It all started when I was a young child, no more than three or four. My parents and I lived in the mountains, deep in the forest with nothing around for miles upon miles. Aspen and pine trees stretching far as the eye could see, the area was ours alone, spotted with lakes and roaming with wildlife. My parents grew and hunted our own food, what we needed to survive, and my mom had made my clothes out of old bedsheets and whatever else she would find on her daily walks, while my dad taught me how to hunt the day I turned eight years old.
When I had just barely started walking, they'd send me out into the woods with only our two dogs for protection. They sent me out to gather sticks or small berries, sometimes I'd find mushrooms that I'd pluck from the earth and bring home with a smile on my face. They told me never to eat what I found, instead they told me to bring it home first so they could make sure it was safe. I remember once I tried, I was so hungry and the berries in my small basket looked so good, but a feather fell on the ground in front of me before I could place the berry on my tongue. I looked up and saw nothing. My parents had taught me of omens, the creatures that lived in the forest, so I put the berry back in the basket and never tried again.
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So before I was even old enough to cook, I'd walk the woods with our two dogs, who were nearly three times my weight, at my side. I remember running through streams, splashing around with a gleeful laugh, trying not to slip on the moss-covered rocks, holding onto their tails, letting them lead me through the paths. I remember one day they chased off an animal that was following us. At least, I think it was an animal, I could never be too sure with the inhabitants of these woods. I loved those dogs.
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I remember when my dad started teaching me to hunt, he was so proud that I caught on so quickly. He admitted to me one day that he was glad to see his daughter doing so well. The day I killed my first deer was shortly before my ninth birthday, I was covered in blood, the sticky warmth was striking against the cold that the upcoming winter promised to bring along with it.
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And that winter was harsh, my parents said it was the worst they'd seen in all their years of living up on the mountain. We had lost a dog that year, he had fallen into a deep snowdrift and despite all of our best efforts, we couldn't get him out. I remember digging through the snow until my hands were red and bleeding, sobbing loudly and praying to the gods that my parents had told me about. Ones that rose from the ocean like ink, or climbed from the earth with dirt beneath their nails. Ones born covered in silver and snow. But despite my prayers and desperation, we could not get him out, and he died in that snowdrift. We were only able to bury him the next spring.
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Dirt clung to his fur as he was decaying, I remember that my father made me place him in his makeshift grave, even though he was nearly double my weight at that point. I filled the hole as well, planting tulip bulbs above where his body lay to cover the bare dirt. And to this day, tulips grow where his body still rests. My parents had praised me for being thoughtful enough to plant flowers, but truly I had heard the trees telling me they were welcomed more warmly into heaven with flowers between their teeth, and I had done my best.
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The trees whispered to me often. I'd wander through the woods, beneath fallen logs and over stumps larger than my bed at home. I'd go off of the trail and run my hands against the tree bark, relishing in the secrets they told me. The time was unnatural here, sometimes daytime lasted for weeks, and sometimes it only lasted a few hours. They told me the mountain knew everything, and they were the messengers, their roots buried deep within her soil, where she whispered to them. Who the mountain was, I was never sure.
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They told me of vampires that lived in caves miles and miles above us, and they grew the most beautiful, sweet-smelling flowers to lure people in so they could feed. Young girls, the trees said, were who the flowers lured because their blood always tasted the best. They all but starved in the winter, living off of winter foxes and rabbits brave enough to wander away from safety.
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Creatures with eyes of snow and antlers as large as tree branches lived closer, feeding on campers who dared wander too far into the forest. Arms too long for its body, and skin that appeared to just be stretched against bone. Teeth that were as sharp as knives to rip out the throats of their victims. Creatures who looked oddly animalistic but still were far too human to be anything but, and the trees had told me that they protected my family because we once saved them. I had seen one once, they gave me a sickening, blood-stained grin and scurried away on all four limbs, making a terrible grinding, cracking noise as they went.
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Beautiful women, climbing out of trees with moss and leaves clinging to their soft skin as they wandered the woods, making plants grow in their wake. Beautiful and ethereal as they were, I was also taught to fear them, if you got too close to their homes they would not hesitate to hurt you. Beautiful green grass always surrounded the trees they lived in, flowers sprouting from the cracks in the bark, the leaves lush and green, perfectly groomed and taken care of. Teeth sharp, and eyes that were just as green as everything they grew. They always fascinated me, but I never did have the bravery to invade their space.
