Hey people,
Sorry of the spelling and gramar isnt exactly perfect. I try. And if its not just deal with it ok? :)
anyways second chapter is up I hope you like it cause im not to sure.
-Jess.
When I woke up again it was to the early sunrise. A cool breeze caressed my face and I blinked a couple of times letting my eyes take in the scene.
I judged there to be nine people on the boat. The two men in charge sat right at the front having a hushed conversation, the young boy was still huddled in his blankets but now asleep, Rose on my left side was playing with my fingers and 3 new faces looked back at me. A tall middle aged man with big gash on his face that looked like it only recently stopped bleeding and two women one very old and one very young apart from age difference looking almost identical. I still felt Cora in my arms, which was both terrifying and reassuring. The ocean looked calm the sea of dead bodies now only just visible the only proof of the horrific events that just took place fading into the distance. I then noticed that Rose was watching me. Her face was tired, her cheeks were red and her eyes were panic stricken. My heart ached and I brought my trembling hand up to her hair running my fingers through it slowly, it was pretty tangled so after a while I gave up and wrapped my arm around her waist pulling her closer. She laughed at me and kissed my shoulder
"Jack"
"Hmm"
"We're going to make it aren't we"
"Course" I said "Never doubted it for a minute"
"Oh really" She said arching her eyebrows in disbelief
"Yep" I said popping the p
She just stared at me bemused
After a second I realised everyone was looking at us. It grew silent again.
I looked down at Cora and realised I couldn't keep her here forever. My hands shook and I contemplated what I had to do. I bent down and kissed her on the head then started fumbling with my life jacket. I don't know how she had managed to keep afloat before because I only just noticed she wasn't even wearing a lifejacket of her own but I attached mine anyway not giving it to much thought. After doing this I pulled her hair back from her face again and went over to the edge of the boat lowering her into the water gently. She just floated there for a minute before I decided that it wouldn't do...she needed to be with the people she loved. I brought her back to the edge of the boat and undid the life jacket chucking it back on the boat. I held onto her tiny fragile hand for a moment longer.
"You're still my best girl Cora" I whispered before letting go completely and watching her sink out of sight. I chocked back the massive lump that started to rise in my throat and stumbled back to Rose pressing my face into her hair and holding her tight.
"Jack, jack shh its ok" She stroked my hair frantically trying to calm me down "It'll be ok Jack, Jack? Can you hear me?"
This time I didn't care that everyone was watching us.
"How can it Rose?" I said my voice breaking "How can that be ok?" I gestured to the water
"She was six, six!" I was getting hysterical
She brought my head up so she could look me in the eye
"You're a survivor remember" She came closer "You're a survivor Jack"
I didn't have a response I just gazed at her tear streaked face until this sudden desire overtook me. I kissed her passionately almost violently she placed her hands on my chest and I thought she was going to push me away but she didn't she deepened the kiss.
"Oi you two" The gruff voice of the injured man spoke up "Break it up your taking up half the boat space" I broke off suddenly realising we were making everyone very uncomfortable. Rose blushed and tried to catch her breath. I leaned back slowly dragging rose with me and we curled up together.
"When we get out of here" I whispered
"When we get out of here" Rose Interrupted
"I'm never letting you go" I whispered "I love you Rose"
"I love you too jack, it'll be ok really jack, Cora is with her family now"
That was pretty much all the conversation that was to be had that day. Apart from when everyone passed around rations of water no one spoke. Rose would suddenly tense up now and then but when that passed she would just snuggle down deeper into my lap. Night passed again, Then day, Then night again and so on and all we could do was watch the supply of water slowly disappear. All the food had been finished off yesterday and the only thing that filled the silence was someone's stomach growling viciously. I was watching the sun slowly sink below the water on the 4th night when Rose suddenly spoke to me.
"Who do you think survived" She said in a small croaky voice and you can tell this has been eating away at her for a while possibly ever since I let Cora go.
"I don't know" I said she shivered and I pulled her closer into my arms. Silence closed in again.
Someone was shaking me. Hard.
"Jack, Jack wake up quick" I rolled over
"Rose" I moaned
"Jack, get up now!"
I huffed and squinted my eyes against the bright morning light, I scanned everyone's excited faces and it didn't take long for my expression to mirror theirs. A big ship could be seen in the distance.
"Quick men, row!" I was so excited I left Rose's side to help. As we got closer we saw many of the other row boats already clustered around the base of the boat and when we got even closer we could see people helping them onboard.
