We looked back for a moment, just to see what she cried out about as Megan tugged her along to the next room with us. Cal has shot her in her left arm. And salt water does not feel good. The only thing I was relieved about was (sorry to say) I could've added it to my list of injuries. But Shavai was a tough gingerbread cookie. She could be dipped in milk and keep on coming at you. Sorry, wrong analogy.
But she was tough.
We ran to the cooridors looking for another means of escape. Suddenly, the most dreadful sound imaginable happened. We heard the sound of a crying child. We turned a corner, and not even 50 feet away, we looked and saw the wailing boy.
"Jack," We all said in unison looking at him to be couragous. "We can't leave him."
Jack had no choice. He scooped the kid up over his shoulder and ran back to the way we came down here, but the torrent of water became too powerful to go against in the few seconds we didn't watch it. So we ran the other way, we came face to face with two big white, wooden double doors. Problem was, there was water behind them spraying from the crack right up to the ceiling. Once I saw this I turned to Megan.
"Back! Back!" I yelled. Jack followed in hot persuit. We pivoted and ran the other way. Suddenly, a man came from the way we were going and grabbed the child from Jack. He pushed Jack away and cursed at him in Russian. Then we noticed he was running towards the double doors. We all began yelling.
"Stop! You're going the wrong way! Come back!" We yelled. But it was no use. The double doors burst open and the father and child dissappeared instantly into the frosty water and we watched helplessly as it came towards us. Foaming from floor to ceiling as it engulfed everything. We made it to a stairway going up. Shavai was almost washed away with the current going around a corner. With all our strength, we grabbed Megan and Megan grabbed Shavai.
"I'm not gonna let you go!" Megan assured her. We couldn't spend much time trying to save her, or we would all be doomed to the same fate.
"Let. Me. Go!" Shavai yelled inbetween breaths and gulps of salt water. "You won't make it!"
"No way! I'm not letting you go!" Megan's hand slipped only once, but she regained her grasp as the water got higher and the current became stronger and the ship began to go deeper. "Shavai! You have to help me help you up! 1-2-3!" She yelled and pulled her up with us. We all regained our footing and raced up the soaked stairs. The water pounded up behind us as we continued running and smacked into some more bars.
"Oh my god! We're trapped!" Shavai yelled.
"This is not happening!" Megan yelled as she slammed up against the bars.
Suddenly, the same frightened steward that Rose punched raced by.
"Please! Sir! Help us!" We yelled. "Don't Go! Unlock the gates!" We continued. He recognized Rose and almost ran up the stairs. We reached our arms through, begging for a chance of life and it was his decision to give it to us or not. He stopped at the top of the stairs and ran back to us. Tearing the key ring from his belt, he tried to fit it in the pad lock as the water poured around his feet. And before long, his knees. He suddenly gasped and I noticed he stopped trying.
"I'm sorry." He said running away. "I've dropped the keys." He ran up the stairs and dissappeared from sight.
"No!" We yelled. The water continued to rise about us as it rose over our waist. The cold feeling was like being enveloped by death itself. Jack disappeared.
"Jack!" Rose yelled looking around.
"He's looking for the key!" Shavai yelled. Jack felt around under the water, finally coming up and taking a breath before going back under to feel his way about the lock to get it open.
"Jack. Please hurry." Rose said calmly as the water began to rise over her chest. Soon enough our heads were barely inches from the ceiling.
"Jack! Hurry!" Megan yelled. We were pushed up against the bars when suddenly, we were let through! Blondie did it! We raced up the stairs, extremely cold and petrified and ready for anything that came our way, well, all most.
Continuing to run, we went through the parlor, where strangely, it was still dry and a fire was going. There was a man infront of the fireplace.
"Mr. Andrews!" Rose said in a mix of shock and being glad to see him. "Aren't you even going to make a try for it?" She asked him. He looked back at her sadly and unsmiling. The same "Boo hoo- someone shot my dog!" look. I felt such pity for him. I looked back at Megan and Shavai. Then suddenly, a single solitary tear rolled down his cheek.
"I'm sorry, young Rose. I shoud've built ya a stronger ship." He replied looking at her numbly. There was nothing much to go on for appearantly. But what I didn't understand was why he blamed himself so damn much. It was an ice berg! There's no ship in the world that could've stopped from sinking, and I don't care who built it and who claims otherwise. Point is, he was gonna die for something that could've happened to anyone.
"It's going fast." Jack stated nudging her to move. "We have to keep moving." Rose began to walk out when Mr. Andrews called to her.
