Love is a Dangerous Game

The Ocean's Tea (8)

“So, Lorelai. That’s quite an extraordinary name. Where does it originate?” Lawrence’s stepmother, Kathy, asked me.

I cleared my throat and Lawrence looked to me. His expression read, “Don’t worry. They’ll love you. You’ll get the life you really deserve.” I turned to her and smiled sweetly. “It - It originates from Germany, actually. It means,” I cleared my throat again.”It means temptress.” I rubbed my hands together, and could feel the sweat forming.

“Hmm, temptress.” She paused. “How… fascinating.”

“I hear you live with your aunt,” His father asked. “How do you like it?”

“Well, my aunt lives on the coast to the north. It’s far from here. She has her flaws,” I ducked my head, “But is very kind. She has good intentions for me.” I had to hold myself back from biting my nails.

“The coast… near rocks?” Kathy inquired with much interest. Lawrence grabbed my hand underneath the table. I turned to him, and fear shone in my eyes.

“Well, yes, mother.” He replied. “Her aunt lives in a beach house, right next to the ocean.”

“That’s fun-” His father began.

“Let me ask this.” Kathy challenged. “Are you two somewhat… of an item?” I could see Kathy was pressuring us into telling the truth. Did she know I was a siren as well? Lawrence had explained that his dad practically drooled all over her…

“We’re just friends.” I whispered. I then quickly added, “Ma’am.” The next few moments happened so quickly, It’s horrifying to explain.

His stepmother waved her hand at Lawrence’s father and said, “Oh, please.” Immediately, his once friendly eyes appeared to be glassy, distant. His body froze and crystallized slowly. She cackled at us. I remember squeezing Lawrence’s hand harder than ever before. He glanced at me worriedly. She stood and pushed the table out of her way. The pot shattered and tea spilled all over the carpet. She threw off her long scarf, showing her revealing red dress. Her gray hair grew over her shoulders as a dark brown, almost resembling Lawrence’s dirty blonde. We stood, still grasping each other. She grew taller, and looked ten times younger. Was she…?

“You’re in love.” She cackled eerily again. “Sweet, desperate, Idiotic, love.” She paused and stared at us intently. “You’re both fools! Lorelai, dear, you thought you could live happily with this boy?” She gestured to him. “You’re a siren, I’m afraid! You slave for the ocean until your very last breath. In captivity and torment. Love does not exist for a siren! Only an unfortunate human, like yourself, Lawrence.” She spat. We stood in complete shock and disbelief. I thought for sure Lawrence would let go of my hand and turn away… but he pulled me closer, shielding me from his so called stepmother.

“How dare you speak to her like that?! Not all sirens are like you! Not all are conniving, bloodthirsty souls! She may have the unfortunate fate of slaving for the ocean, but we found each other, and we will live a happy life.” He pushed me behind him. “So, stay away from her.”

“Lawrence-” My scratchy voice gasped.

“No, Lorelai.” He whispered to me.

“Lawrence!” I shrieked. My feet had left the ground, and I could feel my body was getting surrounded by waves of water. Kathy was speaking to me through the agitated ocean. “No…” I whispered to myself. She had found out. I would lose Lawrence… because I couldn’t control myself over an incredibly terrible feeling… LOVE. Why was I so vulnerable to something I knew I wasn’t allowed to experience? Why did I act so idiotically? Why did I love this boy so that I would sacrifice his life? I was a fool…

However, that’s when I remembered my aunt gave me the shell for If I were to encounter danger. Even if I were to risk never seeing Lawrence again… he’d get to live.

So, I took the shell out of my pocket with difficulty while floating in the air still, and tapped it twice. Immediately, a purple and gold light shone throughout the room. It blinded Lawrences stepmother, making her trip over a chair, falling over. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop her. She continued marching towards us, chanting gurgled words. It’s like she was a black hole. The wind blew Lawrence over into the corner of the room, making it easier for the whirlwind of Kathy’s voice to pull me closer. The purple glow still lit up the room, but nothing occured.

Then Kathy said, “You’re a fool, Lorelai.”

“Lorelai!” Lawrence yelled. She turned to him, and with a jerk of her hand, covered his mouth and tied up his arms with what looked like seaweed. I shrieked.

