Open seas make me so afraid. The heavy waves clawed and clasped at the sides of my boat. Their liquid masses viscously rocked the vessel’s wooden body like two rabid wolves violently tugging back and forth on the broken flesh of their prey. The waters crashed over the sides and their fluid bodies slithered across the deck. Blistered and raw, the tissues of my palms held firm against the straining helm. Waves gnawed at the bowsprit and forced their weight down upon the ship’s prow as the wind’s invisible termite-like hunger attacked the forestay and beat the cloth sails. I was searching for something. A siren they called her. Though senseless, I was irresistibly drawn back to this forbidden legend of the sea. Perhaps it was the mystery, or perhaps the uncertain reward I might receive if I finally came to shore. All I knew was that I wanted her. I had done this before, but I had resisted the allure of her call—and in return, had faced only a lifetime of regret. But this time, she tore apart both my reason and concerns of consequence. I was willing to sacrifice everything to have her take me back.  

Trouble waits for a victim. A deep growl rumbled in the storm’s gravelly throat. The sky bared its teeth as lightning struck the nearby raging waters. An angry flash, as dark grey liquid absorbed the light. The ship rattled while struggling to ride the rolling waves. The vessel’s nose suddenly dipped straight down, and my feet began to slip. I tried valiantly to cling to the helm, but the slick tendrils of water pulled me down. The ship bowed in submission to nature’s command. It would do anything that was demanded of it. Water flooded the deck and painted its hands over my uniform. I gargled as the water suffocated me. The ship’s bow rose once more, and the water slipped away. I sharply inhaled but caustic remnants of the sea burned my throat and corroded my lungs. I expelled a vile mucus onto the deck as flurries of rain transformed into a monsoon. Maybe it was a warning. I dragged my drenched and shivering body over to the mast. The sea was trying to keep me away. I grabbed the ropes that wrapped its trunk and pulled my beaten body upwards. Perhaps I had made a mistake. Open seas make me so afraid.  

 The orchestra in the sky clashed its clamorous warning once again--yet at that moment there was a change. My name had been remembered, engraved deeply into the water’s eternal memory. The storm’s perpetual motion halted, as the waters and winds grew silent. It was then that I remembered why I was alone, out here on this worn-out vessel. A frigid wind blew in from behind me, calling with an irresistible, whisper-like voice. It urged me to turn around. It wanted me to know that I was no longer alone. But the ocean had done this before. It would whisper its siren song to anyone who came along. The ambiguity between a genuine love song and a deceptive curse challenged my senses. Should I surrender everything to be her chosen sailor? She could say anything to me, and I would blindly obey--just to have her back.  
I found myself standing on the stern once more. The song’s beauty was forbidden, and her existence was untouchable. She had torn apart the waters for me as she now tore apart my plans. She was after me. She had total control, and I had willingly given it to her. My hands reached unconsciously for the helm, and I couldn’t stop them--I’m coming to shore. I heeded her command as the ship sharply turned—only to shudder to a crashing halt. The deck split in half as the mast was sheared from its mooring. Only her voice remained--taking me back and tearing me apart. The sails tangled, strangling the mast, as the old wooden bones creaked and slowly began to crack. Still, she refused to let me go. I had made a mistake coming back to her. She was an irredeemable temptress that promised everything but gave nothing in return. An enchanting legend that had drowned me in her liquid voice. She held my head underwater and I faintly heard my life’s protest, as her echoing voice lulled me off to sleep. I was her chosen sailor, and she tore me apart.  
I was the chosen sailor, but I missed my mark.