The murderers' song, Amy Marvill Sophie Mander [best books to read TXT] 📗

miles from the nearest shore.”
“I swam.”
“No human could swim two miles in freezing cold water.” replied a young girl in shrill, sweeter-than-honey voice, silver hair flickering in the wind. I hadn’t even realised she was here. A woman stood by her on the far wall of the cave.
“Actually human’s can swim extremely far.” I grinned, proud of my fellow humans.
“It seems there is much we do not know about your kind. You are the boy young Kalliope saved, yes?”
I nodded at the woman stood next to the girl with silver hair it took mere second to realise it was the girl from the beach. I could not work out any of the woman’s features as she was under a shadow of the cave wall.
“Well then she must save you again. You are a worthy human and maybe even a worthy husband of my Kalliope. Maybe even a man that helps conceive many more of our kind.” I stared at the strange woman, mouth agape trying to take in what she was saying. She turned to the girl who saved me and said; “Kalliope, take him back to the shore before Teresa discovers him.” She quickly rose to her feet and walked over to me. Her ash blonde hair floated around her; her blue eyes drawing the light from the cavern.
“You are so much more beautiful than I imagined.” She whispered, “But we must go, before Teresea finds you are here,”
Feeling quite chuffed from her compliment, I took her extended hand, which felt like velvet entwined with my rough palm. As she led me towards the cave entrance, I glanced over my shoulder as Callista took her shell of water from a quivering Ambrose.
“Please, miss…” He begged, “I never revealed anything to him, I swear.”
“You have a sharp tongue, my servant, but I believe you.” She sipped the water; “Explain to me Ambrose, the concept of love.”
Ambrose; “It’s very complicated.”
“But I bet, no love will ever be more complicated, than that of a human and a siren.”
“That is true, Callista but Kalliope and Kade have a strong bond.” said the woman who was stood on the far wall. Kalliope and I reached the exit of the cave as she said “I’ll swim to the shore with you and then we can talk.” I followed her across the sand; we walked past the rocks which I jumped off. How on earth were we going to get to the shore? We came out at an opening and Kalliope dived straight into the water. I dived in after her and swam slightly behind her as I didn’t know the waters as well as she did. It wasn’t long before the beach came into view. The sky was dark; I hadn’t realized it was so late. Kalliope lay back on the sand, and I sat down next to her.
“What are you, Kalliope?”
Her pool-like eyes reflected the stars above “I am a Siren.”
“So, you kill all these men, without a thought.”
Her face flashed with rage; “That is a lie! Your race made up those silly stories about us being heartless killers to cover up the real truth.”
“Then, what is the real truth.”
Sighing, Kalliope began her story in her poetic melody of a voice;
“The Sirens were on this Earth long before you mortal humans. Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of beauty, has been lamented in many a mankind myth or legend, told as the most beautiful creature that ever had air to breathe. I have only laid gaze upon her once, and I can swear on any human holy scripture that she is more beautiful than any words of literature can describe. No surprise then, that- of all the mortals, nymphs, and godly fellows enticed by her heavenly appearance- she attracted the attention of Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea. Hence, in his jewel-glittering underwater palace, they consummated their affection. From their passion; a race of godly beautiful creatures that lived alongside the sea were created; the Sirens. The Sirens had a unique talent; their voices could seduce any male and put him under a trance. So, with the teaching of Asclepius, Greek God of medicine, the Sirens utilized their gift by using it to treat the sick and wounded; by putting them under the spell, they felt no pain. And for centuries, we lived in this harmony; the grass on the earth grew lush and green, the sea bore succulent fish for us to eat, the Sun shined everyday but our skin did not burn, and at night, we slept under the stars, since no cold winter wind had any effect on us. Our children played in the fields, while the elders grew wise and contempt. In return, we gave offerings of flowers and wheat to the Gods; no blood sacrifice was spilt by our hand. We were fearless of old age, of sickness, and of death. For we are immortal; and we would carry on in our paradise of sunshine, until the end of time.
Then came the men.
Though we were curious of the outside world, we never dared to venture beyond our island. But one faithful day, which began seemingly no different to any other, young Hali, was picking flowers from the climbing vines scaling the cliffs when she sighted ships as huge as mountains on the horizon. She ran to our home, pointing to the horizon and shrieking with excitement. We rushed to our shore where armour-clad men had landed, some heavily wounded, some sickly with scurvy. With charity and hospitality, we welcomed them with open arms. We showed them our healing powers, treating their injuries and teaching them how simple fruits and foods could cure the most terrible illnesses.
