by Garry Hicks
DAY 4 ERATO ISLAND - CONTINUED
In contrast to the Atargatis Island, Erato, Island of the Sirens, has half the vegetation. Many bare spots are filled with dying trees, a moonscape of rocks and boulders speckled with green and yellow leafy trees and bushes.
Scattered about are huts made from shipwrecked boats. On one side of the lagoon sits a huge shell of an old wrecked upside down pirate ship, the front end gone, the ship gutted.
Inside sit chairs, tables, various other furniture, all embedded with gold. Eight beautiful women occupy chairs, four on each side. At the head, in an ornate chair adorned with gold, sits Nemeritias, fortyish, ruler of the island. A beauty with long black hair, dressed similar to, even resembling, Cleopatra, but all dark clothing.
Two men, dressed in ragged clothes, worn tennis shoes, disheveled hair, wait on each side of Nemeritias. Their hands are folded, waiting for her orders. Next to her sits her daughter, Chiron, mid-twenties, beautiful, innocent. She's dressed similar to mom. Chiron smiles at Sean, who stands at Nemeritias’s feet.
Nemeritias asks, “What do they call you?"
“Sean...where am I?"
“I’ll ask the questions Human." Nemeritias snaps back.
Chiron responds. “Mother, he just got here. He doesn't,
really...feel like the other men."
"He’s a human man, just like the others. We shall see if he is different." Nemeritias casually answers.
Sean and Chiron lock eyes.
Nemeritias continues. “You’re on the Island of Erato, home of the Sirens, resting place of children of the Greek Gods."
“My friends, are they here?"
“They will be joining you soon. The Gods have smiled upon you, otherwise your body would sleep with the crabs."
“That's a nice thought. Why am I here?"
“Because you’re human. We have certain ‘needs’ for human men and once you fulfill those needs, you’re free to go."
“If I’m free to go, why are those two guys standing by you like servants?"
“Because they choose to be here! You humans are so arrogant when you get here, but, after a time, so humble, so pleased."
Sean raises his eyebrows. “Pleased?"
“Yes...pleased to be alive. Take him to his quarters."
Trey, late thirties, leads Sean down a dirt path. He is ruggedly handsome, wears a tattered shirt, knee length torn, ragged pants, tennis shoes filled with holes. They talk as they walk.
Sean asks, “What in the crap is going on here? One minute I’m drinking beer in a boat with my buddies and before I know it I’m in the land of OZ, though I will say the wicked witch is a babe."
Trey asks, “Do you remember how you got here?"
“All I remember is...a storm, nothing after that."
“What I heard was there was a battle over all of you and somehow the mermaids got your friends."
“Mermaids?" Sean responds, surprised.
“Yes, the other island you saw, the mermaids live there, the sirens here."
“Mermaids...sirens, I’m not an idiot Trey. Get real."
“You’re here aren’t you? The outside world doesn’t believe in any of it...that’s why we’re still stuck here."
They finally reach the hut, step inside, sit. The hut is nothing more than an eight foot by eight foot room, built from old pieces of pirate ship planks. It’s furnished with a battered, shipwrecked cot, beat up table and two chairs, not much more.
Trey smiles. “Not exactly the downtown Hilton."
Sean glances around at the hut, grins. “Not even an old Motel Six that smells musty. How long have you been here?"
“Eight miserable years. At this point, I consider myself a dead man."
“With all these women?"
“Women when they need you, teethy, snapping, sirens when they don’t."
“I’ve dated a few of those."
“It’s not only their numbers, they make you do things, control your thoughts, control you."
“Exactly why I’m not married."
“You’re fresh meat here, don’t make the same mistake I did."
“Clue me in."
Trey leans forward, whispers. “Don’t ever trust them. No matter what they say, it’s a lie."
“Damn, just like back home."
“It’s not a joking matter Sean, they’ll bite your head off, literally."
Sean rubs his neck, head. “Yeah, okay, thanks for the positive vibes Trey."
Back on Atargatis Island, the dinner area is set up in a beautiful setting next to the lagoon, lit by torches. A waterfall flows across the lagoon, its soothing sounds much like background music. On the long wooden plank table, straight off a pirate ship are plates, silverware, goblets, knives, a large jug of rum. The food includes clamshell bowls of various soups, mostly seaweed and kelp, small fish and sand dabs. A huge kettle pot steams nearby.
