Yellow Eyes
by Eddy James

From out of the depths,
a Siren song.
Yellow eyes,
wide and unblinking,
stare back.
There seems to be a mistake…
This creature should not exist.

Long, black mermaid hair.
Creeping tendrils curling.
Dark, green, leathery skin
speckled with tiny, glowing freckles.
Its gills flare out.

“Bioluminescence.”
Its nails have been sharpened on rocks.
Uneven teeth and sandpaper tongue.
Every edge on it is sharp.
Its home is made of decaying driftwood,
held together
by the crushing depths.
Too far down
to continue the rot.

It crawls up, out of the water
and empties its chest.
Coughing.
Hacking.
Vomitting up water.
Yellow eyes meet yours for a moment,
then it scurries away into the trees.
You decide it’s best to stay inside tonight.