"Wait!" He said and handed her his lifebelt from the table. "Good luck to ya Miss Rose." She took it and we took a short count of all of us to make sure we were all intact. Shavai, Megan, Rose, Jack and me. Yep! All here. Now to get to the top deck and meet up with Darcie and them. We exited the room quickly. Megan ran by Mr. Andrews and spoke quietly.
"Just so ya know, I loved you in Legally Blonde." With that, she ran out of the room, leaving the confused man to wonder what the heck she was talking about. We ran through the revolving door. As we ran out onto the main deck we heard silence with the exception of the occasional panicked chatter. Then, the violins. "Nearer my God to Thee" was being played and I could only imagine the scenes that followed in the movie just as at home.
Mr. Andrews adjusting the time on the clock on the mantel. Everything must be correct. 2:12 am.
The floating paintings through the water. Their bright colors of Picasso and Degas' all ran from the canvas. Meanwhile, Monet's waterlillies come to life.
The old couple, lying side by side holding hands like a young loving couple. Staring blankly at the ceiling imagining happier times...ignoring the water swirling underneath the door and into the room under the bed. A foot deep and growing deeper fast.
And in a steerage cabin, somewhere in the bowels of the ship, the young Irish mother I had seen earlier waiting at the dead end stairs, Tucking her children into bed. Pulling up the covers over them making sure they're comfy and cozy. Speaking soothingly to them and holding them.
We all looked around and analyzed our position on everything.
"Okay," Jack stated looking around. "We have to stay on the ship as long as possible!" We looked around and I motioned towards the back of the ship.
"We have to go back there!" I yelled over everything as the water began moving faster. We began running in that direction, not having enough time to consider any other options.
"Why the back?" Jack asked as we ran.
"Because it's the last part to go down, after the ship breaks in half!" Megan yelled back.
"How do you know that?" He yelled back.
"It's a matter of physics!" She yelled. But no matter what, we kept running.
"Darcie!" I yelled, not caring who heard me. "Whitney, Katie! Where are you!?" I yelled when we reached the back, we held onto the railing.
"Darcie!" Shavai called. Suddenly, through the crowd, here they came. Rose and Jack looked bewildered at us.
"I thought her name was Jocelyn!" She yelled to me as we began to climb onto the other part of the railing, where she had tried to commit suicide a few nights before.
"Yeah, about that...Rose. We're not who you think we are!"
"What do you mean?"
"I'll tell you later! Okay, Darcie, Katie, Whitney, I know you're scared but you guys have to listen to me. When the ship goes into the water hold on tightly to it UNTIL it hits the water then let go. And don't get air until just when before you go under. When you hit the water, kick for your life back to the surface and don't stop!" We began to grasp hands to avoid getting seperated. The ship creaked as the other part detatched itself and our side was the only part left. And everything was dark. The lights disconnected, there was nothing but the lights of the stairs and the seemingly white light our breath made in the air. I checked on Rose and Jack. They were fine, for the moment.
The ship's calm moment had passed and we were being whirled into the ocean at an amazing speed, like an elevator who's cable had just ripped off. The water approached us in what seemed to be a head-on collision. Soon enough, the screaming seemed to stop as we were plunged under. I kicked and kicked, but lost my grip on the hands I held. The water was some four degrees below freezing, a cold so bad it felt like being burned by fire.
I finally rose to the surface after what seemed to be an eternity. I looked around me and didn't see anyone I knew. I spun around in the water. This was like a bad dream. I couldn't find anybody. I could barely see. I heard screaming, and wanted to scream myself but I couldn't. Suddenly, a hand turned me around and pulled me in one direction. Turns out they had saved two of the doors. There was me, Shavai, Megan, Darcie. Katie, Whitney, Jack and Rose. This wasn't gonna work. So I took it upon myself to get the order.
We all leaned half in, and half out on one door. And Jack and Rose stuck to the script on the other. All about us was a tremendous wailing, screaming, and crying. Like some type of chorus of tormented souls. And beyond that, nothing but black water to the horizon. The sense of hopelessness and isolation was overwhelming.
We continued hearing the screams but amid the screams was a person with a whistle. We all looked at each other in the water. Zoning in and out on the pain.
"Okay." I said shivering "We could probably get two of you guys up on here."
I motioned to Darcie and Katie. Darcie shook her head and pushedhitney up instead. It was the first time I saw her do anything of that nature and I was shocked. We kept it balanced by pushing down on it as they got up together.
"I don't know about you guys, but ... I'm kinda goin' a little numb here." Megan said as she looked at Shavai and me. We agreed. We were right next to Jack and Rose. They had their own conversation going on.
