I really enjoyed this book, though it's not my normal genre so I thought I'd share my review.
Midnight Riot (Peter Grant, #1)
by Ben Aaronovitch
I recieved this book from a first reads giveaway. It was a fabulous read. So many twists and unexpected turns. As you read you begin to develop ideas of what you thinks is happening, only to find, you're wrong. The way the main character was written made you feel his anxiety, pain and excitement. It was not a boring and predictable read, it keeps you enthralled to the end. The idea of magic in this book makes you feel like it really could be real, hidden in secret waiting to be discovered. It could be something anyone can learn, given the right circumstances. Magic is something in all of us, just waiting to be tapped. My recomendation, is anyone who enjoys an exciting action packed book that will keep you guessing and hoping, pick this one up, you won't be disappointed.
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Friday, December 24, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Midwinters eve giveaway!
okay so there is an awsome giveaay going on with over 100 blogs participating, check it out:
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/midwinters-eve-giveaway-hop.html
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/midwinters-eve-giveaway-hop.html
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
AtU
Okay so there is this amazing giveaway contest going on from the author of Across the Universe, she is giving out 100 prizes!!!! So, check it out:
http://bethrevis.blogspot.com/2010/12/epic-contest-of-epic.html
http://bethrevis.blogspot.com/2010/12/epic-contest-of-epic.html
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Under the Green Hill
I loved this book so I thought I'd share my review:
Under the Green Hill
Under the Green Hill by Laura L. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I recieved this book from the first reads giveaway. I absolutly loved the story. The book is written eloquently and intelligently. I feel like I have gained a greater knowlegde of vocabulary from it. From page one it challenged me to not just simply read but comtemplate and understand the story. It keeps you trying to guess what will happen next and often, I at least, got it wrong (which is a good thing). I really fell in love with not just the characters but the ideas and beliefs the characters have and develop. For a book about fairies it really touches on the true desires of the Human heart. I would deffinately recomend this to anyone who loves a great story and gaining knowledge from reading.
View all my reviews
Under the Green Hill
Under the Green Hill by Laura L. SullivanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I recieved this book from the first reads giveaway. I absolutly loved the story. The book is written eloquently and intelligently. I feel like I have gained a greater knowlegde of vocabulary from it. From page one it challenged me to not just simply read but comtemplate and understand the story. It keeps you trying to guess what will happen next and often, I at least, got it wrong (which is a good thing). I really fell in love with not just the characters but the ideas and beliefs the characters have and develop. For a book about fairies it really touches on the true desires of the Human heart. I would deffinately recomend this to anyone who loves a great story and gaining knowledge from reading.
View all my reviews
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Blind
So I had this dream and it was interesting so I thought I'd put it in story format.
The phone rang, again. I finally picked up. It was my husbands work, they said he had been badly burned and would be coming home late. It made no sense, why would he be late if her was injured, wouldn't they send him home early? He'd be okay, he had to be, I need him, the baby needs him. I put it out of my mind, and went on with my day.
About an hour had gone by, he should be home soon. I heard a noise at the door, thinking it was him, I opened it and went back to the baby. He didn't come in however, so I went back and shut the door again. The baby was making a lot of noise and crying so I went to check on her. I picked her up and cuddled her to settle her down. She just wouldn't stop crying, something had upset her. I did not find out what it had been, because at that moment I suddenly couldnt see anything, I was blind. My husband had finally gotten home, but instead of coming directly inside he yelled up to me that he was going to check on something strange he had heard in the garage. I tried to call to him to wait, something was wrong with me, "Wait, I can't see, help me." He didn't hear me so I tried to get up to follow him, the baby was still crying and wriggling in my arms. It took a bit more effort to get up then it should have and when I did, I could see again. The strange thing was the baby wasn't in my arms anymore, I must have set her down to pick myself back up. It was all so strange, I wasn't even concerned that she was no longer in my arms. I was only worried about my husband.
When I caught up to him, he was just outside the garage. A man came running out and away from him, my husband looked confused, but worried. Why had this man been in our garage, how had he gotten in there, and who was he? I tried to ask my husband what was going on, but again he didn't hear me. He should have, I was right behind him. Was he mad at me, did he think I had something to do with this guy? He continued into the garage, I was right behind him, practically on his heels, why was he ignoring me? "Honey, can you hear me, what's going on?" Again he acts as if I wasn't even there. What's going on? He continued from the garage and into the house. The baby was still crying, he ran the rest of the way into the house. So, he could hear her, but not me? When we walked into the living room I remembered what had happened. The baby was lying there, crying, still in my arms.
I was dead. That man was in my house, he had killed me.
The phone rang, again. I finally picked up. It was my husbands work, they said he had been badly burned and would be coming home late. It made no sense, why would he be late if her was injured, wouldn't they send him home early? He'd be okay, he had to be, I need him, the baby needs him. I put it out of my mind, and went on with my day.
