• Splash. The child-like waves came crashing onto the shore playfully, but then retreated

    as if it done something wrong. The morning star glowed upon the limitless sea and the

    small island that was inhabited by creatures with evil intentions. The sirens gathered

    in their dark cave; they lay on the rocky floor in a deep slumber. The sun slowly rose to

    beam onto each creature’s tranquil faces. The first to awaken was Astrea. The sun radiated

    onto Astrea’s serene face and began to disturb her from her dreams of leaving the

    island. Her eyes fluttered open to the harsh reality and she crinkled her freckled nose. She

    stretched her arms wide open, as if wanting a hug from the sun for comfort. Astrea

    jumped to her feet and began to walk towards trees bearing bananas. The wings on her

    back opened gently, revealing their snowy color. With one big flap, she was

    hovering in the arm and grabbing a bunch of bananas from the tree.

    Unfortunately, Astrea struggling to take off a banana awakened her sister, Nia.

    Nia, aggravated by Astrea’s failed attempts, flew to the rescue again.

    “This is your problem Astrea,” Nia hissed. “You are always too weak to do

    anything on your own.”

    With one forceful pull, Nia managed to grab the bunch and return the fruit to the flock.

    Astrea sighed and steadily lowered herself to the ground, walking back to the cave of unpleasant

    stares from each of her sisters. Nia, the leader of the pack, passed out the six bananas out to each

    siren. Nia’s cold eyes lingered on Astrea and swiftly turned around to face the rest of the sisters.

    “Eat quickly,” Nia commanded. “The quicker we get to the rock, the happier the

    gods will be with us.”

    The sirens rapidly ate and flew across the small island to get in their positions,

    hopeful that sailors would sail through their territory. To their luck, within hours, a boat full of

    sailors from the Roman Empire, glided across. Nia gave the signal to the rest of the sirens and all

    began to sing their hypnotizing song. All but Astrea. Astrea turned her back away from the

    horrific sight of men jumping from the boat, down onto the spiky rocks below. The once

    enchanting blue water turned to a sickening, dark maroon. The empty eyes of men floated above

    the water, soon to be consumed by the beasts below them. The sisters began to laugh as they

    watched each man gladly jump off of the ship. Astrea’s stomach did flips inside of her and she

    began to fly away from the atrocious scene. When she was far away enough from her sisters, she

    began to sob heavily.

    “I cannot let this happen anymore,” Astrea whispered to herself. She landed in the

    cave and went into her corner of the cave. Astrea began to mark on the ground how many

    more men died today because of her sisters and her. She counted how many total men

    died during her years of the wicked singing. Seven hundred and sixty-two men dead

    because of her. She felt it was her fault that she was letting her sisters commit these

    crimes and she had never tried stopping them. Even after stumbling across one of the unlucky

    sailors many months ago.

    Astrea snuck away from the rock to get away from the chaos occurring on the

    ocean waves. If she were to fly, then her sisters would be furious with her for “betraying the

    cause”. But, she could always fake an illness to keep them from suspecting her. Her feet

    wandered across the luscious island grass to the burning sand. But, the sand scorching sand

    under her feet the least of her worries. A dying sailor was collapsed upon the shore. He was a

    young man, in his early twenties and like most lads his age, he had high hopes for the future. To

    his misfortunate, his dreams were to disappear, like his life. Astrea slowly approached the sailor

    with fear and guilt consuming her. He was barely conscious, but understood that the creatures

    that occupied the island were responsible for killing his crew and himself. Astrea stood above

    him, frozen with fear in her eyes. The tan sand became ruby as the man bled to death. He looked

    at Astrea with pain in his eyes.

    “Why would you do this to me?” he asked hoarsely.

    Astrea did not answer because she did not know the answer to his question. She

    stayed there as his body deteriorated and the sea eventually consumed the remains of him.

    The memories were the ghosts that haunted Astrea, day and night. Her guilt was a

    never ending nightmare. She yearned to stop her sisters, but didn’t know how. Astrea could not

    to hurt her only family. She sat in silence in the gloomy cave, trying to come up with some kind

    of resolution that was benefit both parties.


    The rest of the sirens entered the cave with an angry Nia leading in the front. She

    hurled herself onto Astrea. Nia’s force knocked Astrea to the ground, making Astrea forget how

    to breath for a moment. Nia’s talon like fingernails dug their way into Astrea’s fragile cheek. Red

    flowers bloomed upon Astrea’s face and the red water made a trail to where Nia’s claws made

    contact. Astrea clenched her eyes shut and began to cry out in pain like an injured animal. The

    pack watched the scene play out with entertained stares.


    “Why did you leave?” Nia demanded Astrea. “I have no idea why the gods ever

    sent to us! You are always so spineless!”

    “Please! I’m sorry Nia!” Astrea cried out. “I swear that I won’t do it ever again!”

    Nia snarled into Astrea’s ear, “Oh, I’ll make sure of that.”

    “I have a grand idea!” Nia exclaimed. “Since Astrea feels as though she is above us all,

    how about we keep her grounded from now on?”

    The sirens’ eyes lit up, intoxicated with what Nia was cooking up. Their malicious

    smiles gave Astrea chills down her spines. They were gathered up like a pack of wolves

    about to pounce on their prey.

    “Grab her arms and hold her down!” Nia commanded.

    Two sirens grabbed Astrea’s arms harshly and pushed Astrea onto her stomach. Astrea

    could not see what was going on above her and did not want to know. She tried to focus

    on the coolness of the rock against her burning, red cheek.

    “Cut her wings,” Nia growled.

    Astrea’s eyes widened with fear. She struggled to get up from the hands holding

    her down. She tried flailing her body around and to squirm her way out of their grips, but the

    more she moved, the more force there was holding her down. Suddenly, intense pain caused

    Astrea to scream. The siren’s dagger-like nails cut away at Astrea’s precious wings. Blood

    gushed out from Astrea’s back, staining her milky white wings. Her wings instinctively tried to

    fly away from the pain as well. Astrea felt as though the pain would never stop, and suddenly

    everything went black for her.

    When she woke up, the rest were guiltlessly asleep. They almost seemed innocent

    when they slept. Astrea rose to her feet and the sight she saw disgusted her. Her wings were tied

    up and on display in the entrance of the cave. Her innocence was continually stepped on and now

    her sisters successfully crushed it. Astrea ran out of the cave with one thing on her mind: death.

    She gathered up driftwood on the shore, sharp rocks, and courage. Quickly, she crept back into

    the cave and tried to make fire. After many unsuccessful tries and blistered hands, she finally

    managed to make one. She blockaded the entrance with scraps of wood found from the corpses’

    of sunken ships. To keep her sisters from breaking down the blockade and she set up wood all

    around the cave.

    “I am sorry,” Astrea said looking up to the gods.

    She held her torch up and set fire to each piece of driftwood. The smoke rose up

    and danced in the air. The fire sang its song of destruction and the each siren woke up in

    a frenzy. Each panicked and struggled to find a way out. They pounded against the as they

    screamed and cried out. Astrea sat in her corner content with her decision. She tried ignoring the

    physical pain that hit very nerve of her body. Finally, her endless battle against her sisters and

    herself was over and soon everything would all disappear.

    “No more lives will be taken anymore because of us,” Astrea told herself.

    The fire finally clutched each siren in its grasp. Their screams were endless that

    night. The smell of burning bodies was sent to the heavens and the underworld. The sirens’

    last song was a song of deserved death.