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The trees also told me of the same gods my parents had, beautiful goddesses who wore dresses made of the night sky, the stars twinkling and reflecting on the water-like fabric. Ones that spun constellations on their fingertips, planets molded from soft dirt. They drank from moon pools like it was their very own fountain of youth, whispering to the water as it fell from their lips and dripped down their chin and formed lakes where the drops hit the green earth. Or the ones that shined of fire and hurt your eyes to gaze upon, because her skin was made of the fire of the sun, and her dress was made of flickering flames.
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They told me of the siren that lived in the wood, and despite the goddesses, she was the one that captured my interest the most. As a child I would sit in soft spots between trees, resting my head against the cool bark to let them tell me stories of her. She was beautiful, they told me. Her feathers rippling in similar ways as the goddesses' dresses did, with the beauty and vastness of the night sky, she was as dangerous as the creatures with blood-stained teeth, and her skin, too, was soft and her teeth sharp. She feasted on the blood and bone of her victims, ones she lured towards her with her soothing voice before it turned into a loud screech and everything went silent throughout the whole forest.
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As I grew older, I was sometimes lucky enough to hear her cry, that terrifying screech. I never did hear her song, however, and one day I saw her on a morning hike, preening the feathers on her arms with her mouth caked in blood. She met my eyes and shook her head, a feather falling from her mouth. Her eyes were the deepest of reds, shimmering and shifting like liquid metal, she shook her head again and placed her palms on the rock she was perched on, leaning her head towards me with curiosity. The back of her hands was also covered in feathers, they shimmered with blues and greens and purples, and she licked her lips.
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"You're quite beautiful," I told her kindly. Despite her beauty and calm demeanor, I had been told no one lives to tell the tale of seeing the siren that lived atop our mountain. She attacked, she ate, and she drank them within seconds. But she didn't, not with me, she gazed at me for many minutes before she moved again. But she finally did, and she crawled a little further up the rock to perch at the top, her eyes never leaving me. I briefly wondered if she could speak, and if she could speak, if she would.
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After another few minutes, she climbed back down towards the edge of the rock, where I still stood, admiring her. She was close enough to me that she could reach out and touch me. But I didn't feel any fear, I didn't move back, instead, I continued to let her examine me, her eyes scanning me up and down. I let her reach out her feathered hand, I let her touch my cheek. Her hands were feathered, but her palms were so soft. She ran a thumb over my cheekbone, and I felt the blood that was on her hand smear across my cheek. She moved her face closer to mine, and I heard her rustle her feathers as soon as she rested her forehead against my own.
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She smelled of death and decay, the copper scent of blood was strong on her breath as she breathed, yet I could still smell the forest around us, the blooming flowers, and the pine trees. She didn't move, her forehead was still against mine with her hand still resting on my cheek. I wondered if I'd feel her teeth next, and if they seemed as soft and kind as the rest of her seemed to feel. Even at the moment, I wondered if she would rip me apart from the inside out as she did everything else, I never felt fear towards her, only curiosity and a strong sense of longing. I didn't need to be lured in, I didn't want to run from her.57Please respect copyright.PENANAKhwreL53LP
"You are quite beautiful too," she told me finally. Her voice sounded nothing like I had expected it to, I expected scratchy and more bird-like, only her song to be beautiful. But no, her voice was soft and flowed so smoothly. Someone could have told me she was one of the goddesses that lapped up moons and I wouldn't have second-guessed it. But I knew better, the trees had warned me and told me what I needed to know about the goddesses, even though they never told me much of the beautiful siren that lived here, despite my curiosity. They had told me just enough in hopes I would fear her.
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"Thank you." She finally pulled away from me and returned to preening her feathers, rustling them, and keeping her eyes on me. I gathered some bravery and climbed onto the rock, sitting next to her with my knees pulled into my chest. I hoped she didn't feel threatened, I had been so enthralled by her that I didn't find it right to leave yet, I had wanted to learn everything about her since I was a child and I felt this might be my only chance to learn more than the trees would give me. She didn't even acknowledge me as I climbed onto the rock, she just continued doing what she had been, making small noises of contentment.
