Chapter 5: Spilled Life

Sorry for the months-long hiatus. It might be a while before I post again; we're at the end of a trimester at my school, and I've got a lot of schoolwork to do. My mental health is taking a dive, too.

“So you’ve been keeping her alive behind the backs of everybody, including the Echoes themselves?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but I can’t explain it, and now we’ve had a huge argument. I don’t see why being alive isn’t enough, I’d be grateful if somebody let me live to see the next sunrise.” I can’t believe her! Why is Callista so ungrateful of how I saved her life?

“Does it matter? You probably won’t see the next sunrise if anybody else finds out.” Her words are cutting but true.

“You swore you wouldn’t say anything! On the River Styx!” She visibly sighs; it’s a bit difficult to physically sigh underwater, but she manages to show her exasperation.

“Yes, I did. I won’t go back on my word, but you need to stop seeing her. Immediately.” I squint. Now that I think about it, Caelumara probably has the brightest scales in the Chorus.

“Do you honestly think I’d betray the Chorus for her?” There’s no anger in the question, it’s mostly shock.

“I think she blinds you to the truth, that she is a temptress and even worse, a human, you are a siren.” She grabs my arms and shakes me back and forth. “If you cannot see that for yourself, then I will keep you from her until she no longer comes to the shore to see you, even if it means she dies.” She slaps me across the face. “Snap out of this! You have to survive!”

“She doesn’t have me fooled, Caelumara! I know she’s a temptress!” She’s trying to keep me alive, she promised to keep my secret. “Thank you for keeping me alive.” The fact that she didn’t immediately rat me out strikes me as odd for Caelumara.

“You’re welcome, idiot. You need to be more careful when you go to see your human. What are you gonna tell everyone when you disappear for hours every few days to feed her?” She can’t make that many excuses for me, it’d put her at risk. I shouldn’t put her in danger for my broken view of what Callista is.

“I’ll bring extras, and I’ll make my excuses. Please don’t put yourself in more danger for me.” She’s already in enough danger because she knows my little human secret.

“You know I can’t just leave you to do this really stupid thing by yourself. Let me help.”

“What?” Why would she help? Is she feeling okay? She can’t go on this path with me because it leads through the valley of death. I can’t lead her down this terrible path. She’s always been loyal to the Chorus, so why is she putting me ahead of that loyalty?

“I said: let me help. You obviously can’t do this on your own, you’ll get caught by somebody who is not your friend. Your sisters would happily rat you out if they got this information.” She grabs my hands, she looks so worried for me. Sirens aren’t supposed to worry about each other like this, only how to work together to get our next meal.

“You don’t have to get involved, please. You’re already in danger, Caelumara. You’re in danger just because you know. They could kill us both!” This seems only to make her double down on her demands to let her help with this.

“Then you won’t die alone. Besides, I’ve always wanted to go out for somebody I care about.” She… cares about me… that much? Why? I don’t deserve it, she’s the one who deserves to live.

“I can’t let you give up your life for me. You have an actual chance, Caelumara. Don’t give it up for me,” I grab her hands and look her in the eyes. “I’m not worth your life.”

“Yes, you are.” That’s when it hits me, she’s broken too. She wants me in a way that we should never like each other, and maybe being with her wouldn’t be bad. “You’ve always been worth it. Think about it, we could be a family, you and I.” Does she want that?

“But you know what I’ve been doing behind the backs of everybody, even you. I don’t deserve you. Not as a friend, not as a family.” It’s true. Why would she want me, of all the sirens she could’ve asked to be family with, why me?

“I decide who deserves me, you idiot. Let’s start a family; that way, I can more easily cover for you.” She wants to live in the same space as me, knowing full well that I am betraying the Chorus.

I sigh. “Fine. Let’s start a family.” The flashed words are slightly resigned, but Caelumara ignores it.

“Alright then. Let’s announce it tonight. I think we should spend the rest of the day looking for good living spaces.” She reaches for my hands, and I can almost hear her heart pounding in the water. The light refracts through the sea and becomes lesser as she leads me down to home.

“So, what kind of family are you thinking we have?” I flash when she looks back at me.

“I think it’ll just be us for a while, at least until your human dies. From there, maybe we take in a little or two.” She replies with soft light. She wants to have an actual family later, after Callista dies. With me, of all of the sirens in our Chorus.

“Well, I guess I can’t say no to that. Let’s find a place to call ours.” I swim with her to a spot where we’ve only recently started to make houses out of and peruse the area. Eventually, we decide on a spot in the dark. It’s spacious but small enough to be cozy.

Now comes the part where we break the news to Mother…

Author's Note

968 words.