Lorelei

by Melody Calder

  I heard the stomping of hoofs battering against the ground and looked up to see a carriage barreling towards Johan, the driver seeming not to have control. I ran and pushed the boy out of the way without thinking just before the hooves would have crushed him. Instead it was me that they hit.

  I felt myself floating above my body as I looked down at the bloody mess that was me. I didn’t breathe or move and I knew I was dead once a bystander made the decision to check on me and shook his head at my neighbor who was holding her boy tightly, with tears streaming down her face. I saw Klaus, his clothing dirt stained and sweat covering his body. He must have been arriving home for work. I tried to run to him and hold him, but this form just went right through him.

  He looked at the scene before him and went to assist the stranger. “No!” he screamed to the heavens. “Not my Lorelei!” He pulled my broken body to his and held me as his shoulders shook with sobs. He screamed at the Fates and I tried again to get to him. I floated near him for hours as he refused to let anyone touch my body, growling at anyone that dared try. My heart shattered as I realized that I wasn’t coming back, and I’d left my soulmate broken despite all he’d done to save me.

  The image went black and my chest physically hurt from the pain of seeing him lose me. It was as if thousand knives stabbed me and there was nothing more painful in this world. As more snippets ran through my mind, I couldn’t shake the heartbreak that rattled me to the core. Again it stopped, and I didn’t know if I could handle any more pain like that.

  I was on a boat traveling down the Rhine River. My friends surrounded me, and their giggling was contagious, yet, I felt my mood sour. I heard them talk about how happy they were to be out of high school and our trip to Germany was the best idea ever. I excused myself, and went to the restroom on-board to try to collect myself. I peeked at myself in the mirror and my young eighteen-year-old face looked back at me. My curly hair was still up in the ratted style that was so popular. I fixed the dark eyeliner that smudged in the corner of my eye.

  “Get it together, Lori,” I told myself in the mirror before exiting. I slowly walked along the abandoned deck of the ship and looked out past the railing to the rocky island that we slowly passed. A glint of light from the island caught my attention and I leaned against the railing as I tried to get a better look. I squinted and just barely made out the shape of a person seeming to be sunbathing on a rock. For some reason I heard music and it called to me.

  Without thinking, I climbed over the railing as I tried to get closer. I heard my friends calling me from the ship, but my mind didn’t register what they said as I tried to find a way to get to the island as the song told me to do. My hand seemed to let go of the railing and I tumbled into the cold water.

  My body churned with the current and I tried to right myself as I came to and realized the predicament I was in. I pumped my legs to try to make it to the surface, but a large hand grasped my leg tightly and pulled me along quickly. My lungs burned with the need to breathe, getting worse as I fought to get away.

  As suddenly as it all started, I was pulled up to the surface. I took deep gulps of the air, thankful that I survived whatever that was. I was still trying to catch my breath when I was turned forcefully by those same strong hands. The old man before me had long white hair and a beard of the same color that floated on the water. “Where have you been, Lorelei,” he demanded. “I thought that farm boy would have died two centuries ago. Your sister has been waiting for you to come back and take her place.” The man’s voice was hard and deep, and it scared me not only the way he spoke, but also the things he said.

  “I- I don’t have a sister,” I managed to say through my chattering teeth. “I don’t know who you are. You must have me mistaken for someone else.”

  “Lorelei!” a high-pitched voice squealed from the shoreline and caught my attention. “I’ve missed you so much! Come sit on our rock with me.” I don’t know why, but I started swimming towards the woman with the blonde hair. It was the same pull that caused me to slip into the water. I could feel the strange man’s eyes follow me, but he stayed where he was.

  I pulled myself out of the water and looked back, unable to see the ferry that I came from. I was here alone with these strange people who seemed to think I was someone else. The woman paused in combing her hair and patted the rock beside her. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t fight the pull to do as she asked, as she hummed a tune.