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"You're not scared of me," she spoke again, and I shook my head. She looked over at me and grinned, her pointed teeth still stained with blood from her earlier meal. I could have sworn I saw hints of amusement on her face, and I took another quick moment to admire her. She had arms of a human covered in feathers, branching out into beautiful wings that folded against her back. A human chest with breasts of a woman, and right above where her navel would be was coated in feathers, and from there down she had human-like legs, covered in feathers and ending in the feet of a large bird, claws long and sharp. Her face was also human, eyes that shimmered red with regal features, and hair that reflected light in the same way her feathers did. "Why not?"
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"I've heard about you," I said, tucking my legs up beneath me in a criss-cross position. "I've heard of your beauty, and it always fascinated me. I had been wanting to meet you for a long time. And not only for that, but I knew you had stories to tell. I wanted to hear them." She stretched her arms, her wings fluttering behind her, lips still curled up into a wicked grin, but it held no hostility, no resentment. Still, only amusement and curiosity.
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"Perhaps I do," she agreed. "I haven't spoken to another being in a very long time, most of them are too busy to stop for a moment to talk to me. Or they fear me. No one is interested in the siren in the woods. And humans run in fear, I love a good chase." The way she spoke made goosebumps rise on my arms and a chill run up my spine, and for a moment I realized how powerful her song could be if even her voice was drawing me in further. "Maybe it's in my nature, but the chase is always better than the meal itself."
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"How long have you lived here?" A question I had already heard answers to. Sort of, anyway, as I'd heard rumors ranging from before the gods to more recent, last hundred or so years. Either one wouldn't surprise me, her beauty almost reminded me of the stories of goddesses, but her eyes seemed wiser and less full of love and mischief, and instead just held knowledge. I had been told she was the child of a goddess, as well. What knowledge she held I wasn't sure, but I wanted to find out. I'd waited so, so patiently to hear things from this being. It had been a dream of mine, and I had somehow always known this siren would latch to me. I realized that maybe I was being naive, maybe just conceded.
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Perhaps not latch, I thought again, but I knew she would not hurt me, I had from the moment I heard those stories. I never feared her, I was far more filled with curiosity. The siren acted as though she hadn't heard my question, continuing to clean blood from her feathers with her teeth, and dusting them away with her hands as they fell from her skin. It was quite fascinating, I noted. How could anyone fear her? Were they scared of her, or her beauty? Because her beauty scared me far more than the blood drying in her feathers, more than the blood staining her teeth and her lips red.
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"How long do you think I've been here?" She asked me finally, not turning away from her feathers this time. I watched her, my eyes not leaving her for a moment. I didn't know how long she'd been here, only she, and perhaps the trees would have an answer to such a thing. Or the beings that had been here and known her even longer, but my gut was strong in telling me she was probably even older than the forest, though I doubted she came before the divine beings that resided in the clouds and lakes. Suddenly I knew, a certain kind of knowing I hadn't quite felt before.
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"You really are the child of a goddess," I mused, and she turned to look at me then. "She was young and loved you from the moment you were born. You were here long before humans, I'm sure." I felt her eyes on me in a similar way I had been examining her earlier.
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"How did you know that?" Truly, I wasn't sure. It just felt so right as I spoke. So I did my best to return that sly smile, but she didn't show any more positive emotion, so I shrugged. The trees told me many stories, so did my parents, and sometimes the small pixies and faeries let me stay around long enough for me to eavesdrop on their conversations, and sometimes the kinder ones would share their own stories with me, a very rare occurrence.
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"The trees talk, you must know this," I replied. She didn't seem very convinced, but she also didn't question me anymore and instead turned her whole feathered body to face me. Her expression that was hardened just moments before softened, and for another moment I couldn't figure out how anyone could fear her.
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"The trees talk, dear, but the mountain knows." Her eyes widened, and she continued. "My mother was one of the most beautiful goddesses," She began, ruffling her feathers and closing her hands into fists. "Goddess of the night and the moon, she had me with another being who was less than kind, and he destroyed her in every way he could. Some nights, I can still hear her singing down by the lake, holding dead flowers and making them bloom with life. Her eyes empty, and she doesn't remember who I am." She unfurled her fists and stretched her wings out as far as she could, and they were easily twenty feet in length. So if she could stand with wings like those, she had to be over ten feet tall. My hair stood on end, she was hardly of this earth.
