Roseanna sighed, staring at the calm ocean where, 2 and a half miles below the surface, The wreck of the Titanic remained after 100 years. She checked the battered old watch she wore, it was twenty to twelve in the evening. Exactly 100 years ago the Titanic hit the iceberg that claimed 1514 lives. 53 children, 109 women and 1352 men had perished here all because the White Star Line company was too arrogant to realise that they needed more lifeboats. That was Roseanna's opinion anyway, at least for the deaths. No one was to blame for the accident, it was just that, an accident. Roseanna was currently on her yacht, the Assignment, anchored right above the Titanic . She knew the moment she returned to her job at the Titanic Historical Society, she was going to be in deep trouble. Anyone that wanted to even be above the wreck had to get permission from the THS and the Irish government and Roseanna had neither.
Technically speaking she could claim she had permission from the THS as her supervisor and best friend, Jacqueline Malitor, had given her permission (kind of). The thirty one year old smiled impishly, what were they going to do, fire her? She was one of their hardest working historians. She was also the only historian who was actually related to a Titanic passenger. Her great grandfather was a third class passenger, named Tommy Ryan. He had sadly perished three days after Titanic sank but he had written down his experiences during the sinking in his journal that Roseanna now had. She had agreed to loan it to the THS but if she was fired, the THS would never get their hands on her great great grandfather's journal. She could still remember the day she found it.
Roseanna and seven of her eight siblings were clearing out her Grandma's back room. The eighth sibling was six year old Nathan who was baking with Grandma. Her eldest sibling, twenty year old Danny, was supervising his four younger sisters and three younger brothers. Roseanna gripped the cardboard box tightly, marching down the corridor to her Grandma's kitchen. "Grandma, where do you-Oh!" As the ten year old had begun to talk, the cardboard box clutched in her slightly chubby arms had broken spilling its contents.
Grandma, Nathan and Roseanna gathered up the items. Among them was a small tattered black book that intrigued young Roseanna. "Grandma, what's this? Is this a diary?" Her voice was laced with curiosity. "Aye, that's my grandad's journal. You should read it, it's all about the Titanic." Grandma replied, sadness evident in her tone. But she knew her youngest granddaughter was fascinated with the Titanic and would love to read a first hand account of the magnificent ship and its tragic demise.
"What's the matter? You look sad. Did your grandad not make it off the Titanic?" Asked Roseanna. Grandma just nodded. Nathan and Roseanna wrapped their arms around Grandma. That was where the seven siblings found them some two hours later, sat on the kitchen floor holding each other tight.
A sudden sound jolted Roseanna out of her reverie. Next to her yacht was a massive ship, that Roseanna recognised immediately. Her bright red hull looked even brighter against the coal black upper half. Steam and smoke was pouring out of three funnels that jutted up to the night sky. It was the Titanic! But, the Titanic sank 100 years ago. The noise of the engines drowned out any and all noise coming from the passengers. A gangplank was being lowered and Roseanna went towards it gladly.
She pratically ran up the gangplank, almost running into the man standing at the top. "Sorry! I'm just so excited!" She cried. The man chuckled, "I'm Thomas Andrews. I-" But whatever he was about to say was cut off by Roseanna's excited squeal. "Thomas Andrews? As in the ship's designer? Oh my god! This is incredible!" Rambled Roseanna. "How many years has it been?" Came a voice. A group of men, all wearing the same uniform, had appeared behind Thomas. "Exactly 100 years since the ship went down. Are you telling me you guys all reappear every year on the 14th?" She questioned curiously, turquoise eyes darting from one man to another. "The 14th? It's normally the 15th." Said a man who Roseanna recognised as Chief Officer Wilde. She shrugged.
"I don't know. All I know is that I was remniscing about my Great Great Grandad who was one of the many people claimed by the below freezing temperature of the water." She explained nonchalontly. Six mouths dropped open. She giggled at their expressions. She turned and began to explore the ship. Her heart broke when she came upon a group of maybe thirty children playing games. All of them died. Froze or drowned, she supposed.
Roseanna had been exploring the ship for forty minutes when she literally ran into her great grandfather. It was odd, seeing him here, roughly seven years younger than her. "Hi. I'm Roseanna Lynch." She said nervously. "Hello. Tommy Ryan." He replied confidently, sticking his hand out. She placed her noticeably smaller one in his. He began to lift it up to his mouth when she realised what he was doing and slid her hand out of his. "Ewww. Totally ewww! My great great grandfather is flirting with me!" She recoiled.
Tommy appeared to of frozen. "You're my great great granddaughter? How?" He spluttered about five minutes later. "Well, when your son, Liam, met a girl called Maria they fell in love. When a man and a woman love each other very much-" "Alright! I know what you're on about. Hang on, your surname's not Ryan though." He interrupted. "Ya, I'm related to you via my grandmother. Her maiden name was Ryan. She told me about you, ya know." Roseanna replied, gazing around her in amazement.
Roseanna and Tommy talked for what seemed like ten hours but was really just two hours. And then it was 2.20am and the Titanic sank. Again.
Roseanna woke up on the deck of her yacht. Her head was pounding and when she reached up to rub the back of her head, her hand came back red. "My head kills. I must of dreamt up the whole thing." Roseanna muttered. She awkwardly clambered to her feet. But she nearly fell back over when she saw her cockpit.