Witches. That’s what they called us. They drew their swords of steel and cut our sisters down like wheat. We ran away, screaming in a terror we had never known before. But still the men pursued us relentlessly, riding upon the backs of these wild, four-legged beasts. Eventually, the last of us were cornered in a cave. They bound us in chains like animals and dragged us away to their boats. In the stinking hold, we comforted each other and prayed through quavering voices that Poseidon would conjure a ferocious storm to wreck the ships and drown the murderers. But in an unluckily calm crossing, the boats sailed to another island, ruled by the ruthless King Silius. As the soldiers dragged us through the port, people stopped in their footsteps and gawked in shock; mothers shielding their offspring as if we could bring harm upon them. I bowed my head in shame. We were brought to the King’s palace, a great monument of beige stone, and forced to kneel before the King himself. He sat upon his throne and eyed us with disgust. Beside him, sat his son; the immortal Ambrose, the one you saw serve Callista. The King ordered us to be locked away in the dungeon.
In our cell, we met Callista, the last Gorgon, and daughter of one Medusa’s sisters. For days, we huddled together- since for the first time we felt the icy breath of cold creeping upon our skin- and wept for those slain by man. Then, we were brought before the King once more, to be witnessed by his entire court; women with grotesque faces and waists so thin they looked like hourglasses, while the men were so large there was wonder in how they could walk. As the doors swung open, the women gasped and fainted at the sights of our bare frames until the King, revolted, ordered us to be given peasant rags to wear. When Teresea refused to wear such lowly clothing, one of the guards threw her to the ground and beat her with a horse-whip. She has always despised humanity the most since then. However, in our cell, we had plotted our escape. As the King inspected us, we lifted our heads and begun to sing. Before they had time to react, the whole court was trapped under our spell. Yet as the drew to the sound like moths to a flame, Callista stepped in front and, with each glance of her fiery eyes, each one was turned to stone, caught in a never-ending scream. Except Ambrose, who cowered like a dog upon the marble steps of his father’s throne. However, no matter how she tried, his ribs still rattled against his frenzied heartbeat. Then, our wise Althea realized, because he is blind, the stare of the Gorgons could not affect him, since those black pupils were no longer the windows to his soul. Eventually, Teresea, whom was so furious the blood beneath her skin seemed to burn and turn her complexion red, prised a sword from a stone soldier and held it to his neck. Callista stopped her. Ambrose knelt before the Gorgon and pleaded for mercy. He took the ring from his finger, gave it to Callista and swore upon his life that, if we let him live, he would serve her until the end of her days, or upon release. Callista ordered he help us escape and by the dark of the night, we slipped from the castle and rowed away down the river. Though we had hoped to find sanctuary elsewhere, we were shunned wherever we journeyed. And as we travelled, we watched humanity in its lifelong punishment; babies slowly starving themselves to death as they refused to suckle milk, children stood at crossroads in the pouring rain, little hands outstretched as they begged every traveller to pass for a morsel of food, and people forced to toil in barren fields through the days and nights, earning only enough pennies to afford a loaf of bread. And for all this we witnessed unwittingly, we felt intensely in our heavy hearts. Many fell sick to human disease and died, buried alongside the road on which they fell. So at last the surviving six came to live on the island on Loch Morar, away from the prying eyes of human activity and for centuries we have lured sailors to their death as revenge for our relatives’ murders.”
I watched as sea green tears travelled down her cheeks, I leaned towards Calliope and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. “How many ov’ya are there?” I asked her. She gave me a wicked look and said “I already told you how many of my own kind there are, you’ve seen every last one in that cave. There are many other creatures lurking in this world, just right for the right moment to either kill you humans are use you for their own purposes. There are not many creatures left who appreciate human life, humans are so cruel to those who are different.” I smiled gave her a comforting smile “Not all humans are so heartless, calliope. Even some of us humans are outcasts in our own kind.” She nodded and said “I should get home.” I put my hand o n her forearm and said “Humans are cruel; I know that but just remember not all humans are cruel. Will I see you again?” she smiled at me and her blue eyes twinkled “If your lucky.” With that she took of into the water and I watched her fade into the darkness. I stood and made my way home. I walked through the door and got a hard slap around my face. Maw stood in front of me with a blotchy red face, as if she had been crying. Her blue eyes looked red a sore and her hair looked all messy. Sat at the table were Isla, Mrs McDonane and my sister’s Bonnie, Chrissie and Maggie. Bonnie’s blonde hair was in a neat blonde pony tail and her bright blue eyes looked red and tired, Chrissie had blood all over