The rising tide washed over and rattled the bones that overflowed from the mouth of the cave. Some had been there for decades, escaping the grip of the waves that attempted to haul them to the bottom of the ocean. They clung to the rocks and sand that had become their forgotten home, waiting to hear the song that had drawn them to this place. It resonated throughout the cave, echoing off the stone walls and reaching out, enticing anyone who was unlucky enough to be sailing by. There were no words to the song she had spent lifetimes singing, no regaling lyrics that told a story of love or triumph. It was more a feeling than a melody, a yearning that stripped away will and conscious thought.
The island came into view, the image of jagged edges and sharp treetops bobbing up and down as he crept closer to shore. He removed his sunglasses, shivering as the mist thickened, darkening the once blue water to an inky black. He blinked, allowing his eyes adjust to the sudden lack of sunlight. The roar of the boat's engine dulled, the slap of water against the hull fading to soft thuds as he rocked closer to shore. The song was almost a separate entity, as if there were no source and it existed on its own.
It stopped.
He sucked in a shaky breath as deep loneliness washed over him. The silence created a void that shattered his heart, and he pushed the throttle forward, gaining speed, his eyes darting over the edges of the island, the broad leaves of palm trees shading the beach to the brink of midnight. Where was she? The boat flew as he curved around the island, desperate in his search for the song. Cool water sprayed on either side of him, soaking him to the bone, turning the whipping wind into icy slaps.
The shadow of a boulder loomed, blocking his path. He swerved, making a turn so sharp the boat nearly flipped. Water sloshed around his ankles as he came to a swaying stop. What was he doing?
Clarity dragged the curtain away from his mind's eye as he took in his surroundings. Visibility was almost nil, and the fact that one of the rocks that surrounded this little island hadn't capsized his boat and turned him into a meal for whatever lurked beneath was a miracle. Idiot. He started to reach for the throttle, wondering if this fog ended somewhere in the distance, but the memory of her voice stopped him.
He turned the boat toward the island as the song began again. He gritted his teeth against the hold it seemed to have on him, making his way slowly to shore. Sand scraped against the bottom of his small boat, and he cut the engine and leapt out, water coming to his knees. The song changed, fading from something that invoked a yearning he had never felt before into a tenor filled with caution.
The fog thinned inland, but it still cloaked the island in darkness. White sand and palm trees demanded sunshine, but this place held the shadow of perpetual dusk, as if the sun had set and never risen again. The song quieted, becoming no more than a soft hum, clearing his mind.
He hesitated, half of him wanting to return to the boat and get the hell out of there and the other half needing to know who or what occupied this island. Maybe it was somebody that needed help, and it was that thought that pushed him forward.
Even enveloped in gray hues, the island was beautiful. Behind the continuous humming was the sound of trickling water and the rustle of enormous tropical leaves. It struck him, however, that he hadn't come across another soul. Not a bird or even an insect. The island was barren of life except for abundant vegetation and the promise of the melody.
The voice grew as he ventured deeper. It surrounded him, penetrating his senses from every direction. How long had he been walking? He was going in circles.
He couldn't block out the sound, so with determined acceptance, he plowed through the forest, hoping to find something unfamiliar that he hadn't passed by three or four times. He checked his watch, but it had stopped on 2:34. He wasn't sure if it was AM or PM. His feet throbbed, his back ached, and his eyes kept trying to shut.
He collapsed along the edge of a water hole he'd raced by several times. Kneeling, he scooped fresh water into his mouth, frantically needing to quench his thirst and drown out his panic. Pangs hit him in the stomach as the water hit, and he looked around for something to eat. There were coconuts on the ground, bananas in the trees, but he couldn't find the strength to crack shells or climb trunks. Instead, he collapsed among them, giving in to his body's need to be still.
He tried to keep his eyes open, but the weight they carried kept bringing his lids down. His breathing slowed, and he sank into the soft earth, melting into it. The humming kept growing as he began to slip away, the shadows around him deepening, coming together to form a single dark shape that crept towards him.
--
His first conscious moment carried the scent of salted fish. It wasn't unpleasant, just aquatic, mixing with the feel of soft sand beneath his head. His mind blurred with the sensations, as if he were waking into a dream. This was amplified by the lull of waves lapping against the earth, and he nearly slipped away again.
A touch against his forehead jarred him back into his body. He jolted, sitting up to a scene that was spinning. He squeezed his eyes shut, the pounding of his heart in his ears making him nauseated.
"Shhhh."
The touch moved to his shoulder, easing him back down.
"You need to eat."
Fighting the urge to vomit, he could hear the owner of the voice rising and moving a short distance away. There was a clinking of metal against metal, and the aroma of cooked meat hit his nose. He opened his eyes to find a woman holding out a bowl, steam rising, carrying the promise of a full stomach. He took it, hesitating, but his instincts overwhelmed his skepticism, and he began to devour what was some kind of stew.
"Slow down," she said, placing a piece of dense, flat bread on a stone and setting it before him. He grabbed it, ripping off a large chunk and dipped it in the savory broth.
He ate his fill, slowly becoming aware that she was watching his every move with eyes that were as dark and beautiful as the island itself. She gazed, unabashed, curiosity blending with a deep knowledge as if she could see right through him and everything that he was.
"Who are you?," he asked.
She cocked her head.
"Were you the one singing?" The memory created a haunting echo in his mind.