  Once seated, the rock was warm and felt good on my body that was freezing from the water. “Let me comb your hair like we used to,” she said. I nodded and felt the strokes of the silver comb. “Why didn’t you come back, sister?” she asked me.

  I said nothing since I didn’t know what to say, instead, I shrugged my shoulders in a hope to pacify her. It seemed to work since she said, “No matter. You’re here now and you can take your rightful place. So much has happened since you left.” I didn’t listen as she rambled on while combing my hair, carefully pulling out the knots that I always had with my preferred hairstyle. I eyed the old man that was coming towards us slowly.

  The closer he got, the more I could see that he was enraged, and I subconsciously skittered back on the rock as he rose from the waters. “Why did you not change when you came into the water?” he demanded in a growl.

  I flinched as my heart beat erratically and I knew my answer of not having any idea what he was talking about would not satisfy him. I felt it right then that I was going to die. “I don’t understand what you are talking about. You must have me confused with someone else,” I replied meekly, as he stalked towards me.

  I cried out as he grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me off the rock before dragging me towards the water. I pled with him to release me, that he was confused, but it was of no use. I couldn’t fight my way out of his iron grip. I heard the woman pleading as well, but he ignored us both as he dragged me into the water. “You will shift or die, daughter!” his deep voice reverberated through my body just before we plunged into the icy depths of the water.

  I couldn’t breathe and my lungs burned with need for oxygen. I clawed at his hands as I tried to fight my way to the surface. He was unmoving as he stared me down. Darkness clouded my vision and I knew I wasn’t going to last much longer. My body’s instincts took over and I tried to take in a breath. The water entered my lungs and stabbed at them like icy needles, the pain so intense that I cried out, the water swallowing my screams before everything went dark.

  I took in a deep breath as I sat up, the visions no longer holding me in a slumber-like state. I gulped in air, feeling like I couldn’t get enough. “Breathe, child,” Maddalina’s voice comforted me. “It’s all over now. You’re in the present and safe now.”

  My hands shook as I took the glass of water from her, that she handed me, and drank. “I didn’t know Klaus in that last one. I don’t understand how I could have lived so many lives with him in it, yet not that last vision,” I relayed everything I remembered about it to her.

  She patted my hand before sitting back in her chair, “You were too young to meet Klaus in that life. Your father must have gotten to you before you had the chance to meet him.”

  “I saw so many lives. Some that I didn’t fall in love with him. There was even one where I turned him down when he approached me,” I admitted regretfully. “I have so many questions and I don’t know where to start. I know it’s silly in the big picture, but I have questions like how do I know a language I’ve never spoken before? I don’t remember ever learning whatever it was that the woman chanted to save me, yet I knew what they were saying as clear as if it were spoken in English.”

  “That must have been my ancestors, the ones that originally cast the spell to save you. They spoke Faroese, an old language of German descent. It’s still spoken in northern Germany, mostly through the Faroe Islands. We use it for our spells since it is the language of our ancestors. I won’t bore you with all the history of the language. You need to rest, and a certain man is pacing
outside the door waiting for you,” she chuckled, and lifted her body from the chair as she leaned on a cane carved of wood with intricate designs.

  She opened the door and Klaus rushed to my side. Before she closed the door, the old woman told him sternly, “She’s been through quite a lot and needs rest. I’ll give you five minutes.”

  He glared at her, but after taking a deep breath he nodded before turning to me. “Please forgive me, Lorelei. I’m so sorry the choice I made caused you so much pain. I wasn’t thinking… I just couldn’t let you go.” The stress lines in his face evidence of how scared he’d been.

  I raised my hand to his cheek, surprised at how weak I felt, “There’s nothing to forgive. I would die a thousand times over if it meant that I could spend one day with you.”

  .

  I ran my fingers through my hair as I paced outside the cottage. I could hear Lorelei’s moans and I wanted to rush in and see her. Two of the witches watched me and one held up her hand as I took a step towards the door. “She will be fine. You must stay here,” she said firmly.