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"I've seen her before," I told her softly, remembering who I had referred to as 'the kind lady' for years when I was younger. One night I had snuck out of my bed, away from my parents to go see the lake at night. I'd heard rumors that the stars came down to swim at night, and the lake came alive with small, giggling creatures. The lake had glowed, yes, but that night it came from the depths, deeper than I had thought the lake could have ever been. Large creatures glowed and swam deep beneath the surface, and I had cried out in fear.
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A woman had run to my side and scooped me up in her arms, she felt like ice and like home, she ran into the woods with me in her arms just as I heard something break the surface of the water. I remember feeling droplets of water surround us like rain, and I was sobbing as hard as my little body could. The woman kept whispering soothing words into my ear as she ran, holding me closer to her chest. I remember pulling away to look at her face, and her eyes appeared as though they glowed with the light of her moon.57Please respect copyright.PENANAAcVewDuFr3
"She was quite beautiful," I agreed. The siren climbed down from the rock we both sat atop of and stood on the ground beneath. My assumption had been correct, she was easily ten feet tall, if not taller. I knew she could sense my surprise, or my instant attraction to the beauty of this kind because she smiled at me kindly. "As are you, you resemble the night just as much as she does." The siren fluttered her wings once again, this time in appreciation, and she held out a hand.57Please respect copyright.PENANAxufKhKK2cD
"Come with me, I'd like to show you something. It's been a very long time since I could say I have a companion." I accepted, reaching out to take her hand and I let her pull me down off the rock. She towered above me, and I was so in awe I could barely stand, she made my knees weak. Unlike when she was perched upon the rock, she wrapped her wings around herself into what looked like a sleek, silk dress that shimmered with the night in the very same way her wings did. It trailed behind her on the forest floor as she walked, if I had not seen her perched upon that rock and I had seen her like this, I would have assumed she was just another goddess within this forest.
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"Where are we going?" I asked her, she grinned down at me, a smile that held nothing but genuine contentment, and she said nothing. I didn't question it further, nor did I let go of her feathered hand as she led me through the forest, weaving in between trees too close together and gently helping me over logs that she could easily step over with her long legs. I was very short compared to her despite being well above average, only a few inches below seven feet tall, so she would lift me when needed, scooping me up as if I weighed nothing, and to her, I probably didn't.
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I didn't question where she was taking me, even though we walked for well over an hour, I never did ask. Through the trees that whispered me secrets, in the direction of the lake that held the sea monsters and then even past that, and as I fearfully gazed into the murky waters the siren's grip on my hand tightened in what I assumed to be a reassuring manner. I said nothing, and neither did she, but I was very thankful for the small gesture, curious as to how this being became the most feared in the entire forest. And so I asked her as we continued to walk.57Please respect copyright.PENANADK60M1IlTr
"Why are you the most feared creature that I hear stories about?" I asked her. I heard her chuckle, a soft and melodious sound and somehow eased whatever worries I had pent up. "Because you seem kind, and I cannot understand how people are scared of you." She picked me up once again, setting me on the other side of a large log that blocked our path.
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"It's in my nature, dear," she responded, her voice quiet and almost forlorn. "I was not made to be around humans, I cannot control myself. Instinct takes over, they're simply a meal. Other beings and other creatures do not respect me for it, they fear me too, because if I have no control over humans, why would I be able to control myself around them?" I frowned, by that logic, was I not human, then? I didn't ask her, however, despite my burning curiosity. Instead, I just let her continue.
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"Gods and goddesses worry they're too human to be safe from me, especially after my mother. The nymphs usually worry about their homes even though I keep the humans away, the fae and most nixies worry they're too small, a simple easy snack for me. The ones more monstrous or animalistic can't hold a conversation in the way I desire, and admittedly even I fear some of them. Vampires are one of the very few creatures I've come across that don't seem to fear me, but most of their conversations don't exceed past bloodlust and anguish." She paused, entirely, her words and her movements and I noticed her feathers that were still very visible on her arms and hands ruffle uneasily.
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"And some," She began, her voice low and more inhuman than it had been before. "Most, try to attack me." With those words, I heard what she must have heard earlier, the rustling of leaves on the bushes in front of us, and a creature I recognized from my youth and occasional moments with them later in life came into view. I didn't feel the fear that I knew she did because they were the creatures that had protected my family. Milky eyes, skin like bone, and antlers like tree branches. It made the same clacking, grinding noise I had grown used to hearing late at night, its jaw opened wide to expose its yellowed, sharpened teeth. I noticed the siren near me grow uneasy.