About an hour had gone by, he should be home soon. I heard a noise at the door, thinking it was him, I opened it and went back to the baby. He didn't come in however, so I went back and shut the door again. The baby was making a lot of noise and crying so I went to check on her. I picked her up and cuddled her to settle her down. She just wouldn't stop crying, something had upset her. I did not find out what it had been, because at that moment I suddenly couldnt see anything, I was blind. My husband had finally gotten home, but instead of coming directly inside he yelled up to me that he was going to check on something strange he had heard in the garage. I tried to call to him to wait, something was wrong with me, "Wait, I can't see, help me." He didn't hear me so I tried to get up to follow him, the baby was still crying and wriggling in my arms. It took a bit more effort to get up then it should have and when I did, I could see again. The strange thing was the baby wasn't in my arms anymore, I must have set her down to pick myself back up. It was all so strange, I wasn't even concerned that she was no longer in my arms. I was only worried about my husband.
When I caught up to him, he was just outside the garage. A man came running out and away from him, my husband looked confused, but worried. Why had this man been in our garage, how had he gotten in there, and who was he? I tried to ask my husband what was going on, but again he didn't hear me. He should have, I was right behind him. Was he mad at me, did he think I had something to do with this guy? He continued into the garage, I was right behind him, practically on his heels, why was he ignoring me? "Honey, can you hear me, what's going on?" Again he acts as if I wasn't even there. What's going on? He continued from the garage and into the house. The baby was still crying, he ran the rest of the way into the house. So, he could hear her, but not me? When we walked into the living room I remembered what had happened. The baby was lying there, crying, still in my arms.
I was dead. That man was in my house, he had killed me.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
blogfest
so if you havent seen it yet check out all the blogs on the blogfest via http://ajourneyofbooks.com/blogfest/
it's awsome!
it's awsome!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Cursed Blood
My name is Anastasia. If you saw me in the marketplace, you wouldn’t notice me. There is nothing special about me, at least not that you’d notice. Everything about me screams normal. But that’s how I want to be seen, it’s not how I really am.
This is my seventh life, for some strange reason, I keep coming back. I have died six times, each time I was murdered. It’s not a nice thing to live through. Each time, it was the same man, I don’t know why he wants me dead, but clearly he won’t rest until it has been accomplished. It’s only been fifteen years since my last death, which is very few to me. In total I have lived almost two hundred years. I don’t know how many more times this will happen but I hope this time, I can live a full life. I want to fall in love, have children, just live. I keep getting murdered before I find out why he is after me or why I am able to be reborn from my ashes. Yes, when I’m killed I burst into flame and am reborn from the flames, like a phoenix. I am fully aware of whom I am and what’s just happened to me, but I am again a child. I would estimate I am no more than three years physically. So, to anyone who sees me now, I look about eighteen. It’s always puzzled me as to why the man would let me live when I revert back to a child, wouldn’t it be easier to kill me in my vulnerable state? I would love to ask him.
Honestly this could have been going on for many millennia. The first life I remember, my parents told me they found me on their doorstep when I was just a child. I didn’t know who I was, or where I came from, or even how I got there, but I knew my name. Anastasia, it means resurrected. Maybe my name is why I am the way I am, some weird twist from the fates. Was I cursed in my past life to relive and be murdered until I paid for something I did?
Maybe I'm the mysterious Anastasia Romanov? So then would the man chasing me be Rasputin? Historically, Rasputin died before the Romanov family, and he was employed to help Alexei Romanov, who was a hemophiliac and heir to the throne. It wouldn’t make sense for him to be the man who constantly murders me. But how should I know?
What could I have done to deserve to be hunted and murdered over and over again? And is this man like me? He hasn’t seemed to age in the many lifetimes we have met.
I have had these questions for so long. And now I face my death again, this time however, I am prepared.
“Are you going to murder me then? I thought it was I who came for you?” I held the gun pointed straight at him. I knew he would come for me eventually, this is the first time he has spoken to me. Time for answers.
“Things change, why are you after me?”
“It’s a game we have played since time began.” He replied cryptically.
“What does that mean, do I know you? Who are you to me? Why do you keep hunting me?”
“Of course you know me, can’t you feel it in your soul? We are each a part of each other; two parts of one whole. You may have forgotten me but I still remember you. My heart still aches from your betrayal.”
“Betrayal? Are you going to tell me anything? Or just keep confusing me? Why do you keep murdering me, what have I done to you?!?”
“I cannot tell you, you must remember. It is part of our curse. Murdering you is also part of it. How long must this go on before you remember?”
“Our curse? It’s my fault this is still going on? That you keep hunting me, I can stop it? How can I remember?”
“Look at me, you know me. We are one; we have a history that can never truly be forgotten. I am bound to you until you repair what you have done. I cannot remember for you.” As he spoke I could see the sadness clouding his bright green eyes. There was so much pain, what have I done to cause this?
