Final Personal Log Entry, Seaman Third Class, Johnson, 

They say there's no magic left in this world. Tales of dragonslayers are half a millennia old; no one has even claimed to see a dragon, komodos excepted, for 500+ years. 

And, since dragons are supposedly the most powerful magic creatures, it makes sense that no one would claim to see lesser magical creatures, such as fairies, unicorns, et cetera, for just as long. Even stories of ghost sightings, nonmagic beings, are few and far between these days. 

But, there's also something else they say. 

Only five percent of the world's oceans have been explored. 

So, despite the insistence of scientists, who don't believe in anything they can't pin, prick, probe, provoke, or reproduce, it's perfectly possible that the pestilence of perfectly pitched performers of the seven seas, those scandalous, soul-sucking examples of salacious behavior, namely, the sirens, could certainly exist within the uncharted and unexplored regions of Mother Nature's vast depths. 

And, exist, they did. I have the video to prove it. Though, where I live now there's hardly any use for it. 

Some years ago, on this aged diesel electric submarine assigned to our Navy that couldn't be bothered to, or couldn't afford to design and build her own ships, I was a mere cook's assistant. Peeling potatoes, scrubbing pots and pans, and other remedial kitchen tasks; those were my daily duties. I often hummed quietly to myself, just to pass the time. 

Some of my mates would often joke, "Why are you here? You should be famous!" And then they'd laugh. I could hold a tune very well, but I had a face for radio, and my voice was too choir-oriented to be good at selling records. 

On our deep sea missions, Captain Weathers would often have the ship's external microphone play the outside sounds inside the ship. No one made any complaints the first few times, so it became a regular thing. We enjoyed hearing the whale songs, the distant sounds of ocean waves, the sounds of dolphins with their clicks, pops, squawks, and other various noises. The crew learned to enjoy the sounds of the ocean, and when Captain Weathers ordered additional speakers to be installed throughout the ship, no one objected. 

That would be what spelled their doom. 

Last Tuesday, we were on another of our numerous research missions. We were at our bottom limit; the pressure on our hull was at its safe maximum; we were supposed to sink no lower. Doing so would endanger the ship and crew, and Captain Weathers was well aware of this. What he wasn't aware of was that we were about to encounter the truly magical. What was mostly forgotten would become very real to us.

While listening for sounds of aquatic life, a strange sort of sound came from the depths. The technicians quickly filtered everything else out, straining to focus in on whatever was making the enchanting noises. 

Captain Weathers quickly switched on the newly installed speakers, thinking he was giving his crew a special treat. However, that's where he made his biggest mistake. For nearly as soon as he did so, the strange sound became a chorus, and then a choir. Before anyone had time to reach for the controls, the sirens' sweet song was upon us. 

🎵 Long we've kept our melodies

Quietly buried under the seas. 

We long for men, their earnest pleas,

So join us now; us do not tease. 🎵

It is impossible to resist a choir of five hundred. Even when humans are singing in such massive numbers, there is a sort of enchanting effect. So, imagine being surrounded by a choir of mythical sirens, and you'll understand how impossible it was for the crew to resist. 

I heard the order from Captain Weathers, "Fifteen degrees down bubble; dive." And we did. Warnings blared, but...

🎵 Do not fret; do not fail.

Mute the noise, we will prevail! 🎵

And the alarms were quickly silenced. Lights flashed; automatic emergency transmissions were made by the sub's computer. Yet, all were ignored. 

🎵 Come to us, have no remorse. 

Our ensemble you will endorse. 

Silence all; no need for alarms;

We promise you will come to our arms. 🎵

Screeches and implosions started throughout the sub, as welds started to fail and steel walls buckled in on themselves. Water rushed into places it wasn't supposed to be. And when those areas were full, in came the sirens to drag away the drowned men. Watertight doors and hatches automatically closed off and sealed parts of the sub, doing what they were programmed to do, trying to save what they could. 

This is what jostled me. And, since I was holding a potato knife in my hand, I sliced my thumb. The pain momentarily awoke me from my magical stupor, and I realized that if I didn't do something NOW, I'd never have the chance. 

A quick glance informed me that I was sealed in the galley; no way to make it to the Bridge. And, since the new speakers weren't wired for communication, I couldn't use them to contact anyone. And, the new speakers were much louder than the communication system, so even if I tried using the normal intraship communicator, I wouldn't be able to raise Captain Weathers. 

Thinking of all this took too much of the precious time I had. The pain in my thumb was lulling away, and so was my mind's ability to fight. Not only that...

🎵 Come, little sailor, don't resist,

We are going to give you Forever's Kiss! 🎵

I could feel the desires churning and swelling within me. The desire to know a woman; the desire to put everything behind me; the desire to join in with the choir...

Wait! That was it! All those jokes were finally going to pay off! My choir-oriented voice was perfect for this situation! I quickly thought of some words, and matched the last tune that the sirens sang. 

🎵 Hush, little sirens, don't say goodbye!

This little sailor doesn't want to die!

And if you continue on like this,

This little sailor will resist! 🎵

What I expected was resistance, or screeching, or even for the sirens to scratch and claw at the door to the galley. What I didn't expect was a momentary silence, and then...

🎵 Sailor boy, we hear your tune,

With our song, you did commune;

If you sing with us our songs,

We promise you, we'll do you no wrongs. 🎵

...Can I reiterate how unexpected that was? I never would have thought that a choir of flesh eating sirens would stop their attacks or singing just because some nobody like me thought to sing WITH them. I thought for a moment, and then replied, matching the tune. 

🎵 What about the rest of the crew?

If I sing, will you spare them, too? 🎵

They replied with a different melody. 

🎵 Their time has come,

And it is short. 

Their lives are ours,

You spoilsport. 

We need to feed,

We need to eat,

Our one warning

We won't repeat. 🎵

I replied in turn. 

🎵 I understand,

Though I must mourn,

All my shipmates,

Please do not scorn. 

I've lived six months

With these dear friends,

I hate to see

Their lives so end. 🎵

And so on the conversation went. 

🎵 We understand your grieving heart,

We, too, knew those who had to part. 

If you don't want to see their end,

Please come to us, please be our friend. 🎵

And I replied. 

🎵 I cannot breathe outside this place,

Thus so is cursed the human race.

Though wat'ry grave befits my fate,

My cursed life, I so do hate. 🎵

And they...

🎵 One gift we give, within our power,

So you can breathe with us this hour. 

Sacred this, our singing be,

So you can sing eternally. 🎵

I suddenly felt queasy, and I realized that the oxygen must've run out in the small chamber that was the galley. I quickly sat down, trying to not fall over. I found myself completely unable to breathe, and as I was choking on air, I heard the sound of a door valve turning. Though I was faint, I was able to see. The sirens had all that time been working their way through the sub to me. They spun the door valve open, and the water rushed in. 

That should have been my doom, but the sirens rushed in with the water. One of them grabbed my face and forced water down my throat. Too weak to resist, I suddenly found myself surprised again. I was able to breathe. But...how?

I looked at the mirror above the galley sink. Gills on my neck, I saw. So, that was it. Instead of eating me up, the man eating sirens had decided to make me one of them. Well, they decided to give me gills, anyway. Aside from that, I still looked human, head to toe. 

I looked at the siren who had given me what I first assumed was the Kiss of Death. She smiled, meekly. Then the choir started again, with her and every siren singing in perfect harmony.

🎵 Welcome to our Siren Song

We know you'll find you do belong. 

In our folds, you'll find your rest,

With us be, it's for the best. 🎵