The two men rushed as fast as they could down the hall to check on Halcreek. By the time they made it to the sick bay, they were only with seconds to spare. One of the creatures was on top of him. They clawed viciously at his arms he had raised to defend himself.

Willas wasted no time firing off a shot from the rifle. The round tore through the shoulder of the beast. It howled madly at the blow, turning its attention to Willas.

"Wait!" Edmond tried to pause the whole mad scene, "Stop! Just stop!" He was hoping he could take the time to speak to the creature. To reason with it. But after that rifle went off, it was too late for talking.

The creature used its tail to slither in on Willas. Edmond didn't know if the creature was going after Willas himself or their final weapon of defense. It didn't matter either way since both were terrible.

"Stop!" Edmond yelled again, "We can help you!" He tried again.

Willas, by reflex, fired another shot at the approaching danger. The creature was too close to dodge. Half of the creature's head blew apart as it dropped dead at Willas' feet, it's tail twitching for a moment as death embraced it. Its inky black blood pooled beneath it on the wood.

"No!" Edmond screamed out in horror. What had Willas done? He knew the man was only trying to defend his own life, but this? This was going to be war if the sirens had their say about it. There was no going back after this.

"It tried to kill me!" Halcreek sat up. The backs of his arms were a bloody mess. His shirt had been ripped in the struggle as well, with a few deep scratches on his chest. It was clear that he was losing a lot of blood. "It got me good."

Willas rushed to Halcreek first. Edmond was still frozen, looking at the mess of a creature lying dead on the floor. Had that been his Maryann? Surely, not.

"Tell me what to do." Willas sat the rifle down to help Halcreek dress his serious wounds.

Edmond came next to them to collect the rifle. He wasn't sure what to do with it now. Was it best to cast it aside to show them that no further blood would be shed? Or was it too late for that? Edmond figured he knew the answer to that already. These things. They would want more blood for their loss. Before, it was a simple exchange for the kidnapping. Now, it was going to be hell.

"Easy!" Halcreek winced as Willas worked. "I'm not dead yet, I can still feel everything!"

"You're not going to die!" Willas demanded.

A screech could be heard somewhere above them.

They knew.

They knew of the loss.

Screeching roared from every direction around them. They knew the water was alive with angry beasts. The whole ship would be swarmed at this point. They didn't have the defenses to hold them off.

"Barracade the door!" Edmond yelled to Willas. Both the men rushed to flip a table and push the heavy wooden furniture in front of the door. Who knew how long that would last, but it was better than nothing. Right now, all they had was a rifle and a hope that this wouldn't end in all of them being torn to shreds.

Screeching and claw marks could be heard all above and around them. They were definitely on the ship. Dozens of them. All over.

Willas and Edmond sat on the floor with their backs against the table to add more resistance while Halcreek did his best to work on his wounds. They were lucky there were no windows they needed to worry about. Edmond clutched the rifle, not even sure if he would be able to use it.

The researchers had had the right idea to barricade themselves before. Maybe they would outlast this attack as well.

They could hear the creatures rampaging the ship. Breaking glass, splintering wood, flipping furniture. There was fury on the other side of the door.

There was suddenly a loud and forceful slam against the door. The door jolted open a couple of inches, sending the table forward into their backs. The two men rushed to push the table back into place and hold fast against the force of the next blow.

Each thrust pushed the men back a few inches, causing them to push right back to secure the hold. It wasn't clear how much longer they could keep this up.

"Help!" Willas called out to Halcreek, "We need you!"

Halcreek dropped his supplies and pressed his bloodied hands against the door. He stood above the men, pushing with all his might. The three of them managed the next blow without the door giving much ground.

Halcreek's blood dripped down on the two men below him.

It could have been a few more seconds or even a lifetime of struggle before the outside went still. The ship was quiet. Like the mermaids had shifted into fog themselves in an instant. Yet still, the men held firm. Scared at any moment that the door would come flying open, and it would be the end of all of them.

Halcreek was the first to break his stance. He fell to his knees, sweating and pale. It was only clear now how much blood was on the floor around him. Even the door was smeared heavily with his blood.

"Halcreek." Edmond tried to help him up. "Let's get you patched up."

Willas finally came away from the door to help them.

"I need stitches." He grunted. "I need to seal these cuts."

"I don't know how to do that." Willas showed his hands, looking confused.

"I can do it." Halcreek told them. "Just... just help me." It wouldn't be the first time he would have sewn himself up. Willas and Edmond were at his side with his equipment.

Halcreek's hands shook as he tried to thread his needle. The blood on his fingers was too slick, and he ended up dropping the needle more than once. He let out a string of curses.

"Let me try." Edmond couldn't watch the man struggle anymore. He took the needle and placed the thread through it after a few missed attempts. Tensions were high. He couldn't exactly focus himself.

"My love?"

Edmond froze in place when he heard it. He looked to the other men. They were busy with one of Halcreek's arms.

"Come to me, my darling." Maryann sounded so sad. "Why do you hide from me?"

Edmond turned to look at the door. His love. His heart. His other half. She would listen to him. He could talk to her. They could find reason together.

Edmond drifted, making his way to the door now.

"Captain!" Willas called out. "Where are you going?"

Edmond couldn't tell him. He would only call him crazy. But Edmond knew better. He knew his Maryann. He knew she would listen. He only had to get to her.

He knew he could help his men.

He rushed to move the table and work his way out of the room. All while Halcreek and Willas called out for him to come back.

He followed the soft sound of her song until it led him above deck.

He found her. Looking flawlessly beautiful. Her white gown flowing like a mist around her. She looked angelic to his worn and lonely eyes.

"Maryann..." He gasped, taking in the lovely sight of this walking dream before him. His heart ached ever so slightly to remember he missed the birth. Where was his baby?

Suddenly, a vile, bulbous-eyed beast sprang at him from the fog. Edmond's back hit the deck hard when the creature was on top of him. Gnashing teeth snapped away in front of his face, all while he shoved at the creature's chest to push them away.

Maryann let out a scream, her features twisting darkly into a monstrous demon.

The scream was enough to startle the creature on top of Edmond.

Maryann's face softened again, her face smooth and gentle. She spoke in a language Edmond didn't understand. He watched her speak, then turned back to the creature that had been attacking him.

Instead of a siren on top of him, now he saw a beautiful woman.

This sight was just as troubling. He quickly crawled backward to get away from her. She only stood but did not pursue him. The further he got from her, the more she disappeared into the fog.

He came closer to Maryann, stopping at her bare feet. He looked up to his wife with a sense of longing and yet fear.

She rested her pale hand on his shoulder, "Why do you hide them from me? After they took our daughter? I want them, my love."

The researchers. He knew it. He knew she wanted them. He wanted them off his ship just as badly now.

"Take them." Edmond found himself saying before he could even really process the full thought. Was he a murderer if he simply handed them over? In this moment, he no longer cared. "I can show you where they're hiding."