I did what he said I looked at him, focused on him. He was a handsome man, I would guess about twenty-five years old, no more. Every life I have lived I died before I reached thirty years of age, he was always a few years older. His green eyes were expressive and beautiful. Soft lips, pale red were fixed in a frown. His jaw line is strong and muscled, sprinkled with a shadow of dark brown hairs. His nose was long and crooked. It looked like it had been broken at least once. His hair was long and the same color dark brown as his scruff. It was pulled back into a low ponytail. His skin reminded me of caramel, it was a beautiful color. Maybe he was Grecian?
When I examined him, he was right, he seemed so familiar. Did I really know him outside of him being my murderer? I hadn’t thought about it until now. I always knew who he was, even in the first life I remember. I figured it was because maybe it wasn’t my first life he was just all I remembered of the previous ones. But that first time I met him, or so I thought it was the first, I did not fear him. I thought he was beautiful, handsome, and wonderful. I didn’t know why, but I trusted him. I came right to him and hugged him, when I pulled away there was a knife in my gut. From then on I resisted the urge to go to him, and I ran when I saw him. Tried to get away with my life, I always failed. If I wanted to live, I’d have to break this curse he spoke of, remember who he is to me.
Minutes passed as I stared at him, turning into hours. It felt like I would be there just looking at him forever. When would it come back to me? I told myself over and over, ‘I know him, figure it out.’
I knew I had loved him, trusted him. How else could I explain my desire to run into the arms of the man who murders me?
He reminded me of my father, not the one I knew in these lives but of one I had long forgotten. My real father. He had been my father’s advisor, I remembered…
He was my lover, my friend, my husband. I betrayed him to my father. My father did not approve of our love and we wed in secret. But I adored my father, I could not keep it from him, I thought he would understand when he knew how much I loved him, Xavior that was his name. The man I loved and lost. My father did not understand, he had him put to death. Before he died though, I drew his blood and united it with my own, our destinies joined forever. I had a witch put a spell on it, a curse. It cost me my memories and my life. If we were to be together again I would have to pay for my betrayal with my life, until I remembered. When he died, so did I. And now, we will be together again, forever in love.
This is my seventh life, for some strange reason, I keep coming back. I have died six times, each time I was murdered. It’s not a nice thing to live through. Each time, it was the same man, I don’t know why he wants me dead, but clearly he won’t rest until it has been accomplished. It’s only been fifteen years since my last death, which is very few to me. In total I have lived almost two hundred years. I don’t know how many more times this will happen but I hope this time, I can live a full life. I want to fall in love, have children, just live. I keep getting murdered before I find out why he is after me or why I am able to be reborn from my ashes. Yes, when I’m killed I burst into flame and am reborn from the flames, like a phoenix. I am fully aware of whom I am and what’s just happened to me, but I am again a child. I would estimate I am no more than three years physically. So, to anyone who sees me now, I look about eighteen. It’s always puzzled me as to why the man would let me live when I revert back to a child, wouldn’t it be easier to kill me in my vulnerable state? I would love to ask him.
Honestly this could have been going on for many millennia. The first life I remember, my parents told me they found me on their doorstep when I was just a child. I didn’t know who I was, or where I came from, or even how I got there, but I knew my name. Anastasia, it means resurrected. Maybe my name is why I am the way I am, some weird twist from the fates. Was I cursed in my past life to relive and be murdered until I paid for something I did?
Maybe I'm the mysterious Anastasia Romanov? So then would the man chasing me be Rasputin? Historically, Rasputin died before the Romanov family, and he was employed to help Alexei Romanov, who was a hemophiliac and heir to the throne. It wouldn’t make sense for him to be the man who constantly murders me. But how should I know?
What could I have done to deserve to be hunted and murdered over and over again? And is this man like me? He hasn’t seemed to age in the many lifetimes we have met.
I have had these questions for so long. And now I face my death again, this time however, I am prepared.
“Are you going to murder me then? I thought it was I who came for you?” I held the gun pointed straight at him. I knew he would come for me eventually, this is the first time he has spoken to me. Time for answers.
“Things change, why are you after me?”
“It’s a game we have played since time began.” He replied cryptically.
“What does that mean, do I know you? Who are you to me? Why do you keep hunting me?”
“Of course you know me, can’t you feel it in your soul? We are each a part of each other; two parts of one whole. You may have forgotten me but I still remember you. My heart still aches from your betrayal.”
“Betrayal? Are you going to tell me anything? Or just keep confusing me? Why do you keep murdering me, what have I done to you?!?”
“I cannot tell you, you must remember. It is part of our curse. Murdering you is also part of it. How long must this go on before you remember?”
“Our curse? It’s my fault this is still going on? That you keep hunting me, I can stop it? How can I remember?”
