Abandon all Hope

A light breeze created small ripples on the dark surface of the ocean. The light of the full moon illuminated the wreck that was left of the once mighty "West Wind". That dozens of sailors who had survived the storm were clinging to the masts and planks. Their prayers rose into the night sky, filling the air with a low hum of mixed voices. They were praying for a wonder, a miracle, anything. But they knew that death was certain.

"What... what is that?" one of the younger sailors asked, drawing the attention of those around him.

With a shaking hand he pointed to a spot in the middle of the wreckage. Something was breaking through the surface of the water, rising higher and higher until a head was swimming on the water. The long blonde hair of the woman was fanning out in the water around her, shining almost like a halo. Her almond shaped eyes looked around curiously and a friendly smile played across her lips.
Then she began to swim towards the young sailor, her movements barely disrupting the surface of the water. As she reached him she put her arms up on the plank.

"Are you a mermaid?" the man asked, his voice only a whisper.

The woman nodded once and placed her chin on her crossed arms.

"Will you save us?"

She nodded again. Then she lifted her head up and started to sing. There were no words to the song, just a melody so beautiful and entrancing that all the sailors were drawn to it. The prayers died down and hope filled the hearts of the men. For a blissful moment they forgot that they were stranded in the middle of a vast ocean with no help in sight.

No one noticed the heads emerging from the water all around them.

The song stopped. The blonde woman had retreated from the plank again and the young sailor followed her, taking her outstretched hand. She tugged him closer, wrapping the man in an intimate embrace and now he could feel her fin against his legs. As he stared into her turquoise eyes her smiled changed. The lips curling back slowly, revealing rows after rows of needle sharp teeth.
Before the sailor could react the mermaid emitted a high pitched shriek and with a swift motion she buried her teeth into the neck of the man, tearing out big chunks of flesh. Some of the other sailors looked on, rendered motionless by the shock, others tried to swim. But now the rest of the mermaids dove in as well and soon the night was filled with cries and screams of men.
A light breeze created small ripples on the dark surface of the ocean. The light of the full moon illuminated the red water around the wreck of the once mighty "West Wind". Between the masts and planks a dozen severed limps and heads were swimming on the surface of the ocean. No wonder had saved the sailors, they hadn't been miraculously saved. Death had found them.