Titanic
This story is of a boy in the 2nd class part of Titanic. His name is Thomas, but is called Thom by close friends and family. He is twelve years old. His story is what happened to the Titanic from a 2nd class point of view (there had been 1st and 3rd class views but not many 2nd class views).
I looked at the huge ship looming down on me. It was incredible. Its black body was the biggest in the world and its white and yellow lining perfected it. Its four red funnels were a marvel of engineering. People were waving to relatives and the steam which was billowing out from the funnels clouded the sky, but not the atmosphere of this spectacular event. And my family had managed to get tickets to go to America on this beauty. A new start in America. It was what I had always wanted. And now it was happening. Second class. Not so bad. First would have been better, but third worse. Average, as usual!
We walked up the sturdy plank waving at Granny and Grandpa. I will miss them so much, I love them so much. We had our tickets checked by two guys dressed in posh suits. My heart raced and my stomach was so full of butterflies, you'd think I'd swallowed a whole pack of them. Wait, you don't get packs of butterflies. Oh, well. We got shown to our cabin. It was roomy and had a smell of varnish from the glowing, wooden floor. A smell of sea salt wafted around the window, giving the cabin an airy feel. It was cool. My pa said he would unpack my stuff for me and my ma said I could go out and explore the ship because they needed to talk. I didn't need to be asked twice. I was itching to see this beautiful ship in full.
I got in trouble, on my first 'adventure' on the ship! I was trying to climb up the side of the second funnel, because I saw a ladder on the side of it (and it was SO tempting), and this guy in a fancy uniform shouted up at me and told me to get down or he would fetch the master of arms. I got down sharpish and hurt my leg in the process. I didn't know what a "master of arms" was but I presumed it was something bad. Then I bumped into this boy about my own age called Michael. His cabin was just down the corridor from mine. Mikey's cool, and he's my friend now. We have adventures together.
Dinner tonight was spectacular. There was choice enough to feed the whole of the ship. Lots of seafood was on offer. Some of it looked like dead snail's guts. Yuck! I ate enough to feed a small country, or so my pa said. There was lots of potatoes, and I LOVE potatoes. They were hot and steamy and they looked scrumptious. So that's partly why I ate enough to feed the small country! The other fact was that I was hungry. There was lots of drink too. My pa drank a lot and started to dance with all the women he fancied. Ma looked so hurt. Pa scares me when he is drunk.
Ma cried herself to sleep last night. I think she misses Granny and Grandpa badly, but she also had an argument with pa. They were screaming at each other and pa slapped ma on the face. She spat on him and called him weak. Then he walked away, to find more drink, I suppose. I miss Granny and Grandpa even more. My ma crying makes me cry. She has sad little sobs, then blows her nose, then all is silent, then the sad little sobs again. I cried but I cry loudly and snottily and I coughed and hurt my throat. I soaked my pillow, I cried so much. I don't like crying that much. Ma came into my room and dried my face and asked me why I was crying. I said I had fallen out of bed. I didn't want her to know how much I missed Granny and Grandpa.
Today me and Mikey met an artist guy. He had straw-like blonde hair and his mates had darker hair. One of them was Irish. He drew us and drew us good, might I say. I gave him two sixpences for his trouble. He looked poor, but I didn't say. It would have been rude. We are both trouble, might I add. There was a storm, loads of lightning and thunder, and the deck got soaked with torrential rain. Not that I minded that much. I like the rain. Makes crops grow to feed people. You should 'ave seen the first class people running- well, trying to run- to their fancy cabins. Hilarious!
During the storm we saw lots and lots of sea life. We saw a humpback whale, it was HUGE. But even bigger than that was a BLUE WHALE. We saw one. And loads of dolphins. And thousands of fish, all different colours! I threw a bit of bread into the sea. A greedy dolphin stole it! Honestly, it was for the fish! Mikey gave me some of his Granny's toffee (ALL of his family are aboard, ma, pa, grandpa, granny, aunties, uncles, cousins and so on!). It was so delicious!!! I could eat toffee all day.
Ma said that her and Pa might be splitting up. They fought so much, so it might be better without them screaming their heads off at each other. I am a bit unhappy, but although I hate to admit it, a bit relieved. But I still feel like it is my fault, even though ma assured me it wasn't. As soon as we get to America, I'm running away with Mikey. We've decided that we'll beg until some old rich guy who needs an heir offers us a home and a fortune. We'll share of course. Me and Mikey are like brothers, no TWIN BROTHERS.
I found out why ma and pa are splitting. Apart from the arguements of course. Pa has a new girlfriend. It's disguisting and she is a tart. She doesn't go anywhere without smothering her face in make-up. And pa kissed her and got bright red lipstick all over his face. I want to run away still, but I might not, so ma ain't lonely. Mikey and me sneeked up tae the First Class area. We got caught and got into mighty trouble, but this snobby guy gave us a pound- a whole pound- each! He said it was 'cause we were daring'. Cool guy, even if he is a snob.
Me and Mikey were kicking a ball about on deck when we saw a white thing in the distance. Thought nothing of it, but later on, after our bedtime (we had sneeked out to continue the game of footie), we saw the Captain talking worriedly to a sailor. Me and Mikey went up and said to the Captain (with our legs shaking) that we had seen a white thing. And, oh God, he told us that we'd seen a bloomin' ice berg. Oh heck. I was so scared, but he told me not to panic, but that didn't stop me, no no no. I screamed, and I hate to admit it but i burst into tears. Tears of fustration and sadness for my ma, tears of guilt, tears of annoyment for my pa, tears, tears and more tears until I could cry no more, but I kept crying.
Mikey and the Captain thought that I as crying because I was scared of the iceberg. The Captain said not to worry, but to go and tell our parents. I said my ma would be too busy crying to notice, and my pa had run off with another woman. He said tell my ma anyway. Well, we didn't. We didn't want to scare them so instead we we to the funnel at the front of the ship. And, once more for me, first time for Mikey, we climbed up the funnel. Half-way in fact. When we got up there we threw bits of paper and litter on the people's heads. Laughed our heads off, trying not to be scared. But we got caught by our ma's. And got slapped on the head for worrying her.
I told ma about the iceberg. Like I had suspected she started worrying. She told me that she was going to talk to the Captain. I said I had already been, and he had said not to worry. This calmed her down a little, but she still went and told her friends. Funnily enough, she didn't tell pa. Everyone was told to get a lifebelt, and but on warm clothes, just in case something bad happened. I told ma to look after my 'belt, 'cause I was going to play footie with Mikey. I accidentally kicked it over the side of the ship, and Mikey shouted "just like Rangers players!". That's the only bad thing about Mikey. He is a Celtic fan.
Mikey was moaning at me for losing his ball, when suddenly, there was a screeching sound. I looked around, and, to my complete horror, was an iceberg. A giant white killing machine, of frozen ocean. It looked down on me, and I stared up at it in amazment and terror. Balls of ice came flying down, as the Titanic passed by the ice cream of doom. But that screeching sound...... What was that all about? Suddenly, a huge bit of the 'berg fell, heading for Mikey. Without thinking, I threw myself at him, screaming. "Mikey, run run RUN!!!". I fell down on him and the bit of ice crashed down beside my head, where Mikey had been standing just seconds before.