“Look at me, you know me. We are one; we have a history that can never truly be forgotten. I am bound to you until you repair what you have done. I cannot remember for you.” As he spoke I could see the sadness clouding his bright green eyes. There was so much pain, what have I done to cause this?
I did what he said I looked at him, focused on him. He was a handsome man, I would guess about twenty-five years old, no more. Every life I have lived I died before I reached thirty years of age, he was always a few years older. His green eyes were expressive and beautiful. Soft lips, pale red were fixed in a frown. His jaw line is strong and muscled, sprinkled with a shadow of dark brown hairs. His nose was long and crooked. It looked like it had been broken at least once. His hair was long and the same color dark brown as his scruff. It was pulled back into a low ponytail. His skin reminded me of caramel, it was a beautiful color. Maybe he was Grecian?
When I examined him, he was right, he seemed so familiar. Did I really know him outside of him being my murderer? I hadn’t thought about it until now. I always knew who he was, even in the first life I remember. I figured it was because maybe it wasn’t my first life he was just all I remembered of the previous ones. But that first time I met him, or so I thought it was the first, I did not fear him. I thought he was beautiful, handsome, and wonderful. I didn’t know why, but I trusted him. I came right to him and hugged him, when I pulled away there was a knife in my gut. From then on I resisted the urge to go to him, and I ran when I saw him. Tried to get away with my life, I always failed. If I wanted to live, I’d have to break this curse he spoke of, remember who he is to me.
Minutes passed as I stared at him, turning into hours. It felt like I would be there just looking at him forever. When would it come back to me? I told myself over and over, ‘I know him, figure it out.’
I knew I had loved him, trusted him. How else could I explain my desire to run into the arms of the man who murders me?
He reminded me of my father, not the one I knew in these lives but of one I had long forgotten. My real father. He had been my father’s advisor, I remembered…
He was my lover, my friend, my husband. I betrayed him to my father. My father did not approve of our love and we wed in secret. But I adored my father, I could not keep it from him, I thought he would understand when he knew how much I loved him, Xavior that was his name. The man I loved and lost. My father did not understand, he had him put to death. Before he died though, I drew his blood and united it with my own, our destinies joined forever. I had a witch put a spell on it, a curse. It cost me my memories and my life. If we were to be together again I would have to pay for my betrayal with my life, until I remembered. When he died, so did I. And now, we will be together again, forever in love.
Beauty's Spell- conclusion
The city was basically like any city, buildings and lights and people, well Sirens I guess. And there were male Sirens, though they don’t look human like the females. Their skin had a slight green hint to it and their hair was not hair but scales. Their hands and feet were webbed, like frogs and their lips were exactly the same, the upper lip didn’t indent like humans do. They seemed very foreign to me, though apparently these were my people. As we passed most of them bowed to my mother, some even bowed to me. Weird. I guess I was something here, a princess. It was so strange to think I was anything more than a normal teenage girl. My mother led us to the largest building; it was her housing in this city. She had a building of her own in every siren city, and apparently there were a lot. She said there was a city in just about every body of water. Again I say, weird!
“So, we are here and safe, explain. Everything. Now.” It was time she gave me answers. We had followed her here, with very little information and even less trust. According to her, we were safe.
“I guess I should start at the beginning. I was sent above to talk peace with the creatures there, I met your father and I actually liked him. Most sirens use humans for their entertainment and get rid of them when they are finished. I know, it’s cruel, but this is what we are. It is also how the creatures above are as well. Which is why peace was not accomplished. They felt it was offensive for me to take a mere human as my mate, so in order to gain their approval and therefore peace, I left after you were born. I couldn’t take you with me because you had your fathers eyes.” This all seemed like a load of crap, stories made up to excuse her absence from our lives. And she was cruel, and so were my people, was I cruel like her, inside? And why did it matter if my eyes were like my fathers? I gave her a look of shear disbelief. “Sirens don’t have green eyes. It would be obvious you were part human.” She replied to my look, exaggerating her response with a sigh.
“So, if you left for my good, why’d you bother coming back?”
“My people have known of your existence since you were born, as queen it is my right to choose whom I desire as my mate, but many did not approve. One of my subjects betrayed me and went to the creatures above, the Faeries.” She said their name like a curse. She clearly didn’t care for them. “They accepted him into their courts in trade for the information. Our peace treaty is null and void. Humans are not part of our society and therefore your existence is inexcusable to them.”
“Why? What did humans do that is so horrible?” Why should they care if I was part human, I’m a Siren not a Faerie.
“Sirens as well as the creatures above, all believe humans are below us. Humans are play things we sometimes take for our enjoyment. I’m sure you have heard stories of the Sirens of old causing humans ships to crash into rocks, of them calling men to them just to drown them. We are not all so cruel but it is the normal thing to see humans as nothing more than a toy. Faeries, believe this even more so than we do. Many sirens have adapted to the cultures of the humans, living with them, even loving them” She gave a sweet smile to my father when she said this.
