The next few days passed quickly for Rose. She had to spend some of her money to buy a few dresses, since she couldn't wear the same dress everyday. Most of the time, Jack and her would go to the park and talk, or she would watch him do portraits. She had met and become fast-friends with Fabrizio. And Jack was in her thoughts all the time.
On the 15th, Rose woke up and Jack reading a paper, he seemed deeply surprised about something. "Jack, what is it?" Rose asked, getting up from the bed and walking over to him.
"Oh, it's nothing, just... there's a-a fair nearby." Jack lied.
"Don't lie to me Jack. What's happened?" She was getting nervous, it seemed as though something bad had happened. Jack just handed her the paper. Rose gave him a questioning look, then glanced down to the front page: TITANIC SINKS, KILLING 1500. "Oh my god..." Rose whispered, and she read on. "Oh my god, Jack! Do you think mother's okay? Or Cal?"
Jack looked up at her, surprised about how she added Cal. "I'm sure they are, it says most of the 1st class passengers lived." Rose set the paper down beside her.
"Jack. I need to know if she's okay!"
"I read that a survivors list is being made. It should be up in the White Star building down at the pier soon. But I don't think it's there today." Rose sat still, and picked up the paper.
"I hope it's soon." She was surprising herself how she was acting. She thought she hated Cal and her Mother, but she was worrying about them. 'I never wanted them dead.' She thought. "I think I'm going to go on a walk to clear up my head." She said to Jack, and the now-awake Fabrizio. She went to the bathroom and cleaned up, and changed into a blue dress she had purchased, it wasn't that expensive, but it looked decent, and fit her well. "See you soon."
"Okay Rose. Be careful."
"I will."
Rose walked along the road that led to the pier. She was still in shock from what she had read in the paper. 'It's probably wrong. Cal did say that Titanic was unsinkable. How could a chunk of ice sink it?' She thought, trying to convince herself she was right. She entered the White Star Building on the pier, looking around from the doorway.
"May I help you miss?" An employee walked up to her, after Rose didn't answer, he asked again.
"Yes... Yes. I heard about Titanic sinking, and I wanted to see if my mother was alright."
"It was a tragedy, miss. Unfortunately, it only happened last night. This morning, we were telegraphed and told that the Carpathia picked up the survivors very early today. A survivor list should come out within the next few days."
"Right. Thank you." Rose began to turn and leave when she felt the man's hand on her arm.
"Miss, if you would leave you're name, we could telegram the Carpathia for you, or contact you when a survivor list comes out."
"I don't have a telephone, so contact would not be that easy."
"A telegraph, miss?"
"No... no, that's alright. I'll check back soon." Rose turned and left. No matter how worried she was, if she telegraphed, Cal would know that she was still in Southampton. Plus, he must still be angry about her leaving, not to mention her mother's mood. Rose headed back to the apartment.
After 20 minutes, Rose realized she was lost. She glanced around, not feeling that good. She saw two dodgy looking men nearby looking at her, and she continued walking, though quickening her pace. She noticed them following her, so she walked even faster. She turned down an alley, trying to find her way to a street she recognized. She walked down the alley quickly, glancing behind her every few moments. The men were still there.
'This isn't good." Rose thought, and noticed the dead end. She turned around and saw the men staring at her.
"What a pretty lady, eh John?" He said to the other, while still keeping his eyes on Rose.
"Yeah. Now... what would such a lady be doing in our part of town?"
Rose glanced around, hoping to see someone else; no one in sight. "I just got lost, and now I'll be heading back, if you don't mind." Rose said in a surprisingly strong voice.
"Oh no you don't." The second man said, stepping closer to her. He reached out and grabbed her arm. Rose pulled it away and stepped back.
"Stay away from me!" She whispered, loosing her confidence. The man pushed her against the alley wall, and kissed her on the lips roughly. "Get off me." She said, bringing her voice louder. He put a hand on her breast and ripped the sleeve of her dress. Rose pushed him away, and slapped him as hard as she could. The man back away slightly, stunned at her attempt. Rose ducked under his raised arm and ran as fast she could. The other man blocked her way, so she punched him in the nose, "Get out of my way, bastard!" She yelled. She took one last look at the two of them getting ready to run at her, and then sprinted as fast as she could in her heels. After running for almost 10 minutes, and taking many turns, she reached a street with people in it.
