*Chapter 27*
It was now 6:00am, and Clara awoke with a start. Claire was holding her, and Lightoller was ordering the men who were awake, on the boat, to rock from side to side, to battle the waves of the sea and keep the nearly sinking collapsible afloat.
Finally, the sea went calm, and everyone was able to sit down again.
Clara turned and looked at Claire.
"Hey. Great place to wake up, eh?" Claire joked, as Clara was a little confused.
"Uh, right. Oh, Charles!" Clara scrambled out of Claire's hold, and slid over to Lightoller.
"Morning Clara. Are you alright?" Lightoller asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. I had a bit of a strange experience during the night, after everybody fell asleep."
"What happened?" Lightoller looked rather interested.
"Well, I looked behind me, as I heard some splashing, and I found myself staring into the face of Mr Moody, and"- Clara was interrupted by Lightoller.
He gasped, and slowly whispered, "Oh my god."
"What? What is it?" Clara asked.
"Just keep talking." Lightoller said.
"Anyway, and then, I gasped, and he said to me, 'Goodnight, Miss Sherbrooke,' and he smiled at me, like the strange smile he gave me yesterday. Anyhow, then I had a flashback, to that day he smiled at me, as if he was possessed or something, and when I snapped out of it, I peered behind me again, at him, but now he was just a mere corpse floating like a cork. He looked very frozen, as if he'd been dead for at least an hour, making it impossible for him to have been speaking with me. Scary, really."
Clara realised that she had a whole group of faces staring at her, as is she were crazy.
"Are you sure it wasn't a dream?" Lightoller asked, trying not to laugh.
"YES! I SAW HIM. IM NOT STUPID. I DON'T IMAGINE THINGS." Clara retorted, frustrated that even Lightoller didn't believe her.
"Uh, Officer Lightoller," a man replied, as he pointed aft, in the sea, with a panic-stricken expression on his face.
Lightoller turned, and shone his torch - right in Moody's face! - Finding it apparent that he was, in fact, dead.
"Oh, gross!" Claire scoffed, as she caught a glimpse of the frozen body.
The sea, until about 7am was a scene right from a painting: A calm ocean, with several lifeboats scattered around, here and there.
"Mr Bride, are there any ships coming to rescue us?" Clara asked Bride, who was still asleep.
She decided to repeat the question to Phillips, who appeared to be asleep as well.
"Wake them up, love. We need the information," A stoker told Clara.
Clara shook Bride, and he woke up, slowly. She then shook Phillips. He didn't even flinch. Clara shook him harder, and pulled his eyelids open, but he still didn't move.
"Uh-oh." Clara stammered, as she realised that Phillips wasn't going to wake up.
Tears started lightly flowing from Clara's eyes, as she realised that there was a dead man on board, and he was Bride's best friend.
Lightoller gently pulled Clara towards him, and he reassured her that everything was going to be fine. He looked up, and spotted a ship's lights, coming straight towards them.
It was now 6:00am, and Clara awoke with a start. Claire was holding her, and Lightoller was ordering the men who were awake, on the boat, to rock from side to side, to battle the waves of the sea and keep the nearly sinking collapsible afloat.
Finally, the sea went calm, and everyone was able to sit down again.
Clara turned and looked at Claire.
"Hey. Great place to wake up, eh?" Claire joked, as Clara was a little confused.
"Uh, right. Oh, Charles!" Clara scrambled out of Claire's hold, and slid over to Lightoller.
"Morning Clara. Are you alright?" Lightoller asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. I had a bit of a strange experience during the night, after everybody fell asleep."
"What happened?" Lightoller looked rather interested.
"Well, I looked behind me, as I heard some splashing, and I found myself staring into the face of Mr Moody, and"- Clara was interrupted by Lightoller.
He gasped, and slowly whispered, "Oh my god."
"What? What is it?" Clara asked.
"Just keep talking." Lightoller said.
"Anyway, and then, I gasped, and he said to me, 'Goodnight, Miss Sherbrooke,' and he smiled at me, like the strange smile he gave me yesterday. Anyhow, then I had a flashback, to that day he smiled at me, as if he was possessed or something, and when I snapped out of it, I peered behind me again, at him, but now he was just a mere corpse floating like a cork. He looked very frozen, as if he'd been dead for at least an hour, making it impossible for him to have been speaking with me. Scary, really."
Clara realised that she had a whole group of faces staring at her, as is she were crazy.
"Are you sure it wasn't a dream?" Lightoller asked, trying not to laugh.
"YES! I SAW HIM. IM NOT STUPID. I DON'T IMAGINE THINGS." Clara retorted, frustrated that even Lightoller didn't believe her.
"Uh, Officer Lightoller," a man replied, as he pointed aft, in the sea, with a panic-stricken expression on his face.
Lightoller turned, and shone his torch - right in Moody's face! - Finding it apparent that he was, in fact, dead.
"Oh, gross!" Claire scoffed, as she caught a glimpse of the frozen body.
The sea, until about 7am was a scene right from a painting: A calm ocean, with several lifeboats scattered around, here and there.
"Mr Bride, are there any ships coming to rescue us?" Clara asked Bride, who was still asleep.
She decided to repeat the question to Phillips, who appeared to be asleep as well.
"Wake them up, love. We need the information," A stoker told Clara.
Clara shook Bride, and he woke up, slowly. She then shook Phillips. He didn't even flinch. Clara shook him harder, and pulled his eyelids open, but he still didn't move.
"Uh-oh." Clara stammered, as she realised that Phillips wasn't going to wake up.
Tears started lightly flowing from Clara's eyes, as she realised that there was a dead man on board, and he was Bride's best friend.
Lightoller gently pulled Clara towards him, and he reassured her that everything was going to be fine. He looked up, and spotted a ship's lights, coming straight towards them.