“You’re both unfortunate.” Kathy’s voice sounded gurgled, and wasn’t as high-pitched as before. The ocean began taking over her body entirely. Her nice day dress transformed into a very elegant blue dress, and, of course, she was her siren self now. A shell necklace of her own appeared around her neck, a navy blue eery color. Her mouth widened, and the oceans waves floated out. Her arms and hair turned white and blue.

How long had she served as a siren? What was happening to her body? When a siren normally transforms, they become the Ocean’s children entirely… but not the ocean herself.

When the ocean’s substitute arms had made their way around my neck, a blinding light shone throughout the room, and my aunt appeared behind Kathy. She too had transformed before she arrived. I was still in the air, and my head was pushed up too far. She clasped her hands around me and I couldn’t breath.

Lawrence still sat, vulnerable and broken. I was an i***t to think that loving this boy would mean security. I would only invite danger into his life. I thought I could outsmart the ocean and see Lawrence again, even if we were to say goodbye forever… Of course I was wrong.

I recall our previous conversation:

I’m sorry! I should’ve never hurt you.”

“Lorelai… It’s okay. You won’t hurt me. If you’ll let me, I’ll love you despite your flaws until the day I die…….. Anything is possible when It comes to love.”

“But Lawrence, I don’t want to hurt you. I can’t. I’ll never forgive myself.”

“You won’t hurt me. You and I are meant to be together, I know it! We’ll find a house on the outskirts of town.” He stood and grabbed my hands again, pulling me up with him. “During your transformations, You can live with your aunt, then return to me.”

“It’s not that easy, Lawrence.”

“You’re with me know, aren’t you?”

“Lawrence… If the ocean were to find out… She’d kill us both! It’s not that easy.”

“Well, I’m willing to risk it. Please, Lorelai. I can’t lose you.”

The ocean’s raging waves made their way into my mouth and down my throat, filling up my lungs slowly, enjoying my suffering. I was no longer choking. Here I was, floating in Lawrence’s parlor, frozen in the air, with him off to the side helpless, dying slowly in the ocean’s grasp. Time stood still as I payed the despicable price for my stupid actions.

All of a sudden, my aunt came up from behind what used to be Kathy, kicking her down. She pounced onto Lawrence’s stepmother, turning her over and holding her wrists. The watery veins drained out of her arms and face. I fell onto the ground, holding my throat tenderly and coughing everything up I’ve been able to hold in my stomach from the past few days. The ocean lost all connection with us, three broken, evil sirens… who would never experience real love. I realized even Kathy had her husband underneath her magic, either to protect him, or to benefit her own well being. My aunt had had brief affairs in the past, but does that count as real love? No. And I didn’t last long with mine. I looked up to my aunt, who was climbing off Kathy when she began coughing up water too. She hurled on the ground as well, probably in worse conditions than I was, seeing as she practically became the ocean for a moment.

I hated the ocean. I hated my sentence, I hated my life. I hated myself. Let the ocean kill me, I thought.

The seaweed wrapped around Lawrence came undone and slithered away, out the door, towards the ocean. After everything left my stomach, I held my legs to my chest, and cried. Lawrence risked walking over to me cautiously. He sat down beside me, and put his arms around me. We sat for a while, staring at the floor. No one spoke. Everyone was in so much disbelief, when my aunt spoke, the air warmed up.

“Lorelai.” She crossed her arms in disappointment. “What happened?”

I looked up slowly. “I thought I could live a life with love…” I choked, “I thought Lawrence and I would make it. But-” Tears fell down my face rapidly now, “The ocean found me. She took over Kathy’s body… trapped Lawrence… I nearly drowned. But even that would’ve shown me mercy…”

I ducked my head, and my voice trailed off as I buried my face in my hands. Then silence filled the room. Kathy and Faith began cleaning up, and rousing Lawrence’s father. He held me and whispered, “I’m sorry..” I could hear he was struggling with words too. “I thought I could give you happiness.” He paused for a moment, then continued and said more quietly, “The life you deserved. But I didn’t listen, I - I forced you into this… I’m sorry.” He squeezed me once, then turned and left the room.