*Chapter 23*
Meanwhile, Claire and Noelle, along with the 16 other occupants of boat 7, watched, terrified, as the large White Star Liner was going down by the bow.
"Now there's something you don't see everyday," Claire exclaimed, as the people in the boat looked on at Titanic.
"That is true, indeed." A French accent came from behind Claire. She turned her head, to see Micheline sitting behind her.
Micheline recognized Claire, and thinking it was Clara, she spoke to her.
"Clara, where is your sister?" Micheline asked.
Claire laughed sarcastically.
"Ok, first of all, I'm Claire." Claire took a deep breath. "And Clara's still on the ship." Claire was trying in vain not to cry. She was managing to hold back tears.
Back on the ship, Clara entered the first class reception room, on D-deck, and walked down the stairs to the third class dining room on E-Deck, the deck that was just about fully flooded.
The whole room was deserted now, as most of the third class passengers were waiting behind locked gates, trying to break them open.
Clara walked slowly and cautiously, through the dining room, when all of a sudden, something on the floor caught her eye. She bent down, and realized it was a child's doll.
Clara picked it up, and placed it on a nearby table.
She stopped, again, because this time, she heard creaking and trickling. She slowly turned, only to find that the water was surging up the dining room.
Clara screamed, and ran as fast as she could out of the dining room, and up the stairs, to the D-deck reception area. She headed to the balcony, looking over the third class room, and watched as it became engulfed in seawater.
Clara looked down at the foot of the stairs, and realised that water was starting to creep up to the next deck. She gasped, and again, hurried off, to the main stairwell.
Why she didn't head up the grand staircase? We'll never know.
Lightoller frantically searched around for Clara, and he faintly remembered that her stateroom was A-24. He wasn't completely sure, but he headed up to the A-deck staterooms, anyway, and just as he reached the fancy looking corridor, a steward pushed him back.
"Sir, you're not supposed to be here." The steward blocked Lightoller's every move.
"Look, you don't understand. My... fiancée is stranded in her stateroom, and she is asleep. I have to find her." Lightoller lied about Clara being his fiancée. He needed to get to her room, anyhow.
"And just who do you think you are?!" The steward asked, angrily.
"Second Officer Lightoller."
The steward looked stunned, and Lightoller pushed past him with ease.
Finally, he reached A-24, and opened the door, but Clara was nowhere to be seen. Lightoller sighed.
"Oh, god. She could be anywhere on this ship!" He sank onto Claras bed, and grasped her pillow, holding it as if it were her. He felt something moist against his face. He pulled the pillow away, and noticed it had tears and makeup smudged onto it.
'She's been crying.'
Lightoller wasn't going to leave Clara, on the ship to drown, so he stood up, and started running fast, down the stairs to the entrance to C-deck.
He went to C-deck, as he knew that Clara enjoying roaming around the lower decks, in her spare time.
Lightoller turned his head left and right, but couldn't see Clara.
"Dammit!"
He hurried down to D-deck.
Clara was behind a gate, which was locked, and she couldn't get through to the next deck.
"Oh, no! Please!" She shook the gate vigorously. "Help! Is someone there?"
She leaned her head on the gate and closed her eyes. She opened them she felt water swirling around. in her shoes!
Clara looked down, and shrieked.
'There's no bloody use in trying to open the gate.'
She paced back down the stairs, only to come face-to-face with waist deep water.
"This is the only way out!" Clara said, out aloud. "Oh, god!"
There was no turning back now. There was no time to worry about her dress and coat becoming soaked with saltwater.
"Bloody hell."
Clara grabbed onto the railing on the ceiling, and, as she started to wade in the water, she screamed.
It was freezing cold! As cold as lying in the snow!
She kept wading and pushing through the water, until she reached D-deck reception room, again. She was about to make her way up the grand staircase, when suddenly, she heard something.
It sounded like a man shouting, "A-a!"
Clara glanced down quickly at the water swirling around the floor, and suddenly, the ship creaked, and fell forward. Clara nearly fell over, and she was now standing on a hill.
Now the voice sounded like, "Lara."
Clara whipped her head around the corner, instinctively, as though she had heard 'Clara.'
"CLARA! CLARA! ARE YOU IN HERE?"
Clara gasped, and became fully alert. She hopped back into the water, and saw a man dressed in navy, and a dark cap.
It could only be one person.
"CHARLES! CHARLES! IM IN HERE! LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD!" Clara yelled, the loudest she'd ever raised her voice.
Lightoller spotted her. He began to wade towards her, and when they were near, Clara burst into tears, Lightoller, the same.
They fell into each other's arms, and Clara buried her face into Lightoller's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Clara."
"I'm sorry too."
Clara looked up, and her eyes met Lightoller's.
"I love you, Charles."
Lightoller kissed Clara's forehead, and carried her up the grand staircase.
When they reached C-deck, they ran up the stairs as fast as they could, hoping to catch one of the last lifeboats.