"It's been a long time since someone resisted," she said.
"Resisted what? What are you talking about?"
She narrowed her eyes, locking them with his. You know.
"Who are you?," he repeated.
She laughed, the sound almost as mesmerizing as her singing. His mind went blank except for the vibration of her voice, and he shook his head as if to knock it out of his thoughts.
"I'm sorry, darling," she said, the cadence of her words carrying an accent he couldn't quite place. "I haven't had to hold back in ages. Feels like centuries. Forgive me."
She reached out a hand, holding it inches from his face as if asking permission to touch him. He glanced from her fingertips to her smiling eyes, leaning back. She shrugged, taking his bowl over to the crackling fire where the stew simmered, and he found himself able to think a little more clearly with the distance.
They were in some sort of cave. The ceiling was almost imperceptible as it rose high above the dim light that shone through the opening. The ocean peeked in and out, and it was obvious that it nearly covered the cave's floor when the tide was high. The walls were hidden in deep shadows, the flicker of the fire offering occasional glimpses of what he thought were stones or seashells. Empty eye sockets stared back at him, the pale tone of the skull around the black orbs glowing in the firelight. His eyes scanned the rest of the area. Small, black voids peered back at him from every direction, all of them nestled in the remnants of hundreds of dismantled bodies, warning him to run.
"Don't worry about them. They weren't like you." She stirred the stew, dipping a thin finger in the broth and tasting it.
"What..." He couldn't even begin to know how to start or even finish the thoughts that were racing through his mind. He stood, ready to run, but every direction was either a wall or the ocean.There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of bodies surrounding them, lining the edges of the cave like some kind of macabre tile.
"Who are these people?," he finally asked. His body was taut like a string pulled too tight, and he thought he might snap at any moment.
"They were unworthy," she said, rising up to meet his frantic gaze.
"What are you talking about?"
Instead of answering, she began to sing under her breath, whispering to him. She lifted her hands to either side of his face, gently running her fingers down his cheeks. She kissed him, and his mind went numb. All the fear that had been bubbling up inside him, ready to explode, dissipated. His heart slowed to a relaxed pace, and his lips moved against hers as if she were a drug, carrying the substance that would ease all his nightmares.
She pulled away, leaving him disoriented. "I've been waiting a long time for you. Not many men can resist their own selfish desires." She gestured to the scene around them. "You, however." She combed her fingers through his hair, electricity leaving a path in the wake of her touch.
"You have a clear conscience. A moral compass that brought you to me instead of leaving you in pieces on the rocks."
He grabbed her wrist as lust overtook him, but he stepped back, needing to keep his bearings.
She smiled and nodded. "See what I mean?"
She turned back towards the fire. "Come. Sit. Eat some more if you like." She stretched out in the sand by the fire, completely unconcerned about him trying to leave. His nerve-endings tingled with the urge to dive into the ocean, swim out of the mouth of the cave, and take his chances, but there was something primal holding him back.
She grinned as he took hesitant steps forward and sat up as he lowered himself, tucking his knees into his chest and allowing the red of the flames to dance between them. He could see it glowing in her black eyes, and he was thankful for the obstacle between them even as he cursed it.
"You're strong," she said.
She prepared another bowl and carried it over to him. He looked down into the broth, swimming with chunks of meat and translucent slices of onion.
"Where'd you get the meat? I didn't see any sign of animals on this island."
The corner of her mouth lifted, and she gestured to the cave around them, looking out from under her eyelashes in a glare that said, again: You know.
His mouth instantly filled with saliva, his stomach heavy with the meal. Writing within him, it screamed with the remnants of memories and lives cut short. It escaped, sudden in its upheaval, spewing all over the sand before him. He dropped the bowl, heaving until every drop he'd consumed was set free.
"What have you done?." He wiped his mouth and stood, rage arresting his control.
Her gaze transformed from one of cunning to frustration. "You understand. I know you do."
"No. No, no, no," he said, ripping at his hair, attempting to pull the temptation in her voice from his mind.
He began to pace, widening his steps and his path until he was walking the full diameter of the cave. She watched from her perch, waiting patiently for him to come to terms with what they were meant to be. He had to understand. He was worthy, just as she was.
Unable to widen his path, he stopped, staring down at a pile of bones. Ribs. Skulls. Femurs. They were stripped clean, white and brittle from the salt of the air and the water. Electricity crept up his spine, the pull of her coaxing him to turn around and face her. The heat of her body penetrated his as the inches grew fewer between them. Her warm, sweet breath brushed against the back of his neck, but that was the only touch she offered.
"I know you do," she said again, waiting, enveloping him in her presence.
"No." He reached down, grabbing the protruding rib bone from the thick pile. He spun, her skin becoming flush against his in the movement and thrust.
She sucked in a breath of sudden pain, her eyes widening, not with shock but satisfaction. She let the air escape her lungs in a contented sigh, smiling as she touched his face. He held tightly to the bone, her weight becoming heavy around it as it absorbed the life from her.
"I knew it. I knew you were the one."
She sunk to the ground, the expression of relief on her face remaining even as the fire in her eyes turned to smoke.
"Thank you, my love," she said, pulling him with her. He found his lips against hers again, and the smoke that was in her eyes filled his mouth as she released her final breath. She was just a woman now, and he held her as the monster she had become slipped away.
{Find the scent here.}