Under Murky Waters

THE SUN WAS GLARING.

Its rays held no mercy, beating down painfully on Zale Kowalski’s back like there was no tomorrow and the only time it could shine was now. Although the pain seared the skin of his neck, Zale took no notice. He wore a grin on his face, a satisfied and delighted sigh slipping past his lips as he took in a deep breath of the salty sea air.

Standing on the dock of Limebarrow, a small town that detached itself from the mainland years ago, Zale helped his crew with the loading of supplies onto their ship. They were to journey across the seas in search of new land to sell their products.

In the eyes of the crew, it was about the money that they could make. In Zale’s eyes, it was the possibility of adventure he could find on the waves.

“Is this not a beautiful day?” He asked, helping with the crates and barrels full of food. “A beautiful sky, a gentle sea, what more can we ask for?”

Slowly, the ship started to sail away from the dock and into the open waters. The town behind them grew smaller and smaller, the fishermen and merchants not even batting a single eyelid at the leaving vessel.

“A route without disturbance, perhaps?” Kyle Piers, Zale’s best friend commented offhandedly. They had known each other since childhood since their fathers were business partners. Kyle was like a brother to Zale, having stuck through thick and thin together. “I heard from one of the men that there will be danger in the seas today.”

“Why today?” Zale asked, scrunching his eyebrows up in confusion.

“Ah, Zale, my dear friend, how naive and clueless you are! How can such a frequent sailor like you not know?” Kyle’s laughter was boisterous as he slapped a playful hand on Zale’s shoulder. He wiped away a stray tear from the corner of his eyes, shaking his head in mockery. “It is the anniversary of a great ship’s sinking. The Cordelia was a part of Captain Gunner Hank’s fleet, one of the larger ones. It was sunk a year ago on the exact route we are set to sail on.”

The name churned a familiar memory in Zale’s mind to which he could not place a finger on. He had heard of the name, yes, but not so much the ship that bore it. Yet, he could not seem to remember the source of it or why such a name echoed and resounded so deeply in his memory.

There could not be that many reasons to why the ship had sunk. It could have been a battle to the death with another fleet, or a merciless storm that took the lives of the men onboard. Zale went with his latter answer, asking curiously and in need to quench his thirst for knowledge.

“What happened? Was it a storm?”

To that, Kyle shrugged, but another member onboard had overheard the conversation. A slimy middle-aged man that Zale did not know the name of crept over to the duo, the bucket of drinking water still in hand.

“They say that it was mermaids, lads,” he whispered, eyes darting around cautiously as if afraid someone would hear.

“Mermaids? Never!” Another had crept over, this one clicking his tongue disapprovingly. “Mermaids are loving creatures. They hardly ever go to the surface and usually keep out of Man’s way.”

Kyle rolled his eyes at the insane comments. He offered Zale a pointed look, one that screamed ‘Look at these buffoons!’ before turning back to entertain the two that had snuck into their private conversation.

“Then what do you suggest caused the sinking? The ship was abandoned and left to rot by the rest of the fleet. I would like to believe that pirates are not that insane to leave such a beauty at the bottom of the seven seas.”

The first man suddenly spun around to face the second, his eyes widening with horror once he caught on to what his fellow sailor was trying to imply. He shook his head, fear clouding his eyes. The other man only nodded gravely, his voice dipping dangerously low. The word that slipped past his lips next was barely even audible, drenched with a warning.

“Sirens.”