It was another typical day at work. Seamstress was sewing something macabre, Prismec was trying her best to bother her, and Celia was sulking in the corner. Terrence walked in, happy that his shift was over. Some idiot had had the brilliant idea to flush a hat down the toilet in the men’s restroom, and the sooner he got his mind off of that disaster, the better off he’d be.
Sirena, humming to herself quietly, noticed him first. She stopped singing and uncoiled herself as much as her cell would allow. “Hi again,” she smiled shyly.
“Hey Sirena.” He smiled back and put a hand on the glass. It was cool and smooth. “That’s a really nice song. What’s it about?”
Sirena dipped her head. The light ahead flickered, and in the brief moment of darkness, the tip of her frill glowed dimly green. “It’s a love story between a sea spirit and a sailor. And it’s not really mine, it’s just an old one.”
“That’s cool. Can I hear it?”
Her slitted pupils widened. “Sure!” She opened her mouth and began to sing with a voice as high and clear as sea glass. A dreamy look settled into Terrence’s eyes. It was an absolutely beautiful melody, even though he couldn’t understand the words. He sighed happily and suddenly, Sirena screeched. It was a high-pitched and horrible sound, and Terrence rushed to cover his ears. Sirena coiled back in surprise and clamped her mouth shut.
“Sirena, perhaps you should rest a bit,” called Caliax, apparently unaffected. Gasping, Sirena lay her head over her coils. She crossed her eyes and breathed deeply. Terrence, his ears still ringing, heard Caliax call for him.
He glanced over. Worriedly, he looked back at Sirena. “What just happened? Are you okay?”
Sirena nodded wordlessly. From his cell, Caliax shrugged. “There’s nothing any of us can do about it,” he said brightly, patting the spot beside him. Sirena trembled slightly and Terrence didn’t move. Caliax gave them both a pitying look. “Really, she’ll be fine. The best you can do is let her rest.”
Sirena did look like she needed it. Quietly, Terrence walked over to Caliax. “So, any idea what just happened?” he asked.
“Someone harmed her throat when she was brought here, and it’s still not healed,” Caliax whispered back.
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Terrence put a hand up to his own neck. “Gosh, that sounds awful.”
“Truly,” Caliax agreed. He glanced back at Sirena, considering his next statement. “Sirena’s a good girl, but her kind tend to be possessive. If you’re going to listen to any more of her music, I suggest you don’t linger too long.”
“Oh.” With Sirena no longer singing, he was beginning come back to his senses. Had she not started screeching, he wondered if he would have just stood there, listening forever. Embarrassed, he was eager to change the subject. “Um, so, how are you?”
The man got up and stretched. Except for the dark circles around his eyes, he had kept himself up surprisingly well. And Terrence still couldn’t figure out what was inhuman about him. He was beginning to feel awkward when Caliax finally broke the silence and answered his question. “Oh, just fine. Not much has been happening here, as usual. I’m sure your night has been far more exiting than mine, sitting in this cage.”
“Ah, I wouldn’t bet on it.” He glanced away, anxious to change the subject. “Hey, do you play checkers?”
“I do, actually. A rather fine pastime that your species has created, if I say so myself.” He brushed back a lock of hair.
“So you’re not a human, then?” Terrence wasn’t sure why he’d been expecting anything else from a facility full of monsters, but there was his confirmation. Aside from Sai and a few other janitors, he was the only human left in the facility.
“Me? No.” Caliax studied his hands and then looked back up at Terrence. “If you must know, this is my current host. I am inside of his brain, which I assure you is quite dead and not suffering.”
Terrence, who had just been thinking pleasant thoughts, such as how nice a nice caffeine pill sounded, felt the craving vanish.
“If it makes you feel any better, he was no shining example of human excellence. It isn’t as though I do this often, but I need it to survive.”
Terrence took a small step backwards. “But don’t you find it… kinda wrong?”
Caliax shrugged. “Of course I do. Harm is harm, even if I’m doing it in the name of survival.” He looked directly into Terrence’s eyes. “You’re working in a place where hundreds of beings, some of which are sapient, are being held captive so their life energy can be turned into power. Don’t you find that wrong?”
“Yes, but…” He sighed. “Yes.”
“Ah, but I assume you must have a reason for doing it, in spite of having qualms? You need the money, and a good job is hard to come by?”
“I’ll be lucky if I don’t lose this one,” he mumbled, “but that doesn’t make it—”
Caliax nodded curtly, cutting him off. “Then there’s nothing to fret over. We all have our vices, so as long as mine do no harm to you and yours do no harm to me, I see no reason for quarrels between us. Now, you mentioned you enjoy checkers?”
The change of subject was sudden and a bit jarring. “I don’t know, maybe tomorrow night,” Terrence said quietly.
Caliax gave a small shrug. “Very well then,” he said, sounding neither disappointed nor proud. He sat back down and settled into a comfortable position. Sirena’s song started up again down the hall, and the light above flickered. The tip of her frill glowed for the split second of darkness, and then the light was back.