Enchanted by a Siren

Prologue: Fifteen years before

He looked down into his infant’s eyes and it was like staring into his own reflection. Her turquoise irises mimicked his own. “You’ll be okay.” He said, trying to convince himself. A chill went down his spine as she stretched out a hand and placed it around his finger, as if she knew.

“You don’t belong in our world.” He whispered. “And I don’t belong in yours.”

He looked around at the houses lining the street around him. “This will be your life, my little Zenobia.” He crooned as his new-born daughter stared at him. He gave her the name to signify his hopes for her. Named after a Queen, daughter of the earth and sky. The opposite of what he was, damned to the darkness. 

He chose to only give her a human name, giving her a mermaid name would have been too difficult for him. Mermaid names were feelings and scents, not letters and sounds. She needed to remain on land, and so she would receive a name to convey that.

“I promise I will always be close by and you will always be safe. They will not understand what you are, nor will you, but your instincts will guide you. When the time comes, don’t fight them.” He told her, hoping and praying that his words would stay with her. That they would guide her and that she would not forget them as she grew older.

He looked down at his little girl, who looked so strange to him in her human form. It had been the hardest thing he’d ever had to do, watching her scream as she shifted for the first time in her very short life. It wasn’t usual for mermaids to have to do it so early on in their lives, nevermind minutes after their birth. Some mermaids went their entire life without ever shifting. Staying in the water and far away from human civilization.

One thing he did know was that the baby in his arms was no ordinary creation and she would transcend the biological rules he had lived by his entire life.

He had been on land for a while now, running away from the infinite darkness of his own home. He was fascinated by humans and had spent extended periods of time living amongst them in the last ten years. Though his biology always forced him back to the salty seawater of the ocean eventually.

He had learned how to read, write and speak like the humans did, it was very different from how mermaids communicated. Communication amongst mermaids didn’t really happen through speech, but rather feeling and memory. They had the ability to feel another mermaid’s emotions if they focused on them hard enough and holding his baby now he could feel everything about her. She wasn’t scared or confused, but rather calm and at ease. He only wished it could stay that way.

She was wrapped up in a blanket and lay in the crook of his arm, perfectly content. In his free hand he held a basket with a note that read. “My name is Zenobia, please take care of me.”

He couldn’t help but wish that things could be different, that her mother could still be around to take care of her, or that he could stay and take care of her himself… But he couldn’t, it was too dangerous and he wouldn’t even know where to start.

She would be the perfect child for any family, she's been so peaceful in the days since her birth, but he'd been watching the family who lived at number fifteen, mermaid street. Yes, he had chosen the street for its name initially, and at first it had just been a little inside joke, but he’d watched everyone on the block and he had chosen this family for his little girl. They looked like good people and best of all, they loved to go to the beach.

He put the basket down and scratched at his neck, skin flaking onto his hand. It had been getting worse the last few days. His usual dark blue hair was a tar black color and the circles under his eyes looked like craters sinking into his face. He needed to get back to the ocean, he couldn’t wait another day without risking permanent damage.

“I love you my little girl, and I’m so sorry that I have to do this.” He said as he put down the basket and lowered her into it. “One day, when you can understand me, I will tell you again, but for now... Try to remember what I've said today. If you can.”

She frowned, not happy at being put down and he sensed that she could tell something was amiss. He wondered if she could feel his emotions as clearly as he felt hers. The ability was strongest between family and loved ones, but he had never felt anyone’s emotions so crisply as he felt hers the past few days. The innocent and bright feelings of a new soul with no burdens added to it. He hated darkening that brightness by leaving her, but he knew he had no other choice.

He took a deep breath, trying to build up the courage to do what he needed to do, what his heritage and hers forced him to do. He walked over to the house with a big fifteen on the gate, basket in hand, trying to push down the agony threatening to consume him. 

Number fifteen, mermaid drive wasn't an impressive house by any means, white walls with blue windows and doors, a small veranda that looked out of place on the even smaller house. Despite its size it felt inviting to him. Fresh flowers on every windowsill, decor of all kinds of ocean dwelling creature on the walls. 

He checked wearily that no one would see him before he made his way to the front door. He placed the basket on the welcome mat with his daughter still inside.

“Goodbye, my little Zenobia.” He said before turning to leave, as he took his first step away from her she started to cry. It took every ounce of his self-control not to turn back, to keep going, to leave her with strangers, but he had no other choice.

He took off and ran as his heart shattered into a million pieces inside his chest. Salty tears streamed down his face and he ducked behind the fence to make sure they came out for her. He had to place a hand over his mouth to muffle his sobs as her screaming became louder and louder. 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door opened and he heard a female voice say. “Jack, quickly! Come here, it’s a baby. Someone left a baby on our doorstep.”

She picked up the child to try and calm her down, but she only managed to muffle her sobs as she held the baby to her body. “Hello, is anybody out there?” She called, hoping to see who had left the child. “You don’t need to leave your baby, we can talk about this.” The woman pleaded, her voice was kind, but anxious.

“Please, just come out. She needs you.” The woman called again and he tightened his grip on his mouth to keep any sound from coming out. He dug his nails into his arm to keep himself from moving, his vision was blurred by tears he feared would never stop flowing. What was he thinking? This couldn't be worth the pain he was enduring right now. 

He heard the door open as her husband joined her outside. “What’s going on?” The husband asked.

“Someone left a baby on our doorstep. I’m trying to see if they’re still here.” The wife explained in response. He couldn't see them from this angle and he was too afraid to look for fear of giving himself away. 

“No one knocked, we would’ve heard it. We don’t know how long that baby’s been alone outside. You sure she should even go back to someone who would just leave her out here alone?” The husband protested. and anger rose up in him, mingling with the pain, but the husband was right, even if he didn't know she was never alone. In their eyes he was abandoning her, even though he vowed he would always be in the shadows to keep an eye on her, they had no way of knowing that.

“You don’t know that.” The woman replied, a little hint of fire in her voice.

“All I’m saying is they could’ve knocked.” The husband explained. “Come, let’s go inside. We can figure out what to do there.”

He listened as the woman and her husband retreated inside and waited until the door closed behind them before he let go of the sob he had been trying to suppress.

She’s gone, no longer his. He had left her for her own good, and now he would never be the same again.