It was all so terrible. How could she expect me to live with them? They were evil, I may be part Siren, but I certainly don’t share their disdain for humans. I love my father, and my friends. This is not a people I want to be a part of. Of course I had heard of stories that told of sirens drowning men, but I never thought they were true. Most creatures of myth were seen as evil, I guess they pretty much were. How could she let her people act so horribly? Especially if she loved my father, a mere human?
“How can you condone that? If you love my father you must know humans are good people and worthy of more than being play things. It’s so evil. If this is what your people are I don’t want anything to do with them or you. You’re queen; you should have done something about it.” I was so angry if she had told me this before I followed her here, I would not have come. I certainly wouldn’t have brought my father back to her. For all I know this was an act and she really was just like them and she just wanted to bring us here for her amusement.
“It doesn’t work like that. I can suggest the change, but I cannot make everyone see things as I do. I am queen but I do not have complete control of the lives of my subjects. And as I said before many sirens have changed, but we live very long lives and the older generations still believe as they always have. Humans were not always as they are either, they used to hunt and kill us for sport. We became what we are in response to their actions. Which is also why most of them don’t believe we exist anymore. Humans have such short lives and their memories die when they do. To many of us humans are like an ant is to you, they live short insignificant lives.”
“Humans aren’t perfect, I know that. What I’m saying is I will not live here with you if people are being abused. I’ll take my chances above.” And I left, I knew it was dangerous and I would probably never see my father or her again, but I couldn’t live in a place like that. I love my father, but he chose her and that life, I would not.
There were a lot of things I never knew, and many more I wish I were still ignorant of.
“So, we are here and safe, explain. Everything. Now.” It was time she gave me answers. We had followed her here, with very little information and even less trust. According to her, we were safe.
“I guess I should start at the beginning. I was sent above to talk peace with the creatures there, I met your father and I actually liked him. Most sirens use humans for their entertainment and get rid of them when they are finished. I know, it’s cruel, but this is what we are. It is also how the creatures above are as well. Which is why peace was not accomplished. They felt it was offensive for me to take a mere human as my mate, so in order to gain their approval and therefore peace, I left after you were born. I couldn’t take you with me because you had your fathers eyes.” This all seemed like a load of crap, stories made up to excuse her absence from our lives. And she was cruel, and so were my people, was I cruel like her, inside? And why did it matter if my eyes were like my fathers? I gave her a look of shear disbelief. “Sirens don’t have green eyes. It would be obvious you were part human.” She replied to my look, exaggerating her response with a sigh.
“So, if you left for my good, why’d you bother coming back?”
“My people have known of your existence since you were born, as queen it is my right to choose whom I desire as my mate, but many did not approve. One of my subjects betrayed me and went to the creatures above, the Faeries.” She said their name like a curse. She clearly didn’t care for them. “They accepted him into their courts in trade for the information. Our peace treaty is null and void. Humans are not part of our society and therefore your existence is inexcusable to them.”
“Why? What did humans do that is so horrible?” Why should they care if I was part human, I’m a Siren not a Faerie.
“Sirens as well as the creatures above, all believe humans are below us. Humans are play things we sometimes take for our enjoyment. I’m sure you have heard stories of the Sirens of old causing humans ships to crash into rocks, of them calling men to them just to drown them. We are not all so cruel but it is the normal thing to see humans as nothing more than a toy. Faeries, believe this even more so than we do. Many sirens have adapted to the cultures of the humans, living with them, even loving them” She gave a sweet smile to my father when she said this.
It was all so terrible. How could she expect me to live with them? They were evil, I may be part Siren, but I certainly don’t share their disdain for humans. I love my father, and my friends. This is not a people I want to be a part of. Of course I had heard of stories that told of sirens drowning men, but I never thought they were true. Most creatures of myth were seen as evil, I guess they pretty much were. How could she let her people act so horribly? Especially if she loved my father, a mere human?
“How can you condone that? If you love my father you must know humans are good people and worthy of more than being play things. It’s so evil. If this is what your people are I don’t want anything to do with them or you. You’re queen; you should have done something about it.” I was so angry if she had told me this before I followed her here, I would not have come. I certainly wouldn’t have brought my father back to her. For all I know this was an act and she really was just like them and she just wanted to bring us here for her amusement.
“It doesn’t work like that. I can suggest the change, but I cannot make everyone see things as I do. I am queen but I do not have complete control of the lives of my subjects. And as I said before many sirens have changed, but we live very long lives and the older generations still believe as they always have. Humans were not always as they are either, they used to hunt and kill us for sport. We became what we are in response to their actions. Which is also why most of them don’t believe we exist anymore. Humans have such short lives and their memories die when they do. To many of us humans are like an ant is to you, they live short insignificant lives.”
