Demons on the Sea

Somewhere, on the eastern Atlantic, a commercial ship is travelling from England towards America. On this ship, along with the crew and the cargo, there are also five passengers. And these passengers are now gathered in a room that serves as a saloon. Their meals are served there, too.

One of them is a man who looks like he is in his early forties. Judging from his clothes, I would expect him to have a First-Class cabin on a passenger ship, rather than to find him in this not in the least bit luxurious environment, travelling under the conditions a commercial ship has to offer. Along with him is a younger man, a twenty-five year old lad, also well dressed, and, apparently, his servant. Nonetheless, this servant sits in a chair right next to his master, and converses with him in an informal manner, while they are both having a coffee.

Closer than what politeness would dictate, another man sits. This one is a thirty-three year old man and obviously the poorest of all the passengers. A few books are on a small table, in front of him, and the man is reading them – studying them, more accurately – and taking notes.

And finally, at the other side of this not so big room, a mother tries to embroider, but her nine year old daughter demands her attention every so often.

***

“This ship is really slow!”

“What are you saying, Master? It’s a three-masted steamer. It’s pretty fast.”

“Then why are we not in America, yet?”

“We left England only yesterday!”

“You see? It is slow! I wish we had fled on a broom, or something, instead.”

“Humans can’t fly, Master.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” said the book reading guy. “I was in India recently, and I saw a man who actually levitated. And, also, I’ve been in enough seances, back home, where the mediums, or the spirits they had summoned, raised small things. And even tables and chairs, in few of these seances.”

“You see, John? We could have gathered all those mediums and have them help us fly. Maybe, if they were enough of them, they could have sent the whole ship flying to America. We would have been there, by now, wouldn’t we?”

“I doubt that, Master. I’m sorry, Sir. Don’t mean to be rude, but those were probably tricks.”

“I can’t deny the possibility, of course, but for what matters, I was convinced.”

“There, John! The man was convinced! And he sounds like he’s been in a few of those seances. Am I right, my dear sir?”

“Indeed you are. I’m researching the supernatural, so I’ve been in quite a few of them, and also have read and heard plenty testimonies of others.”

“How interesting! Please forgive my servant. He is such an awfully narrow-minded lad.”

The man giggled. “Not everyone believes in things science can’t prove.”

“Oh, that’s not it, Sir,” John replied. “There are many charlatans in the business, for all I know.” The researcher was not convinced. “Do you know who this man is?” asked John, indicating his master with his hand. “He is Bertram Ansley!”

“Bertram Ansley? The world famous medium?”

“I wouldn’t know about the famous part, but, yes, that’s me.”

The woman threw him a disapproving stare and immediately turned back to her needlework. Bertram Ansley pretended he didn’t notice.

“I must attend one of your seances. I’ve read your name many times in the news! And even in some of the files I used for my research. Oh, where are my manners? I’m Frank Conner. It’s a great pleasure and honour to meet you, Sir.”

“The pleasure is mine. But let me correct your misconception. I’m not summoning spirits, I’m afraid. I just… help people solve problems related to spirits and other supernatural entities.”

“Oh… Now that you say that, indeed, your name is usually related to haunted places, rather than prophecies and seances.”

“I wish that was true. Most times, it’s about places considered to be haunted, while they actually were not.” Bertram shrugged.

“But you have come across ghosts, and other supernatural beings, have you not?”

“Quite a few times. Probably more often by chance, than when I investigated a case.”

“Oh, my god! How fascinating! And it must be fate! Currently I’m researching supernatural beings. Oh, please, tell me what have you met?”

“Hm… Ghosts, of course, plenty of those. Then, I think, amongst the most common encounters, mostly demons, vampires, werewolves, fairies and goblins. I’ve met a few others, too, but only once or twice, each of those.”

“Unbelievable! You’ve really met too many!!!”

“They aren’t few, but, probably, not as many as you might think. I might have been summoned to examine hundreds of cases, but only a handful of those really involved anything supernatural. I think I’ve mostly made a name by not getting tricked by the fake cases, rather than solving the real ones.” He laughed.