"Delaney, what happens if you freeze to death?" Katie asked, her voice shaking along with her body as she lied down by Whitney. I struggled to focus on anything but the pain.
"It's- you- you go numb and then you go to sleep like you're in a dream, but you don't wake up." I said trying to stop my voice from shaking. People still called hopelessly to the boats. If only they knew. The boats would not only not come back, but they could've. And they could've saved a lot of people. If only they knew...
Elizabeth continued sitting, glaring at the man who was 'officer' on the boat.
"There's plenty of room for more." She said defending her reasons to go back. He acted like he didn't hear her.
"COME ON!" There' s a lot more room!" She said standing up and motioning.
"We're not going back and that's final!" He yelled at her. She took an oar and hit him over the head with it, knocking him out.
"Get rowing, girls." She repeated as she retook her place and began rowing.
We drifted under the blazing stars for a few minutes. I looked up, going numb already from the pain I focussed on my breaths, and then I looked at everyone, their breathing was becoming more and more shallow. I looked over at Rose and Jack.
"It's getting quiet." She said numbly.
"Just a few more minutes. It'll take a few mintues to get the boats organized." He answered. But Rose knew the truth. I looked behind me and saw the officer with the whistle. He stopped blowing it a few minutes ago. I looked over and noticed, he wasn't moving. The whistle between his lips stayed silent. He was slumped over in his lifebelt. 10 minutes in the water, he died of exposure already. I turned my attention back to them.
"I don't know about you," Jack said. He took a breath and continued. "But I intend to write a strongly worded letter to the White Star Line about all this." She laughed weakl;y, but it came out more like a gasp of fear.
"I love you, Jack." She stated, going back to her numb state.
"Don't you do that. Don't say your good-byes. Don't do it." He chided her, holding her hand.
"I'm so cold..." Was her reply.
I looked over at everyone. Katie and Whitney breathed slowly on the door, ice crystals had formed in their hair on the door. I looked over again at Megan, Shavai and Darcie in the water. Darcie had no signs of breath. Her lips were blue. I pulled my self off the door and swum to her.
"Darcie." I tapped her. I shook her. She didn't move. The crystals in her hair stayed the same and some had gathered in her eyelashes. "Don't do this. Wake up. Please wake up." Everyone looked over. Megan and Shavai gasped. Tears ran down all of our cheeks.
"No..." They said. Suddenly, I hit the water with a fist. I began getting pissed off at myself. It was my fault this happened. I made the damn wish. It was my fault. All my fault. Everyone continued crying for a while. I looked over and seemed to focus in on Rose
"I promise." She said.
A few moments later, I found myself in a hallucinatory state. I knew I was dying. "I'm coming Darcie." I said lowly, hoping to get a laugh out of somebody, anybody. But there was none. I looked beside me. Megan and Shavai looked just as Darcie did. Whitney and Katie didn't move either.
"Come on, you guys." I said as though they were alive. "This isn't funny..." I said as a tear rolled down my cheek and into the water. I looked over at Rose. My entire body felt frozen and it was a struggle to even turn my head. We failed. Miserably.
"Jack." Rose's talking came out like a hoarse whisper. "Jack." She said again as she shook him. He seemed to be sleeping peacfully, only, he wasn't sleeping. They all looked like that.
"Is anyone alive out there!" I heard someone say. It was the Elizabeth in the boat. There was no answer to the call. I swam over numbly to the officer and retrieved the whistle from his lips and swam back to Rose. Jack had disappeared somewhere in the ocean under me. I looked back at my friends and my heartbeat became remarkably clear, taking out all the other sounds. I blinked in and out of reality, looking back at my frozen comrades. They didn't smile, they didn't speak. They were asleep and nothing more.
"I'm coming you guys..." I said as everything went black in my eyes.
Suddenly, I found myself back in my room with everyone awake and leaning over me. We all hugged eachother. We were wet with cold and felt like hugging ice cubes. Our hair was wet and had a few pieces of ice left in the strands. I jumped up, and pushed play on my VCR and Titanic played on. Young Rose's memories brought the ship back to life as she died in her sleep. Everything looked normal as before but when the camera angle went around to show the entire group of people in the dining room, I noticed something different. We were there.
Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoyed this. I had a lot of fun writing it. Read my other stories, and don't forget to review!!! Thanks to my friends and all my reviewers. I hope you liked it and join me and my friends for the next story, for this is one in a series! Also, Check out a Few More Good Years! Thanks again and see ya next time!
Btw, if you'd like to see more of Shavai and Megan (My bestest buddz ever) Read my story A Few Good Years to be Alive and it's sequel A Few More Good Years!