-1Chapter 12 April 14th-15th: Eustace and Annabelle Sherwood.

I woke up at the crack of dawn. Without disturbing Anna, I headed out to the bow where, to my surprise, I wasn't alone. There was a woman dressed in white. I'm not sure of her name, but I know she's a writer of some kind. The dawn was beautiful, but all of a sudden, I felt a chill unrelated to the temperature. It was almost like a feeling in my bones.

A few hours later, after Anna had joined me on deck, who should we come across, but the captain.

"Good morning, captain!"

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood. How are you this morning?"

"We're, uh, we're doing well. And you, sir?"

"I'm also doing well. As a matter of fact…"

"Captain Smith." It was one of the wireless operators.

"Yes, what is it?"

"It's an ice warning from the Caronia, sir."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, sir."

"Ice?" Anna asked a little worriedly.

"Nothing to worry about, Mrs. Sherwood."

I explained to him about "Futility." He seems to understand.

"Oh, church service is about to start, would you two care to accompany me?"

"We'd love to, sir." I replied

I never mentioned the luncheon menus available, did I? Well, let me tell you, they are something. For example, today I had Chicken a' la Maryland, grilled Mutton Chops, some dumplings, a glass of Fine Old Tawny Port wine, and for dessert, I had custard pudding. Today, we sat with our Mrs. J.J. Brown. She told us how she hid a wad of dollars in the furnace one night. Her husband, John Jay, came home and, without knowing, lit a fire in the very same furnace. We all had a good laugh over that one.

For dinner we had quite a selection, too. For example, tonight I had Sirloin Beef with a side of Chateau Potatoes with an order of green peas and a side of boiled rice, with a Vino de Pasto Sherry, and for dessert, Waldorf Pudding, and some French Ice Cream.

Tonight Isabella and Wynn join us at the captain's table. I can't help but stare at Isabella when she talks to me. I wish I couldn't though. It's making Anna very jealous. I divert my attention instead to the captain.

"Tell me, captain, did you receive anymore ice warnings since this morning?"

Yes, actually. Four, The Baltic sent me one about a quarter to two, followed a few minutes later by on from the Amerika. Then, at about half past seven, I received one from the Californian, and the last one came at 9:40, from the Mesaba.

The band strikes up their final after dinner song, one called "The Tales of Hoffman" during which time, I noticed Anna was ignoring me.

"What's wrong?" I asked once we'd returned to our stateroom.

"Why don't you ask Mrs. Paradine?" She responds bitterly.

"Why are you bringing her into this?"

"I saw the way you were looking at her!"

"Oh, Anna, I couldn't help myself, there was something about her."

"You haven't looked at me like that in over a year!"

"I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what came over me!"

We argued like this until after midnight. Someone must have heard our fighting because there's a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Anna asked.

"It's the steward, Ma'am, is something the matter?"

"No, everything's fine." she replied.

"Very well, then. I should also let you know that I've been ordered to tell you to put your lifebelts on and meet in the Lounge."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Just as a precaution, sir, we've dropped a propeller blade, nothing more."

"Very well."

"Eustace?"

"Yes?"

"Look at the fringe on the lampshade, it's hanging at a strange angle."

Anna was right, the fringe was definitely hanging at an angle towards the bow.

"Anna, we've got to get you to a boat."

We did as we were told and met with other first class passengers in the lounge where the band played some lively ragtime music. About twenty minutes later, they told us that they were loading women and children into the boats.

Mrs. Margaret Brown offered to help my wife find a seat in the same boat as her.

"Go with her, Anne."

"What about you?" she asked.

"Don't you worry about me, I'll find a boat. Oh, and Anna?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"I forgive you. I apologize for being jealous."

"I forgive you. I love you!"

"I love you, too!"

Few others, however, fully appreciated the gravity of the situation, though. I even heard of a game of soccer being played with a piece of ice that fell onto the deck.

