How many mariners lost their souls in these swirling waters?
How many ships wrecked hopelessly on these shores?
How many lives were sacrificed to the sweet fatal lullaby of the mermaids?
Too many. Always too many.

There was only one man clear-minded and clever enough to listen to the deadly dirge and get away unpunished: Ulysses.
But how many ‘Ulysses’ are there out here?
How many per generation?
How many among us, poor souls?
Not enough. Never enough.

Was Harry one of those chosen beings?

He was sitting on a cliff with the crystal clear water caressing his ankles and the bright rays of sunshine kissing his forehead, feeling the warmth of the world’s smile on his skin.
Peace, joy, love and warmth: everything seemed amazingly perfect.

But can something already perfect be improved even more? Obviously yes, because right then from the clearness underneath him popped up three fabulous creatures.

They had slender and darting bodies with pale translucent skin which was made brighter by the contrast with such black hair that seemed to hide the secret of the deepest corner of the universe between their strands. And the same indefinably ancient secret seemed to be held also by their eyes of a colour that cannot be described by human words and that were all but human. But the most shockingly inhuman peculiarity of those creatures was the voice: an heavenly sound that could force your blood to sing along with them, a dark vibration, ancient and primitive as an earthquake which could shake minds and bones.

Mermaids.

Half women, half fish.

When the first one spoke, an intriguing grin flourished on her blood-red lips: “What are you doing on the cliff, young man? Why don’t you dive into the water? Come with me: I can show you what happiness really is and give you everything anyone could ever desire. Girls, money and properties in never-ending amount and there would be no need to ask for anything. Hug me, kiss me, hold me with no second thoughts ...”

Her whispers hit Harry’s heart as an arrow shot from an unbelievable ancient age and he found himself shivering while her white and nimble finger run along his right ankle.

Harry had no time to think about her offer, because another pale hand was laid on his knee, light and ingratiating as a spring wind, and his gaze was caught prisoner by two bright eyes with no lashes, so deep he could get lost in their inhuman paths.

“Why hesitating, young man? Isn’t luxury enough? Don’t you want to stand in the hall of fame? I’ll lift you up there: you don’t need anything but your handsome smile. Everyone would know your name, everyone would love you! Dive in with me: hug me, kiss me, hold me with no second thoughts ...”

“Come on in, young man. I can promise you the power to do whatever you like. There would be no limits nor barriers to bound you. Only pleasure, fun and wantonness. Dive in with me: hug me, kiss me, hold me with no second thoughts.”
Also the third creature intervened with a voice so sweet that seemed the most harmonious melody ever created. She took Harry’s hand in hers and put it on her translucent chest, exactly over her heart filled with empty illusions and lies. But Harry couldn’t sense that abyss.

He was blinded by their unearthly smiles.
He was deafened by their poisonous dirge.
He was muted by their tricky offer.
He could not even think straight anymore: he was just longing for their supernatural company that promised him so much and so easily.

“ ... Maybe just a dive ... just a few minutes ...”

So he let them lead him into the lukewarm pale blue water while the graceful creatures were slipping through the waves as if dancing at the rhythm of a never-heard melody.

Poor wretch!

The clear heavenly water enveloped him with its elusive arms and he had to swim to keep himself from sinking while foretasting the sweetness of what has been promised to him. In the meantime, the three mermaids were flickering in circles around him just underneath the water surface making it impossible for him to get back to his cliff if he ever wanted to. He could not even think about anything else but what the three of them kept promising him, while singing with their heavenly voices.

But soon Harry felt tired of swimming and he merely floated. Then the mermaids came closer calling for him under the water with their fascinating and unreadable eyes, alluring and kissable lips, seducing and unmissable touch.

Poor soul!

How could he resist the lazy weariness together with such a call? So Harry merely shut up the little corner of his conscience that was still annoyingly aware and let those alluring hands drag him down, make him slowly and relentlessly sink in those clear waters.
The heavenly creatures with seducing smile kissed him and caressed him with such a gentle touch that he even forget how to breath. But that was an ability that in a few moments would have become of no use: he was running out of oxygen. And even if he would have been aware of it, he wouldn’t have cared: he was lost in that sweet illusion.

Poor castaway!

The pale blue water became as black as ink as the elusive strands of whirling mermaids’ hair enveloped him in a fatal embrace. A dark and obsessive dirge was ringing over and over again in Harry’s deaf ears.

Luxury, fame, power. Luxury, fame, power. Luxury, fame, power.

A toy world of pre-packed dreams and never-dying illusions was opening ahead of Harry’s blind eyes.

Luxury, fame, power. Luxury, fame, power. Luxury, fame, power.

The white arms encircled him in the last hug while the mermaids were sweetly drowning him.

Who was him?
Does it really matter?

Luxury, fame, power. Luxury, fame, power. Luxury, fame, power.

Harry suddenly reopened his eyes. He was on the cliff and the crystal clear water was caressing his ankles.
He was completely alone: no inhuman creatures in sight.
What a nightmare!