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I said nothing, but I grabbed her hand and held it, staring the creature dead in its eyes. The creature held still, it stopped moving and making noise. I felt the siren look at me, clearly curious, but the creature in front of us dropped back down onto all fours and scurried away. "They protect me," I told the siren, dropping her hand. "My family saved them once, and I suppose that they had a debt to repay to me. To us."
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"Oreads are interesting," She murmured, seemingly to herself. I looked up at her, clearly confused and hoping for her to explain to me what Oreads were, and what relevance they had in our conversation. She gazed back down at me and laughed. Not a chuckle like she had before, but a deep laugh that made my hair stand on end and my belly erupt into butterflies. It was so light and melodious, and I wanted nothing more than to make her laugh again. "Mountain nymphs! Did you not know? Are you not aware of what you are?"
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"I mean, I guess I'm not, as far as I was concerned I was human, then you mentioned otherwise. I was too nervous to ask. How could I not know?" She laughed again, giddy and excited, scooping me up and spinning once, before she took off running, her feathers warm and like velvet as they brushed up against my cheek.
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"Oreads are made! They are not born, the mountain simply chooses humans they feel would take care of them, that would respect them. Mountains are very picky, and they chose you, silly Oread." The siren stopped running all of a sudden, her long wings still wrapped around me like a blanket, making me unable to see my surroundings. But I didn't mind, she smelled like moon water and tree sap. "You assumed you were human, and you just approached me? The mountains must have chosen well, you're nearly fearless. You put faith in those around you even if you don't know if it's deserved, and it's beautiful. I have been honored to meet you."
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She unfurled her wings from around me slowly, and she gently set me on the ground. The sky above us had grown dark, and whether it was already night or if our surroundings just made it dark, I wasn't sure. There was a large, wide river in front of us, and out of the water grew brightly colored trees, bearing fruit that was amber in color, and they were glowing. My jaw dropped, and I waded out into the river, just far enough to reach up and grab a small piece of fruit from one of the lower hanging branches. I held it in both of my palms, right in front of my face, eager to bite into it. It felt soft, similar to a peach. I looked back at her as if asking for her approval.
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She plucked one of the fruits of her own off of one of the trees and looked back at me. In this light, her features seemed much more avian, and her fingers seemed more similar to talons, her nose more beak-like, her cheekbones higher, and her teeth sharper. But she still looked like she was royalty, and knowing her past, now, I knew that she truly was. Born amongst the gods, and a goddess in her own sense. I was enamored by her, and I felt so drawn to her it was ridiculous.
She nodded, her head so far down her hair covered her features, and I sank my teeth into the fruit, as I had been so desperate to do ever since I saw the branches, and she did a moment later.57Please respect copyright.PENANAy6zWxISo15
It tasted acidic, similar to a grapefruit, but also sweet and syrupy much like a cantaloupe, or some other melon I had not yet had the pleasure of experiencing. It chilled me to the deepest parts of myself that I hadn't even been entirely sure existed, and a wonderful euphoric feeling came with it. All negativity in my life seemed to wash away, and my sore feet no longer hurt. I swear I could feel the siren's excitement at having someone to experience this with her. And then I could feel her hurt, her love, and everything else that she had ever felt, all in one moment that felt something of an eternity. But as soon as I felt it, it eased away and I could see the creatures swimming in the murky depths of the river.
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It piqued my interest, and I wondered if I took a fruit with me to the lake of sea monsters, if I may be able to see what all was shimmering beneath the water there as I had here. A shiver ran up my spine at the thought, perhaps feeding my curiosity was not worth the unease that would inevitably fill me with. When I finally felt brave enough to open my eyes again the world was brighter, in some way, and I could still see the nixies swimming playfully beneath the water, and on the shoreline, I could see the fae hiding in the tall grass. I felt the juice from the fruit run down my forearms, and drip from my elbows into the river beneath me. I felt weightless like nothing could ever go wrong.
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I looked over at the siren, who was gazing up at the sky, the twinkling stars as they said hello, and the moon who was not quite whole, she must've been having an off day. The siren's eyes were bright, and reflected the amber of the glowing fruits, making her red eyes glow and shimmer as if the depths of her were lit on fire, lapping at the only part of her it may escape from. Her long hair fell so beautifully from her shoulders, and her feathers let the juicy fruit easily slide off. She was so unreal, and I kept finding myself running in circles in my thoughts of her. Awe of her beauty, and a rush of excitement at her eagerness to talk to me.
