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625words2026-01-26 11:21

I was on a cruise trip.
When suddenly, in the middle of the night, singing echoed across the sea.
My best friend, obsessed with mermaid legends, got super excited and insisted it was a mermaid calling out to her!

She was determined to follow the sound.
Little did we know, it was a trap set by man-eating Sirens.
In a critical moment, my so-called friend offered me as a sacrifice.
She teamed up with everyone else on the ship and pushed me off the deck, leaving me at those creatures.
I was torn apart and devoured.
They escape safely.

Later, my friend posted her "thrilling discovery" of the Sirens online.
It went viral, and she became a rising star in the biology world because of it.
She gained fame and fortune.
I ended up with nothing—not even my bones remained.

When I close my eyes, I can still hear the Siren's song.
"Wendy, you're a marine biology master's student—do you think mermaids are real?"
I froze for a second.
Last life, Jessica asked me the same thing.
Back then, I said, "There's no solid scientific evidence that proves mermaids exist."
But that exact response led me straight to my death.
That quiet, deep night, singing came from the ocean.
Everyone on the ship was confused, but Jessica looked mesmerized.
She was thrilled:
"I read online that mermaids live deep in the ocean. They only rise to the surface when they've found their destined person, calling them with their song."
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! We've definitely found real mermaids!"
She convinced everyone to steer the ship toward the singing.
But as we got closer, we didn't find beautiful mythical creatures—we found vicious, man-eating Sirens!
The ship hit a reef, shaking violently.
The hull cracked, seawater poured in, and we started sinking.
And surrounding us in the water—hungry Sirens, waiting to devour us.
In the panic, Jessica suggested offering a sacrifice, to distract the Sirens and buy time.
Everyone was terrified.
No one wanted to be the sacrifice.
But Jessica didn't hesitate.
She pushed me forward:
"You're the marine biology major. You didn't even believe these things existed, right? Well now you can go study them up closely!"
The cowards rushed forward.
They ignored my pleas and shoved me into the water.
The Sirens attacked instantly.
Pain swallowed me.
The ocean turned red.
The last thing I saw was Jessica's cold, ruthless face.
I didn't get it.
Her parents divorced years ago.
My family treated her like their own daughter. I saw her as my sister.
Why would she do this to me?
Maybe it was the pain and injustice, but my soul didn't move on. Instead, I stayed near her.
My sacrifice bought time until the tide turned. They sailed away and were rescued.
I watched Jessica play the victim in front of my parents, crying and saying she couldn't protect me.
I saw my heartbroken parents hold her and tell her it wasn't her fault.
I watched her go live, spinning a story about escaping the Sirens.
People called her brave, a hero contributing to biology.
I saw her lying on a bed covered with money, laughing. She was even invited to speak at marine biology conferences.
I saw her dress up, drive a luxury car, and find my grieving boyfriend at a bar—drunk and lost without me.
She leaned in and whispered, "Why can't it be me?"
That's when I understood.
Rage burned through me.
How could the murderer walk free, steal my life, my future, and succeed—while I was torn apart, eaten, forgotten?
I closed my eyes, and the mermaid's song echoed again.
By some grace, I was sent back to that day.
This time, I will make her—make all of them—pay.