Username: Fabro
Prompt: Fishermen's Fiends
Entry: Sirenarum
They call him Sirenarum and Kieran doesn't know why. It's not that he doesn't know what the word means- he's studied Latin, like any other sailor. No, what he doesn't understand is what warrants him the name 'of the sirens'.
It's confusing. He's never seen one himself, but he's heard the reports of the scaled beasts that lurk in the depths of the sea. They have large sunken eyes and a gaping maw of fangs. They call out in raspy voices, singing a haunting melody that promises love and happiness and everything one can desire.
This is what he's been told. Kieran has never seen a siren, and nor does he want to.
He doesn't get a choice.
The storm hits out of nowhere. Waves lash out, sweeping over the ship and pulling men down with them. Lightning crackles and the shockwaves from the thunder nearly split Kieran's eardrums. The storm is right overhead.
He's flinging rainwater from his eyes when he's seized by the arms and thrown in the middle of the ring of crew members. They scowl down at him and a foreboding feeling settles in his chest.
"It's him!" shrieks a sailor. "It's the Sirenarum!"
"He's brought this storm upon us with his ill luck!" the second-mate shouts.
Then the mass of sailors descends on him, and Kieran screams. He kicks out, tries to scramble away, but it's no use. Ropes wrap around his ankles and burn into his skin.
"I told you it was bad luck to keep the child on board! Boys born on the sea always bring bad omens!"
He was born aboard the ship during a storm, not unlike the one threatening to sink it now. The sea was seething that day. Waves rocked the ship and rain poured down in torrents. He's been told countless times of how his mother was swept overboard, how she fell into the raging sea.
Now he wonders if even this is true.
"Like mother, like son!" roars a crew member, hoisting Kieran onto his shoulder. He carries him like a sack of potatoes to the edge of the ship, seizing the railing to keep himself steady.
Kieran sobs, still struggling to free himself. He knows it won't happen. He can feel the security of the knots and knows that he is about to die.
The water knocks his breath out upon impact. He gasps in a mouthful of water and chokes. Which way is up and which way is down? He wriggles, hoping, praying to break the surface and save his burning lungs.
He blinks again, and there is a woman before him. Her wrists bear the scars of rope and the scaly fish tail trailing beneath her is ragged and torn. She seems so sad, and Kieran suddenly knows who she is.
She stretches out her hand, and her voice is raspy and raw from the salty water.
"Come to me, my son."
They call him Sirenarum, and now he realizes why.
Username: Fabro
Prompt: Fishermen's Fiends
Entry: Sirenarum
They call him Sirenarum and Kieran doesn't know why. It's not that he doesn't know what the word means- he's studied Latin, like any other sailor. No, what he doesn't understand is what warrants him the name 'of the sirens'.
It's confusing. He's never seen one himself, but he's heard the reports of the scaled beasts that lurk in the depths of the sea. They have large sunken eyes and a gaping maw of fangs. They call out in raspy voices, singing a haunting melody that promises love and happiness and everything one can desire.
This is what he's been told. Kieran has never seen a siren, and nor does he want to.
He doesn't get a choice.
The storm hits out of nowhere. Waves lash out, sweeping over the ship and pulling men down with them. Lightning crackles and the shockwaves from the thunder nearly split Kieran's eardrums. The storm is right overhead.
He's flinging rainwater from his eyes when he's seized by the arms and thrown in the middle of the ring of crew members. They scowl down at him and a foreboding feeling settles in his chest.
"It's him!" shrieks a sailor. "It's the Sirenarum!"
"He's brought this storm upon us with his ill luck!" the second-mate shouts.
Then the mass of sailors descends on him, and Kieran screams. He kicks out, tries to scramble away, but it's no use. Ropes wrap around his ankles and burn into his skin.
"I told you it was bad luck to keep the child on board! Boys born on the sea always bring bad omens!"
