Chapter 2 Home

There is no place like home, but there is no home for me. I mumbled a low chant with my heart torn apart at every lyric. However, I had no other choice. My hand froze on the knob. It's cold. Too cold. I didn't want to open it, but I also wanted to open it immediately. I wanted to escape, but also wanted to rush into this house. A dollhouse, a fake house, but still a home for me. Once I was sure the effect of my singing had worked, I opened the door slowly and said, "Your daughter is home." It's like a must. A command that i buried deep inside their head. The corner of my lips twitched when a 50-year-old woman emerged from the room. Her name is Marie Kane. Her beautiful eyes looked at me as if I were her most beautiful gift. We bore no resemblance. Damn it. Not at all. She had wide, innocent-looking eyes, while I had elongated eyes. A pair of eyes that are currently being popularly called Siren Eyes, which without realizing it is so accurate to its nickname. The eyes of the Sirens. She immediately took me into her arms. Behind her, her husband, Richard Kane, joined in the greeting. So warm. Very warm and comforting. Lies. All of this are lies. But aren't beautiful lies so addictive? Isn't the happiness that I can control at will so tempting to miss? No matter how bad the lies were, I couldn't stop myself from returning to this house, singing to trick them, and again receiving love and hugs that weren't meant for me. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in the hollow of his neck and vowed, failed vows again and again-to release them from the trap of my singing someday. To cry in their arms. Sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry. Please forgive this stranger. Please let me enjoy this false warmth a little bit longer. I swear. I will stop this, but please. Please. Let me be loved even a little bit longer. "Vynnia. Is everything okay?" Marie rubbed my cheek slowly. Her touch was so gentle that I wanted to sink into her palm and never resurface. Their concern for me sounded so genuine. Oh Dear God! This is wrong. This is the forbidden fruit that I enjoy so much. I smiled. "Everything's fine-," I choked up. "Mom." Dozens of people were dying in the ocean as my kind killed them one by one. Those hunters, those damn sons of gods, were on the prowl to finish off those who shared blood with the monsters. Even one of them, who has eyes as bright as the ocean, the son of Poseidon-I think-met me and realized an identity that no one else knew. And yet, here I am, drunk on false love. I pushed Marie gently and smiled at Richard. I showed him the envelope with the money I stole from Aiden. "Look! I got a paycheck." I handed over the money as if by doing so all the cruel things I'd done to them would be forgiven. Even though I knew, those words of gratitude and grateful smiles were still part of the falsehood I forced on them. It doesn't mean anything. That all those dinners and laughter were just part of the thread I wove through their hands to create a loving family I never had. "Vynnia, if there's something bothering you, you should tell us, okay?" Richard suddenly spoke while we were preparing dinner. His voice was so serious. I frowned and when I looked into the television room, I saw Richard looking at the television at a low volume. The television was still broadcasting the news of people committing suicide by jumping into the sea. I remember their original daughter died by suicide. I didn't really know about it because the first time I used my chant, they were a couple who had lost their child. That's why I was able to use my chant to trick their memories. Because in the end, my chant exists to appeal to the deepest desires of humans. I quickly went to Richard and hugged him from behind. "I would never do that, Dad. I love you too much to leave you in the same way." Richard touched my head and kissed my forehead. "Promise?" "With all my soul." I could see the frown on Richard's face fade as I calmed him down. This must be hard for them. They love their daughter so much. That's why their minds are so easy to trick. That's why they love me so unconditionally. Even when my biological family was never able to do so. Those suicides must have bothered them deeply. It must have brought back memories that they had long buried tightly. Oh God! I wanted to stop the killing if it would repay all the love I received from them. Aurelia's photo was still neatly mounted on the wall. A photo of the sweet girl who was 17 years old before she downed all the sleeping pills. I don't know why that girl did it. I never wanted to question this kind-hearted couple and bring grief to them, but no matter what, I couldn't shake my hatred for her for throwing away these two loving people and drowning them in sorrow, guilt, and unanswered questions about what did they do wrong to her? Left them in self loathing. "Don't watch it, Richard!" I muttered softly, slipping in my singing to distract him. I grabbed the television remote and switched it to the sports channel. My cell phone is blinking. Who's calling? I frowned. Aiden? I glanced at Richard, and after making sure his mind was sufficiently focused on the sports channel and Marie was busy in the kitchen, I entered my room. My singing didn't work on the phone lines, so I didn't really like communicating on the phone. Aiden wasn't someone who would bother calling either. Was I rushing my singing to him? Did he think there was something strange about buying me a car and giving me money? No, he didn't. I was sure Aiden was already drunk enough under my influence that he wouldn't feel awkward. "Hello, Aiden?" There was no answer. This is strange. "Aiden?" I could hear the sound of the waves crashing against the cliff. The rumble of the night wind. Faintly, I could hear a buzzing. No! My heart seemed to stop right then and there. It wasn't humming! It was singing! Who? Why? "Aiden!" I snapped. "Don't you dare!" Shit. Shit. Shit. Why didn't my singing work on the phone line? Why did Aiden suddenly fall victim to those Sirens? No! This was not the time to think about this. "No!" I pleaded. I knew this was futile. I knew how the Chant worked. I knew that no matter how hard I tried to stop her with mere words, her mind would not be able to hear. She would only listen to the Chant. The song that would bring him to his death. "Aiden, please, listen to me!" There was no point. He didn't hear at all. The only thing that happened next was me closing my eyes as the man's voice sank into the ocean. Then, the phone line was disconnected.