Above us only Sky

It is the sun beating down that hurts the most, not the bruises from the beatings, nor the cuts from the binding ropes biting into my flesh. No, it is the blistering heat peeling my skin slowly back. The radiant glare from the sun, ripple, and reflect off the slow-moving waves. I feel like a jellyfish I once found, trapped in the drying pools of water on the beach as the tide went out.

Tears fall freely, burning my already dry and swollen eyes, not from the pain, but from a new sensation that is foreign to me. In someways it is an intolerable wound, unlike the actual physical ones I am enduring. For reasons I cannot fathom, my discomfort only heightens their interest. Nudity is normal for us; Our environment doesn’t dictate a need for us to be covered in garments like these people. Sure, we adorn our bodies in necklaces and shiny pebble bracelets, but to cover our bodies in shame never crossed my mind. However, their hungry eyes violate me in a way I never experienced before, forcing me to curl up and cross my arms, covering my naked breasts.

Their rotten breath flows over me in waves as they scream and spit through blackened teeth. Their pale skin, raw and beaten red from unforgiving rays and endless wind, prove they do not belong here.

I say nothing.

I have an endless thirst that refuses to be quenched, which makes them laugh every time they toss the stale slimy liquid, from their water bucket on me. The only true relief I feel is when the bow drops, and the ocean waters splash over the sides, spraying us with a refreshing mist.

I remain silent.

The true torture begins when they roll me into a putrid net, that smells of decayed fish and rotting seaweed. They then hoist me up and over the side of this wooden ship, dangling me just above the waves. Amongst the jeers and cheers they slowly submerge me until I am completely enveloped into the cool waters. Sea salt washes through the wounds, it feels good until the gentle tingle turns to a throbbing pain. Bubbles surround me as I release the air in my lungs and resign myself to the waters embrace. Then, suddenly they pull me up again, leaving me once more to shrivel in the unforgiving sun, while salt crystals dry upon my body. Over and over, they repeat this torture, until finally the golden ember from above dips into the horizon and sizzles into the distant depth of the ocean. As darkness descends across the waters, exhaustion overwhelms them as they tire of their games. One by one my captors leave, disappearing into the body of this vessel.

I am alone, shivering in the dark under the endless expanse of the night.

If I was hot during the day, I now freeze in the chilled night air, the cold breeze forms frost on the stinking damp fibers that trap me. I shake uncontrollably, while my mind drifts back, wondering how I got here. Knowing my future is short, I only dream of my kin and hope they forgive me. This hateful way of life is foreign to me, it fills me with dread. I realize that fighting back is as futile as being caught in an outgoing current, sapping all your strength as you struggle against something which is stronger than you. Survival is all I strive for now, and even that is a fading dream. Three continuous days of this treatment has finally drained me of any hope of escape.

All because I am different, my skin is not like theirs, my looks unique to them.

Swaying helplessly in the dark, sounds of the ship cutting through the waters and lone cries from the gulls are my only companions. Clinging to life; I can not close my eyes for fear of never waking. Yet, my tormentors sleep with no guilt to disturb their peaceful rest. I am the amusement that fills their days. Perhaps they are dreaming of new ways to torture me. My eyelids are heavy, and I desperately need to sleep but continue to fight the urge, while the full moon cast shadows that haunt my vision. Every where my eyes gaze I see things that are not there, yet for the briefest of moments they seem real. From the swirling mist of imagination emerge the men, their dirty snarling forms line the deck, standing, yelling at me. Soon they too fade into the emptiness of night.

My mind wanders in and out of reality, trying to remember how I got here. It was curiosity mixed with a fixation that caused my capture. My friends and family told me to leave the passing ship alone, let it go. These floating boats are not new to us, they have been passing through our waters for years. They seldom stop, as the rocks and coral reef are a natural deterrent, so we feel safe. The odd time they get too close we simply hide until they pass. But lately there have been more of these strange vessels plying our waters and lingering longer than previous visits. I needed to know from where they come, and for what it is they are searching. My curiosity will probably cost me my life. All because I waved to a passing ship instead of hiding.