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The coldness of the fruit melted away, and the warmth it left behind made my cheeks flush and my ears burn. I looked down at my hands where I still held the amber fruit, still glowing, but nearly gone. I only remembered taking one bite, but it was very evident I ate more, I didn't think much of it. I wanted to bite into it again, devour it all just to feel what I had felt moments ago. But before I could make that decision, the siren plucked the fruit from my palms and stuck it underwater where the nixies took them from her hand, splashing their thanks as they swam away.
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"Can you make people fall in love with you?" I didn't know why those were the very next words out of my mouth, but the siren smiled softly and lifted me to set me in one of the trees, where she soon joined beside me, her wings nearly reaching the ground beneath us, her talons stretched out. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft and forlorn, it was sadder than I could have ever expected her to sound, and it made my heart tug for her.
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"No, but they fall in love with me fast enough, faster than they should. Not people, but creatures do. Nymphs, most often, seem to like me on the days they don't fear me. They trip over themselves and present me bouquets containing every color flower, and others grow me trees or grow me the tastiest of fruits. But it never lasts long, and it makes companionship very hard. I am often lonely, and, dear Oread, I admit that I hate it. I apologize if you fall in love with me." I couldn't imagine why nymphs didn't stay long. Her voice made my knees weak, and she was kind. I didn't know why she was already apologizing to me in case I fell in love with her because I knew I would not leave her side. I said nothing, I just continued to gaze into the river where the nixies were tearing the fruit apart to share with each other.
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"One, however, I did return a love for," She admitted softly after a moment. "She was not a nymph, however, she was a vampire who craved a life, who craved more than she got and didn't want to be stuck in a cycle of murder and blood. I know that the love she felt for me was real, too, and I ultimately was her downfall. It's been far too long for me to miss her, but perhaps my immortality makes loss like that last longer, I've never been sure." I remained silent, but I reached out to grab her hand, which felt so much larger than my own.
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"Aren't vampires immortal?" I asked curiously, hoping that the question came off as curious instead of insensitive. Regardless of how she perceived my question, she gripped my hand tighter in her own, clearly reminiscing on old memories that she missed, that she held dear, I could tell. The way her eyes dropped and her feathers ruffled, and she swung her legs slightly, a small frown evident on her lips. "I'm sorry," I told her, frowning as well. "I don't mean to bring up old memories, I was just curious."
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"Don't apologize, it was a long time ago, I just haven't felt companionship like that in a very long time, and I find myself missing it here and there. Yes, vampires are immortal compared to humans, or immortal in a sense, but compared to me their life is fleeting. They don't age, they don't die from blood loss or other mundane things humans frequently die from. Starvation, of course, but that takes years. Decapitation will kill them, and fire, but they have to burn for a very long time. Also, the more mischievous and troublesome fae can curse a vampire and they will die before the day is up."
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"Oh," Was all I said in response, I didn't know what to say. I could tell by the way she spoke that the fae had taken her away, I didn't need to ask. I ran my fingers across the soft feathers on the back of her hand, watching her as she gazed off into the river below us, where the nixies had long since returned to their homes, the remnants of the fruit gone and forgotten, but the waters were still glowing faintly from the fruits hanging above, and the roots shimmering with blue light, contrasting the brilliant amber of the fruit.
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"Would you like to meet them?" she asked me. I furrowed my eyebrows together in confusion, and she smiled at me, faintly. "The vampires, her family. There are a select few groups that live on the tops of these mountains, I'm sure the trees have told you. It's a wonder you can hear them without going mad, only the gods and I have been known to listen, it pushes humans and other nymphs to the edge, they don't live long after standing in that part of the forest very long. The mountain chose well with you, dear Oread."
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"Thank you," I replied. She smiled and slid down from the tree in what was almost a cat-like manner, completely different from how she appeared and presented herself. Graceful and smooth, before plucking me from the tree once more and gently setting me in the river, the water well above my waist, while it was barely reaching her hips. I shivered, despite the water being warm, and looked up at the siren, whose gaze was once again fixed upwards, face towards the sky, moon reflecting in her red eyes. I felt fondness already growing in my chest for this siren. "Nymphs live longer than humans, correct?"
