I'm Dead, Right?

Am I dead?

Maria asked herself. I must be. When was the last time she slept on a soft mattress?

That would have been the night before her father had died. He was the last one to tuck her in. She could remember seeing her mother near the door.

An angry look on her face.

Maria shivered. Even in the next world, she still could not imagine why her mother hated her.

She cannot even remember when her hate became too much too much to the point that she was physically hurting her.

Something cool touched her forehead, it was followed by a wipe on her arms. Next was her neck, then her chest.

She was being tended to. But why?

Maria suddenly began to feel chilly and shivers were breaking out of her. Her teeth began to rattle, and she could hear the noise it was making.

She was dead. She was not supposed to feel anything.

"For the love of Zeus! Raze! Brent! Call Void! She is convulsing!"

A man's panicked voice broke into her consciousness. Convulsing? How could she be in that state? She was dead, right?

She then heard several loud footsteps. There were several voices shouting at each other. It took a lot of work to tell what they were arguing about.

Maria was developing a headache with all the voices she was hearing. It took effort, but she was able to raise her voice enough to say, "Shut the effing up!"

She sighed in relief, but the chills she felt were not going away.

"Siren?"

Siren? Why is she being called a siren?

"Captain, we need to bring her fever down," a deep voice with a slight accent said. "My powers cannot heal her, I'm afraid."

"What in Poseidon's realm do you propose?!"

This voice was the same voice that called her siren. It had a rough quality that sent shivers down her spine.

Wait, she was dead, how can she feel anything?

"Strip naked and sleep with her."

Naked?!

With all the remaining strength in her, Maria opened her eyes.

At first, the room looked blurry, she had to blink several times to clear the cobwebs in her head. And then, that's when she noticed the room was somewhat swaying.

The light fixture looked weird. Where were the light bulbs? Are those candles?

But why did it look like it was not melting?

She turned her head, but it made her head throb. She tried to lift her arms, but they were not responding.

"Siren?"

Maria wanted to see who was talking, but any slight movements made her stomach turn.

"Siren?"

Maria's eyes widened when the voice who kept calling her 'Siren' leaned over to look at her.

She was definitely dead.

How else would this man be with her?

He was as handsome as he was all those years ago.

But…

His sun-kissed skin looked pale and there were worry lines on his face that were not there before. His hair was a bit longer as well. And it was messy like he ran his hand through them so many times.

Even if she was too weak to move, Maria did her best to reach out and touch his face.

She could see how confused he was. But Maria only smiled.

This was her dream.

This was something she had longed for ever since the first time her mother had slapped her face when Maria told her that her husband was cheating on her.

This man was the man who visited her that night.

And the following nights after that.

To be able to touch his face was a dream come true.

The ocean and the sea had always protected her. Now it was making her dreams come true.

Maria never knew his name, he never really talked. All those times he appeared in her dreams, he would only sit beside her and hold her in his arms.

It was nice to know what he sounded like. In these final moments of her life. She could at least slash three or four things on her bucket list.

Hearing his voice, feeling his skin against hers, looking at his eyes, and seeing him. Being with him.

Too bad she was about to die.

Her dream man took hold of her hand, keeping it on his cheeks.

His hand was warm. And it felt nice against her chilled skin.

"Siren? Could you hear me?" He asked. His voice sent shivers down her spine. Again she was dead, so why?

"Captain, we need to act fast," Maria wanted to look at the source of the voice, but moving was too painful for her.

"Siren? We need to bring your fever down if we don't you might die," the man in front of her said. Maria could hear the worry in his voice.

Why was he worried about her dying when she was dead in the first place?

No matter, this was the only chance she had with this man, dream or not, this would be her last chance to be with him.

Maria nodded and closed her eyes. It was tiring to keep them open. Even her hand slipped from his grasp.

"Captain, you need to move fast," another voice said. This one had a melodic voice that could charm anyone. Not her.

Someone lifted her off the bed and was being moved.

"Everyone out! Jamal, Brent, make sure to oversee everyone. Do not disturb me, unless it is between life and death."

The man holding Maria said, then another voice said. "Understood. We'll set sail once we know the status of the ship. Are you sure you can handle this?" This time it had a smooth quality in it. It was the kind of voice her mother would swoon over.

"Raze will be with me, right boy?"

Maria didn't hear a response; whoever 'Raze' was, he must be trustworthy.

"Captain! She is turning purple!"

She was too weak to understand what was happening around her. All that matters was he was here.

"You will not die, Siren, do you hear me? You. Will. Not. Die!"

The captain was shouting at her, and everyone was noisy again.

Something very cold touched her skin, but darkness was already claiming her again. This time, she welcomed it.

"LIVE!"