82 Days Till Winter
An old couple bickers at the docks, the man wanting to set out to sea to fish while the wife being adamant about her refusal, as there was a storm brewing. Apparently, she could feel the ache in her joints and bones. In his defense, he points to the sky, and not a single cloud is in sight.
He pulls away from his wife's grip and boards the boat, his back stiff and tense, calling her an old biddy. All I can do is stare, wondering if that woman has some secret insight or perhaps a third eye.
I then turn to my father. "Do you really think there will be a storm?"
He glances up at the sky and replies with a smile on his face, "No… But if you're bothered about what Betty is saying, know that she always worries for her husband. After all, their grandson died at sea. You were a small thing, but I'm sure you remember the incident, so I can't blame her for wanting to keep him close."
"Yes, I remember. Ryland and the others...." I recall the tragic accident he and a couple of other boys had. Their boat seemed to have flipped over while at sea and when one of them bled, he was attacked by a shark or some other marine predator, as when his body washed up on shore, it was only a torso and other mangled parts.
The village likes to deem it an accident, but really it was an attack by the awful creatures in the ocean, the Elders conveniently forgetting the waters around our island had deadlier predators than land. And sometimes our Gods don’t protect us, is what some whisper when the Elders aren’t listening, but most believed Ryland and his group mocked the Gods, so they were punished.
Perhaps they did, and that is the only reason why they died.
We will never know, as the secret is buried in the depths of the ocean now.
"Now take care, I will return by the end of tonight. If there is a storm, the Gods will send me back to land. My daughter is marrying one of their own, after all, so I at least can expect that." My father jokes before pressing his lips to my forehead, his scuff poking and scratching me, and then pulls away.
"Stay safe," I wish him with a small smile, and he turns away to board the boat.
My eyes glance back to Betty, who has a look of concern on her face, and she implores one last time as my smile vanishes, "You old fool, if you’d only listen to me for once…"
I then turn around, no longer having a reason to be on the docks, and silently pray for my father to come back safely, and hopefully, there would be no storms.
I should check on my mother, but my mind resists. Just yesterday, she was throwing rotten fruit at me while swearing to disown me as her daughter if I refused to listen to her advice about marrying the Siren. She said she would not care about me any longer. It took me a while to get the smell of rotten fruit from my nose and especially out of my hair.
She is impossible, and I didn't even get to tell her about Laki and what he had done to me. Only Laki's father has a slight idea, but I'm sure his son has filled his head with nonsense about what happened as he would never admit to pushing me in the water.
As I head toward the village, I also think back to the many odd gifts the Siren was leaving me every night. At first, it was just shells, then pearls, fish, and now a small whale has washed up on the shores.
I doubt it is a coincidence as whales that size don’t just land up on the beach with stab wounds. All the villagers rejoiced, thinking it to be a special gift from him, and tonight we will feast on its flesh as the elders tell us tales of our Gods.
My stomach growls at the thought of the taste of the whale; it would certainly be better than having fish again.
Once reaching the village, I see the whale is practically nothing but an empty carcass, and the meat stripped from its body is getting prepared to cook over a fire.
I see many children drooling at the sight, watching with eager eyes and wanting nothing more than to dine on its flesh.
As I watch the village prepare for the feast, an older woman approaches me, smiling. "Mayme, are you prepared for tomorrow night? Have you selected a gift for him?"
"Not really." I blush, pushing my red hair back shyly. "I do not know what to give him. I barely know what human men like, let alone...a God."
I used to shop for Laki, and every time I would give him gifts, they would just sit in his room. I am certainly not a good shopper.
Her smile grows. "Why don't you visit my shop? Select something nice for him. It will be free of cost."
"Are you sure?" I ask as she coaxes me along with her.
"Yes. Wedding gifts are important, and it would make me happy to know an item from my shop has been given to someone of such power, one of our many rulers of the sea," she explains as she reaches her shop and heads inside.
I push aside the decorative beads as I enter, and my eyes take in the many painted shells, necklaces, clothing, soaps, and candles.
