Dreams of Darkness: An Anthology of Dark Fairytales

by Cassidy Taylor

  Boots splashed in the nearby water, slowed down by the thick mud. Several spears landed around her. Meridia turned to hiss at them and was hit by a carefully aimed spear.The tearing flesh made by the cold metal felt. Meridia was startled and scared by the ancient weapon. She reluctantly turned away from what would have been a filling meal had she been allowed to finish.

  Meridia tried to catch her breath. She was breathing hard from the safety of the deeper water as the familiar feeling of euphoria hit her. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, as she inspected her injury. The sudden realization she could have been killed caused her to giggle hysterically. Delighted, in her near escape she turned to leave the Fae to their fruitless search. The Fae had recovered their injured brother and were stomping through the reeds. Their search for her only stirred up more mud and silt to cover her retreat. She was injured and exhausted by the encounter.

  “Meridia!” Sirena called out in alarm near where Meridia had attacked the Fae.

  Meridia turned around to look for Sirena. What was she doing here? She must have heard the commotion or smelled the blood in the water and come looking for her. Meridia felt the pit of her stomach drop as an orb of light locked onto Sirena’s presence, washing her in a blue light.

  “It’s over there! Throw the net over there!” one of the Fae yelled from the shore.

  Spears flew from the shore to Sirena’s position. Meridia tried to swim over to Sirena but where the spear had caught her, made it painful and impeded her attempt to assist Sirena. As the Fae made their presence known by splashing around in the water as they searched the perimeter of the orb of light for anything that moved. Meridia could only watch in horror as Sirena dove to get out of the light. Ducking behind a sea stack, Meridia hid as her sister attempted to retreat from the light. She didn’t want them to spot her next.

  But then, Meridia heard the whoosh of the net sprawling out over the expanse of water. It landed with a sickening thud on the surface of the water some distance away. A high-pitched scream caused Meridia’s heartbeat to thud in her ears as she came out from behind the sea stack.

  Sirena.

  Her sister was caught in the barbed net.

  Swimming forward in spite of her own injury, Meridia frantically searched for a way around the net, trying not to get caught in its razor-sharp razor barbs. But it was useless; the net blanketed her completely. Meridia felt helpless, retreating as the glowing orb split into several smaller orbs, as if it was searching for something. For her.

  Sirena screamed as the barbs cinched into her skin. Her voice hit octaves which only animals could hear. The Fae surrounded the net, stabbing blindly with knives and swords. Sympathizing with her sister’s pain Meridia cried out in anguish. She felt helpless. Afraid to move from where she was. Unable to drag her eyes from the horrifying scene playing out in front of her. Eventually, Sirena stopped thrashing, stopped screaming. After a horrible eternity, they dragged her lifeless body from the water’s depths.

  The men surrounded Sirena’s body on the beach. Several smaller orbs lit the area around the beach, giving Meridia a spotlight on her sister’s mutilated body. The Faes’ voices were loud, boisterous and excited at the kill. More and more gathered around to see what it was they had caught.

  “Sirena!” she shrieked, her inherently high pitched voice was undetectable but to other animals who were sensitive to vibrations, like the swarm of bats, who had taken to the cypress trees at the edge of the far corner of the surrounding reeds and long grasses, to startle and fly off at the high-pitched cry as the wind blew north toward the shore. She huddled for safety behind the sea stack as she cried over the loss of her sister. Meridia felt incapacitated, as if she were frozen to the sea stack by the cool, westerly storm winds.

  Meridia’s eyes were swollen with tears and sobs wracked her body. From where she hid in the watery shadows, she saw one man who had not been involved in the kill come closer to Sirena’s body. Meridia noticed how all the Fae reacted to his orders without question, and she realized he was of some importance to them. He dressed in a fine robe of midnight-blue velvet with gold embellishments. Merida liked how the moonlight bounced off his clothing, and the way the bright white of his frilled shirt contrasted against the midnight blue of the robe. Black leather pants and thigh-high boots concluded the look.

  He looked intently out at the expanse of water before turning around and giving orders to the Fae who had surrounded Sirena’s lifeless body as he took a few steps toward the water’s edge and stared off into the distance. The Fae who had gathered around Sirena’s body spread out, scurrying and shouting orders to the others as Meridia watched a few secure the take they had pillaged from the ship down on several horses as a handful of Fae set out on foot into the woods.

  The cowards were running. Meridia wanted to kill every last Fae, but set her sights on the one who gave the orders. She would savor ripping his flesh apart as his cohorts looked on. Licking the marrow from his bones on Sirena’s behalf would be too good for him.

  She somehow found the words she needed to sing, and the melody came to her in the height of her pain. The words tore from her heart, telling the story of a life lost too soon. As she sang, the winds swirled around her. The low bass of thunder rumbled overhead. Lightning lit the night sky to honor the fallen siren. Her song spoke to those with broken hearts. She let roar a chorus that would be alluring to those who had known loss.

  The male who ordered the others around now stood upon the bow of the battered ship, just above where the Fae had made a makeshift ladder with logs and vines. His shoulders relaxed as he scanned the water for the enchanting voice.