“Even this is an accomplishment, of course!”

“My master wouldn’t be tricked. After all he can sense any supernatural being and-”

“Shut up, John!”

“Really?”

“Who knows? I could, indeed, sense all those I’ve encountered, before actually seeing them. Then again, maybe I haven’t encountered the ones I couldn’t sense.”

“Of course, of course… I’d love to interview you, if I may. Your experiences will give me so much first-hand information!”

“I’m sure you can find much more than I can ever tell you, in your books. Probably, you already know much more, too!”

“Still… It would be very informative and interesting to hear your experiences… if this wouldn’t be a problem for you, of course.”

“Maybe, we’ll exchange information, instead? You can tell me the interesting things you’ve read and I’ll tell you what I’ve experienced, in return. How about that?”

“I wouldn’t know what to say to someone who obviously knows more than I do, but, I’ll do my best. You said you’ve met vampires, right?”

“Yes… they are much more common than they should be.”

“You know, according to what I’ve read, there is a special kind of vampire that can sense, summon and command any supernatural being. They are the ruling supernatural beings.”

“You don’t say? And I thought vampires were mostly stupid, instinct driven animals!”

“Vampires are nothing like that!” the little girl yelled. “They are powerful and magnificent and clever.”

“No, young lady. Mr Ansley is right. Common vampires are nothing like Bram Stoker describes. Most of them are indeed stupid, instinct driven, blood thirsty beasts. And a child as tender as you, shouldn’t be reading such books.” The girl poked her tongue. “Oh, Mr Ansley, do you know where vampires are originated from?”

“They say from Romania, I think?”

“Yes, yes, that’s the common belief. There might be some reason and truth for some kinds of vampire in that, I guess, but those are not the oldest ones!”

“Really?”

“The oldest ones come from Ancient Egypt, as it seems. And those vampires have at least as much intelligence as a human does, and very real powers. Those are the ones who can control every supernatural being.”

“Oh, how interesting! Egypt, you say? Fascinating! You must tell me more!”

“Fearsome beasts they are, indeed. They can’t be killed as ‘easily’ as a common vampire can be killed. And, on top of that, they possess superhuman strength and speed, they can transform into various forms, and they can control all animals and beasts, both the natural and the supernatural ones.”

“Astonishing!”

“True! Many claim most, if not all, of the supernatural beings are created by them. Few even go as far as to suggest that we, humans, are just the result of an experiment they made with apes.”

“An intriguing thought, I must admit!”

“Indeed! I don’t know if that’s true, but if so, it’s not a wonder that some of the oldest religions have them amongst their gods, or demons.”

“I see… that makes sense… but, hopefully, they are no more?”

“Actually, there is a relatively recent testimony of the presence of one such vampire, from France. A werewolf, they called it, but that was just one of its forms. More or less, it is presented as possessing all the abilities Mr Stoker’s Dracula possesses. That’s just my speculation, of course, but, maybe, Mr Stoker used this story as a base for his character? I have nothing to support this assumption, but the coincidences are just too many, if that’s not the case.”

“Very interesting, indeed! And how did they kill this French vampire?”

“They didn’t, actually. They didn’t face it directly. They tried to purify its residence, again and again, until it stopped returning there.”

“Lucky they were, he didn’t counterattack!”

“He couldn’t! Nobody can hold a candle to Christ’s power!” It was the girl again, the one who yelled that.

“Or, annoying brat, he found a better place, without any people around, who would break into his home, every now and then.”

“Mr Ansley! How d-”

“Madam! Keep your… that, under control. Its bad manners reflect your insufficient parenting!”

The woman wanted to respond, but Ansley’s stare was too intense to oppose directly. “Don’t bother with them, Lillie. The one believes in things that don’t exist, while the other makes a living by defrauding people.”

Bertram Ansley smirked.

“Master, maybe you should consider being more polite?”

“Or less polite, John. This inconsistent, rude, piece of annoyance-”

“Master!”

