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Deep Down the dark ocean, where creatures swam freely. Fishes, sharks and other beautiful marine splashing around the surface of the calm blue ocean waves.
Oceans were nice, with deep blue colours that calm everyone’s hearts. Soft winds blow across the slow rocking boats on the Sea. The brightness of the Lighthouses at night, made the crystal blue Ocean glow at night, leading lost fishermen home.
But what lurk deep down the ocean remains a mystery. Humans on shore, spread scary and beautiful stories of the big deep sea. The Kraken, bigger than any ships, will drag any boats down the Ocean with them. The Sirens, with the beauty of their voice, will drag any men down the Ocean bellow, drowning them.
And lastly, the mermaids whom every one loved. The mermaids were known as the softer version of the Siren, disappeared and stray far from the greedy humans who hunts them. Though stories of them are still wild above the shores.
“I’d met one when I was younger, it saved me from drowning back then, young lad.” The old man spoke slowly.
“Yes, you’d told me this story with very chance you get, grandpa....” Choi Han sighed with a displeased look on his face.
“It is fine if you don’t trust me, but I assure you with my life that this story is not just some fairytales your mother told you.” The old man bites back the urge to laugh.
“You’re not young anymore, someday you should help your father and join him on a boat trip!”
Choi Han nodded, he grabbed his tool bag and walked out of the wooden made house.
The weather was nice today, bright blue painted across the sky’s with soft white clouds. The sound of ladies next door, chatting while the kids play around the sandy beach.
“Hey! Move out of the way!”
A familiar voice was heard, with his fast reflex Choi Han dodged, his tool bag fell in the process but at least he was uninjured. He glared up at the familiar blonde boy, His childhood best friend, Alberu Crossman.
His bright blonde hair and a pair of bright eyes, he was the most handsome boy in the town. Choi Han was not any worst but Black hair were commonly seen around.
“Watch where you’re going next time, Your Highness,” Choi Han purposely said “Your Highness” in a joking matter, hoping to get any annoyed look from Alberu.
“Now Now, Choi Han, cut the crap.”
Alberu got off his bike, walked towards to Choi Han’s fallen bag and took out a familiar old book. He raised the book towards Choi Han’s face.
“This one, remember about the mythical creatures we talked back in Primary?”
Choi Han nodded, hopping Alberu is not going to do of what he is suspecting of from his best friend. He looked at Alberu who’s frantically flipping through the heavy book. He stopped at a page, pointed to a picture and loudly spoke.
“This one!! About the mermaids, do you remember??!” He excitedly yelled.
“Yes...? Alberu we dropped that theory after finding no evidence for ten years straight!” He reasoned.
“No...you..ahhh wait!”
Choi Han crosses both his arms, watching as Alberu was trying to grab something from his pockets. What surprised him was a beautiful bright red scale that was shown to him, it was not those regular scales he’d seen from fishes.
Red like rose, smooth surface and is as bright as those crystals he had at home. The scale was quite large too....
“My father found his while he was on a fishing trip with a friend last night! He showed me this and gave it to me as a ‘souvenir’.”
“What does this had to do with mermaids?”
Alberu pushes the scales to Choi Han and spike in an annoying tone, “Don’t act dumb! You know what this is and what it looked like!”
Alberu was not lying, Choi Han couldn’t deny it as it actually fits the description of the mermaids’ scale. There was no way this is real, after ten years of researching they had nothing...and now suddenly a “mermaid” scale appears?
“Fine, so what do you want me to do?? Go back and mess up my room again?”
“We’re going straight to the ocean!”
“Wait What?? Alberu come back!” Choi Han yelled, chasing his reckless friend.”
***
The final results was Choi Han agreeing to this stupid plan. The two boys stood in-front of Ron and his son Beacrox, who were known to own a lot of unused boats.
“S...sir Ron, we just need to borrow one available boats that can be used!” Alberu asked, his voice trembling in fear.
“Asking for a Boat at sunset?” Ron Asked.
“Well yes, we can’t give you a reason but...please?”
After minutes of trying to get just one boat, Ron decided to give in and let them borrow one. Before Setting out, Ron bit them goodbye.
“Stay safe, the Ocean is dangerous at night, keep my boat safe too....” he grumbled.
“Of course, thank you Sir Ron!”
***
The two teenagers rowed the boat, it has been a while since they left shore. Minutes? Hours? They didn’t know, but what they knew is that the sunset was over, the bright moon taking over the sky. Stars twinkled and the boys admired the beautiful view.
Suddenly, Alberu stopped rowing. Something, or someone was grabbing onto his paddle.
“Choi Han,” he whispered out, “something is here...or probably someone.”
Choi Han stopped too, he sat there in silence looking at Alberu. It was dark, and oddly, the bright light of the lighthouse was not seen....it was completely dark...
The two sat there is silence, waiting for whatever it is to appear. Choi Han was hoping that it was just a random fish messing with them, he tried calming down until a soft voice was heard.
A soft voice, singing beneath the ocean. There was no one here except for the two. The voice was getting closer and closer...Choi Han was creeped out. The soft melody sang by that unknown voice was now echoing around them.