  Meridia clawed her way to the top of the sea stack, watching him with morbid curiosity. He seemed as haunted as her song. She looked him up and down, smiling wickedly as she sang. Seducing him to his death was just the beginning of her revenge. She could tell he was small beneath the robes. His blood would be delectable. She wanted to gnaw on his bones, crush them like toothpicks beneath her teeth. She wanted to sink her claws into him and rip out his heart while it was still beating.

  He followed her voice all the way out on to the bowsprit, trying to get a better view of who was singing. Meridia was just waiting now for the inevitable. The moment he was in the water, he was dead, the perfect sacrifice. An eye for an eye, after all.

  She wouldn’t be truly happy until every last one of them was dead, but this was a good start.

  She heard the distinct moment the Fae’s weight pushed the already storm-beaten bowsprit to its limit and it gave way. The Fae fell into the salt marsh’s murky depths.

  Meridia slid beneath the water’s surface, determined not to alarm the rest of the Fae. She knew it was only a matter of time before they would run to help their comrade back to shore, but it would be too late. He wouldn’t have time to scream like the last one. Meridia’s blood rushed through her veins so hard and fast that it colored everything around her in a bloody red hue.

  Merida darted toward his body as he sank like a rock drawn to the murky bottom. She knew he wouldn’t last long as he was pulled down by the undertow. All she had to do was kill him, and vengeance would be hers.

  She reached out for the final kill as she fought against the undertow which threatened to take them both down. The pull of the water made her rethink her strategy. Dying by drowning like this was too good for him. She knew he wouldn’t suffer like her sister had. Meridia wanted him to suffer at her hands, to watch as the light of life fell out of his eyes. She wanted him to suffer like her sister had suffered at the hands of his men.

  Meridia’s claws grabbed onto his arm and found herself pulling him into her, almost protectively, going against her very nature. She found herself questioning her motives. Was she saving him only to kill him later? If so, why couldn’t she bring herself to kill him now while she had the chance? Maybe because it was too easy. She wanted him awake so she could see the fear in his eyes as he died so he knew it was in revenge. That, she was sure, was the real proble
m behind her not being able to kill him. It definitely wasn’t because she was attracted to him. Right?

  She stared, almost hypnotized by him. He looked so sweet, his eyes were closed as if he were asleep. She found herself running her gnarled fingers down his face, leaving behind a red streak where her hands had caressed the sharp angles of his smooth skin. His straight hair floated straight up due to the gravity and the undertow pulling them down. His soft lips were tilted up almost in a smile.

  Here she was, a cutthroat predator, and she didn’t have the heart to kill him. Her mind spun. What was happening to her? Was it because he wasn’t fighting her? Meridia had noticed she, like her sisters, preferred it when their prey fought them as if their life depended on it. Without the fight, the kill wasn’t as fun.

  Not sure what to do, she nudged him, and a couple more air bubbles escaped his open mouth. Meridia remembered how Sirena liked to let sailors die a slow, wet death, and how she had taken joy in ripping the soft flesh from their bones afterward. That was what this Fae deserved.

  No, drowning was too good for him. She wanted to inflict as much pain upon him as his friends had inflicted on Sirena. To let him drown would be too generous, but if he didn’t wake up and get to shore, he wouldn’t last much longer. She screamed in frustration. How could she not kill him? Maybe it was because he lacked the fight which had drawn her to injure his cohort but not him.

  Meridia felt a strange overwhelming compulsion come over her as she grabbed the Fae and held him to her chest as she swam up to the surface. She couldn’t explain why she needed to save him, but she felt compelled to do so.

  She broke the surface of the water with him in tow. He lay limp against her chest. There were two orbs of blue light emanating over the water. Meridia shied away from them and good thing, because soon there were a half-dozen more glowing blue lights. She assumed they were looking for their companion, having realized what had happened.

  She made sure to stay covered by the towering shadows of the jetty as she approached the shore. Merida feared she would meet the same fate as Sirena if caught out of the water. Like any sea creature, any time out of the water was a death sentence. In the water was a different story. It was her domain, even though their barbed net gave her a moment of pause.

  Meridia nudged him onto the sandy beach on the other side of the jetty where they had pulled up Sirena’s body. She rolled the Fae on his side, allowing the seawater to drain from his lungs. When he took his first deep, rattling breath on his own, she knew he was going to be fine.

  She found herself wanting to stay with him until when he fully woke, so she could kill him, but a loud shriek startled her. A familiar blue orb hovered just on the other side of the jetty. His cohorts were approaching fast. She needed to get into the water. It meant safety. She knew she could out-swim every one of them.

  She slipped out with the tidal currents and hid in the shadows and safety of a towering sea stack. One of the females in the misfit band assessed the Fae’s vitals. The Fae opened his eyes and looked up at her. Meridia continued to watch as they helped him to his feet and they retreated with the other wounded Fae to the safety of the woodlands.