“John! Inconsistent, because first it insists vampires are awesome and then that Christ is the awesome one. Rude, because it doesn’t mind interrupting our interesting conversation. Piece of annoyance, because that’s exactly what it is. Mark my words, John. This… thing, if given a chance, it will, without a second thought, cause harm to anyone around it.”

“She is a child!”

“And? Does this, in some miraculous way, contradict anything from what I said? No!”

“But…”

“Then, you agree!”

John did not respond.

“Fortunately, I guess, Mr Conner, the only vampires I’ve ever met were the usual gruesome, stupid, ever hungry beasts,” Bertram said, reassuming his polite composure and manner.

It took a moment or two for Frank Conner to respond, but he wouldn’t miss his chance to learn more for his research.

“Thank god, indeed. Can you describe in detail those vampires? The encounters, too, if possible, of course!”

And the three men continued their discussion, until Conner couldn’t stay awake any more. The woman and the child had long before turned in for the night.

“Entertaining fellow, this researcher is, isn’t he? And he has such interesting stories to share.”

“You think?”

“Oh, come on! You can’t deny that. I especially loved the one of the Egyptian vampires!”

“Master… this surely, can’t be true.”

“No. It was truly entertaining. I assure you!”

“That’s not what I meant…”

Ansley smiled, amused. “John, I think you need to sleep, too. Bring me a cup of coffee in my cabin, and then go to sleep.”

“Coffee? At this hour? Maybe some tea?”

“Whatever! It doesn’t matter. Make it strong.”

“I… I’ll get you your coffee, then.”

And his master grinned.

***

When morning came, there wasn’t even a single cloud in the sky. John got his master, and together they went to the saloon. Lillie, who was trying to get some cookies from the buffet, ran to her mother. Frank was there, reading and eating at the same time.

Bertram, as if he didn’t remember his rude behaviour of the previous day, smilingly said, “Good morning,” to all. And then he sat to have his breakfast. John served him, of course, but sat at the same table, next to him, to eat his own.

“You didn’t sleep well, Mr Conner? You look too gloomy for such a nice morning,” Ansley asked, after finishing his breakfast, and John had brought him another cup of coffee.

“May I?” he asked, and came to the table, once Ansley nodded, carrying a map.

“You see these three spots on the map? They aren’t exactly islands, but more like big rocks. A really dangerous place. And we are passing by it at any moment, now.”

“I’m sure the Captain knows of these and we won’t crash. You worry too much.”

“No, that’s not the problem. I’m sure, just as you said, the Captain knows of these rocks. But, books say there are demons living on these rocks.”

“Demons? Really?”

“Really!”

“But they mustn’t be aggressive ones, if so. I believe this ship follows, more or less, the same route every time.”

“If everyone knows about those demons, you can avoid them. You see, these demons won’t attack a silent crew. Passenger ships never come this way. The thing is, these demons hate songs. And if one sings, even just one passenger out of the hundreds on board, those demons will attack and kill everyone.”

“Then, there is no problem. We simply need to not sing, until we’ll have left these rocks far behind us. Well, I haven’t sung for longer than I care to remember. John wouldn’t sing. You wouldn’t either. The crew, I’m sure, knows of this lore, and sailors wouldn’t challenge the demons of the sea. And, I’m sure, the women have heard you telling us the story, and they won’t sing. Therefore, relax! Everything is going to be okay.”

Frank Conner was amazed by Ansley’s calmness. “This must be the confidence of one who has dealt with many such beings,” he thought, but by the time he opened his mouth to express his thoughts, the worst thing imaginable happened.

“Ave, Maria! Hail Marry, full of grace, the Lord is with you,” Lillie started, ostentatiously, singing… well, sort of.

“Shut your trap, you shitty, moronic brat!” Ansley stood up, furious, turning to the kid. John wanted to stop him, but as if he’d dare to. “Not only have you just invited death for every human on this ship, but, also, this emetic noise your tool of torture you call vocal chords produced could drive crazy even a deaf man!”

The girl unfroze. She ran to hide behind her mother. “I fear no demons,” but she obviously feared Bertram, “Christ will protect us all!”