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"Yes, nymphs connected to plants generally die when their plants do, water nymphs are more tricky, dying usually of old age when their river or lake has dried up. But my dear Oread, mountains do not die." She turned to look down at me, her blood-red eyes now matched the moon, and it took away the only thing making her even remotely fearful to look at. Those blood-red eyes are what showed she was not prey, but a predator, something to fear. They shimmered, and her once pale skin darkened into the color of her feathers, her midnight hair shimmering and turning a similar color to her eyes. Bright, glowing freckles formed constellations on her cheeks. I think she sensed my curiosity because she looked back at the sky and spoke again. "My mother is night, I am no different."
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"Your mother is beautiful, and you are no different." She said no more but smiled. I didn't ask about my sudden curiosity, mountains don't die? My parents have been gone for a long time, and the time here is already skewed. How long have I already lived? How long have I known her? I said nothing and reached up to grab her hand once more. She glanced down at my hand, tightly held onto her own, and, as she did before, gave my hand a gentle squeeze. It looked so small held in her palm, it showed my mortality, my insignificance, compared to her. She was born of a goddess, a fact I could still not wrap my mind around.
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"Why are you so insistent upon holding my hand?" I didn't know how to respond right away, so I looked towards the shore as the river water lapped against the underside of my breasts. The grass appeared blue in this light, and I could see small bursts of light I assumed to be the mischievous fae that enjoyed playing near the water's edge. I had not had a companion quite like the Siren, and I enjoyed touching her hand to remind myself that, for now, I was no longer all alone. I gripped her hand tighter and began wading towards the shore, desperate to get the silky grass beneath my feet once again, even though I loved the soft river mud between my toes.
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"Touch," Was all I responded with, and it was enough. Because that was a big part of it, simply touch. The non-intimate acts of affection I had grown so desperate for, to feel wanted and appreciated. It was nice to have found someone just as touched starved as I was, alone for even longer than me. Maybe I just knew she wouldn't turn down any physical affection that I gave her because she needed it just as much as I did. I paused once the water reached my calves and I could feel the beginning of the grass on the soles of my feet, and quickly flipped her hand in my own, so her palm was facing up, and placed a single, soft kiss in the middle of her palm.
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"It's very nice," She agreed. "I missed you, dear Oread, I'm glad to have found you again." I lifted my lips from her hand but said nothing. I hadn't left her side since we had met, so how could she have possibly missed me? "I wish you'd ask me questions when you have them. I have the answers, you know." I felt my cheeks grow warm with embarrassment, I wasn't a talkative person. I kept my curiosities to myself, my questions, and opinions, I felt like they didn't need to be said aloud.
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"Okay." I never did ask her how she had already grown to miss me, and she never did give me an answer even though I knew she had it. Perhaps I was scared of the answer. I knew I was, because I hadn't even known I was any more than human, and I didn't realize just how different the time was here. It made sense, now, as to why my childhood years felt far longer than they should have.
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I felt a little pit of sadness swell in my chest, how unaware of everything going on around me was I? Maybe more than just the trees whispered their secrets to me, maybe the flowers and mushrooms, as well as small bushes whispered as well. Maybe the berries I had eaten as a kid were the reason I seemed to be able to see individual feathers on birds hundreds of feet above my head. Maybe the rain that soaked into my skin was the reason that sometimes it didn't quite feel as a human's skin should feel. I looked over at the siren, and I reached up to run my hand on the skin above her navel, curious as to how it felt.
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It felt more human than my own. She looked down at me and smiled, but didn't question why I had done that. She knew the reasoning anyway, she didn't need me to tell her. She knew way more than she should, but it was almost relieving because I never was very good at talking about my emotions. I took a few more steps forward, and knelt in the soft river grass, dipping my fingers into the water and letting the grass weave its way between my fingers.
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"Careful," The siren whispered, her lips right next to my ear. "If they don't like you, you'll never touch the air again." Despite her warning, I just pushed my fingers deeper into the soft ground. They wouldn't hurt me, I felt the curiosity from the grass flowing into my hands, but there was no hostility. The siren dropped to her knees beside me and dipped her own hands in the water, just as I had done. But this time, the sea grass separated, as if to get as far away from her hand as possible. I looked over at her, and she frowned. "They seem to think I'm hostile, and they know they can't hurt me."