He most certainly will not like any of this…
My eyes then look at the spear put on display on the wall and below it, is a barrel full of them, all different, unique blades and handles.
I approach it, and the old woman follows me. "Ah, that he would certainly like. Our Gods are hunters."
I take one out carefully, being mindful of the sharp blade, and check its weight. "I think this will be perfect."
"Certainly," she continues, smiling. "It's all yours. My husband will be delighted to know, as he forges them in his free time."
I feel bad for taking something for free. "I will be sure to pay you back," I assure her before starting to leave
"Nonsense, girl," she ushers me out. "Consider it a parting gift."
I smile this time, looking at the hunting spear. "Thank you." I exit the shop.
If he doesn't like something like this, then I do not know what he will like. It sure will be a learning experience. I traverse the village and go toward my home, happy to have found something that would suit him, when I stop abruptly. Things are off in my hut. The front door is wide open, the wind making it sway back and forth. I remember locking the door before leaving home. I approach it carefully, holding on to the spear tightly as one would a sword, my scalp prickling. Someone has broken into my house.
But for what? I don’t have much. The only precious thing I have is the necklace from the Siren which I already have on me.
As I walk inside, on softly padded feet, I see my table flipped to its side. Things are scattered all around. I can see my home is in shambles as I step into the kitchen, focused more on what is in front of me rather than below me. I slip on something and fall on my back, the spear hitting the floor with a thud. I wince as I get up, looking down. I see a mixture of blood, scales, and water.
How did these get into my home?
My eyes follow the trail as my brain catches up with the evidence from the color of the scales. It is the Siren…and it leads to my bedroom. I stand up quickly, grabbing the spear and leaning it against the wall.
"Hello," I call out but do not receive an answer.
As I walk toward my bedroom, I notice my closet has been rifled through, and the blankets ripped off my bed and placed on the floor. My dresses and soft clothes are all arranged in a circular pile, almost resembling a nest.
A nest...he is trying to make a home out of my home. I’ve never heard of a God doing something like this, but where is he?
I don't see him in my room, and the only place left is the bathroom.
I step back, and with my eyes fixed to the closed door, I call out again, "Hello?"
My hand stretches out to grab the handle to whip it open, my body tense as if an animal would pounce on me any second. I slam open the door, expecting to find him there, but there is only deafening silence. I sigh heavily as my shoulders drop in relief. Looking around all I see is a mess, with his scales and slime across my floor, and all I can think about is the time I will take in cleaning them. Messes bother me. I back up and feel the warmth of a body against my back. I freeze. He is here.
"Hell-o," he says in a slow, mocking tone.
I spin around and get a much clearer picture of him. His hair is dark, wet, and wavy. Some would say tousled, and his eyes are the same as when I first saw them, brown with swimming flecks of gold.
The only difference of being out of water is he stood tall, much taller than Laki, whom I always considered to be a large man, and he also had legs, not that I want to glance down because he is most definitely naked.
His chest bears scars, faint marks of battle, and my eyes scroll up from his broad shoulders and strong neck to the square chin and back to those eyes. I startle seeing the curiosity in them. Like I scrutinize him, he examines me in-depth as well, his eyes searching my face, hair, and body. And especially, my body. His eyes linger on my curves – mostly my breasts – and unlike a human man, who would look away, he doesn’t. He just stares at their plumpness, his eyes narrowed with a weird expression in them. I’m not sure if it’s lust or something else. I am speechless at his audacity, then pick up the courage to question him. “What are you doing here?”
"Ceremony," he replies as his eyes wander back to my face. "Humans want me to come to land."
"That isn't until tomorrow," I murmur.
"Tomorrow?" he queries, sounding like a foreigner with his slow pronunciation of words and heavy accent. "Not today...?"
"No."
He seems unhappy with this and sneers, which isn't a good sign.
"I want today," he argues. "I come… I bring food...make nest."
So, he did bring the whale...and that nest…he doesn’t want to sleep in it tonight, does he?
"You have to go back to the water," I insist. "We aren't prepared. Especially me...and you plan to sleep here after the ceremony?"