Bertram took a step, or two, towards her, and the kid started crying, clinging to her mother. And only then, her mother came out of it.

“How dare you threaten my child? First of all, there are no demons…” but she stopped. The sunlight was gone.

Bertram Ansley grinned, amused. Then he laughed, returning to his seat. “Sure! There are no demons, bitch! It’s simply that, in this part of the world, the sun sets in the middle of the morning!”

“They are coming!” Frank tried to scream, but his voice came out weak.

Silence.

“Master,” John whispered, “do something. You can!”

“I’m not a hero, John, to take upon me the shit of that shit! I told you she’d do it, remember?”

“Please, Master!”

“Oh, well! Only for you. Listen, people. First of all, only one is coming. Second, she is not a demon, to be precise. She is a Mute Siren. Interesting beings, they are. Just like the rest of their kind, they want to sing, but they are mute, so they hate it when one sings, even if as awfully badly as that stinking shit who invited her. And this Siren is coming to eat, firstly, that shit and, then, anyone who can possibly sing. That is, every human and animal that has a voice. So, here is the deal! I’m fairly sure, if we willingly offer her the singing whore, we can convince the poor Siren to let the rest live. A good deal, I think. Everyone will be benefited by it. Don’t you think?”

“You want to sacrifice my daughter, for you to live? Are you even a man?!?!”

“Shut up, bitch! This thing is dead. I guarantee! I don’t mind offering you, too, along with her, if this would make you feel better about your awful self. Why should every human on this ship die because of her arrogance? I intend to go to America. Not to get lost in the middle of the sea. So… do we all agree?”

Silence.

Bertram smirked. “Hypocrites!” He took a sip of his coffee. The flapping of huge wings. “You see, John? They don’t want my help.” And the wooden wall broke.

The girl screamed. The beast recognised the voice and took a few steps towards her.

“Look at my master,” John said in a desperate attempt to make it sound like a song.

The beast turned to him.

“You fool!” And Ansley looked at the winged beast. The Siren stepped back a little. “Listen to me, Siren,” Bertram calmingly said, “as you can probably see, all humans on this ship are rotten to their core. You wouldn’t like to eat rotten food and spoil your stomach. Right?” The beast looked at him, standing still. “So, I suggest, you should better leave.” Ansley’s eyes fixed on the beast. He smiled.

The Siren walked backwards until she was out on the deck, and then flew away.

Bertram Ansley stood up and went to the girl, spilling the rest of his coffee on her. He wasn’t furious. Not even angry, I think. Just disgusted.

“You, nauseating piece of shit, pray to your Christ he is but a fraud, because, if he is not, you’ll rote in hell, until it freezes, and, believe me! I’ll do my best to keep it burning hot for all eternity! You don’t deserve to breathe. You don’t deserve to have ever existed. You killed every single human on this ship, for your amusement. I swear, you’ll never laugh again. You won’t even smile. Neither on this earth, nor in hell.”

“How can you talk to my little angel like that?”

“Angel? Oh, Little Lucifer, how far your grace has fallen! Didn’t even recognise you!”

“Master!!!”

“What? Lucifer is an angel, for what I know. And probably a more kind-hearted one, than her!”

“Please, Master. Calm down. All is well that ends well, right?”

“You don’t even realise what you’ve done, do you?”

And Bertram Ansley left the room. John ran right after him, but his master locked himself in his cabin and wouldn’t respond to his servant’s calls.

And the morning became evening, and the evening became night, and Bertram hadn’t left his room. It was long past three o’clock after midnight when John gave up trying and went to sleep.

***

Not used to sleeping this late, he woke up around noon. His master’s cabin’s door was unlocked, and Ansley wasn’t there. Going towards the broken room, he spotted Bertram laid on the deck, enjoying the sun. He was smiling happily. John relaxed.

“Good morning, Master!” He ran to him. “Oh, dear! What’s this stench?”

“Good morning, to you, too, John. Garlic, of course!” And, opening his coat, he revealed a garlic string and a bunch of poorly made crosses, tied around his neck.

“What are those?”

