Hey everyone this is my second spashly fic hope you enjoy it as much as the first! Here goes....
Never Let Go.
Chapter One – The Evanescent.
Spencer's POV.
We arrived at the doc in Southampton, England, April 10, 2005. It is almost noon on boarding day. A crowd of over a hundred blackens the pier next to the biggest, best ship I've seen in my 17 years of life. Evanescent was the greatest ship ever made in British history and was full of life, like ants on a jelly sandwich. On the pier cars, motorbikes and lorries move slowly through the dense throng. The atmosphere is one of excitement and general giddiness. People embrace in tearful farewells, or wave and shout bon voyage wishes to friends and relatives on the decks above. I pushed through the crowd leaving a wake in the press of people. Around the handsome cars people are streaming to board the ship, jostling with hustling seamen and porters, and barking officials.
I didn't see what all the fuss was about. It doesn't look any bigger than the
Mauritania, the last cruise we had been on but apparently it's over a hundred feet longer than Mauritania, and far more luxurious. It has squash courts, a Parisian cafe... even Turkish baths.
"So this is the ship they say is unsinkable." Paula Carlin, my mother is a 40ish society empress, from one of the most prominent Philadelphia families. She became a widow when my dad died and now rules the household with her ironic will.
"It is unsinkable. God himself couldn't sink this ship." Patrick, my fiancé spoke with the pride of a host providing a special experience.
A porter approached him "Sir, you'll have to check your baggage through the main terminal, round that way…" Patrick nonchalantly hands the man a fifty-pound note. "I put my faith in you." The porter's eyes dilate at the monster tip. He breezes on, leaving the minions to scramble. He quickly checks his watch. "We'd better hurry. This way, ladies."
He indicates the way toward an elevated boarding bridge, twenty feet above. We move into the crowd weaving between cars, luggage, hurrying passengers and people saying goodbye.
"Honestly, Patrick, if you weren't forever booking everything at the last instant, we could have gone through the terminal instead of running along the dock like some squalid immigrant family." My mother said less than impressed we had to walk amongst other people to get to where we were supposed to be.
"All part of my charm, Paula. At any rate, it was my darling fiancée's beauty rituals, which made us late. Isn't that right Spencer?" I couldn't believe his cheek.
"You told me to change."
"I couldn't let you wear black on sailing day, sweet pea. It's bad luck."
"I felt like black."
"Here I've pulled every string I could to book us on the grandest ship in history, in her most luxurious suites... and you act as if you're going to your execution." I ignored him and looked up as the hull of Evanescent loom over us...a great iron wall, Patrick motioned us forward, and we entered the D Deck doors, I did so with a sense of overwhelming dread.
Ashley's POV.
I'm looking out the window to see the Evanescent from several blocks away, towering above the terminal buildings like the skyline of a city. It's where I want to be it's why I'm here now, round a table player poker with my best friend Aiden playing a very serious hand. I heard the steamer's whistle echoes across Southampton and turn back to the smoky inside of a pub. It is crowded with dockworkers and ship's crew. I exchange a glance with Aiden as the other two players argue in Swedish.
"Hit me again, Sven." I say to the player opposite me, as I took the card and slip it into my hand making sure my eyes betray nothing. Aiden was licking his lips nervously as he refuses a card. The middle of the table was full of bills and coins from four countries but I didn't care about that I wanted what was on top of the money. Two tickets for the Evanescent cruise ship.
The whistle blows again. Final warning. "The moment of truth boys, somebody's life's about to change." All the cards go down I save mine for last "Let's see... Aiden's got nothing. Olaf, you've got squat. Sven, uh oh...two pair... hmmm." I turn to Aiden "Sorry"
"What sorry? What you got? You lose my money??" He started throwing a fit as I smirked.
"Sorry, you're not going to see your mum again for a long time..." I slap a full house down on the table, grinning. "Cause you're going to America!! Full house boys!" I screamed, and jumped on Aiden's back it's like we won the lottery.
"No, mate. The ships going to America in five minutes." The bartender yelled.
"Shit!! Come on, Aide!" Grabbing our stuff "Come on!!" We run for the door.
Carrying everything we own in the world in the kit bags on our shoulders, we sprinted toward the pier. We tear through milling crowds next to the terminal. Shouts go up behind us as we barge past. We dodged piles of luggage, and weaved through groups of people. We burst out onto the pier when I stop dead staring at the cast wall of the ship's hull, towering seven stories above the wharf and over an eighth of a mile long. The Evanescent is monstrous and I'm completely thrown by it.
We reached the bottom of the ramp just as the officer detaches it at the top. It starts to swing down from the gangway doors.
"Wait!! We're passengers!" Flushed and panting, I waved the tickets.
Finally on board we whoop with victory both of us grinning from ear to ear.
"We are the luckiest sons of bitches in the world!" I yell as we go up the steel stairs to the upper deck.
The crowd of cheering well-wishers, waves heartily as a black wall of metal moves past them. Impossibly tiny figures now wave back from the ship's rails as we gather speed and set off.
Be sure to let me know what you think :) Love/hate or advise, thanks for reading! :)