  Anger washed over her as she watched his cohorts help him escape before she could get the revenge she desired, filled her with a pit of bottomless rage. Never in her life had she experienced such rage, but it burned deep inside her, brighter than the orbs they used to light their path. At that moment, she realized how she could make the Fae suffer. Then and only then, would she take the Fae’s life as they had taken Sirena’s. The Fae would die another day.

  When they were gone, Meridia swam toward the shore. The Fae had abandoned their catch, leaving behind Sirena’s body to return to the sea as the tide rolled in. She would be the one to take her sister home and be the bearer of bad news to Achelous. Would he blame her? Certainly, he would. Would he allow her to seek revenge on the Fae for this malicious attack? Would the creatures of the sea now go to war with the Fae?

  These were the questions she could not answer, but knew how she hoped her father would respond.

  Chapter Two

  Meridia bowed in front of Achelous as she lay Sirena’s body before him.

  “Oh, my poor Sirena! My child, who has committed this travesty?” Achelous demanded to know as he looked over Sirena’s mutilated body. His eyes narrowed as his sight settled on Meridia. “What happened, surely you must know?”

  “The Fae,” Meridia said by way of explanation. “It happened all so fast. I didn’t know she was there. I tried to help her, but I couldn’t get her out of the net they used. They surrounded her and used their weapons on her before they dragged her body onto the shore. I can still hear her screaming.” Meridia clutched Sirena’s lifeless body as she cried over the loss.

  But Achelous was not moved by her grief. “So, you are partially responsible for her death.”

  “No, no, Father. I tried to help her,” Meridia sobbed. “I was out looking for treasure. I could see blue lights floating above the water and went to check it out.”

  “Where was Sirena?”

  “I don’t know. Please, Father. I never meant for any of this to happen. I saw one of the Fae down at the water’s edge and I couldn’t help it. I knew they would never get to him in time. He was easy prey, and the taste of his blood was so sweet. I wanted more.” Meridia caught her breath as she choked on a sob. “I thought I could take him down before the others got to him. Sirena must have smelled the blood and assumed I was in trouble. I heard them running toward us and I swam for safety. I swear on my life, Achelous, I didn’t mean for Sirena to get hurt.”

  “By attacking alone, you knowingly went against siren rule. You are as accountable as those who took her life. Leave my presence before I take your life in retribution for Sirena’s death. I will rule upon your disobedience within the hour.” Achelous slammed his staff down on the ocean floor.

  Meridia cowered, immediately following his instructions.

  Outside Achelous’ palace, Asrai and Thalia comforted her. They hugged, cried, and sang of their heartbreak together as they waited.

  When the hour came about, Achelous sent for Meridia. She entered Achelous’ palace and bowed in front of the powerful river god.

  Achelous looked down on her with regret lining his face. “My child, it grieves me to have to impose such a rule, but I believe it is a necessity to save our kind. You have cost Sirena her life and given us unwanted exposure. It is with a heavy heart that I hereby forbid you from going to the surface. You will be confined to the palace until you can be trusted to follow the very rules which were put in place to safeguard us from the evils of the land dwellers. Failure to follow my rules will result in expedient banishment.” Achelous brought his staff down on the palace floor. Shock waves rolled as Achelous’ word went out across the seas.

  Chapter Three

  Meridia knew she would have to defy Achelous’ rule if she wanted to seek revenge. She needed to slip out of the palace when he wasn’t looking. She hated defying him, but she was determined to make this right. She opened the door to the room she shared with her sisters just a crack. As she figured, Achelous had several mermen stationed outside the door and around the palace and surrounding grounds. A few were armed with tridents and spears. The seahorses that a few rode on were quick and could smell the tiniest disturbance in the surrounding waters.

  She quietly shut the door and went over to the oversized abalone shell the girls used as a chair. She had stashed away several treasures beneath the mussel after it had relinquished its pearl. She tossed a few coins several feet in front of the mermen, far enough away from the door to ensure she could open it and shut it without them noticing. She patiently waited for the mermen to inspect the new found disturbance in the sand and the noise it created as the coins crashed into one another, scattering across to the seafloor.

  With the guards temporarily distracted, she quietly slipped out of the room and pulled the door shut behind her. She quickly swam to
the end of the hallway as she hid from view around the corner. It was all about timing. She knew about when the mermen on seahorses would pass after Sirena and her had snuck out to look for treasure numerous times, usually following one of the hurricanes that came through the area. It was just a matter of getting up to the surface now.

  She broke the surface of the water and found herself watching the shoreline. She felt safe under the cover of the dense fog rolling off the warm waters of early morning. She knew, as soon as Achelous and her sisters discovered her missing, Achelous would dispatch a few mermen to search for her and bring her back to be dealt with. Anxious at being discovered, Sorena hid in the sticky muck and silt of the marsh in the reeds. From where she was, not even the best trained seahorses could find her due to all the rotting decay of both plant and animals, as well as the stagnant smell of the waters around the reeds of the marsh.

  The Fae didn’t appear until nearly sundown, trekking along the edge of the forest using the same path as before, through the long grasses towards the boat. This time there were more, some fully armed. A large, vigilant Fae ran point, keeping the others within his charge safe. The one she had spared was second in line. She felt her heart beat faster as he approached the ship.