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"But you're not," I told her. She shook her head, her feathers ruffling in the water. She looked at me again, and I felt a flicker of fear I had not felt towards her yet. Her nose and her mouth had drawn into a dark black beak, those sharp teeth were still visible. Her soft, regal features had turned into those of a predator. It was in that moment I remembered she is the Siren of the woods, and not a goddess like her soft appearance suggested. The seagrass shifted beneath me and pulled me away from the Siren. I blinked, and her features were human once again.
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"I am, dear Oread," She whispered, drawing her hands from the water, a small frown present on her face. "I am." I felt the sea grass weave itself between my fingers, and wrap around my ankles and wrists. It did not pull me into the water, but it held me firmly in place, away from the Siren. She looked over at me sadly. "Oread, you're the life of the forest, and I am the fear. The death. Mountains can only thrive so long without a nymph. I remember this mountain before your birth, and ever since the mountain has chosen you, it has thrived. Without you, this forest would be dirt and rock." I paused, and I frowned.
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"You're still young for an Oread. Life here is curious, a mountain nymph is something you do not often see. Let alone one so beautiful and full of love, you're the most warmth that this whole world has given all of us. I'm loved, I'm lusted after, but you're loved and you're so adored. Your curiosity towards me makes no sense." I felt my heart tug, and the seagrass must have felt it cause they pulled me closer into the water, into their realm of safety. I managed to get a hand free, and I reached for her.
"Your warmth towards me makes no sense," I replied. She smiled, even slightly, and she took my hand. The seagrass let me go without any more struggle. The Siren wasted no more time, she held my cheek in the palm, and it made me feel so small and insignificant, but the moment she kissed me, every single piece of me fell into place in the way I had so long dreamed. Her wings sprung away from her back and reached as far as they could. She tasted of the moon, sweet wine, and blood.
"You're strong and sturdy as this mountain. You've made a home of yourself and that's why they all love you, and why I love you too." I didn't say anything, I felt that wasn't fair of her to say that. She only loved me because I made her home thrive? I frowned. "Oread, your heart is full of love and warmth, you have a beautiful soul and you radiate power I have never felt from another living creature in my whole life. Gods, goddesses, everything dies. Mountains do not die, love, you're a beautiful golden goddess in your very own sense, and I love you for it."
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The tears finally fell. The warmth from the water and her nose still gently bumping against my own, and the warmth of the tears on my cheeks. The bite of the wind as it swirled around us, and the beauty around us, I felt it all. I didn't know how many worlds there were, how many times I had met his creature and fallen in love, but it was far too certain. She was my home. My tears were silent, but her declarations of love were not.
"Now it is time, my dear Oread," she whispered a moment later. Confusion swept over me, time didn't matter here, the Siren had made that clear to me. We had plenty of time. I gripped her tighter, and she pulled me into her arms, holding me as close to her as she could. Her skin was cool, but it still made me feel safe and warm. My tears still fell, but the comfort I felt with her was overwhelming. "I love you like I love this mountain, it is my home and I will find you again, we always find each other in the end, now, don't we?"
"You're... leaving?" She said nothing in response, instead she leaped in the air and caught us with her wings, taking us higher and higher. I felt the warmth of the dense trees fade, and cool crisp air bite at my feet. My eyes shot open, and I looked down. Nothing got miles except for trees, mountains, and clouds. And of course, the lakes I fell in love with as a child. It felt wrong to be so high in the sky, I felt it strongly here. The ground, the mountain, was where I belonged. I grabbed her even tighter and felt feathers in my grasp.
The Siren looked down at me, soft and beautiful. "You'll be back, always back my dear." She finally flew in the direction of the glowing lake, I only knew because I could see the glow. Whether playful stars or angry monsters I still was not sure, but as I gazed down at the water from above, I could see both. I could see giggling stars so close I could reach out and grab them, and sea serpents so large they could eat the Siren in one bite. As tightly as she held me, I still felt afraid. That water beneath us held power I was unaware of.
So when she moved her arms from around me, letting me go, and my own strength was not enough to keep me in the air, I screamed. I had never felt fear like this. I heard water splashing and the serpent calls beneath me, they were so loud and the noise chilled me more than the night air. I screamed until the very moment I felt the ice-cold water cradle my back as if gently guiding me under the water. I looked up once more, the light so bright it hurt my eyes. But then everything went dark, and my consciousness was gone.57Please respect copyright.PENANAHQFPUAMIe9