He was born aboard the ship during a storm, not unlike the one threatening to sink it now. The sea was seething that day. Waves rocked the ship and rain poured down in torrents. He's been told countless times of how his mother was swept overboard, how she fell into the raging sea.
Now he wonders if even this is true.
"Like mother, like son!" roars a crew member, hoisting Kieran onto his shoulder. He carries him like a sack of potatoes to the edge of the ship, seizing the railing to keep himself steady.
Kieran sobs, still struggling to free himself. He knows it won't happen. He can feel the security of the knots and knows that he is about to die.
The water knocks his breath out upon impact. He gasps in a mouthful of water and chokes. Which way is up and which way is down? He wriggles, hoping, praying to break the surface and save his burning lungs.
He blinks again, and there is a woman before him. Her wrists bear the scars of rope and the scaly fish tail trailing beneath her is ragged and torn. She seems so sad, and Kieran suddenly knows who she is.
She stretches out her hand, and her voice is raspy and raw from the salty water.
"Come to me, my son."
They call him Sirenarum, and now he realizes why.
@
Hydria HA! No, I was waiting for a ping such as this. xD
Update: I've started reviewing! So far, no one has fewer than three shells.
(Get it? Shells instead of stars? :D )
@
Hydria HA! No, I was waiting for a ping such as this. xD
Update: I've started reviewing! So far, no one has fewer than three shells.
(Get it? Shells instead of stars? :D )
I'm nearly done judging!
@
Hydria Will you ping me after the deadline so I can ensure that I've graded everyone's entries? (Dank je wel!)
I'm nearly done judging!
@
Hydria Will you ping me after the deadline so I can ensure that I've graded everyone's entries? (Dank je wel!)
@
WitchyWriter Sure! And there isn't a particular deadline for judges besides "decide winners hopefully within the week after WaveSat" so take your time~
Also you missed the perfect opportunity for a great pun instead of shells: seastars/starfish
@
WitchyWriter Sure! And there isn't a particular deadline for judges besides "decide winners hopefully within the week after WaveSat" so take your time~
Also you missed the perfect opportunity for a great pun instead of shells: seastars/starfish
@
Hydria
I'm unsure of how we're judging? Are we deciding faves in each category? Or awarding points out of ten?
@
Hydria
I'm unsure of how we're judging? Are we deciding faves in each category? Or awarding points out of ten?
@
Bibliomancer Yeah sorry, I'm not the best at this >>;
Alright, what I had in mind is basically picking your favorites, though WitchyWriter decided they wanted to award points (feel free to do that if you want, but it's not at all necessary)
@
Bibliomancer Yeah sorry, I'm not the best at this >>;
Alright, what I had in mind is basically picking your favorites, though WitchyWriter decided they wanted to award points (feel free to do that if you want, but it's not at all necessary)
@
Bibliomancer Not points--instead of 1-5 stars, I'm rating everyone 1-5 shells.
I finally get Hydria's comment on missing my chance for starfish. Oops! xD
In a google doc (to which Hydria has the link), I'm writing the title, the artist and posting a picture of how many shells the piece received.
I'm done grading the pieces through where they've been posted on the front page (even andreaissy's fiends piece, which was missed), and I'll come back Sunday or Monday to finish rating the final submissions.
@
Bibliomancer Not points--instead of 1-5 stars, I'm rating everyone 1-5 shells.
I finally get Hydria's comment on missing my chance for starfish. Oops! xD
In a google doc (to which Hydria has the link), I'm writing the title, the artist and posting a picture of how many shells the piece received.
I'm done grading the pieces through where they've been posted on the front page (even andreaissy's fiends piece, which was missed), and I'll come back Sunday or Monday to finish rating the final submissions.
@
WitchyWriter Ah heck. I could've sworn I got that one... Thanks for mentioning it ;p
@
WitchyWriter Ah heck. I could've sworn I got that one... Thanks for mentioning it ;p
