Sehun and Chorong swam the night away, discussing matters of what was going on around Siren waters. His mind was in and out of their conversation, picking out the key pieces he thought were important Sehun wasn’t tired but his worries were split between his people, his friends, and, most of all, Taura. Each word that left Chorong’s lips was another added weight to his already burdened shoulders. He was tired of hearing the negative events and issues going on and wanted to release himself of the responsibility of being prince. Rubbing his face discreetly, he followed after Chorong as she continued on her long speech of their people’s troubles.

            “Sehun, people are going hungry. The food supply down here isn’t getting any better and sirens are starting to point fingers.” Chorong swam ahead of Sehun, letting her emerald green tail flick and back and forth as she swam on her back. Sehun had only caught the tail end of the story, not fully understanding what Chorong was talking about. His trip around to the different groups and settlements told a different story. The groups seemed to be well supplied with food.

            “What are you talking about? The people I met seemed to be just fine and who would they be pointing fingers at?” The male siren caught up to the girl as she slowed her swim and began to tread water as she rolled her eyes, as if the answer to his question was obvious.

            “To your precious princess and her people.” Chorong crossed her arms while Sehun threw his hands up.

            “Don’t start with that again, Chorong.”

            “If not them, who else? The humans too have been under fire for their excessive fishing…don’t think that hasn’t gone unnoticed by us Sehun. Our people are going hungry. Me and the girls included. We’ve barely scraped by these past few weeks.” Chorong emphasizes ‘our people,’ struck the wrong chord in Sehun. He didn’t like having to pick sides, when he belonged to both species equally.

            “I’m human too, Chorong.” Sehun swam closer to the older siren as she kept her ground. “They are my people just as much as the sirens are.”

            He swam past her slightly brushing shoulders. Chorong turned to face his back, “Then what is she?”

            Sehun stopped.

            “She’s betraying her own people.”

~*~*~*~

            Taura laid on the sand, the water reaching her waist while the rest of her body laid dry on the white ground. She missed her large bed, forgetting how uncomfortable it was to sleep as a mermaid. The other six sirens slept away from her on the other side of the little beach like area of the cave. She could hear their whispers, sneers, and giggles. If they were talking about her, she tried her best to tune them out. With her back to the group, she stared at the rock walls embedded with shells and minerals.

            She wanted sleep to come but her senses were wide awake in the presence of people she knew disliked her. Taura shut her eyes, trying to find some sort of peace of mind.

            “I’m so hungry, Naeun.”

            “We all are.”

            “I can’t sleep like this.”

            “Stop complaining and just sleep.”

            “Tsk, look at her sleep like nothing’s wrong.”

            “Sh, she’ll hear you.”

            “She should hear me. It’s her fault our families are going hungry.”

            Taura shrunk inside of herself, wanting to hide from the eyes she