I will never let them know of the others; I will not let my foolishness endanger my clan.

Not that I could tell them anything, their sounds are foreign to me so I can not answer them even if I want too. I may have had the urge to communicate with them earlier, but that desire has since dissipated.

The air is thick with the scent of salt and freedom, for all but me. Yet, every spray of mist that kisses my body, rejuvenates my weary soul. My time is nearing the end, already I feel my essence fading, dehydrated and weak from hunger. I do not wish to fade from this world in anger or despair, instead I think of the life I had. A smile forms upon my lips as I think of my older sister, whose caution matches my curiosity. What I wouldn't give to hear her lecture me one more time about how my foolish behavior will one day get me in trouble.

I cannot stop the spasms as fear runs through me, I try to choke back the sobs and fail. I cry out, releasing all the anguish penned up with in me, until I am spent.

No one hears my cries. I am that jellyfish, hopelessly waiting for the inevitable end.

Breathing deeply, I suddenly feel calm for the first time since my capture. Beneath a cascade of iridescent stars, I listen to waves whispering tales of what could have been. Their sorrowful words flow along the white crests of foam, disappearing into the dark. I wish to die free, rather than become a slave, or a plaything to these horrid men.

In but a blink of an eye the velvet night transforms into a wavering orb of light. The morning sun’s glow hints of a day as hot as yesterday, and the day before. While wispy puffs of coral-colored skies tease of a cooler day, that will never come.

Water below, above us only sky.

Because I am delirious and weak and can no longer tell the difference from the normal sway of the ship as it gently rises then falls. I fail to notice a change in direction, as I am swung back to the leering men with scab crusted skin, until I am hovering above the deck once more, ropes creaking in the cool wispy mist. Below me are a group of sailors, silent in the morning calm. Dead eyes vacant of mercy, stare at me with bloodshot orbs, watching as I am lowered onto the damp planks of wood. Exhausted, I can not fight back as they unroll me from the net and leave me prostrate before them. My body may be free from the trap, but I am not free from their clutches.

Through blurry eyes I see them roll back like the waves upon the beach, while a single man strides towards me, with knife in hand. I realize I am about to be gutted on these very planks I now lay upon. My head barely rises, I have no moisture to utter a sound, but a slow gurgle, growls from within my throat.

His foot falls reverberate with each step he takes. In a moment of clarity, every noise becomes clear, the cry from the birds, the squish of damp boots, a nervous shuffle of feet from the anxiously waiting men, the soft woosh of wind upon my face and the beating of my heart.

Suddenly he stops, his fingers open, while the knife falls from his limp hands and stabs upright into the swollen wood. The vibrating blade sings a soulful tune. He doesn't move, my heart beats faster, frantically I look around, no one is moving. They are standing slack jawed, smiles frozen upon their bearded faces. I am confused, wondering what new torture this is, drawing out my inevitable death, until I hear it.

Softly at first, then building up to a crescendo of singing voices. An alluring song floats upon the breeze, winding its way through the throng of stunned men, who appear paralyzed by the mystical sound, while enslaving the minds of these weak lost souls.

With great effort I slide along the damp deck to the rails, and with my remaining strength, I hoist myself up and gaze once more into the blank faces of these doomed individuals.

Casting myself into the welcoming waters below, and in an instant I feel strong arms wrap themselves around me carrying me deeper to the soothing cool waters. I try to wipe those people from my mind, as I swim with the aid of my sisters. The suns penetrating rays reflect silver flashes from our bodies as our tails bend and twist in the water, bringing me closer to my home.

I glimpse one last time upon those from above and cannot help but feel pity for them. Their life is no longer theirs, for they now belong to the sirens.

Thank you,

Jason