“Humans aren’t perfect, I know that. What I’m saying is I will not live here with you if people are being abused. I’ll take my chances above.” And I left, I knew it was dangerous and I would probably never see my father or her again, but I couldn’t live in a place like that. I love my father, but he chose her and that life, I would not.
There were a lot of things I never knew, and many more I wish I were still ignorant of.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Beauty's Spell
Beauty’s Spell
There were a lot of things I never knew until now.
I've never really known what I looked like to others. I knew I was pretty but it seemed like there was something more others saw when they looked at me.
I never knew my mother, my father said I was her exact replica but I had his eyes. According to him, hers were purple, mine were a normal green. I never took him seriously on that, he's always been slightly eccentric. He said she was special, when he met her, there was nothing he could do except love her. He had no choice.
I never knew I was different, as my father would say I was "special."
Now, of course my life has been completely changed by what I know.
I am not human, well technically I am not fully human. But since my mother was not human, I am mostly not human. Apparently her genes are stronger than human genes so, hers win out. She really did have purple eyes. They were mesmerizing, enchanting. When I saw her, I couldn't help but stare. This woman who had basically given birth to me and split, was everything my crazy father had said she was. She was absolutely gorgeous and impossible to ignore. She drew you in with little more than a glace. When those strange purple eyes were focused on you, nothing but her occupied your mind. You fell under her spell, trapped by everything that was her. My first coherent thought was, did I have this power over people? But I wasn't under her spell long, she didn't affect me like she did others, probably because I was like her too.
It had always been very easy to get what I wanted. I thought it was because people just liked me. I was wrong.
It was a cool, dark night. The stars were like a million diamonds in a velvet sky. They glittered off the lake, mirroring it exactally. It was beautiful, a perfect night. Or so I thought.
I was on my way home from the park. I enjoyed walking in the cool of the evening, at twilight the trees and lake looked magical, like anything was possible. Then, she was there. I have no idea where she came from, one minute I was alone, the next, she was there.
"I"m your mother. " Standing right in front of me, she looked barely old enough to be considered my older sister, let alone my mother. I didn't believe her, and stepped to the side to walk away. She cut me off again, "I am your mother. Look at me." And I did, I looked into those strange purple eyes. That's when it hit me, the power she held. I believed her, completely. Not just because of the power, but she was my exact mirror, except her eyes, just like my father had said. Then, I blinked and my mind cleared, the spell broke.
"What do you want from me?" When I was finally able to think clearly again, I was pissed. I hadn't even known her, she left 17 years ago, immediately after I was born. What did she want with me now? How could she think she deserved anything from me? My father of course had always talked of her with the highest regaurd, he never even blamed her for leaving. He said he wasn't good enough for her, it was his fault. That was bullshit. He is the best man I have ever known, she didn't deserve him. I didn't want to help her in any way, even with her strange powerful allure. I had power too. I could resist her.
"There are things you don't know. About who you are. You need to know now."
"I've done just fine without you so far." I tried to walk away again, but she grabbed my arm.
"NO, you have to listen. Your life is in danger. So is your father." That struck the right cord. If I could do something to keep my father safe, whether it was from her, or something else, I would.
"What? What are you talking about? Why is my father in danger? And what do you care, he didn't matter when you left, and neiter did I. Why do you care now?"
"I don't have time to explain my actions now. What you need to know first is, you are a Siren. More specifically a Siren Princess. You will inherit my kingdom, but only if you live long enough to do so. Go home, get your father and meet me at the south edge of the lake, immediatly."
"What?!? That's just rediculous. There is no such thing as Sirens. This has to be a joke, who put you up to this, and who are you really?" Ok, maybe I was wrong, maybe she was just some weird girl who got kicks out of this type of thing. But, the eyes, and how closely we resembled each other? Maybe it was true? It was just too strange to believe. But my father had always taught me to believe in magic and mystery. Maybe she was why? Maybe she was telling the truth? She gave me no more time to contemplate.
"Do you want your father to live?"
"Of course." Seriously? Did she think I was as callous as she had been? I loved my father.
"Then believe me for now, I will explain later, when you are safe. GO GET YOUR FATHER!" She yelled the last bit, to express the urgency better. This time I did what she said. I went immediatly home, told my father to come, now. Of course his reaction was similar to mine.
"What? It's nine O'Clock at night, why do we need to go anywhere? What's gotten into you? Are you feeling ok?" I knew what would get him to come. I hated using it, but I knew if she was telling the truth, I had to. I hate to see him in pain but, I'd rather him live in pain then not live at all.
"It's my mother, she said you have to come now. She said we were in danger." I saw the flicker of pain in his eyes, but he immediately understood.
"You saw her? Wasn't she beautiful? Everything I told you, do you believe me now?" I didn't really know what to believe, but I'd give it to him for now.
"Yes, Daddy, now will you get moving? She said we had to get back immediately." And we left. Our home, our lives, were all a thing of the past. We took nothing with us, what would we? We didn't know what to expect.
