Cornish Waters by Rebecca Penfold

Music thumped loudly from the large speakers sitting beneath the colourful flashing lights illuminating the dark beach. The summer sun had fallen hours ago but its warmth lingered stubbornly. The moon, full and bright, gazed down from its low height over the wide-open sea to the east, stars decorating the darkness with their flaming glow. Young bodies moved together on the warm sand, their shouting and music easily heard from beyond the beach.

A pair danced near the edge of the party, the girl’s small hands grasped the front of the boy’s red flannel shirt to drag him down, pressing her ruby painted lips against his. She tasted like rum; the strong alcohol sat sweet on her tongue. His taste was not as pleasant, beer and cigarette smoke strong and harsh on his lips.

Pulling away, her hands found his, beaming mischievously up at him as she tugged him away from the party. With a giggle and a cheeky grin, she spun to look at him, releasing his hand before turning and running toward the rock pools at the far side of the beach. She led him far from the crowd, red hair flowing behind her as she playfully called his name, beckoning the young man to keep up.

Climbing up over large black rocks, the slippery surface covered in painful limpet shells and deadly seaweed. The young man moved slowly and cautiously, eyes toward his unsteady feet, careful not to hurt himself. The city boy’s heart hammered in his ears and he glanced up at her only briefly as she called his name. She was far ahead of him but still he could not bring himself to go any faster, too afraid he would slip. The girl, however, did not share in his concern, bounding up and over the rocks fearlessly. Dodging sharp pools of glistening water in an enticing display of agility and a familiarity the boy didn’t notice.

His feet finally met the sand on the other side, the irritating specks sticking sharply into the gaps of his toes as he looked around for his flaming haired leader, but she was nowhere to be seen. Something dove at him from behind, long arms latching around his neck without warning as a heavy weight landed on his back. Her soft lips met his stubbled cheek.

‘You’re so slow,’ she whispered, nipping his ear. His chuckle was warm as she jumped from his back, running off ahead of him toward the moon lit dock.

It wasn’t a proper dock, just an old wooden platform stretching out a dozen or so metres from the beach, built before the pair were born for small rowing boats, yet none were docked there any more.

She was standing at the very end smiling softly as she gazed out over the gently rippling water, long hair ruffling in the breeze. His strong arm encircled her waist as he pressed his lips to hers, his kiss needy and near desperate. His other hand met her cheek, thumb caressing it affectionately as her palms rest against his broad chest. Her hands fell to pull his shirt up over his head before tossing it aside.

Her hands ran up his bare chest, resting over his heart, the muscle beating franticly in his chest. Her finger trailed along his collar bone softly as she pulled away. He smiled down at her, caressing her waist as he leant in for another kiss. Her grin was all teeth, his breath brushing against her skin, excitement coursing through them. She pushed his chest, roughly sending him crashing into the water.

When he resurfaced, flicking thick wet locks of brown hair from his eyes, he beamed playfully up at her. He called her name as she stood above him, a dark silhouette at the end of the dock. Moonlight reflecting off of the water as it rippled softly around him and dripped from his soaked hair.

Something glimmered beneath the water, flecks of green and blue swimming through the blackness surrounding him before disappearing into the depths.

Something gripped his ankle, squeezing bruisingly as it dragged him downwards. The girl on the dock smiled. He kicked out, free foot connecting with something hard, the heavy water slowing and softening his panicked movements. His assailant did not have such troubles. Webbed fingers reaching up to tangle into his hair and another to his shoulder as the creature dragged its long powerful body up behind him. Rough lips and jagged teeth glided teasingly along his neck. His elbow shot back connecting with its ribs, causing it to shriek and push him away. Desperate for breath he struggled for the surface. He never made it.

The creature grasped him once again, dragging his thrashing body down, down, down. It watched as he slowly began to choke on water. The creature’s hair flowed around it like the golden rays of early morning sun. It rose up to meet his eyes. It blinked, lids closing from left to right and meeting in the centre of the deep clear pupils. A sparkle caught his attention from below and he looked down, mesmerised by its long powerful tail covered in stunning scales of blue and green with near see-through fins running down from its hips. The scales glinted in the low light as the creature’s tail swayed back and forth beneath it. Its long thin fingers reached out to caress the boy’s cheek, tilting his face up to meet its eyes and tangling into his hair. The stunning creature pulled him in, eyes like crystals, bright in the darkness. It lunged.

He choked again but this time the liquid filling his lungs was blood as the creature tore at his throat. Its sharp jagged teeth ripped and chewed his flesh as he struggled weakly, trapped in its unrelenting grip. It was over, whether by the siren’s teeth or the water in his lungs the boy fell motionless in its grasp. The siren, quite pleased, continued its meal in peace.

The girl on the surface hummed to herself, perched at the end of the dock, bare feet kicking gently back and forth in the dark water. She tilted her head back, bathing in the bright judgemental glare of the moon. A head broke through the surface of the water, eyes glowing in the dark. Her siren.

The monster swam toward the dock, pushing out of the water so that its scaled elbows rested on the damp wood beside her thigh. Flesh was trapped between its tiny dagger like teeth and blood smeared around its lips as it smiled sweetly up at her. Entranced as always, the girl leant down toward the siren, tasting the blood of its prey on its lips.

Words by Rebecca Penfold

Edited by Emily Gough