"Sirens" by Lydia Cruce

Prose Fiction - Grapevine, Winter 24/25 Issue

She is nowhere to be found.

I search the ground of gold and crimson leaves for footprints, but it is useless. The sun is setting now, casting both me and Peri in a deep shadow. I hear the loons ahead of us, their deep, mournful cries reflecting across the lake. Water splashes as they float along, their wails growing louder as they call to one another, as if asking, “Where are you?” The same question echoes in my mind, over and over.

 A twig snaps behind me, and I whirl around just to see Peri staring back at me.

“Nothing,” I tell them. 

“How could she just disappear like that?” Peri asks, fidgeting with the hem of their charcoal-gray shirt. “How could she get this lost?”

“You know how distracted she gets,” I tell them, keeping my voice steady. One of us has to remain calm. “I’m sure she isn’t far. We just have to keep looking.”

“I don’t know, Vy… maybe we should turn back. I’m getting a bad feeling about this,” Peri mutters.

“And leave her? What if she’s wandering around in these woods somewhere?” I hiss. “I know it probably isn’t the smartest idea getting so far from camp, and we’ll make sure to heed everyone’s warnings about coming out here next time. Lesson learned. But we can’t—” Peri places a finger to my lips, stopping me mid-sentence. I turn to them, their eyes wide in fear, their fingers clutching my wrist. 

It’s almost impossible to hear their near-silent whisper. “We’re not alone.”

My heart stops as I freeze, listening. Waiting. The only sounds I hear are the loons in the distance and the rustling of leaves. Then, the snap of a twig. Peri’s grip around my wrist tightens so unbearably I wince, and now I really hear my heartbeat — so loud, in fact, I think everyone in the world can hear it. I try to slow my breathing, but it’s no use. So much for remaining calm — the short, quick intakes of breath give me away. 

Unable to bear it any longer, I shout, “Who’s there?”

Finally, someone emerges from the brush. A tall, unshaven man with messy brown hair takes a step towards us, causing us to scramble back out of his way. 

“H-hello?” Peri asks, their voice quivering uncontrollably. My palms are clammy, and I tell myself to calm down. Maybe this man can show us the way back to camp. 

The man doesn’t respond. “Hello?” I wave my hand at him. No response. Now that I take a closer glance at him, there is something off about the look in his eyes… they are clouded over, and he seems distant, even though he is right in front of us. My heartbeat picks up: Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Something tells me this man is not here to help us.

“Sir, can you hear me?” I ask the man. He continues to walk forward, passing us and trekking through a cluster of trees. Heading straight for the lake.

“W-where are you going?” Peri sputters.

The man still doesn’t respond, only getting closer to the water. Slowly, I trail after him. Peri wrenches their hand from my wrist, whispering, “What are you doing? Why are you following him?”

“I have to know where he’s going,” I reply. “You can stay here if you want. I’ll be back in a second.”

“No, no, no,” Peri shakes their head rapidly, causing their short black hair to fly in their face. “I don’t want to end up like Nara.”

Our friend’s name sends a shiver down my spine, but I don’t stop as they scramble to catch up. The man is a few feet ahead of us, his feet almost touching the water. Why is he going in?

The high-pitched wails of the loons pierce my ears, and I raise my hands to cover them. Before I can do so, Peri mutters, “The loons. Where are they?”

I turn back to the lake and scan the area. It’s true; there are no loons in sight. “Then…” I murmur, “what are we hearing?”

My thought process is forced to an abrupt halt when I spot the man stepping into the lake. “Hey!” I yell. “What are you doing? It’s freezing!”

He still doesn’t seem to hear me. He wades deeper into the water as Peri and I watch him, completely and utterly perplexed. Who would want to go swimming in this weather? It can’t be above forty-five degrees outside, which isn’t surprising for Minnesota in late October. It’s dangerous to swim now, so what in the world is he thinking?

We watch as he sinks deeper, and it feels as though we are watching a man die right in front of us. He is slowly consumed by the water – first his chest, shoulders, then neck, until his head is submerged. I gasp, and Peri grips my arm so tightly it leaves white finger marks on my skin. 

Everything is frozen as we wait for him to come back up. I don’t think I take a single breath. The minutes stretch on, seeming endless.

He never rises.

“He’s gone,” I whisper.

“Where did he go?” Peri cries. “Is he dead?”

“Maybe he came up on the other side and we missed it,” I reason. “It’s hard to see now that the sun is setting. He probably—”

A sharp, blood-curdling scream erupts near us, stabbing me like a knife. I feel myself pale as I look over at Peri. I know that voice. We know that voice.

“Nara,” we say in sync.

“Nara!” Peri calls. “Where are you? We’re coming!”

The only response we get is another agonized scream.

“Nara! We’re coming! You’re going to be okay!” I yell as Peri and I burst forward in a run, trying to find the source of the sound. 

There’s another scream, and I feel tears prick my eyes. I can’t imagine what is happening to her to cause her to scream like that. I propel myself forward farther with every step, determination coursing through my veins.

“The lake!” Peri calls over to me. “She’s in the lake!”

I freeze. “What did you say?”

Peri keeps running towards the water. “She’s in the lake, she’s got to be! That’s where the sound is coming from!”

In just a few seconds, the realization settles in. “Peri!” I scream. I try to dash after them, but the rocky beach and darkness aren’t a good combination. I almost trip over my own feet, but that action thrusts me forward just enough that I can yank on Peri’s sleeve. “Look at me,” I demand. I turn their shoulders so I can see their eyes. Just like I thought, the once-rich brown is now clouded over, like a heavy fog taking over a bright blue sky.

“Listen to me,” I order, but Peri is already trying to scramble out of my grasp. “Listen. She’s not in the lake. We can’t go in there, or else we’ll end up like that man. You were right, we need to turn back.”

“Nara,” Peri mutters.

“Yes, Nara,” I reply. “I’m sure she is already back at camp, waiting for us. Let’s head back, all right?”

“Okay,” Peri says, nodding numbly. “Okay.”

Slowly, I release my grip. That was a grave mistake. Peri immediately makes a break for it, dashing into the lake before I can stop them again. I scream as their head disappears underwater. 

This has to be some sort of nightmare, right? I think. This can’t really be happening. These creatures that have corrupted my friends’ minds don’t really exist. I will wake up back in our RV with Peri and Nara sleeping soundly nearby, our parents in the other RV next to us. I won’t have to explain this insane situation to them; I won’t have to tell them how their children disappeared.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a flash of pale color. A hand reaches out of the water, flailing about. Peri’s hand. It looks frantic, like they are trying desperately to get to the surface and return to shore.

“Peri!” I yell. “I’m coming! Hold on!”

I stretch my hand out, trying and failing to reach Peri’s. I realize then that the only way I can reach them is by taking a step into the lake. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts: Is it worth it to step in? No, no, of course it is! One step won’t hurt me. And if I miss the chance to save Peri’s life, I will never forgive myself. 

Once my mind is settled, I slowly take a small step into the water and reach for Peri again. After still failing to reach their pleading hand, I take another. Finally, I feel my fingers brush theirs, until they latch together.

The hand pulls me forcefully underwater.

I scream, sucking in buckets of water that only make me cough profusely. My lungs burn like a fire is raging inside them — I feel like I’m dying. I am dying. My heartbeat roars in my head: ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum. I kick furiously with my legs and try to yank my arm free from this hand, but another joins it. Several more grab my legs, and I feel sharp claws dig into my skin. Squeezing my eyes tight, I use everything in me to try to push myself up, but it is no use. I am sinking.

All around me, I hear the Sirens scream.