When we arrived back at the lake she was waiting impatiently. She was clearly annoyed it had taken as long as it had to get back. What was her deal, she was really starting to annoy me, being so pushy when she cared so little for so long. Why did she care if we were in danger now anyway?
“Hurry we have to get you safe now. It’s very dangerous above.” Okay, seriously, she didn’t have one minute to explain what the danger was?
“No, first you tell us why we have to leave and so immediately? And what in the hell do you mean ‘above’?” Was she always this incessant or was it just my irritation that was making her seem so obnoxious? Either way, she needed to give us some answers before I was going anywhere with her.
“As I said before you are in danger. I will explain everything after you are safe.”
“NO! Tell me what is so dangerous, how do I know you’re not the one trying to harm us. We haven’t seen or heard from you since I was born. Why do you care now?” Answers, that’s all I wanted. She was wasting more time trying to convince me than it would take to give a simple answer.
“I have enemies here above, and by above I mean not below, in the water, in my Kingdom. Here it is an untamed land of many creatures. And many are the enemies of the Sirens, somehow they have learned of your existence and you are now in danger. Now please, come with me I will explain everything.” She seemed exasperated but I guess I’d have to live with the answers she gave for now. It did puzzle me that she expected us to be able to go underwater for a long period of time. Even if I was a Siren and able to do so, what about my father? He can’t breathe under water of that I was sure.
“How? Umm, how are we supposed to go ‘below’ and live? Humans can’t breathe under water in case you didn’t know. And even if I can what about dad?”
“You will be fine, though I am sure you have never tried you are perfectly able to breathe in water. As to your father that’s what this is for.” She held up a small metallic U-shaped device, it looked almost like a nose ring. “This is a ‘Refiner’ it will pull the air out of the water for him to breathe.”
“Okay, I guess but you’re sure I’ll be able to breathe? It would not be cool to get under and then have to come back up and be left behind.”
“You will be fine, trust me.” Trust her, hardly, but I guess I’d have to for now at least.
And just like that we were diving into the water following after my mother. Amazingly, she was right I felt fine even after fifteen plus minutes of swimming. It felt very strange but good too. I wondered, what else I could do? What exactly is a Siren? All I really knew was that the myth’s said they lured men away with their voices and beauty. Were there male Sirens? I guess I was about to find out.
The city was beautiful. My mother said it was one of the smallest in the kingdom, since the lake was rather small. But to see a city under water was crazy, it was hard to believe even though I could clearly see it and feel it for myself. It was all just too much to take in to believe, a world I was convinced was completely fiction, was now reality.
There were a lot of things I never knew until now.
I've never really known what I looked like to others. I knew I was pretty but it seemed like there was something more others saw when they looked at me.
I never knew my mother, my father said I was her exact replica but I had his eyes. According to him, hers were purple, mine were a normal green. I never took him seriously on that, he's always been slightly eccentric. He said she was special, when he met her, there was nothing he could do except love her. He had no choice.
I never knew I was different, as my father would say I was "special."
Now, of course my life has been completely changed by what I know.
I am not human, well technically I am not fully human. But since my mother was not human, I am mostly not human. Apparently her genes are stronger than human genes so, hers win out. She really did have purple eyes. They were mesmerizing, enchanting. When I saw her, I couldn't help but stare. This woman who had basically given birth to me and split, was everything my crazy father had said she was. She was absolutely gorgeous and impossible to ignore. She drew you in with little more than a glace. When those strange purple eyes were focused on you, nothing but her occupied your mind. You fell under her spell, trapped by everything that was her. My first coherent thought was, did I have this power over people? But I wasn't under her spell long, she didn't affect me like she did others, probably because I was like her too.
It had always been very easy to get what I wanted. I thought it was because people just liked me. I was wrong.
It was a cool, dark night. The stars were like a million diamonds in a velvet sky. They glittered off the lake, mirroring it exactally. It was beautiful, a perfect night. Or so I thought.
I was on my way home from the park. I enjoyed walking in the cool of the evening, at twilight the trees and lake looked magical, like anything was possible. Then, she was there. I have no idea where she came from, one minute I was alone, the next, she was there.
"I"m your mother. " Standing right in front of me, she looked barely old enough to be considered my older sister, let alone my mother. I didn't believe her, and stepped to the side to walk away. She cut me off again, "I am your mother. Look at me." And I did, I looked into those strange purple eyes. That's when it hit me, the power she held. I believed her, completely. Not just because of the power, but she was my exact mirror, except her eyes, just like my father had said. Then, I blinked and my mind cleared, the spell broke.
"What do you want from me?" When I was finally able to think clearly again, I was pissed. I hadn't even known her, she left 17 years ago, immediately after I was born. What did she want with me now? How could she think she deserved anything from me? My father of course had always talked of her with the highest regaurd, he never even blamed her for leaving. He said he wasn't good enough for her, it was his fault. That was bullshit. He is the best man I have ever known, she didn't deserve him. I didn't want to help her in any way, even with her strange powerful allure. I had power too. I could resist her.
