1.Taken

Thirteen years ago

Zelda

The morning was like any other, snuggled up with my pillow and teddies.

‘Good morning munchkin,’ as I kiss his little button nose. I’ve had munchkin for as long as I can remember and never sleep without him.

‘Zelda! Are you awake yet?’ mum is always shouting to wake me up in the morning, she thinks I can’t get out of bed for anything. I just sigh and roll over she will be pulling my fin out of bed in no time. I’m not sure why she is in a rush this morning its Sunday! No school or anything planned as far as I know. I can hear my sister Carabella singing in the next room, probably bushing her hair and admiring herself in the mirror. She is considered the beauty of the family, at only two years older than me seems a little unfair as I’m still growing into my features, so what if my nose is a little big for my face, I’m 5, I’ve got more important things to worry about. Although, when you have a sister who seems perfect in everyway people can’t help but compare and find you lacking somehow. I’ll show them!

‘Zelda! Get up this instant, we have got to go!’ mum busts through the door and as expected pulls my fin out from under the covers dragging my body with it.

‘Your sister has been ready for hours! Come along now.’ See even in my own bedroom I can’t escape her. Don’t get me wrong I adore my sister, she is always looking out for me, helps me with my hair, makes sure I’m dressed presentably and helps me with my homework, she’s my best friend. Although, it wouldn’t hurt if she could do a few things wrong every now and again. Just saying.

Carabella comes in and picks up me from the floor, smiling down at me,

‘Come on my lil cherub put this on,’

‘I don’t like that top, I’m not a baby anymore,’ pouting at her. She just stares me down then smiles.

‘If you want me to do your hair you will put it on.’ Meanie she knows I can’t do my hair; my little arms can’t reach all of it. As a siren we all have long hair Carabella’s is a warm caramel blonde that sits just below her bum when its down, currently its swept up into several braids with pearls and a few strands around her face. Mine is just as long but twice as thick, I’ve broken many brushes trying to get out the knots out, my hair takes after our mother although slightly lighter as it’s a white silver colour. People always tease me and say I look like a grandma with my almost white hair. Sighing I decide to put on the top, its purple with some flowers and sunshine on it. Carabella gets to work brushing my hair.

‘If you left your braids in when you sleep it wouldn’t be so messy in the morning, I’m surprised you were still in bed,’ I do move a lot in bed, its not the first time I’ve woken up on the floor with Munchkin with me.

‘There much better,’ She’s put my hair into two braids crossing over at the back and a few shells around my face.

‘Finally, you look beautiful darlings, now come have some breakfast,’

‘Morning Muma,’ she put breakfast on the table, and I take my seat as does Carabella.

‘So, why do we need to get going this morning?’

My mother doesn’t answer immediately, in fact she turns away to compose her face.

‘There are some hunters in the area today and your father wants us to head to the Den as its secure and not as well known, its just a precaution nothing to worry about,’ she gives a tight smile at the end, so I know she is concerned this time. The hunters are desperate to find something this is the 4^th time this week they have been coming to our area, the school had to close. I know they are after us, sirens, but no one has told me why, what they want with us. Which scares me the most.

‘Okay Muma,’ I take my breakfast to the counter and give her a hug.

‘You know the drill, its just like any other time we have practiced this, you and you sister will go after the first lot of guards, and the ones will go behind you, I’ll meet you there, keep your spacing so they won’t pick us up on their radars if we are too close together… hurry my Angles’ Muma pulls us both into a hug and gives us a kiss.

I’m beginning to panic now; Muma normally isn’t like this about these types of things.

‘It’s nothing to worry about cherub I’m sure its just because there’s been so many searches recently,’ Carabella whispers in my ear. I bite me lip and nod, she takes my hand, and we make it toward the door of our home. After a deep sigh the guards open the door and start to swim out, keeping as low as possible. Once there are in the distance and you can barely see them, we leave.

‘It’s time,’ our mother encourages us out the door and waves us off.

Keeping as low as possible I follow my sisters lead through the terrain, it’s familiar but there is knot in my stomach something feels different, and I don’t know what it is. My sister looks back and tries to reassure me with a smile. She turns back and carries on, and that’s when I notice she’s further ahead and I’m not moving. I’m stuck! I start to panic and flap around. Carabella is instantly back at my side and helps release my tail she looks down at me and strokes my face with her hand to help calm me.

That’s when I see it out of the corner or my eye the net coming down, Carabella pushes me out the way at the last second to stop me being caught up with her, the net surrounds her and I swim to her side to try and get her out, the net is beginning to be pulled upwards and we are moving away from the seabed.

‘Go, Zelda, Go!’ she begs me.

‘I’m not leaving you!’ I grab the net and start frantically pulling her net and she manages to swim free, all the while we are getting closer and closer to the surface. I’ve never been this far up it’s strictly forbidden.

The guards are frantically swimming towards us but there still too far away. The hunters have now dived into the water to bring us up, Carabella grabs my hand and starts frantically swimming to get away from them and closer to the guards. The hunters are gaining and I’m struggling to keep up with her. Something hits my head and I falter losing my sisters grip, arms wrap around my waist holding me secure and I’m propelled upwards, I’m disoriented, and everything is moving so fast that I’m slow to react.

‘Zelda!!!’ is the last I hear of my sister’s voice as I am brought to the surface and over the boats edge.

I’m dropped onto the deck and a white suite approaches me, I can’t see a face or anything to know who has captured me.

‘Drive on!’ they command.

The boat speeds away and even I know the guards will now struggle to keep up, I have never been so scared in my life.

Someone comes up and starts manhandling me before a bright light on a device is flashing my eyes.

‘100% pure.’ The robotic voice calls out. I am released from my capture, and fall back on the deck, someone chucks some leggings to me, and I look at them puzzled.

That’s when I notice where my tail is or was, I now have feet and legs. I scream my lungs out, panicking what is happening to me.

‘Put her in the cage,’

Another white suit stalks up to me and helps me put the leggings on, then grabs my arms and hauls me to the back of the deck, opens a door and then starts moving down the stairs. Another door opens, inside the large dark room is room full of other sirens in cages. Before I can get a good look at them, I am thrown to the back of a cage the metal door locking away and hearing a click shut.

‘Welcome to your new home princess,’ the suits sneers at me, before he stomps back where he came from, switching off the light and slamming the door behind them. I can barely breathe and frozen with how terrified I am. I can’t think or move and I’m at a loss for what to do.

Someone will come for me I tell myself; someone will come. They have too! I can hear the engine revving and my imminent rescue seems to be slipping further and further away. I pull my legs up so my chin is resting on my knees, oh god I have knees will I ever have my tail and fin back. I feel so weak and tired and have no idea of what to do the I eventually rock myself back and forth until sleep takes me.