A Song of Death and Desire (The Sirens of Witches Cove)

51. Epilogue

Epilogue

Rylan Thorn

I sit in front of my laptop and wait impatiently for the images to upload from my camera. I know what I saw. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I saw it with my own eyes and now I need to share it with the world.

I’ve known for a while that there is something odd happening in Witches Cove. The amount of people going missing at sea with no apparent explanation is something I just can’t accept. I would understand if these people all disappeared in a storm or if the boats are all found damaged in some way. But that’s not the case. Some victims have disappeared in clear skies and still waters and there are times when the boats have been found perfectly intact. It doesn’t add up and it surprises me that the people of Witches Cove aren’t asking more questions. My suspicions became stronger when people started to go missing from land as well. There’s some shady shit going on here.

I’ve always wanted to be a journalist, but not the kind who writes fluff pieces. No. I want to be one who writes groundbreaking stories, the ones that change people’s perception of the world. And I want to discover what happened to my friend Declan. Despite what the authorities have said, I know that he didn’t drown himself. Something else was going on. He was haunted by something. Something made him drawn to the ocean over and over again. I’ve been determined ever since to avenge his death and expose the real story. And Witches Cove is the lead that I needed.

Once the photos have been uploaded, I start to flick through them one at a time, my grin growing at the marvel that I had captured.

I don’t know how it happened; I must have just been in the right place at the right time. I’ve been hanging around the beach recently, walking up and down, exploring hidden coves and looking for anything out of the ordinary. A few days ago, I went for a walk in a smaller cove that is rarely occupied. As I was about to leave some people arrived. I’m not sure why but something prompted me to hide behind a rock.

It looked like the four people were having some kind of tearful goodbye. I felt uncomfortable intruding on this private moment. But then… then one of the women undressed and walked into the ocean.

I watched in shock, stifling a gasp as she changed before my eyes, her legs becoming a tail and sharp spikes protruding from her back. I scrambled with my camera that I always have on me and took a few quick photos, not pausing to worry about settings or focus. In moments, the woman no longer resembled a human and she dove into the water and didn't return.

On the laptop in front of me is a clear photo of what I witnessed.

A mermaid.

This story is going to change the world, and I will keep investigating until there is no doubt in anyone's mind that the supernatural exists. I’m certain that this is the creature responsible for what happened to Declan and I’m going to make sure that they will never be able to do anything like this again. I close my computer and start formulating my plan.