The Siren watched as the man ran to the door, she watched him slip and she watched him fall into her waters. Not yet, she told herself, wait for him to tire himself out, that way he won't put up a fight with you. So Maryanne waited, and waited watching as the mysterious person slowly gave way. She watched as he began to sink under the water and she saw his eyes close. It was now her time to shine, she swam after him and grabbed him, beginning to drag him further down to ensure he would never survive. Glancing at him she stopped and froze, his face was frozen in a state of complete and utter peace and she paused, really looking at him.

He was handsome, there was no denying that, his hair floating peacefully around him as his sun-kissed tan skin glowed in the water. Maryanne traced her hand over his and felt the callouses, he was a hard worker and he was dying. Without thinking, fighting every natural instinct in her body she swam him up to the surface and held onto him while searching. Perhaps something else had fallen off the ship, something she could lay him on so he could float. She had to act fast and she knew it, he didn't have much time left, the water was already in his lungs. She swam near the ship just as one of the crews barrels full of god knows what tipped over the railing and came crashing down. Perfect. The siren swam as fast as she could and pushed the man on the barrel to the best of her ability, she leaned in and checked his breath. He wasn't breathing. No. She had to act faster.

Maryanne began pumping her hands on his chest, giving him what she assumed was CPR. A long time ago when she was younger she saw humans do this when one of their kin fell overboard and was rescued. She just hoped she was doing it correctly. She pressed harder, but to no avail. She sucked in her teeth and considered her options carefully, she could let him die or she could save him. She had no reason to save him, yet something in her called to her and told her she needed to save him, and so she did. Quickly pressing her lips against his she forced air into his lungs while pumping. Seconds went by. 10 seconds. Nothing. She tried again. 20 seconds. Nothing at all. Once more she forced air into his lungs. 30 seconds. A cough. The man coughed harder and water sputtered out of his mouth. He began to breathe normally, his eyes never opening.

He was still out cold Maryanne deducted, she moved his body so he could gently rest on the barrel without her supporting him. The storm raged on and she stayed very close to him and the barrel. Stupid! God what am I thinking saving a human's life? He should have been left to die...what's going to happen when he wakes up? Then what do I do? I can't just leave him, we're in the middle of nowhere, he'll die for sure then.. Maryanne shook her head furiously before grabbing onto the barrel and swimming. They wouldn't get far, especially with him knocked out cold like that, but she could at least begin leading him towards shore. It would be a 2 hour swim as it was, and with the added weight it would be doubled. She just hoped he wouldn't wake before they arrived on shore.

Unfortunately that was not the case, about three hours into the swim, just an hour shy of the shoreline, the man began to stir. Maryanne froze again, she had no plan to communicate with him, she just wanted to dump him off on the shorelines before fleeing back into her home land. The man groaned before slowly lifting his head, she stopped swimming and held her breath, she was on the other side of the barrel and there was a chance that he might not see her. She listened closely.
"Huh...what..what happened? Hello? Is anyone there?" The man horsely whispered. She kept quiet for a long moment before barely whispering out,
"You fell off your ship in a storm.." Her voice was quieter then she remembered. The water splashed on the other side.

"Who are you? Did you fall off the ship as well?"

"No"

"Did you fall off of another ship?"

"No"

"What's your name?"

She fell silent, here she was communicating with a human whom she should have killed. He shouldn't be alive right now, he shouldn't be here. Yet here he was, all thanks to her.

"That's not important right now." Maryanne said. They floated there in silence before she began swimming again, pulling the barrel with her, "I'm taking you to the shore, to safety."

"Wouldn't you come with me?" He asked, no answer. "I mean shouldn't you come too since we're both lost at sea?"

"I'm not lost, the sea is my home."

There was more silence, the Siren just wished that this would be over sooner than later. At least I don't have to look at him, she thought.

"My names Kentin, I'm 19 and I'm a Navy Seal." The man stated, breaking the silence. "This was my first real expedition, we were going into our enemy's territory to find out information...or something. I'm not at a high enough level to know the specifics."

A water soldier, how unique. She kept on swimming, her mind racing with thoughts, with questions. There was so much she wanted to ask him and to understand, so much she wanted to know, but she didn't know what to say, where to even begin.

"Are you even real? Or have I been out for so long that my brain is imagining a barrel talking to me?" Kentin asked with a hint of dry humor in his voice. Maryanne, surprisingly enough, let out a laugh. Her laugh was wholesome and kind, sounding like bells.

"I'm real enough, don't worry about that."

She didn't know for sure but she liked to believe that Kentin was smiling on the other end of the barrel.

The rest of the ride was rather calm, and fairly short, once the shore was within 50 feet of them, Kentin let go of the barrel and pushed it away. There was nothing left between Kentin and Maryanne and finally they saw each other up close for the first real time. They just stared at each other for a moment as a blush crept up on Kentins cheeks.

"W-woah I uh...I didn't expect you to be such a beautiful woman…" He trailed off before laughing awkwardly, Maryanne offered a small smile in return.

"Thanks for the compliment"

He grinned at her before he began to swim towards the shore, she followed right next to him until he could feel the ground with his feet. She wouldn't go any further, she couldn't really, even if no one was in sight it wasn't right, the sea was her home. The man walked a little further onto the beach, the sun beginning to peek through the clouds. He turned back around and looked at Maryanne.

"Aren't you coming? We found shore!" He rejoiced, but she shook her head.

"No. The sea is my home."
He scratched the back of his head, "You're still going on about that? I thought you were joking to calm my nerves." In response she dove underwater, flicking her tail above the water's surface before resurfacing herself. Kentin stared at her his mouth agape. Another awkward silence fell on them, this time Maryanne broke it;

"I belong with the sea, I-..you can go now find food, find your home, you're safe to do so." He nodded and began to walk off with a curt and awkward wave. He stopped a distance aways and looked back.

"Wait!" He called out, "If I come back will I see you again?"

Maryanne's heart fluttered against her will, he wanted to see her again? That's some type of miracle right there. "Yes! I'll be here!" She called out to him. There was another pause before he waved again and ran off into civilization, leaving Maryanne in the ocean alone, however, this time, she didn't feel so lonely.