"Woo woohoo YEAH, yes! We did it Rose, We did it!" She laughed and as if I was the signal everyone else broke into excited chatter. We rowed faster until we were a part of the cluster at the bottom of the ship. When our turn finally came I lifted Rose onto the steps and all but scrambled up them myself. The man glanced at me and then at Rose.
"You" He said pointing at me "Down to the steerage and you" He hesitated trying to figure out if Rose was first class or second class
"Also Down in Steerage" She said linking arms with me and staring down the man. He didn't question it though just turned to help the next person up. We followed a line of people down to where maids were serving bread rolls, hot tea and warm blankets.
"Here" I said grabbing two cups of tea off a maid and handing one to Rose. She wrapped her hands around it gratefully.
"Would you like a roll Sir" Another maid said approaching us
"Thanks" I said taking six and carrying them in my shirt...my filthy sad excise for a shirt I should say. Surprise flittered across the maid's face quickly to be replaced by warmth as she handed me three extra rolls on top of the pile I already had.
"Jack" Rose laughed seeing me with all the rolls "You're such an idiot you know we can just go back and get more if we're hungry"
"Shut up and eat Rose" I said picking a spot to sit and throwing a bread roll at her"
"Oh you think your sooo funny don't you" She said catching the bread roll with surprised hands
"Mmhm" I said my mouth already full she narrowed her eyes playfully and smacked me on the shoulder.
"Hey ouch" I complained
"What you think a first class girl can't punch?" She giggled
"Haha very funny, you're not first class anymore remember, your gonna have to live rough now"
"Oh, define rough?"
"Well it seems you got the spitting part down preetty well" Fake scepticism in my voice
"You mean there's more to life for a third class girl then spitting like a man?" She placed her hand over her heart "Oh Golly what on earth am I going to do"
"Now you see right there, you can't use and of that Golly crap either that's gone"
"Oh shut up" Rose sighed leaning back on my knees I smiled at her.
"All Shipwreck survivors to report to room 12B where they will be issued clean clothes for this evening" a loud voice yelled over the clamour. Rose's face lit up, it made my heart ache in a weird way. Poor Rose was getting excited over clean clothes.
"Come on then we better hurry" I say pulling her to her feet. Due to our swiftness we made it in time to be near the front of the line.
"Jack" Rose said looking down at the plain pants and baggy top she was given
"Yes Rose" I said taking my own pile and leading us over to a fairly secluded corner
"Well, how do they know my, my size, how does this work"
I laughed and she looked hurt
"I think it's more of a one size fits all kind of thing" I said
"Oh ok...and Jack?"
"Mmm" I said loosening my suspenders and taking off my undershirt, it was still plastered to my skin so it took a little effort"
"Rose can you hold these for a minute" I said handing her my bundle
"What? Oh hmm ok" Her voice had a distracted edge to it.
With my hands no longer holding anything I was able to finally free myself of my shirt. Goose Bumps rose on my skin and I shivered.
"Hand me the other shirt"
She didn't respond just stared at me vacantly
"Rose?"
"Huh oh yes" She chucked it at me hurriedly
"Thanks" I said pulling my head through the hole "Oh yeah what did you wanna to ask me?
She seemed to recall something then looked at her clothes and back up at me "Where am I supposed to get dressed
"Oh" I said stupidly "Um" I looked around and spotted a gaggle of girls waiting with identical bundles of clothes next to a door in the corridor.
"Over there I think" Pointing in the direction
She looked immensely relieved and started walking away but before she got far she turned back to look at me.
"Hey Jack" She called
"Yeah?" I called back raising my head slightly and smiling
"Pants" She chucked them over the crowd but I still had to run a few paces to catch them. Everyone turned to look at me.
"Oh" I muttered turning away quickly embarrassed I looked up hesitantly to find one woman still having her horrified expression in place.
"It's not what you think" I said quickly "We didn't go anything back there, I mean we have done stuff, just not on this ship, I mean" Her face grew more horrified and she started walking away quickly.
"Hey Lady, HEY, it's not what you think WE WERENT HAVING SEX, OI" She started running away as quickly as possible. I looked around again flustered realising I had drawn more attention to myself.
"Well we weren't!" I said defensively men shook their heads with smiles on their faces and woman pulled their children closer. I let out a frustrated breath and looked down at the said pants thinking I might have to find somewhere to change into them after all. It took about 15 minutes but eventually I found a line of men waiting at what I assumed was a bathroom to go get changed themselves, I waited there eagerly deciding I also really needed to pee. I conspicuously shifted my feet from side to side and tried to push up to the front.