  I huffed and continued pacing, time seeming not to move forward. It had been a full twenty-four hours and I didn’t know how much longer it would be. I also didn’t know how much longer I could take being away from Lorelei. I knew how hard the memories would be for her, no matter what Maddalina tried to say. Reliving many deaths was emotionally and physically painful for her, as she’d told me in the past.

  I heard the door open and looked up in anticipation. Relief flooded me when Maddalina ushered me in. I flew to Lorelei’s side and the words she said of nothing to forgive was like music to my ears. It didn’t take away my guilt and self-loathing though.

  “You are too good for me, Lorelei,” I responded, as tears pricked my eyes.

  “I’m not. I treated you awfully in the past. I can’t change that, but we can move forward with our lives and have the life we were meant to have,” her voice was rough, and I helped her take a sip of water.

  “Do you have questions for me?” I asked with concern. “I know there are many memories you went through and I’m here for you to talk about it.”

  “I felt your pain each time I died. It was so raw and unreal. My own pain of death was nothing compared to the suffering you’ve endured,” she admitted something that never was brought up before in any of the times her memories came back.

  “What makes this time so different? That’s never happened before,” I wondered out loud.

  “I don’t know. I remembered coming back all the other times and had no memories of what happened after my own death. This time I saw that I stayed around each time. I tried to get back to you,” her voice hitched. “I was like a ghost and just went right through you. Maddalina was right when she said you’ve paid the price.”

  I kissed her check gently, not wanting to hurt her. I knew from the past that her body would hurt as much as her emotions. She smiled up at me with eyes full of love and reached up to run her finger though my hair. I could see the weakness in her arm, but it didn’t stop her from pulling my head back to her. I kissed her again and lingered on her soft lips. “I love you with all my heart and soul, Lorelei. I want you to be my wife.”

  “I’m still your wife,” she teased. “We did vow ‘til death do us part, but I don’t know that anyone has ever come back to life so many times. In my mind we are still married.”

  I chuckled softly, “I think you’re onto something there, but I still want to say our vows. I don’t think the government would recognize a three-hundred-year-old marriage and rebirths.”

  “I suppose that would be hard to explain to the magistrate’s office.” I could hear the tiredness in her laugh.

  “You need to rest, love. We can plan our wedding once the coven breaks our curse. Besides, I need to get you a big rock on that finger. That’s something I was never able to do.”

  “Stay with me, Klaus,” she asked quietly, as she tried to move over to make room for me to lay with her.

  I stood and leaned over, lifting her under her back and legs as I moved her to the edge of the bed. Then I made sure she was comfortable before climbing in with her and pulling the covers up to tuck us in. She automatically snuggled into, what had become, her spot on my chest. I stroked her shoulder lightly as she fell into a deep sleep.

  Maddalina opened the door and looked at us curled up together in the bed. A knowing smile crossed her face and I thought she would leave. Instead, she came and sat in the chair next to the bed. “I’m glad she’s resting. I’m sure she will be strong enough by morning and you should get some sleep, too.” Her mothering nature was something that I hadn’t experienced in centuries. Not since my own mother passed away when I was a young boy. My aunt was caring yet her harshness was never a replacement for a mother’s love.

  “I will. I just want to enjoy this with her for a bit longer. She’s never been so accepting of what happened,” I admitted, my relief evident.

  “That’s because the curse hasn’t been ready to be broken before. Though it’s been moved along, it is still there. My coven is preparing to complete it tomorrow,” she told me as if it were such a simple thing.

  “Are you sure it will work, and it won’t hurt her?” I questioned nervously.

  Maddalina harrumphed, “Boy, I wouldn’t be doing this if I weren’t sure. I don’t mess with dark magic unless I’m sure of the outcome. It’s been prophesied and, as I told you before, we’ve searched for an answer for generations.”

