His Mistress the Sea
He’d lost everything he’d held dear in the world do to his penchant for drink and the long months at sea. He swore if he could do it all again, he would without hesitation. Things couldn’t be undone, so he lost himself in the bottle, and threw his hat in for an extended tour at sea.
After some weeks, sun-burnt, salt caked, and numb from the cold, he spent his idle time staring into the dark waves. The lap of the water against the hull was soothing to his frayed nerves, and the fog gave the sea and eerie, ethereal quality. The sea made him feel young once again.
It began as a hum, soft, low, and soothing. No one else heard the music, but he was entranced.
As the nights dragged on the music increased in intensity and pitch. He felt as though he was floating on air. He felt more himself than he had in years, and that the sins of his past were about to be forgiven.
He’d spent three days leaning over the railing gazing of into some unseen horizon. His mates were concerned by his actions, but they didn’t see what he saw.
The beautiful woman begged him to join her. Her song called to him, but he resisted, because he didn’t deserve such fortune.
But she came for him again and again. He couldn’t resist her call anymore.
With a wide grin on his face, she held her hand out to him, and he climbed onto the railing.
The music rose and rose to a beautiful crescendo. He took her hand and leaped into the roiling water below.
As soon as he was free of the ship, he realized his folly, screamed as skeletal hands reached for him, and dragged him down to the depths.
Like so many poor souls before him, he couldn’t resist the sirens’ call.
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