Rose stopped and walked near a bench by the passing carriages and automobiles, and began to get very dizzy. She soon fell limp on the ground; fainted.
On the 15th, Rose woke up and Jack reading a paper, he seemed deeply surprised about something. "Jack, what is it?" Rose asked, getting up from the bed and walking over to him.
"Oh, it's nothing, just... there's a-a fair nearby." Jack lied.
"Don't lie to me Jack. What's happened?" She was getting nervous, it seemed as though something bad had happened. Jack just handed her the paper. Rose gave him a questioning look, then glanced down to the front page: TITANIC SINKS, KILLING 1500. "Oh my god..." Rose whispered, and she read on. "Oh my god, Jack! Do you think mother's okay? Or Cal?"
Jack looked up at her, surprised about how she added Cal. "I'm sure they are, it says most of the 1st class passengers lived." Rose set the paper down beside her.
"Jack. I need to know if she's okay!"
"I read that a survivors list is being made. It should be up in the White Star building down at the pier soon. But I don't think it's there today." Rose sat still, and picked up the paper.
"I hope it's soon." She was surprising herself how she was acting. She thought she hated Cal and her Mother, but she was worrying about them. 'I never wanted them dead.' She thought. "I think I'm going to go on a walk to clear up my head." She said to Jack, and the now-awake Fabrizio. She went to the bathroom and cleaned up, and changed into a blue dress she had purchased, it wasn't that expensive, but it looked decent, and fit her well. "See you soon."
"Okay Rose. Be careful."
"I will."
Rose walked along the road that led to the pier. She was still in shock from what she had read in the paper. 'It's probably wrong. Cal did say that Titanic was unsinkable. How could a chunk of ice sink it?' She thought, trying to convince herself she was right. She entered the White Star Building on the pier, looking around from the doorway.
"May I help you miss?" An employee walked up to her, after Rose didn't answer, he asked again.
"Yes... Yes. I heard about Titanic sinking, and I wanted to see if my mother was alright."
"It was a tragedy, miss. Unfortunately, it only happened last night. This morning, we were telegraphed and told that the Carpathia picked up the survivors very early today. A survivor list should come out within the next few days."
"Right. Thank you." Rose began to turn and leave when she felt the man's hand on her arm.
"Miss, if you would leave you're name, we could telegram the Carpathia for you, or contact you when a survivor list comes out."
"I don't have a telephone, so contact would not be that easy."
"A telegraph, miss?"
"No... no, that's alright. I'll check back soon." Rose turned and left. No matter how worried she was, if she telegraphed, Cal would know that she was still in Southampton. Plus, he must still be angry about her leaving, not to mention her mother's mood. Rose headed back to the apartment.
After 20 minutes, Rose realized she was lost. She glanced around, not feeling that good. She saw two dodgy looking men nearby looking at her, and she continued walking, though quickening her pace. She noticed them following her, so she walked even faster. She turned down an alley, trying to find her way to a street she recognized. She walked down the alley quickly, glancing behind her every few moments. The men were still there.
'This isn't good." Rose thought, and noticed the dead end. She turned around and saw the men staring at her.
"What a pretty lady, eh John?" He said to the other, while still keeping his eyes on Rose.
"Yeah. Now... what would such a lady be doing in our part of town?"
Rose glanced around, hoping to see someone else; no one in sight. "I just got lost, and now I'll be heading back, if you don't mind." Rose said in a surprisingly strong voice.
"Oh no you don't." The second man said, stepping closer to her. He reached out and grabbed her arm. Rose pulled it away and stepped back.
"Stay away from me!" She whispered, loosing her confidence. The man pushed her against the alley wall, and kissed her on the lips roughly. "Get off me." She said, bringing her voice louder. He put a hand on her breast and ripped the sleeve of her dress. Rose pushed him away, and slapped him as hard as she could. The man back away slightly, stunned at her attempt. Rose ducked under his raised arm and ran as fast she could. The other man blocked her way, so she punched him in the nose, "Get out of my way, bastard!" She yelled. She took one last look at the two of them getting ready to run at her, and then sprinted as fast as she could in her heels. After running for almost 10 minutes, and taking many turns, she reached a street with people in it.
Rose stopped and walked near a bench by the passing carriages and automobiles, and began to get very dizzy. She soon fell limp on the ground; fainted.