“Weird,” Choi Han muttered.
It was odd. Even though they were in the middle of the ocean, not paddling at all. There was no fish. Even with the soft wind, there was no sound of waves he hears everyday.
Only a lonely tune...similar to a Siren....
Siren, that word appeared in Choi Han’s mind. He had heard the stories about the Sirens before, just like how they lure people in with their voice...they were in trouble.
Choi Han panicked, they were here looking for mermaids but found Sirens instead?? How unlucky can they be??
The boat tipped, he looked to his left where Alberu was sitting. He was not moving an inch.
Getting worried, Choi Han whispered to his friend, “Alberu!! Alberu, Hey!”
No matter how he calls Alberu, he still didn’t move. It was as if he was just a statue, Choi Han knew they were indeed in deep trouble. Alberu was probably effected by the tune of the Sirens, he didn’t know how to break the spell.
But before he could do anything, his vision became blurry. Slowly he felt drunk. Weird, he didn’t drink anything before heading out...
The voice was louder, now echoing next to his ears...
It was addicting.
Soft, smooth.
Something in him didn’t like it, but his body reacted without the control of his mind. He reached out, where was he reaching to? What is he reaching for? He didn’t know.
The wind picked up, and the boat swayed aggressively along the waves. The wind was loud but the tune occupied his mind more, it was like a parasite...
“Help me...” grabbing hold of his last consciousness, he called out weakly.
As if there was a miracle, the song stopped. He took deep breaths as if he’d ran a marathon, it was gone....finally.
The song stopped but the wind didn’t. The boat swayed dangerously and cracks started appearing. But it finally cracked as it couldn’t hold on to the huge waves anymore.
The two boys fell into the ocean with a loud splash. At the corner of his vision, Alberu lay there, unconscious. He reached out to his friend, swimming and struggling in the aggressive strong waves with all his might.
He coughed and gagged as waters slowly enter his lungs....it hurts.
No matter how strong he can be, he still couldn’t do anything as he is also a victim to the Siren’s “curse” tunes. He couldn’t stay conscious for long, thinking that this might be the end. A small flick of red appeared in his sight...
‘That’s weird, weren’t the ocean blue?’ He was tired and couldn’t think properly. Finally everything went dark and he knew no more.
***
Choi Han hears someone yelling his name, tapping him on the cheeks. That’s weird, did he die?
“No you idiot, Wake up!”
Choi Han slowly blinked open his eyes, he hopped that the first thing he sees is not the face of the “amazing” and “all perfect” Alberu Crossman, but of course, life just loves to fuck around with him.
“What is it? What happened? What’s the time now?” He asked all of those questions in one breath.
“Three questions all at once? Seeing how you can talk so much, I guess you’re alright...” Alberu sighed.
Choi Han looked around, he was laying on the beach...weren’t they on a boat earlier??
The sky is still dark.
What...exactly happened?
Looking at Choi Han’s confused face, Alberu sighed, “I guess you’re confused too, honestly I’m not sure what happened.”
“Maybe we should just give up on the Mermaid thing, it’s dangerous. Let’s go back.”
Alberu patted Choi Han’s shoulder and walked off, muttering about how he’s going to miss dinner...or maybe he did.
Choi Han followed after, but then he paused midway. That’s right...there was something poking his hands...
He opened his palms, and two similar scales that Alberu had in his pockets...were laying here...
Then, he hears a small melody. It was different from what he’d heard....this time it was calm and peaceful....
He looked back when he’d heard a soft splash. Big red tail, with a familiar rose red colour hit the waters, diving back into the sea.
Whatever it was, Choi Han couldn’t make it out as the creature swam away...back into the deep blue ocean.
“Hey!”
He turned back to Alberu who looked worried, “Choi Han? What is it? Did you lose something?”
“No..nothing...”
He looked back again...the sea was calm, a small breeze flew past his hair. Then he followed Alberu back to their house.
***
“Father...” Beacrox spoke
Ron looked coldly at the broken pieces of the boat he had lend to the two teenagers.
Ahh...he’s getting old anyways, “let it be...I wonder what made them travel along the oceans at night”
***
The loud clanking of plates and chattering was heard on shore.
A little merman, with his long red tail, swam freely around the ocean.
‘Humans...’ he thought...his mother told him about them before
“Remember Cale, Humans are scary and greedy. You shouldn’t always be associated with them..”
Cale remembered how he hugged his mother tightly, trembling, imagining of how those ‘humans’ looked like. His mother laughed softly too then continued.
“But some of them can also be nice and kind.”
He remembered her words, but didn’t expect to meet some humans today. He didn’t know why, but he decided to help them as he saw them being in trouble. Was he wrong to help?
But they seemed nice.
Cale Henituse hasn’t interacted nor had physical contacts with them ever since he was born. This was his first time, but probably not last either.
‘Choi Han and Alberu’ he repeated in his mind.
Maybe if he could. One day he will visit where humans lived and maybe go back and search for them again. He happily sang a small tune.
He then swam deeper into the sea, disappearing within the deep and dark ocean.