He continues to stare, his eyes now squinting in anger, then grabs my hair and forcefully pulls me toward him, making me whimper. "No going back…. No sleep. Tonight, we mate."
Twisting my tresses in his fist, he pulls my head to the side and licks my neck, breathing down on my heated skin. I murmur, “Sex…mating doesn’t come until later. After the final ceremony.”
He growls and huffs against my neck irritably, "I want tonight...you teach me human mating ritual. I see man touching you – challenging me by water. He lucky I wasn't on land. He bold."
So… he did see me with Laki that night and considered it a challenge as I'm sure all male Sirens do. In fact, I have heard some try to steal females who are already mated to another. Like some animals do it on land.
I am lucky he didn't try anything frisky in the waters the night I nearly drowned, but probably he knew I wasn’t feeling okay, else he might have. But I have to admit he was reluctant to let go of me even to help me swim to land. So the possessive thought seems to have passed through his mind.
"We have to wait," I say, clutching at the hand in my hair. "Another month at least."
"Too long. Other males might steal you,” he argues, his eyes glancing down to my breasts again. "Man touched here, made you feel good... Smelled it on you."
He then takes the other hand and gropes one of my breasts rather roughly…not taking care to be gentle with me.
"Big...not like females in water." He squeezes a bit too hard, seemingly unused to the action at all.
"Like blobfish," he likens as he continues groping, seeming to enjoy squishing the breast and letting it go before repeating.
I think his kind is more about doing the deed only, definitely not big on the foreplay. But his comment about my breast being like a blobfish is different and rather embarrassing.
My face turns red, and heat floods to my cheeks. Pushing his hand off my breast, I try to assuage his demands. “I promise to not let any other man touch me, but we have to wait…for traditions.”
I don’t know how to deal with a man-God like this…
"Females don't have say when mating. How you promise?" he asks me, his eyebrows knitting to a frown.
"Land is different from water. Land females do have a say – I have a say and I am already yours and I'm telling you to wait." My words bring out his look of skepticism.
"Humans...confusing," he concludes before letting go of my hair, then my breast slowly, his eyes glancing down once more at my chest before coming back to my face. "I stay," and giving me a glare, he adds, "no argue."
"I won't." I am quick to agree, seeing the look in his eyes and feeling lucky to have gotten this far. He's also picking up our words quite fast for a creature who has only known one language, and that is his own, whatever it may be.
I rub my breast through my shirt as pain lingers from all his squeezes and ask as he walks back to the bedroom where his 'nest' is, "What is your name?"
His rear moves with a hypnotic rhythm; I steal a quick glance. He walks just fine for a creature born in the water, making me wonder if he's been on land often before this. Words couldn’t express my embarrassment as he turns and cocks an eyebrow at me. My eyes look away.
"Como," he answers shortly.
"You need clothes...Co-mo, " I inform, testing his name on my lips.
"Why? Clothes bad...cling...itchy."
So, has he worn clothes before? Or is he just making an assumption?
"Because you can't walk around buck naked," I answer. "You need to wear them... I wear them."
He gets quiet after he sits cross-legged in the 'nest' he built, and my eyes stay focused on his face. I refuse to let them wander down south.
I go inside my room and grab my pouch of money. "Let me go out and buy you some. You…you stay here...and try not to destroy anything."
I doubt my dad's clothes would fit him; they would be too large on him. Dad has gotten a bit pudgy with age.
The Siren…Como...makes another odd clicking sound and looks annoyed, so I assume this sound would be heard often when he was displeased.
"Ok... well, I will be back," I say awkwardly, not sure what to do with him, and leave the room being cautious and taking care to not slip on his scales.
I look at the spear, resting lonesome against the wall, and push it into a small closet, hoping he won't find it.
Upon leaving my hut, I shut the door behind me, wondering where he was before I came in. I walk a bit further, only to find wet handprints on the dock leading from the water and more scales that were rubbed off on the wood.
He seems to be marking his territory…
As when I look around, I see scales everywhere on the side of my hut alongside this slime. It makes me cringe.
I'm strange to be treating this so normal.
I just hope I don't get any visitors while I'm gone.
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