Over the centuries, mankind's cruelty has proven time and time again just how depraved it can truly be. Countless deaths have been prolonged for the sake of inflicting as much suffering as possible. Others are much shorter, but have the added knife twist of humiliating the victim-- a crowd amassed in front of a guillotine, with jeers and sneers and rotten tomatoes in their hands, for instance. 

  Take a look at once such practice: walking the plank. Humanity has even harnessed the unforgiving nature of the oceans, and have used it as an effective tool in their cravings for brutality. During this, a man may have his hands tied behind his back, and a blindfold donned on his head to facilitate even more psychological torture.

  The Devil's Sapphire is widely accepted as the second largest ocean in the world, but by far the most risky to travel across. Hateful storms and giant, voracious aquatic creatures have made it abundantly clear that humanity will never truly conquer this part of the planet. However, this doesn't stop humanity from traversing it anyway.

  Dread Pirate "Barney the Feeder" is one such man who tends to visit the Sapphire, but only when he's in the mood for a spot of entertainment, or pissed at a prisoner. Sometimes both. 

  With all that said, my name is Edwin Baldecrest, and right now, I have the pleasure of Barney's sabre poking at my spine.

~~~

  The creaking of the galleon, the crashing of the waves below, the warm sun caressing my skin, the salty smell of the Sapphire. I can't see anything, but I can hear and smell it. There's no mistaking where I am, no matter how much I wish I weren't here.

  "Another!" Barney growled at me.

  So, I cautiously took another step towards the end of the plank. I'm barefoot, and my toes curled over the very edge of the slippery wooden board.

  "Hold still boy, she's almost here," Barney instructed.

  At first, I had no clue what he meant. But then, it hit me. Metaphorically and physically. Barney the Feeder. And I was to be the bait.

  Barney expertly slashed the back of my head, barely knicking my skull. The dingy white blindfold fluttered away in the wind, and I'll be damned if I wasn't half blinded from the surge of light hitting my eyes.

  The first thing I managed to see was the intense blue of the Sapphire, and I then made the mistake of looking below. Deep in the depths, I could make out a shape. Something was swimming upwards, growing larger by the second.

  I shrieked, and took a step back, but Barney's blade once again poked me back into place.

  "Aaargh! She be here!" Barney announced, prompting his crew to rouse into a modest cheer.

  Soon, 'she' breached the waters below me-- an enormous woman with the tail of a fish starting at her waist. If books and tales are anything to go by, this would have to have been one of the mermaids of the Sapphire.

  The crew behind me fell silent. I, and everyone else, were likely experiencing the same thing. Only her head and shoulders had breached the surface of the water, but what we beheld in front of us was breathtaking. The beauty of this oceanic predator far exceeded any mistresses we may have known back on land. Water dripped off of her skin and hair, eager to return to the ocean.

  Her white-turquoise skin was flawlessly smooth and with nary a blemish. Her hair was quite long and wavy, and it cascaded down, partially floating in the ocean around her. It was seafoam green, and shimmered in the light like scales with each slight movement. Her eyes were a similar color, perhaps aquamarine, and they were the most captivating of all.

  However, her eyes were solely focused on me. Her expression seemed rather upbeat, and the loveliest smile made those eyes slightly squint in turn. I'd have been in love if the circumstances were different, I'm sure of it.

  Alas, I've never been a lucky man.

  She wasn't here to date me. And Barney isn't a matchmaker.

  About fifteen feet below me, the mermaid's mouth went from a smile to open wide. Her tongue also made its way out to serve as a guide to her maw as well. Looking inside was a mistake. There was enough sunlight to see strands of her saliva thin out and break, and the entrance to her throat that was accompanied by her uvula.

  As beautiful as she was, she was to be my executioner. By the end of the day I'd be below the sea, mixed up with whatever else she was digesting, broiling in her intestines. Shit. It was not a comfortable thought.

  I had no time to think. So far I'd been mostly quiet. But Barney kicked me in the back, sending me soaring off the plank and through the air. I screamed bloody murder, and the fall seemed to last a lot longer than I anticipated. The pirate and his crew erupted into laughter as I fell, and I managed to actually form words for once.

  "Help me! I don't want to diiiieeee!"

  I landed face first in the mermaid's throat. I was certain it wasn't exactly as she planned, because she immediately reflexed and swallowed me whole. The very last thing I heard the captain shout at me was something along the lines of 'fish food.'

  I continued screaming as the mermaid's esophagus ferried me to my disgusting grave. Her heartbeat sounded faster than I expected it might, and the slimy passageway kept manhandling me even further down. I realized something-- it's one thing to be actively getting devoured. It's frankly quite terrifying. But when the entire process is happening and you can't see anything because there's no light, and you realize you'll soon be die in a painful manner, well... That's something else beyond fear. It's a mortal terror.

  Another quick fall, and I splashed into a small, warm pool of liquid. I immediately sprang up and began to scramble away from it-- all whilst still having my hands tied behind my back. I panicked, and let out the most pathetic, heart wrenching wail I've ever made in my life.

