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That night, I brought the Siren King to her. She was ready. We got on a small boat.
As we sailed away, I looked back at the ship.
A huge fire erupted. Flames lit up the night.
I acted surprised. Jessica said darkly:
"This way, they won't come after us. My mermaid prince is mine forever."
Even though I knew how cruel she was, it still shocked me.
She'd burned away all loose ends.
I heard screams. People rushed for lifeboats, but we'd taken the only one.
Black smoke billowed. Their cries faded.
And just like that, the whole ship was gone. My debt with them was paid.
Now it was Jessica's turn.
After high school, Jessica started working. During undergrad and grad school, I rented an apartment with her.
Now Jessica took the Siren King to our place and put him in the bathtub.
No way was I staying with a man-eating Siren. I said I had to work on a project with my advisor and would stay on campus for a month.
I packed and left. As I walked out, I heard Jessica say happily:
"Finally, she's gone. Now it's just me and my mermaid prince."
I smirked.
She was the one who said she was scared to live alone and begged me to move in.
Now I was "in the way."
Watching her obsessively touch the Siren King's face, so lovesick, I remembered what I'd researched.
Legend says these Sirens eat once every three months. After feeding, they lose their appetite—but they're cruel.
They love torturing their prey.
Stepping back onto familiar ground stirred my emotions. First, I went home to see my parents.
Mom was watering plants. When she saw me, she dropped the watering can:
"You're back? Why didn't you tell us? Your dad and I would've picked you up from the pier."
She sounded annoyed, but her face showed nothing but joy.
Dad was on the patio, reading in his lounge chair. He heard the noise and shouted:
"Wendy's home? Did you miss your mom and dad so much you had to surprise us?"
Seeing their faces, hearing their voices—I couldn't stop crying.
I'd never forget their pain when they heard I died. They looked like they wanted to follow me.
Overnight, their hair turned white. They aged ten years.
Mom cried every time she saw my photo, clutching her chest.
But they never knew how I really died. They were fooled by my murderer.
Seeing them now, I felt so much love and heartache.
My parents were worried. I held them tight.
When they asked about Jessica, I calmed down.
Wiping tears, I told them everything.
Hearing how Jessica pushed me, how the Sirens ate me—Dad was furious. He nearly broke the coffee table:
"How dare she hurt my daughter! I'll make her pay!"
Mom's eyes reddened. She held me close, terrified:
"Heaven gave you a second chance."
I cried again. I thought they might not believe me, but they trusted me completely.
Dad grabbed a kitchen knife, ready to go after Jessica. I stopped him and explained my plan.
He finally cooled down.
After seeing my parents, I had one more important thing to do.
