The Siren's Daughter, Part 6 (v1)

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Ever since that day, I had given up hope. I came to accept the fact that no one would save me from the nightmare that had become my life. Shrouded in darkness for so long, I began to fear the light, as it only ever meant one thing. No longer did I resist. No longer did I beg for mercy. Ever since that day, I would just lie there. No longer did I care about being cold. No longer did I care for the scarce scraps of food he would give me. I only ate when the hunger became unbearable. No longer did I care for my life, as my life had become nothing but a living nightmare.

In time, he finished inscribing me with his knife. Clyde’s family emblem glistened with fresh blood on my chest as I lay on the floor in the lantern’s glow. He grinned with content at his work, as it forever labeled me as his property. But I no longer cared. Despite the fact that he would often accidentally leave the basement key behind, I no longer had the energy to escape. I had given up hope.

Sometimes Clyde would talk to me at night, usually when he gave me his remaining scraps. I never cared to listen to what he had to say. It was often mindless droning, or ranting about how things never go his way, and every time I listened, I felt nothing but frustration toward my situation. However, one night was different.

“Sometimes I wonder just how popular you would have been if you followed in your mother’s footsteps. Given your lineage, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were more popular than even she was.”

For the first time in what felt like months, words came out of my mouth rather than sobs or screams. My voice sounded so weak and strained that I wasn’t even sure if I was speaking. “My…mother?”

An awkward look struck his face. He smiled a happy, yet sad smile as he became lost in his memories. “Jasmine was really something special. She was the first person to really make me feel happy. She was like the eye of a storm—the prize at the end of a race. I went to Heaven’s Perch every night to enjoy her company and listen to her sing.”

At the time, I only knew that Heaven’s Perch was the place that my sister used to work at. But that was when it all began to make sense. I didn’t want to believe it. All I had known was that Mother and Cassie used to dance at Heaven’s Perch. I cringed at the thought of learning what they have hidden from me. Sadly, it came.

“But after she died I didn’t know what to do,” he continued. “She kept me going; kept my spirits up. Luckily, Cassandra came along about a year after. She made me forget all about Jasmine. I thought Jasmine was something, but wow, Cassandra was amazing. She would make me feel like I were the only person in her life. Just seeing her made me smile, and being with her was absolute bliss.”

Clyde sat on the crate near me as he continued. “She would always greet me with a smile, and I would tell her stories. She always loved my stories. Normally the women at Heaven’s Perch wouldn’t work overtime outside of the tavern, but Cassandra did. A few nights out of the week she would come back home with me, sometimes until morning. Waking up next to her felt…right.”

Clyde shook his head and clenched his hands. “Then one night I decided to confess my love to her. I asked for her to stay with me, and told her that I would take care of both you and her, but she panicked and tried to run away.” I could feel him look down at me, as if I would reply. “Why would she try to run away? We were perfect together. Why didn’t she want to stay?”

Emotions I had forgotten in the endless darkness began to seep back into me as Clyde continued. “I didn’t want to lose someone so dear to me yet again. I had to take control. If I let Cassandra run out that day, she would have never talked to me again. She should have never tried to run away. I didn’t want to have to force her to stay, but I didn’t know what else to do. She should have never tried to run away.”

His voice began to tremble as he fought back tears. “Every day she would beg me to let her go. Every day she would try to run away. I kept getting more and more frustrated…I didn’t want to. I swear…I didn’t want to.” He punched the wall, splitting the wood. “We were perfect together! She should have never tried to run away…”

Anger and sadness ate away at me as he walked out of the basement. The reason my sister was missing…the reason she was dead…it was all because of him. She didn’t do anything wrong. She never hurt anyone. She was the kindest person I knew. And yet—. That was when I made up my mind. I had to escape. I had to make Clyde pay for everything he had done. No longer was I just going to lie there and let him use me as he pleased.



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