"Oi" Some guy said giving me a dirty look
"Sorry" I grinned "I just really, really need to pee"
"Don't we all mate" He said pulling out a smoke my eyes followed it longingly
"You one of those Titanic survivors then?" He said looking at the pants in my hands.
"Yeah...aren't you?"
"Nah I was already on the ship when you came can't say I wasn't shocked"
I smiled half-heartedly
"Hey" said the guy sudden recognition crossing his face
"Aren't you the guy that just did it with that chick bout 15 minutes ago?"
"What!" I gasped
"It was too slick bastard, look at your face"
"How did you know, I mean we didn't bu-"
"Word travels fast round here mate, but you two weren't exactly very discrete anyways, she comes out of the corner with you looking all flustered then chucks you your pants...real suttle"
"Oh no, no, no" I said quickly "You don't understand...hey wait Rose looked flustered? Why would she look flustered?"
"You tell me" He said in a pervy way then shrugged flicked his cigarette and gestured towards the bathroom door "I thought you said you needed to pee" I looked around and realised the crowd had thinned out considerably.
"Oh right thanks" I said stepping away from everyone quickly, walked into the cubicle and locked the door.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid" I muttered banding my head against the wall.
I got dressed, peed then went back up to the top deck. I found Rose leaning over the railing and looking into the ocean.
"Hey" I said touching her hand lightly she jumped about a mile into the air before she realised it was me.
"Oh hey Jack, there you are" her voice caught and I noticed with alarm the tears running down her face"
"Hey Shh, Hey, it's ok, it's ok, Rose what's wrong?"
"Oh Jack, it's just everything, I can't take it in, most of all I just want to be off the water, I hate it jack, I hate it. I want solid ground again"
I pulled her into my arms tightly "You will Rose"
"When" She cried softly "Tell me when Jack"
"I don't know" it was the best answer I could give her of course it didn't help that the ship was full of wails and cries. The air was so thick with depression you could smell it, breath it, feel it crawling on your skin. In that moment I wanted out. I wanted it bad. I held Rose closer breathing in her scent trying to use it as a replacement for sickening smell of sea salt. It didn't work. It was still in the air. It was in everything. I had to be strong for Rose I couldn't let anything show. She didn't help me much with this plan when she began to shake in my arms. The Wind picked up harshly.
"Rose we need to get inside" I said placing a kiss on her forehead
"Oh of course" she said wiping her eyes hastily "sorry"
The rest of the evening was uneventful I didn't take my eyes off Rose for one second, but she didn't do anything except keep her eyes down and eat her food. When it was time for rest we were led down to a large dark wooden room full of mattresses and beds and lamps.
"Now I'm warning you" Said the short balding man at the front of the crowd "There isn't enough beds for everyone so you might have to double up...maybe triple, we're terribly sorry but it's the best we can do" he opened the doors and the madness began. People fought and screamed and dived.
"Come on Rose quick" I said diving into thick of things
"Jack" She screamed and I dragged her along with me. We scored a thick mattress forth from the back in the second last row next to three old ladies. Our mattress was reasonably thick but I was more worried about the blankets. They didn't look like they held much warmth. Never the less it was the first sleep we could have since the sinking that wasn't on a small hard rowboat that had you cramping up for at least an hour. So this being said you would expect me to fall asleep straight away yes? No. Rose did though as soon as her head hit the pillow she was asleep but me, I lay away for hours staring at the ceiling. Screams echoed in my head, taunting painful screams. Rushing water. Gunshots. I covered my ears and bit back a scream of my own but I couldn't sit still I had to get up. So I did. On light feet I crept out of the room onto the top deck I stood there feeling the cold air on my face and sighed.
"Is there anything we can do for you sir?" A young girl asked coming up beside me. I turned to her suddenly
"I need paper lots of it and a pencil, nice and sharp" I almost yelled at her "please"
"I'll see what I can do sir" She said frightened
"Thankyou" I watched her run away quickly almost tripping over her skirts and she was back within 20 minutes.
"Will this do sir?" She handed me a large note pad and a pencil, the Pencil was very blunt but I was ecstatic anyway.
"It's perfect, thank you, thank you, thank you" I turned to run back to the room.
"Sir" She said I spun around again
"A knife...to sharpen the pencil" a huge grin spread across my face again and I took it from her without another word I quickly returned to the mattress beside Rose. My short lived happiness died suddenly like fireworks that faded into blackness on a clear night... The sky was very clear the night titanic sunk... So why didn't they see it? Something snapped inside me and I began to draw feverishly filling up page after page until dawn came.
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