APRIL, 14, 1942
"...as we begin today's top stories..." the man's radio began, broadcasting the latest news from the war's front. This woke the man up.
Ever since Frank had failed his mission on the Titanic 27 years ago, his life, and life around the world had been hell. He failed, Hitler was bombing the hell out of his country, and he could not pay the rent of his apartment room, which was due today.
He sighed as he listened to the news.
"London has endured another night of German bombing. Most damage was concentrated in the east end. The RAF has struck enemy air raid warnings for the low countries. In Russia, further German losses are reported around Leningrad. In Asia, the American fortress in the Burmese lands are reporting to hold their defenses, but Japanese forces are nearing the oil fields there as well. And that concludes the news summery. We now return you to our music program."
A soft piano tune began playing. Frank sat up. His room was filled with the memories of these past years. A model of the famous lost liner, the R.M.S. Titanic sat upon his fireplace mantle. He had countless newspaper clippings stored in a photo scrap book, and he had his valued possessions from the fateful night itself.
Then the knock at his door came. He grunted, and didn't bother answering it. He knew who it was, and she was the last person he wanted to speak with at the moment. Sure enough, her cranky old voice came through his shut door.
" 'Bout time you're awake! You're two weeks late with the rent! War or no war..." she continued rambling on. It gave Frank a headache. It wouldn't be long before the cranky old woman got herself a nazi battering ram and just threw Frank out on the streets.
"You'll pay the rent today, or it's the streets, I promise!"
Then she went away.
Frank just sat and looked over on his desk. A watch, which was long broken sat on his desk. Normally one would have thrown the watch away or would have the watch repaired, but it was the watch that he owned during his mission aboard the Titanic. Funny, ever since that night, the watch had been broken, and had never worked.
Simply looking at that watch made a voice ring in Frank's head. A voice that had warned Frank of the consequences revolving his failed mission aboard the Titanic.
See here...this isn't about your dedication. Pringle certainly attests to your buoyant. Know your dismissal stems from the Titanic. That failure can no longer be ignored...especially now. I am sorry, but someone is surely to blame. The service, you understand....we cannot be held responsible...
Frank's head sank. It was like life had absolutely no meaning. It was full of endless war, and pain.
An air raid siren began to blare.
Frank looked up. Sure enough, German bombers were filling the sky. Explosions began to fill the landscape. They were bombing the city in the morning? And sure enough, Frank was pretty far from the nearest shelter. He began to make for the door. He didn't care if the cranky old woman was waiting there with a baseball bat, a headache was better than a falling bomb.
He was just passing his window when his fear became a reality.
A bomb exploded right next to the window, making him unconscious, and completely unaware of the current environment which now surrounded him. He felt lost in spirit and body....in fact he thought he heard the haunting whistle from the Titanic itself...