The three guys share the table with twenty beautiful, exotic, women. Some are brown, some dark to black, many white, all medium to long flowing hair decorated with various natural clam and other shell type hair clips.
Arianna sits at the head of the table.
Derek sips rum. “Arianna, this food, awesome. And this rum, wow, how old?"
“Three hundred years." Arianna replies. “Most of us have lived for many hundreds of moons, except the children."
Brandon nods his head. “You got juice, I give you that. If you live so long, why aren’t there more of you?"
Arianna smiles. “Human men are...difficult to come by."
“I knew I was special." Brandon glances at the women. “And human men with qualities like me are very difficult to come by."
“That’s why the Siren’s brought you here." Arianna responds. “Like us, the only way to continue their species is to mate with human men. We only breed females so we have to find human men to continue our existence. When the Sirens lure a ship here, we fight over the men."
Brandon smiles at Treena, mid-twenties, beautiful. She sits across the table. “I’m ready to work!" Treena lowers her head, a bit embarrassed.
Arianna continues. “The Sirens want us dead so they can have all the human men."
Derek wonders out loud. “And us? Where do we fit in?"
“You work with us, we work with you. You’ll be free to go." Arianna answers.
Brandon smiles. “The key word being, ‘breed’?"
“Yes, a human man’s living dream."
Brandon jumps up, reaches across the table, extends his hand, Treena hers. “I’m Brandon."
Treena, very shy, answers, “Treena."
All three men inspect the women. Four little girls giggle at the end of the table. The women shoot glances, many look down, others whisper.
“Most of the women have never been with a man, they’re very shy." Arianna says. “But...we need children."
Brandon smiles at Treena. “Isn’t this just a great match, I need women."
Derek stares down at the table. “We lost our friend in the storm."
Arianna replies, “Yes, I know. I am sorry."
“It doesn’t seem right without him, he’s, he’s one of us." Derek opines.
“And what would Sean do if it were one of us that was lost at sea and not him?" Kyle asks.
Derek nods. “Yeah, I know. Hell, who knows, after what I've seen, he may still be alive."
Kyle holds up an old pirate knife handle, changes his voice. “Anything is possible in the magical land of mermaids."
Arianna stands. “Enjoy your dinner, we’ll show you our wonders of the sea tomorrow."
Back on Erato Island, Sean sits at a dinner table, set up
similar to the mermaids. They eat dolphin. Nemeritias sits at the head of the table, Chiron next to her, opposite Sean.
Steven, Australian, and Seth, rugged, early thirties, attend to the group. Everyone eats in a tense silence until Nemeritias speaks.
‘My daughter Chiron, has never been with a man. She has not yet b
een ‘changed’."
Sean stops, glances up from his food. “Changed how?"
“She does not yet have our powers, she has, say, more human traits, weaker in mind, in body."
Sean mocks. “Human traits...what a burden!"
Nemeritias snaps back, “We did not choose to be who we are, just as a shark or a snake did not choose what they are, as you did not choose who you are." she calms down. “That choice was made long ago, by our Gods, and I cannot change that. We are all creatures of our Gods."
Sean asks, “Okay, what does that have to do with me?"
“I have been waiting for many moon cycles to find the right man for Chiron. Many men have come but, I never felt a connection, a powerful draw, to any of them."
Sean shrugs his shoulders. “Okay, so what does that have to do with me? What’s your point?"
“My point is you are like Chiron’s father when he came...insolent, defiant, abrasive."
"So you find those traits ‘attractive’?"
Nemeritias glares at Sean. "I find those traits obnoxious. But it shows a defiant side of you not common in most men."
"Bout time I was appreciated."
Nemeritias pauses, stares. "I want you to be the one."
Sean, confused, asks, "The one what?"
"The one who gives my daughter a child."
"WHOAA! Me? I was just kidding, I’m nothing special, I don’t have rich parents, I don’t know who my ancestors were. Hell, I don’t even have a job. I’m not the one for this."
"I’m not asking you."
"Seriously, I have an itch". he points. "Down there. I’m a bank robber, I snore. I can make a list."
"Seven cycles from tonight, you will lie with my daughter. Until then, you and Chiron will...bond. She will show you our island, reveal our culture." she pauses. "Seven cycles Sean."
Chiron stares down at her food as she picks at it. Sean stares at her. Slow, she looks up, they lock eyes.
CHAPTER ELEVEN