Week 11, (II) Title: Sea bound
There are people across the water. And they’re starving and dying because of the sea: or rather the sirens who have begun to dwell upon it. The island people are in desperate need of supplies of food and medicine, but all ships who attempt the cross have been wrecked and now all are reluctant to try the treacherous journey.
She has no such reluctance: she has a plan. First: she’s planned a path that will have them avoiding as many rocks as possible, and also the areas that are well-traversed by the sirens. In addition to this she has taken precautions: ear plugs of course, but these sirens are beyond just sound, they show visions of whatever a soul most desires. And so she has also decreed that the entire crew be made of couples, happy ones. That they have plenty of their favourite foods and that no one who has someone or something they could long too strongly for is aboard.
She has picked her crew out meticulously, and done extensive checking, to ensure this is the case. She will answer the peoples’ plight. She will ensure they get their desperately needed food and medicines.
*
And she’s overjoyed when she sees the people waiting on the shore for her, the cheering, clapping, laughter, and wide smiles on their faces. She made it. She did it. Her fellow crew members are trying to grab at her and at the steering wheel. She’s not sure why, maybe it’s the sirens; she must keep on course and not let her crew members be lured. They’re close now, so close.
She holds firm to the wheel, even as the others try to pull her away. She plants her feet, letting her desperation grant her strength. There are so many of them, but she’s determined. She won’t be moved.
They are screaming at her. So wild, manic, urgent: they’re definitely in thrall of the sirens. She wonders what desire they have that she missed. And hopes she can hold on.
She manages, somehow, to hold her ground. She can hardly hear her crew though, they’re so far away.
So close now.
*
She’s about to call for the anchor to be thrown, but narrows her eyes, squinting, the people on the island look ever so slightly wrong. Actually it’s not just the people, it’s the whole scene.
It’s at this moment she realises, too late, why her crew-mates were screaming.
Tears slip down her cheeks.
This isn’t the island. This is a vision. And they are about to crash.
*
The correct thing to do would be to try to steer out of it, to call together her crew, and champion them into action. To do all she can to avoid the rocks.
But that hasn’t worked for anyone before.
She lets go of the wheel. And kneels on the deck, shouting to be heard against the waves,
“Please, please listen. I know the Gods have been cruel to you. I know people have been cruel to you. But you know our desires, you know what we want: we don’t want to hurt you. And those people on the island don’t want to hurt you. They’ve been hurt too and they need help. We just want to help them, will you help us?”
And the rocks are growing bigger, bigger, bigger. Closer. Closer. Closer.
Everything stills.
*
The sirens swim alongside the ship, guardians leading her to the shore- and to the people waiting there.
She has no such reluctance: she has a plan. First: she’s planned a path that will have them avoiding as many rocks as possible, and also the areas that are well-traversed by the sirens. In addition to this she has taken precautions: ear plugs of course, but these sirens are beyond just sound, they show visions of whatever a soul most desires. And so she has also decreed that the entire crew be made of couples, happy ones. That they have plenty of their favourite foods and that no one who has someone or something they could long too strongly for is aboard.
She has picked her crew out meticulously, and done extensive checking, to ensure this is the case. She will answer the peoples’ plight. She will ensure they get their desperately needed food and medicines.
*
And she’s overjoyed when she sees the people waiting on the shore for her, the cheering, clapping, laughter, and wide smiles on their faces. She made it. She did it. Her fellow crew members are trying to grab at her and at the steering wheel. She’s not sure why, maybe it’s the sirens; she must keep on course and not let her crew members be lured. They’re close now, so close.
She holds firm to the wheel, even as the others try to pull her away. She plants her feet, letting her desperation grant her strength. There are so many of them, but she’s determined. She won’t be moved.
They are screaming at her. So wild, manic, urgent: they’re definitely in thrall of the sirens. She wonders what desire they have that she missed. And hopes she can hold on.
She manages, somehow, to hold her ground. She can hardly hear her crew though, they’re so far away.
So close now.
*
She’s about to call for the anchor to be thrown, but narrows her eyes, squinting, the people on the island look ever so slightly wrong. Actually it’s not just the people, it’s the whole scene.
It’s at this moment she realises, too late, why her crew-mates were screaming.
Tears slip down her cheeks.
This isn’t the island. This is a vision. And they are about to crash.
*
The correct thing to do would be to try to steer out of it, to call together her crew, and champion them into action. To do all she can to avoid the rocks.
But that hasn’t worked for anyone before.
She lets go of the wheel. And kneels on the deck, shouting to be heard against the waves,
“Please, please listen. I know the Gods have been cruel to you. I know people have been cruel to you. But you know our desires, you know what we want: we don’t want to hurt you. And those people on the island don’t want to hurt you. They’ve been hurt too and they need help. We just want to help them, will you help us?”
And the rocks are growing bigger, bigger, bigger. Closer. Closer. Closer.
Everything stills.
*
The sirens swim alongside the ship, guardians leading her to the shore- and to the people waiting there.