The Sirens' Feast (3 page)

Mary raced back to the box, and grabbed the bow and arrows. She climbed up again, and took aim through the slit in the wall. She fired.

The arrow flew through the air and hit one of the sisters. The young woman fell to the ground. Her two sisters stopped singing.

Mr Blood and Edgar blinked and shook their heads. It was as if they were waking up from a deep sleep. They saw the farmer with his knives coming towards them.

Mr Blood and Edgar ran towards the door but the farmer was too quick for them. He reached the door first and blocked their way.

Mary knew it was up to her to save their lives. She put another arrow in the bow. Her arm was trembling as she took aim. The arrow flew through the air and hit the farmer in the arm. He howled with rage and ran towards Edgar, holding a knife above his head.

 

 

At last, Mr Blood managed to unbolt the door. He and Edgar ran out into the night. They slammed the door shut behind them and leaned against it.

Mary raced around to meet them and picked up a wooden post that was leaning against the wall. She slid it across the door to bolt it from the outside.

The farmer crashed against the door. He threw himself against it over and over again. But the door held firm.

Mr Blood, Mary and Edgar looked at one another.

“The farmer's daughters are Sirens,” said Mr Blood. “They bewitch people with their singing and then kill them. Mary, you have done very, very well. Without you, Edgar and I would be dead.”

 

 

They could hear the farmer screaming with rage inside the barn.

“What do we do now?” said Edgar.

“They have to be destroyed,” said Mr Blood. “They are monsters. They eat human flesh.”

“So that is why they look so well when everyone else in the area is starving,” said Edgar.

“How can we stop them?” asked Mary.

Mr Blood led Mary and Edgar back to the farmhouse. A fire was still burning in the grate. Mr Blood held one of the arrows in the flames until it caught fire.

“Give me the bow,” said Mr Blood. He sounded grim. Mary handed him the bow and they went outside.

 

 

Mr Blood took aim. He shot the burning arrow into the straw roof of the barn. Quickly the straw began to burn.

Mary looked shocked. “Is there no other way?” she asked Mr Blood.

 

 

Mr Blood shook his head. “Those animals are not humans,” he said. “They will go on killing people and eating their flesh if we don't stop it now.”

“Mr Blood is right,” said Edgar. “It is for the best.”

And the three of them turned and walked away.

 

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First published 2015

Text © Benjamin Hulme-Cross 2015

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