  “I’m sorry I sounded ungrateful. I just don’t think I could handle losing her again,” I admitted.

  “You know, this coven has shared the story of the farm boy and the siren for years. I remember as a little girl that I was so heartbroken for you that I vowed to find a way to break your curse. I spent my life practicing and researching. I won’t let you down,” she said confidently. “I do have a price though.” Her eyes twinkled and I felt my stomach drop at the mention of the price of magic.

  “I think I’ve learned my lesson on accepting a price without knowing what it is.”

  She beamed at me, “Oh, you’ll like this one. My price is that you and Lorelei allow me to perform a binding ceremony, a marriage, before you go back home. I’d like to give you a fertility blessing as well. I’m guessing you want children?”

  It wasn’t what I expected, a present so special that I knew it was perfect. We would need to go to the Standesamt, the German name for the magistrate’s office, when we got back to civilization, but that was just a formality. I was sure that Lorelei felt the same as I did, and I couldn’t wait to make our marriage official in this life. A life in which we would finally be able to grow old together, if everything went right.

  “Yes. I’m sure Lorelei will agree. May I give you the answer in the morning?” I asked.

  She shook her finger at me, “You, Klaus, have learned your lesson. I will await your answer in the morning. I’ll let you rest now. Tomorrow will be exceptionally long and draining. You’ll need your strength. I’ll have breakfast sent in at first light.”

  I heard the door open and it drew me from my sleep. Three of the witches quietly brought in dishes that smelled wonderful. My stomach growled at the scent and they all stopped in their tracks and looked at me.

  I smiled sleepily and whispered, “Thank you.”

  The youngest looking one smiled at me warmly and winked before she put her finger to her mouth in a shushing gesture as Lorelei stirred. I nodded as they continued to set the dishes on a table so quietly that I barely heard them. They each kept stealing glances at us with almost starstruck looks on their faces. They quickly left, giving little curtsies before going out the door.

  My stomach grumbled again, and I cursed it for being so loud. I wanted Lorelei to get as much rest as possible. The scents that wafted through the small cottage must have woken her because I heard her tiny voice, “I’m starving. Please tell me that wonderful smelling food is for us.”

  “It is,” I chuckled, as I slid out o
f bed. “Though since my stomach sounds like a bear right now, I’m not sure it will let you have any.”

  She started to sit up, but I insisted that she stay in bed, “You haven’t had any food in over a day. Let me serve you breakfast in bed. And you need to save your strength.”

  She winked at me, “I always have strength for that.”

  “As do I, but we have a long day ahead of us. Maddalina is breaking the curse today. There is something we need to talk about beforehand. The price of the spell.” Her face fell and I smiled to myself. I loved teasing her, though my nerves set in when doubt crept in. We talked about getting married but not when or where. She might not be ready.

  “Not another price,” she groaned before letting out a harsh breath. “Okay, let me have it. What is the price of magic this time?”

  “Maddalina wants to perform our marriage ceremony before we leave. We’ll have to still go to the magistrate when we are ready to make it official in the eyes of the government.” I rubbed the back of my neck, “It would just be a binding ceremony of their kind.”

  She didn’t say anything for a while as she shoved food in her mouth and chewed. I wondered what was going through her mind and if she were figuring out a way to tell me no without hurting my feelings. “If you’re not ready, I understand,” I assured her, even though I didn’t want her to say no.

  Lorelei raised her eyebrows over the cup of juice as she took a long drink from before answering, “It seems to me that we have waited far too long to be husband and wife again. I would love to. I would do it right now if I were able to.” She winked, “If you don’t want to go through the emotional turmoil of wondering what I will say, don’t threaten to eat all the food again.”

  My jaw dropped and I was stunned silent until her words sunk in. I bent over laughing as I realized I had been had by her. She knew me, really knew me, after all this time. I was ecstatic to have my soulmate back and looked forward to a long happy life together, as long as the spell worked. The thought made my laughter drop off.