Part 2

"What the Hell…?" Alex began.

He didn't finish.


Alex tried to climb out of the pool, but there was another judder and he fell back in. Again he tried- this time succeeding. Sabina ran over to him. "Thank God you're O.K," she said, hugging him. "Do you know what that judder was?"
"No," said Alex. "But it could have been an engine malfunction. Come on!" Alex grabbed Sabina by the hand, and started to run. Tom followed them.

They ran the length of the deck, looking, as if by magic a sign would appear pointing the way to the engine room. But cruise ships are for pleasure. They are not designed for the passengers to tour round the engines. It took ten minutes for them to get to the bottom deck. Right at the end of the corridor, by room 1, there was a door. A sign clearly stated


No Entry- Crew only'.


"There's the engine room," heaved Tom, still out of breath.
"No," replied Alex. "There's the stairs that lead to the engine room. We're at the end of the ship. The only place for the engine is…"
"Below us." Completed Sabina. "But how can we…"
Just then they heard voices. "In here!" Alex hissed, pulling Sabina and Tom into the doorway of room 1. "They're going to see us!" squealed Sabina, leaning back. Suddenly the door swung back, and Alex, Tom and Sabina fell into room 1.
The two voices where so close now that Alex could make out the conversation.
"M, you said he'd be in here," complained a girl. Alex recognised the voice. It was H, the Chinese girl. "Shut up," said the other girl, M. "He was going to be in here. I heard him say so to that girl. You know the dark haired one."
The girls walked past the door to room 1. Alex breathed a sigh of relief that the girls hadnt looked through the oped door of room 1- they were obviously too absorbed in their conversation.
"Yes," sighed H. "I hate her. She's such a …"

The voices faded away down the corridor. Sabina was smiling. "They were talking about you, Alex!" she laughed. "And me!"But Alex wasn't listening. "If those girls can get down there, then why cant we?"Alex murmured. "Unless they're…"
Again, Alex was interrupted. An alarm sounded. The alarm for water seepage.

The boat was sinking.