"There are things you don't know. About who you are. You need to know now."
"I've done just fine without you so far." I tried to walk away again, but she grabbed my arm.
"NO, you have to listen. Your life is in danger. So is your father." That struck the right cord. If I could do something to keep my father safe, whether it was from her, or something else, I would.
"What? What are you talking about? Why is my father in danger? And what do you care, he didn't matter when you left, and neiter did I. Why do you care now?"
"I don't have time to explain my actions now. What you need to know first is, you are a Siren. More specifically a Siren Princess. You will inherit my kingdom, but only if you live long enough to do so. Go home, get your father and meet me at the south edge of the lake, immediatly."
"What?!? That's just rediculous. There is no such thing as Sirens. This has to be a joke, who put you up to this, and who are you really?" Ok, maybe I was wrong, maybe she was just some weird girl who got kicks out of this type of thing. But, the eyes, and how closely we resembled each other? Maybe it was true? It was just too strange to believe. But my father had always taught me to believe in magic and mystery. Maybe she was why? Maybe she was telling the truth? She gave me no more time to contemplate.
"Do you want your father to live?"
"Of course." Seriously? Did she think I was as callous as she had been? I loved my father.
"Then believe me for now, I will explain later, when you are safe. GO GET YOUR FATHER!" She yelled the last bit, to express the urgency better. This time I did what she said. I went immediatly home, told my father to come, now. Of course his reaction was similar to mine.
"What? It's nine O'Clock at night, why do we need to go anywhere? What's gotten into you? Are you feeling ok?" I knew what would get him to come. I hated using it, but I knew if she was telling the truth, I had to. I hate to see him in pain but, I'd rather him live in pain then not live at all.
"It's my mother, she said you have to come now. She said we were in danger." I saw the flicker of pain in his eyes, but he immediately understood.
"You saw her? Wasn't she beautiful? Everything I told you, do you believe me now?" I didn't really know what to believe, but I'd give it to him for now.
"Yes, Daddy, now will you get moving? She said we had to get back immediately." And we left. Our home, our lives, were all a thing of the past. We took nothing with us, what would we? We didn't know what to expect.
When we arrived back at the lake she was waiting impatiently. She was clearly annoyed it had taken as long as it had to get back. What was her deal, she was really starting to annoy me, being so pushy when she cared so little for so long. Why did she care if we were in danger now anyway?
“Hurry we have to get you safe now. It’s very dangerous above.” Okay, seriously, she didn’t have one minute to explain what the danger was?
“No, first you tell us why we have to leave and so immediately? And what in the hell do you mean ‘above’?” Was she always this incessant or was it just my irritation that was making her seem so obnoxious? Either way, she needed to give us some answers before I was going anywhere with her.
“As I said before you are in danger. I will explain everything after you are safe.”
“NO! Tell me what is so dangerous, how do I know you’re not the one trying to harm us. We haven’t seen or heard from you since I was born. Why do you care now?” Answers, that’s all I wanted. She was wasting more time trying to convince me than it would take to give a simple answer.
“I have enemies here above, and by above I mean not below, in the water, in my Kingdom. Here it is an untamed land of many creatures. And many are the enemies of the Sirens, somehow they have learned of your existence and you are now in danger. Now please, come with me I will explain everything.” She seemed exasperated but I guess I’d have to live with the answers she gave for now. It did puzzle me that she expected us to be able to go underwater for a long period of time. Even if I was a Siren and able to do so, what about my father? He can’t breathe under water of that I was sure.
“How? Umm, how are we supposed to go ‘below’ and live? Humans can’t breathe under water in case you didn’t know. And even if I can what about dad?”
“You will be fine, though I am sure you have never tried you are perfectly able to breathe in water. As to your father that’s what this is for.” She held up a small metallic U-shaped device, it looked almost like a nose ring. “This is a ‘Refiner’ it will pull the air out of the water for him to breathe.”
“Okay, I guess but you’re sure I’ll be able to breathe? It would not be cool to get under and then have to come back up and be left behind.”
“You will be fine, trust me.” Trust her, hardly, but I guess I’d have to for now at least.
And just like that we were diving into the water following after my mother. Amazingly, she was right I felt fine even after fifteen plus minutes of swimming. It felt very strange but good too. I wondered, what else I could do? What exactly is a Siren? All I really knew was that the myth’s said they lured men away with their voices and beauty. Were there male Sirens? I guess I was about to find out.
The city was beautiful. My mother said it was one of the smallest in the kingdom, since the lake was rather small. But to see a city under water was crazy, it was hard to believe even though I could clearly see it and feel it for myself. It was all just too much to take in to believe, a world I was convinced was completely fiction, was now reality.
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