Twenty-three year old Susan Dallas sat in her cabin aboard the Italian ship Antonia Graza. Also staying in her cabin, was Susan's long-time boyfriend Ricky Sanderson. As Susan sat in front of her mirror, applying her makeup, she saw Ricky come behind her and give her a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm lucky." Ricky said.
"Oh, are you? Why is this?" Susan asked, giving a playful giggle.
"Well, I own a large chain of hotels and a dozen homes and I'm extremely rich." Ricky said.
"Oh really. I'm not part of your lucky lifestyle?" Susan said, beginning to pout.
"Well, actually...You are on a whole other pedestal. A much larger pedestal, actually." Ricky said, trying to recover from what he had said.
"Much better." She gave Ricky a kiss.
"Oh, I have a present for you. Now, close your eyes."
Susan smiled and closed her eyes, Ricky stepped into the closet and dug through one of his coat pockets. He pulled out a small box and went back to Susan.
"Open them." Ricky said, Susan opened her eyes and gasped upon seeing the box.
"We've been together for three years. Three swell years, that I would not be willing to give away even if it meant losing every material possession that I own. I am in love with you, Susan Dallas. I would be extremely grateful if you would become my wife."
Ricky popped open the box and there was a shimmering, well-cut, twelve carat diamond ring. It had a gold band and was encrusted with mirscropic jewels. Susan had never seen a more beautiful ring in her life.
"Marry me, Susan. When we reach land, say that you'll marry me." Ricky said.
Susan sat for awhile, stunned into silence. For awhile, it seemed as though she couldn't find the right words. Until she finally spoke one word that Ricky so desperately wanted to hear.
"Yes!" Susan said, breaking into a large smile.
Ricky smiled and slipped the ring on Susan's finger. They kissed and hugged, before realizing they were going to be late for supper in the ballroom.
"We'd better go downstairs." Susan said.
"Can't we have five more minutes?" Ricky asked.
"There will be time to celebrate AFTER dinner." Susan gave Ricky another kiss.
Hand-in-hand, Ricky and Susan went downstairs to the ballroom and sat at their table. When the waiter came by with soup, he placed the bowls in front of Susan and Ricky. Ricky began eating his soup, but Susan only ate her salad.
"Susan, you love soup." Ricky said.
"Oh, I know. This soup only smells funny, I don't think I should have any." Susan said, shrugging her shoulders.
Ricky shrugged and continue eating his soup. Halfway into meal, Rick began feeling a bit sick to his stomach.
"Ricky, are you all right? You look a bit pale." Susan said, she went to Ricky's side.
"Yeah, I am probably coming down the flu. That's all." Ricky said.
Suddenly, Ricky began coughing. However, it wasn't blood or vomit that he was coughing up. It was foam. Pure white foam. Susan panicked and wiped Ricky's mouth clean.
"I'll go find the ship's doctor. He'll know what is wrong." Susan said.
Susan was so upset that she hardly knew which direction she was going in. She only knew that she had to find the doctor and fast. As Susan ran through the ballroom, she saw about twenty other people vomitting and coughing up the exact same foam. Some were even on the ground, already dead. When Susan finally found the ship's doctor, he was treating one of the other passengers.
"Doctor, you've got to come with me! It's my fiance, he's incredibly sick and he has foam coming from his mouth. He needs your help." Susan said.
When the doctor didn't answer Susan, she became angry.
"Doctor, I know that there are many others that are sick here, but my fiance might be saved. Doctor? Are you listening to me?" Susan turned the Doctor around and saw foam coming out of his mouth.
After awhile, the Doctor dropped dead at Susan's feet. Susan panicked and ran back to Rick, hoping that he was still alive. By some miracle, he was alive but extremely unwell. Foam and vomit were splattered over the table, Rick was shaking and his skin was pale and clammy, his nose was bleeding profusely. Susan dabbed the cold sweat off of Rick's brow and then sat his head up so that he was looking into her eyes.
"Rick, I have no idea what is happening. Whatever it is, it's contagious. Most of the passangers are dead, and so is the Doctor. But you won't die. I'll get you off the ship. We'll use an escape boat, come on!"
Susan helped Ricky to his feet and practically dragged him from the ballroom. Somehow, she managed to get Ricky to deck. By the time they had reached the deck, they came upon a bloody scene. A dozen bloody body parts laid across the dance floor. Upon seeing this, Ricky began to vomit again. Susan rubbed his back and continued dragging him towards the escape boats. As she finally was able to get Ricky into the escape boat, Susan heard a loud gunshot ring through the air. Susan looked down and saw that her green satin gown was now covered with a bit of red. She had been shot. Carefully, she leaned down and took Ricky's hand. Another shot rang through the air. Susan fell to the ground, nearly dead. Ricky, pale and barely breathing, looked up at Susan. Her eyes were staring down at him.
"Do you love me, Ricky?" Susan asked, gasping for breath.
Ricky was so weak that he was unable to speak, all he could do was nod slowly. Only seconds later, Susan drew her last breath and her hand fell from a deceased Ricky's grasp. Their eyes were open and their gazes were on one another. Their wedding never would happen now, but now they would never be seperated. Never ever.