Meanwhile, Claire and Noelle, along with the 16 other occupants of boat 7, watched, terrified, as the large White Star Liner was going down by the bow.
"Now there's something you don't see everyday," Claire exclaimed, as the people in the boat looked on at Titanic.
"That is true, indeed." A French accent came from behind Claire. She turned her head, to see Micheline sitting behind her.
Micheline recognized Claire, and thinking it was Clara, she spoke to her.
"Clara, where is your sister?" Micheline asked.
Claire laughed sarcastically.
"Ok, first of all, I'm Claire." Claire took a deep breath. "And Clara's still on the ship." Claire was trying in vain not to cry. She was managing to hold back tears.
Back on the ship, Clara entered the first class reception room, on D-deck, and walked down the stairs to the third class dining room on E-Deck, the deck that was just about fully flooded.
The whole room was deserted now, as most of the third class passengers were waiting behind locked gates, trying to break them open.
Clara walked slowly and cautiously, through the dining room, when all of a sudden, something on the floor caught her eye. She bent down, and realized it was a child's doll.
Clara picked it up, and placed it on a nearby table.
She stopped, again, because this time, she heard creaking and trickling. She slowly turned, only to find that the water was surging up the dining room.
Clara screamed, and ran as fast as she could out of the dining room, and up the stairs, to the D-deck reception area. She headed to the balcony, looking over the third class room, and watched as it became engulfed in seawater.
Clara looked down at the foot of the stairs, and realised that water was starting to creep up to the next deck. She gasped, and again, hurried off, to the main stairwell.
Why she didn't head up the grand staircase? We'll never know.
Lightoller frantically searched around for Clara, and he faintly remembered that her stateroom was A-24. He wasn't completely sure, but he headed up to the A-deck staterooms, anyway, and just as he reached the fancy looking corridor, a steward pushed him back.
"Sir, you're not supposed to be here." The steward blocked Lightoller's every move.
"Look, you don't understand. My... fiancée is stranded in her stateroom, and she is asleep. I have to find her." Lightoller lied about Clara being his fiancée. He needed to get to her room, anyhow.
"And just who do you think you are?!" The steward asked, angrily.
"Second Officer Lightoller."
The steward looked stunned, and Lightoller pushed past him with ease.
Finally, he reached A-24, and opened the door, but Clara was nowhere to be seen. Lightoller sighed.
"Oh, god. She could be anywhere on this ship!" He sank onto Claras bed, and grasped her pillow, holding it as if it were her. He felt something moist against his face. He pulled the pillow away, and noticed it had tears and makeup smudged onto it.
'She's been crying.'
Lightoller wasn't going to leave Clara, on the ship to drown, so he stood up, and started running fast, down the stairs to the entrance to C-deck.
He went to C-deck, as he knew that Clara enjoying roaming around the lower decks, in her spare time.
Lightoller turned his head left and right, but couldn't see Clara.
"Dammit!"
He hurried down to D-deck.
Clara was behind a gate, which was locked, and she couldn't get through to the next deck.
"Oh, no! Please!" She shook the gate vigorously. "Help! Is someone there?"
She leaned her head on the gate and closed her eyes. She opened them she felt water swirling around. in her shoes!
Clara looked down, and shrieked.
'There's no bloody use in trying to open the gate.'
She paced back down the stairs, only to come face-to-face with waist deep water.
"This is the only way out!" Clara said, out aloud. "Oh, god!"
There was no turning back now. There was no time to worry about her dress and coat becoming soaked with saltwater.
"Bloody hell."
Clara grabbed onto the railing on the ceiling, and, as she started to wade in the water, she screamed.
It was freezing cold! As cold as lying in the snow!
She kept wading and pushing through the water, until she reached D-deck reception room, again. She was about to make her way up the grand staircase, when suddenly, she heard something.
It sounded like a man shouting, "A-a!"
Clara glanced down quickly at the water swirling around the floor, and suddenly, the ship creaked, and fell forward. Clara nearly fell over, and she was now standing on a hill.
Now the voice sounded like, "Lara."
Clara whipped her head around the corner, instinctively, as though she had heard 'Clara.'
"CLARA! CLARA! ARE YOU IN HERE?"
Clara gasped, and became fully alert. She hopped back into the water, and saw a man dressed in navy, and a dark cap.
It could only be one person.
"CHARLES! CHARLES! IM IN HERE! LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD!" Clara yelled, the loudest she'd ever raised her voice.
Lightoller spotted her. He began to wade towards her, and when they were near, Clara burst into tears, Lightoller, the same.
They fell into each other's arms, and Clara buried her face into Lightoller's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Clara."
"I'm sorry too."
Clara looked up, and her eyes met Lightoller's.
"I love you, Charles."
Lightoller kissed Clara's forehead, and carried her up the grand staircase.
When they reached C-deck, they ran up the stairs as fast as they could, hoping to catch one of the last lifeboats.