In spite of what I said about finding another boat, I decided that I should help others into the boats. If I survive, then that's good, but I believe someone else deserved a seat more than I. A light shot up into the sky. A flare! The band is still playing gallantly. The one they are playing is an episcopal hymn "Autumn"

1:10, A.M. I saw Mrs. Ida Strauss refusing a seat in a boat. The poor woman had been married to Isidor for about seven decades, she didn't want to leave him. When the officer said how no one would object to a man of Mr. Strauss' age, he also refused, saying how he would hate to go before other men. I check my pocket watch. 1:15. Anna's boat, lifeboat number 6, was lowered twenty minutes ago, around the same time first flare went up. I lean out over the side to see how low the ship is in the water. What I see is not good. The bow's in the water up to her name, and she's listing to port.

I can tell people are starting to panic, because about fifteen minutes later, I hear struggle near boat 14, so I rush back to port to help, but it's too late. BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG! Four shots from 5th Officer Lowe's gun quell the disturbance.

1: 40. A flare. The last one.

1:50. I saw Mr. Astor assisting his wife, Madeleine, into a boat. However, I didn't feel the same anger I used to feel. I almost insist he be allowed in the boat to accompany his wife, like he asked, but my time could be better spent. The band strikes up another Hymn, "Autumn" having been done a while ago. This Hymn is called "Nearer My God to Thee."

About ten minutes later, I saw that coward Ismay sneaking off in one of the collapsibles, C, I believe.

"Trevor! Trevor!" a woman's voice called out. "Have you seen our son Trevor?"

"Have you seen our son? My wife refuses to leave this ship unless we have both of our children with us."

I turned around and saw that Hudson and Bess Allison and their daughter Lorraine were absolutely panic-stricken.

"Eustace! Eustace, have you seen our son?" asked Bess, tears streaming down her face.

"Mrs. Allison, I wish there was an easier way to say this, but no. Let's find the captain, maybe he knows."

Unfortunately, the captain has bad news.

"Captain, have you seen our little Trevor? I refuse to board a lifeboat until I have both Lorraine and Trevor with me." she asked.

"Mr. and Mrs. Allison, Mr. Sherwood, I hate to be the bearer of unhappy tidings, but all of the boats have been launched."

The Allisons were inconsolable. I, however, in my grief stricken state, climbed to the very stern to await the inevitable. I checked my watch. 2:18. The bridge is completely underwater. The forward funnel is gone. As the stern continued to swing upwards to an angle of 50 degrees, I put my arm around the banister to keep from falling. Others started sliding into the waters below. A flicker. Where there was once light, the Titanic is now consumed in darkness.

An ear-splitting noise, a combination of breaking planks, and the twisting and ripping of metal, fills the air. The stern is settling back down. What's happening? I thought the ship was righting it self, but, alas, no. All of a sudden, we were flung back up into the air. A passage from "Nearer My God to Thee" starts to play in my head "…cleaving the sky…cleaving the sky…cleaving the sky." All of a sudden we started to go under, almost as if the Charybdis of ancient Greek myth itself were swallowing her whole. The water was getting closer by the second. Thirty feet…twenty feet…ten feet…all of a sudden, it was upon me. I felt like one thousand knives of ice were piercing my skin. I swam up, away from the suction of the ship. To keep warm, I treaded water. Then suddenly, many hands pulled me up, out of the water. I don't know how long I was in the ocean before I was found. Boat six. I was reunited with my Anna.

I don't know how long it was, but someone finally yelled out "A light!" Some people thought it was a falling star, but there was another. It was a rescue ship! More and more, those who were able started to light things on fire to use as makeshift torches.

The doctor on the Carpathia tells me I have Hypothermia. He tells Anna to keep me warm, dry, and, most importantly, awake. I'm so sleepy. No, no, fight it, Eustace.

"Don't go to sleep, Eustace, please, stay awake." My wife implores me.

So sleepy…

"No, Eustace, don't fall asleep, please."

All of a sudden, I hear Mrs. Brown's familiar Colorado accent calling out to me.

"Here, hon, I brought you some nice, hot chicken soup, right off the stove, good fer what ales ya!"

Drinking that chicken soup was like breathing the first breath of life. The passengers on the Carpathia have been very hospitable, loaning us blankets, and donating their warm, dry clothes to those who need it. Walter Lord called that night "A Night to Remember." It was.