  ~~~

  *Gulp*

  Shit.

  Shit! 

  Shit!

  I didn't mean to. He just... I thought... I was just going to catch him on my tongue, and shut my mouth. Swim away, release them somewhere far away, somewhere safe. Just like always. But he flew in at the wrong angle, and I gagged on him, and actually swallowed the poor man. My heart rate spiked. I fucked up.

  For months, I've been pretending to eat whoever these bastards toss into the ocean. I didn't want to get my hands dirty. I've never killed anyone before. The only reason I left the pirates alive was so they'd keep bringing the people to me instead of killing them somewhere else. Well, that, plus I generally had considered myself a peaceful type.

  I stared at who I assumed was the captain of the ship, with a dumb-struck expression on my face. They were still cheering and saying the most hurtful things about whomever I just ingested. I... quickly found myself losing my temper. This was it. This was the final straw. No more of this. Ever.

  "Oi she really fucked that one up...! Gah har har... Eh...? That's weird, she usually swims away by now--" the pirate captain wondered aloud.

  He didn't get another word out. I slammed my fist straight on top of him, splitting the ship in half. I immediately dove underneath the small vessel, creating a suction in the water. The ship followed the current I made, and effectively sank with all its hands. Today is the first day I've ever decided to attack humans at all. 

  Then, I swam away. I needed to get somewhere safe, and fast. With no options springing to mind, I decided my cave was the nearest and safest place to try and extract the man in my stomach before he starts getting digested. Today is the first day I've ever chosen to hurt anyone, and I did not want him to meet his fate like this after what he's been through.

  ~~~

  I'm not sure how long I'd been screaming my head off. Ten minutes? An hour? It's hard to keep track of time when you're in a panic. Eventually I stopped and steadied myself against the wall of the stomach, trying to stay out of the pool of acid nearby. The environment was hot, humid, and smelled atrocious. It's not a place meant for the living.

  I'd been crying my eyes out, reflecting on my life. I haven't accomplished shit. I didn't even have a wife waiting for me at home. My parents are near death. I wonder if they'll actually survive me.

  As I stewed in my misery, the stomach started flexing violently. I was thrown into the acid before I even had a chance to comprehend what was going on, and then I felt myself being forced in some unknown direction. All of a sudden, I could see again. I kept holding my breath, and I suddenly realized I was spinning in the water. Once I was able to get a grip of my surroundings, I saw the mermaid in her entirety. She was larger than any ship or building I'd ever seen. Her hair danced around her in the water's current. She smiled and made a quick wave of her hand at me.

  I naturally screamed, and lost the only air I had in my lungs. Yes, she had regurgitated me for some reason, but the last time she smiled didn't exactly end up well for me. Water flooded into my lungs, and I began to flail. Her face instantly changed and she looked... Afraid? Next thing I knew, her hand enveloped me.

  I'd never been moved so fast in my life, but I was grateful to soon find myself on solid ground. I was lying prone on a large rock in a cavern. I coughed for all I was worth, trying to get the water out of my lungs.

  After a few minutes of hacking, I finally was able to take a proper breath. I spun around, to look at the shore behind me. Sure enough, the mermaid was there, watching me. Her face was flushed, and tears streaked down her cheeks. I stood up and started to take a step back.

  "No! Please don't be afraid--!" the mermaid began to speak to me, before making a quick gasp and throwing her hands over her mouth.

  Her voice was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard in my life. She had an English accent, but it was as if a synchronized quartet of women were serenading all at the same time. Her voice wasn't natural, but it was magical all the same. In fact, I couldn't quite stop my mind from focusing on it. Fear started to tug at my heart once again. Reports of mermaids made no such mention of their voices being so supernatural, merely their beauty and carnivorous tendencies tended to be the main takeaways. No, this... This was no mermaid...

