulled left, his dad pulled right, but Michael was stronger. However, Otto and Richard came up from behind Michael and lifted him up and onto the nearby lifeboat. Richard held him down and Otto tied him up. 

“What the hell guys let go!”

It’s like they couldn’t hear him. All they heard was that god awful singing. Michael couldn’t understand why it affected them but not him. Unfortunately, the boat crashed into some rocks but that didn’t stop his dad, Otto and Richard from swimming ashore to the creatures. 

“Stop! They aren’t what you think they are! Dad, don't!”

Michael tried to wiggle himself free. It was hopeless Otto was a sailor so tying knots was a skill he perfected years ago. 

Luckily Michael’s wiggling helped a pocket knife fall out his back pocket. With his hands tied behind his back he reached for it and managed to get it open without cutting himself. While he was trying to cut the rope he heard screaming, it sounded like Richard. 

Michael started to cut the rope faster within minutes he got free. He jumped overboard and swam to shore. The island was covered in a heavy fog. 

Soon as he wiped water from his eyes he saw Richard’s body tore open and something was eating him. He froze as he saw the creature’s figure, the face of a woman and the body of a bird. The creature shrieked at him. Michael couldn’t move; he just stood and watched as the creature ate Richard. 

“Help me” said a voice softly.

Michael looked to the right of him and saw his dad reaching his hand out. 

“Help”

“Dad” Michael whimpered

Before Michael could grab his hand he got pulled into the fog. 

“Run Michael!”

Michael hesitated because he heard his father begging and crying.Then he heard a snapping noise followed by silence and his immediate thought was run.

Michael ran but as soon as he reached the water he saw one of those creatures. He thought this was it the end; never seeing Caroline again, never starting a family just blackness. 

Fortunately, Otto stabbed the creature in the back of the head with a piece of nearby driftwood. It shrieked and fell over twitching. 

“Run Michael, go home to Caroline… just leave us!”

“I can’t… I-I’m not going to leave you”

“We’re goners Mike!”

Otto pointed to his leg. He was bitten and it looked like something was spreading in his body. Tears fell from Michael’s eyes. Otto was like an uncle to him; he didn't want to leave him. 

“Go. It’s okay, just go. Take the lifeboat and get home safely. There is enough food and water for you.”

Michael hugged Otto tightly. Then he swam back to the ship. As he cut the rope to release the lifeboat he heard Otto screaming in agony. 

He jumped back into the sea stabilizing the fragile lifeboat. He got in and began to paddle as fast as he could. 

Once he was far enough away, he started to wail. The thought of his dad, best friend and uncle dead was too much for him to bear. He couldn’t save any of them and he still didn’t understand why he was spared. He grabbed the cross from around his neck and held it tightly. 

“God be with them”

All he could think about now was Caroline how he had to make it back home to her. She was his everything especially now since the last bit of people he called family was gone.