Pirate Prompt - "Deep Blue"

Aboard Captain Arventi’s ship, nothing could get by. All orders given by him were followed in an instant. No one dared defy him, except for his daughter Neomi Arventi. She was the best pirate of them all, aside from her father. Growing up in harsh conditions wasn’t easy, but it made her as tough as a nail. Her curly hair rested on her shoulders at all times. She had light brown skin and dark freckles. Her hazel eyes, with mostly green, popped out more than anything. The ship was named after Arventi’s precious daughter: the Noma. Any ship the girl spotted, she could have it. Any treasure she wanted, she could take it. This girl was a spoiled brat compared to each man on her deck. Although she was spoiled, she was tough. Being raised on a ship with about 20 men. It was always considered bad luck to bring a woman aboard, but this girl was no exception. The only thing she wasn’t allowed to do was enter the water. She could push as many men overboard that she wanted, but she couldn’t enter only because of the danger of sirens.

Sirens could sing and lead any person overboard. If a single buccaneer heard a siren, the ship was to be turned immediately. One would only dare to listen to the singing of a siren and escape its luring voice. They were beautiful, intelligent, and all in between. One could only dream of having a siren to himself without being drowned in the water below them. Captain Arventi’s worst nightmare was watching his daughter being lured down into the sea by the monsters, only for her to drown to her death.

On a dark night, the Captain had decided to set ashore for the night to take care of a few things for the ship. The ship had cast a shadow from the setting sun’s light as it slowly waded towards the coast of a nearby island. A gangplank was put down from the deck of the ship and onto the golden sand.

"You landlubbers o'er there!" Captain Arventi yelled. "Make yer'selves useful and make sure we have enough food to last us."

The few men standing on the damp sand nodded and scurried back onto the ship. Neomi walked down the gangplank with a hand on her hip. Her eyes scanned the island scenery. Sand at the coast and thick trees a few kilometers away. The night was cool. She stepped onto the sand and took a deep breath. She took a glance around at the men nearby. Her father had found a spot to start a fire. The crew members were either checking supplies or moving them.

Without hesitation, Neomi took off into the trees.

The wind flew through her hair. It had been so long since she could run a good distance. A grin covered her face as thin, low hanging tree branches hit her face. The freedom of being off that ship and away from all the men felt great.

In the distance, she could hear a waterfall. That meant water. Water meant swimming. It wasn’t out in the ocean, so where’s the harm? Neomi followed the sound of rushing water until she came across the waterfall. It was nothing huge, but it was big enough to need a pond at the end of it. Flora covered the place, almost as if it was its own room. Neoma stood at the edge of the still water and looked into it. Water droplets sprayed her face. It looked so relaxing and peaceful. She had to get into while her father wasn't nearby. She took her hat and boots off. The grass was wet, not soaked, nor muddy. She took her heavy coat off and glanced down at her shirt and pants. They could always dry after, so she kept them on. At the time, she wasn’t wearing her corset. It was less for her to worry about messing up; those things were not cheap. It had been so long since she was able to swim in natural water. Neomi pushed her curly hair out of her face, then jumped into the pond. It was much deeper than she thought. She resurfaced and took a deep breath. The girl leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

Suddenly something cold grabbed her ankle. Instant regret hit her like a truck. Neomi pulled herself out as quick as she could.her breathing became heavy and her eyes were darting around the water. Nothing. She sighed deeply then decided to put her things back on. She wrung the water out of her hair and put her hat and coat on. Her eyes scanned the area briefly before she shoved her feet back into her boots. Behind her, a pair of eyes surfaced. They were a bright blue color. Neomi began to walk off, but something stopped her. Someone was talking- no, someone was singing to her. Was it a single voice? Multiple? Neomi couldn't tell. Her mind went completely blank. She turned to the water and looked directly at the eyes. They pierced into hers as the voice kept filling her head. The grass, the trees, even the water disappeared around them.

A force reeled her in, and she couldn’t stop herself. The being stood up completely. The figure first looked like a woman...then it turned into a man. A man too handsome to look away from. He was irresistible… He became a need. Neomi jumped out to take him for herself. She became ice cold in an instant. Her lungs started burning deeply. The farther she reached out, the farther the being went. Finally, it stopped. It held a hand out to Neomi. She couldn’t control herself and only reached for it. Once they touched, the being’s figure changed. It became monster-like.

It was too late when Neomi saw this nightmare. The surface was far for her to swim without oxygen. This pond wasn’t an ordinary pond. It had a much deeper end.