  I found myself simply unable to resist, but I began walking towards her. My feet walked on their own. And I knew, in an instant, that I had no control over my own will anymore.

  "F-fuck... I... I'm s-sorry," the Siren apologized, "I... I didn't mean t-to..."

  I kept walking forward, very likely about to drown for a second time.

  The siren put her hand in front of me, and I walked into it just before I was about to enter the waters again. She tenderly wrapped her fingers around me, and lifted me a bit closer to her face.

  I was unable to do anything. I was spellbound. No one has ever survived a Siren when they heard their voice. They either drown themselves, or end up eaten. I wanted to run, scream, do anything... But I was no longer able to command my own body.

  The Siren fidgeted nervously, obviously debating on something. Eventually, she let out what seemed like a defeated sigh, and spoke again.

  "I guess there's no way around it. You've heard my voice, and... Well, y-you no longer have control over your own will..." the Siren spoke tenderly.

  I kept staring at her, unable to move. I could hear and understand her, but wasn't able to choose how I reacted. It was the most unnerving thing I've ever been through, and that's even after having being swallowed alive.

  "I'm Marina. What's your name, sir?" Marina cautiously asked.

  "Edwin Baldecrest," I answered, not even expecting to hear my own voice.

  "I like your name, Edwin..." Marina replied, and smiled at me. There was an air of sadness behind her smile, though. "I'm very sorry of what I've put you through today. I didn't mean to eat you, I was just going to take you somewhere safe and carry you in my mouth. Things didn't go to plan, and now... Well, I'm sure you've already guessed, haven't you?"

  Indeed. I have already guessed. But I couldn't even as much shake my head yes or no.

  "Unfortunately, I have no way to control it. You're cursed now, Edwin. I can't give you your freedom back, as much as I wish I could... but..." Marina trailed off.

  I felt her thumb begin to stroke the hair on my head.

  "-- I promise you that I will let no harm come to you." Marina explained, and flashed a heartfelt smile at me. "All of this is my fault, but I swear I will make sure you are well taken care of, dear."

  I felt a tear trickle down from my right eye. I was relieved that Marina at least seemed like a kind spirit, but I knew my life had changed now, permanently.

  "W-Well! It's n-not all bad, Sir Edwin...!" Marina began, "I really hate the idea of holding dominion over anyone, it's why I try to avoid talking, but, if I give you any commands you do regain a small amount of freedom to carry them out..!"

  With that, Marina set me back down on the stone upon the cavern's shore.

  "Take a deep breath," Marina instructed.

  Without hesitation, I took a deep breath, and held it. A moment later, Marina spoke up again.

  "Okay, release it and return to breathing normally," Marina instructed.

  I did as told. We repeated this a handful of times until my heart rate seemed to return to normal. I was no fool, she was trying to help me calm down. And I honestly appreciated it.

  "Do you feel okay?" Marina asked.

  "A bit better, yes ma'am," I replied freely. It seemed I could answer as I wished.

  After that much, I was unable to speak any further. It was really quite disconcerting. I stared into Marina's eyes, and felt myself becoming quite thankful she wasn't cruel. I could absolutely understand why running into any other siren had such a high fatality rate.

  Marina clapped her hands together in excitement. "Splendid! I swear I will try to make things easy for you," she promised.

  ~~~

  I couldn't help but feel relieved. Maybe things would be okay after all. Marina spent a bit of time rambling about how she found this cave, and her time trying to save people from the pirates that tried to kill me. Her voice remained enchanting as always, but despite my lack of self control, I was thankful. If I had to bend knee to anyone, I'd want it to be a decent soul just like her.

  "Do you have any family, Edwin? Where are you from?" Marina finally asked. An innocent question, but we knew I'd never be the same again. Not enough to function at where I came from. It was a tad disheartening.

  "I have a mom and dad, but they're not long for this world. I'm from Hodinshire but tended to keep to myself," I replied automatically. It was obvious no one would miss me if my parents passed.

  "I see..." Marina replied, appearing deep in thought. 