“Safety precautions. It seems we have a vampire on the ship.”

“A vampire?”

“Yes. That’s what Frank Conner deduced, and everyone agrees.”

“But… you’d know. Wouldn’t you?”

“He is the expert! You know how much research this fellow has contacted? He said the vampire must have come along with the Siren and hidden itself during the day. It must be, Frank says, one of the Egyptian ones, because a common vampire wouldn’t have enough brains to keep itself hidden. Terrifying news, if you ask me. And he said, that garlic and crosses are unlikely to kill this vampire, but they’ll keep it away. Thankfully, there is more than enough garlic on the ship, but crosses, I had to make them myself. Pretty tough, but managed quite well, don’t you think? Also, the sun doesn’t kill those vampires, either, but they can’t stand it, so I thought, I’ll be safer here.”

“Seriously?”

“I hope so! Otherwise, I might die like a clown!”

“I mean… do you believe a vampire came on board?”

“There is proof! Little Lucifer and her mother were found dead, this morning. They both had bite marks at their neck and not even a drop of blood in their bodies, or their room. I mean, what else can it be? But worry not, about them. We stabbed their hearts, cut their heads and threw their bodies in the sea. Frank says, they can’t revive in the sea.”

“Master… did you kill them?”

“Don’t insult me, John! Of course, I did! And had so much fun with it. Sneaked in their room while they were asleep. First killed the mother, without making a sound. Then, stole the shit’s annoying voice and woke her up. Showed her what she had done to her mother. It was such a bliss seeing her face. Then scared her, as much as I could, telling her what awaits her in hell. The stupid thing was making the sign of the cross to exorcise me. Me!!!”

He laughed from his heart.

“Wanted to make her piss herself before killing her. She did, and she shit herself, too. You knew this could happen? Thought it was just an expression. That was amazing. Stinking, more than you can guess, but amazing! Then, I drank her blood, and her fear and despair had made it so tasty! I don’t even remember the last time I had such a feast!”

“You are a beast!”

“Really, Dear? I’m a vampire old enough to have witnessed the Mediterranean Basin turning to a sea, and only just now it occurred to you I’m a beast?”

“But why? Why did you kill them?”

“The one who killed everyone is the brat. Remember? And then you made sure, they are all dead. She invited the Siren. I tried to help, as you’ve asked. Suggested something everyone would be happy with. The Siren would have her meal, everyone here would be alive, and the world would have been rescued from the shit. But you, hypocrites, didn’t agree. And, on top of that, you made sure the Siren would notice me, right from the start. And thus, you gave me three options.

“First, I could tell her to kill everyone. But, then, John, how the hell would this ship reach America? I don’t want to wait in the middle of the ocean, on an empty ship, for another one to come and rescue me.

“Then, I could do what every single one of you, even her mother, hoped I’d do. Tell her to eat the shitty brat and leave the rest of us alone. And then, you three, and the whole crew, would blame me for saving you. I think not!

“So, the only option I was left with was the third one. Send away the Siren and then kill everyone, slowly enough, for the ship to reach the land before all are dead. And that’s what I’m doing. I don’t intend to be hunted in America. And you, you made sure I’d expose my power in front of someone who believes that some Egyptian vampires are the only beings capable of commanding all supernatural beings. It’s a pity, you know. I honestly enjoyed his company.”

“He would never think you are one!”

“I don’t take risks. None. It’s as simple as that.”

“Are you… are you going to kill me, too?”

“If I need to, John, gladly! Do I?”

“Garlic and crosses, you say? I need to get some.”

“And the sun! Don’t forget the sun. The bloody beast can’t stand it. Garlic, I believe, you can still find. Ask at the kitchen. Crosses, though, you should make yourself.”

“How many do I need?”

“Frank says one is enough, but can you ever be sure with these Egyptian vampires? They are, after all, amazingly strong! So, I suggest, you make a few more. Here! Have one of mine. I wouldn’t want you to get attacked while making yours. Hopefully, nine are still enough to protect me. At least, under the sun!”

“Thank you, Master.”

Bertram joyfully grinned.