  Then, she asked probably the best possible question I could have answered.

  "I know you're unable to take control of your body right now. I wish I didn't have this stupid enchantment on my voice. So... what can I do to make you feel better? Or is there anything you want to say?" Marina asked.

  Immediately, I regained control enough to speak freely.

  "Thank you for sparing me," I choked out. Between walking the plank and spending time in her stomach, I had truly believed today was the day I would die.

  Marina gasped loudly enough to echo in the entire cavern. Her expression changed to something between concern and shame. I began to feel bad for making such a lovely lass upset. But...

  Marina exited the water and dredged herself onto the land. Stories mentioned that sirens are amphibious, but they predominantly kept to the water. Next thing I knew, she brought her face down close to mine. Ordinarily I would have ran, trembled, or anything else. But the curse of the siren kept me steadfast-- making me a perfectly simple prey. Thanks to their hypnotic tone, sirens are one of the best known predators at catching humans.

  With her face so close to mine, I started to feel nervous.

  "Edwin, can I talk to you about something I've been struggling with?" Marina asked, out of the blue.

  "...Um, yes?" I replied, genuinely curious.

  Marina averted her gaze at this point.

  "Why do you think I spared you, and however many others?" she asked, point blank.

  The question really confounded me. I hadn't the faintest idea why. By all accounts thus far, sirens and mermaids were supposed to be opportunistic predators-- there was no reason she should've let me live, much less talk to me so amicably.

  "I... I don't know..." I replied, probably sounding quite confused. "Because you're nice?"

  Marina shook her head 'no.'

  "Right, well, I'll tell you. But you might not believe it..." Marina relented.

  That last sentence sounded like an invitation for a reply, and I found myself able to continue speaking.

  "It's already unbelievable enough you allowed me and others to continue to live," I added. She was a siren, and supposed to be a man-eating monster.

  Marina returned her gaze to me.

  "Edwin, I hate the very thought that I have to choose whether to spare someone or not, now. Long ago, I used to be... Human."

  I blinked. The word hung on the air for a moment. I decided to at least entertain the idea. It definitely explained why she cared about valuing my life.

  I couldn't reply, as Marina hadn't yet asked me to. This curse was seriously starting to irk me. But my face definitely portrayed shock as best as I was able.

  "I know what you must be thinking. How did this happen to me? Can it be undone? Well the short answer to both of those questions is that I was cursed, and maybe."

  Marina rolled away and laid prone on the shore. Her arms were crossed below her, and her bare breasts rested upon them--

  I wanted to turn away, but couldn't. My face started to heat up, I imagined I was blushing hard. I had been too busy going through a traumatic experience that my mind hadn't fully registered that the being before me had the appearance of a gorgeous woman in her late-twenties. I'd only focused on her face until now.

  Marina seemed to notice. "Edwin... are you okay? Why are your cheeks so red?"

  "I-- Uh... They are?" I played dumb, attempting to downplay the subject.

  "Yes, I think so... are you dehydrated or something?" Marina asked, and then began to crawl closer to me. Each time her hands touched the ground, her breasts swayed side to side.

  I tried to block it out of my mind. The last thing I need right now is an awkward erection. Marina placed a finger on my face, attempting to check my temperature.

  "Hmm, you don't seem to have a headache..." she stated. A few moments passed, and she dropped the subject. "But, listen, there's something else I wanted to mention."

  I listened. 

  "If we can find a way to lift my curse, well... I think the siren's curse will lift from you, giving you full control over your actions again!" Marina exclaimed happily. "Doesn't that sound nice? Will you help me?" 

  Once again, I felt myself able to answer. "I owe you my life for rescuing me from Barney. I would be honored to help in any way I can."

  Marina squealed, and flung a hand out behind me, then pulled me into a hug right against her bare chest. The surface was incredibly smooth and still soaked from her time in the water. It was warm, and plush. If I had conquered the rush of lust earlier, I was definitely losing the battle now. She kept the hug going a lot longer than I expected her to, and I was going mad with desire. Damn it. Was she just playing coy earlier, asking about dehydration and a headache?

  Once I was released from my comfortable, sexy prison, her smile said it all. Yes, she was being coy.

  From that point forward, the last shred of fear I had of Marina was finally obliterated.

  ~~~