Everything's a blur now as we walk hurriedly through the corridors; I know what's going on, but it's moving too fast, everything happening at once and my minds still trying to get around that. I know they're people shouting, running past me, calling to each other, but none of it makes any sense, I can't even make out what they're saying. I feel completely numb, my body's moving, I can feel myself walking, gripping roses' hand tightly as we move hurriedly, but it doesn't feel like I'm here, that this is all real. My minds in a different place, I can only think of daddy, why didn't he come with us?! I know why but I wish he had, If he came with us he'd be okay, I know he would be, and I need him to be okay. Oh please let him be okay. No, it will be okay, he has to get out of this, he will do, and we'll be fine too, everyone, me, rose, jack, Tommy, Fabrizio and Helga, we will be, we have to get out of here, and we will, Jack said he wouldn't let anything happen to me or rose, and he meant it, I know he did, so we'll be okay, we have to be...
"This way." Jack snapped me out of my thoughts, I quickly looked up at him as he ran quickly up the stairs, Roses' grip was still tightly on my hand, I can't tell who's palms sweatier now, I turn to look at her, she looks really worried, her red hairs now only slightly wavy now because of the water, and her dress is drenched. At least I know that there's someone just as scared as me. With her tight grip on my hand she leads me up to stairs quickly, I turn around, are Tommy and Fabrizio and Helga still okay? I sigh out with relief when I see them climbing the stairs quickly too. Tommy doesn't really look scared, just determined, I don't think he wants to show fear, but Fabrizio looks a bit scared, more for Helga I think, she looks so frightened, I don't think she really understands what's going on, I mean, she must know that we're sinking, but that's about it, and she can't ask questions because she can't speak very good English. I'm so scared now, but I'd be even more terrified if I was her. She turns round behind her to look at Fabrizio, her eyes are pleading, they look full of fear, and at the same time you can tell that she loves him. He holds her gaze, and, it looks like he can talk to her just through her eyes. He tries to reassure her through them, that it was okay, that it's going to be okay. After a few seconds she turns back and carries on up the stairs, with him behind her, I turn round and carry on climbing them; they seem to go on forever, even though they must only be ten steps at the most. I hope this is a way out, please, please let it be a way out...
"Just go back down the main stairwell, and everything will be sorted out there, go back down the main stairwell." I can hear an officer say at the top of the stairs, oh no, not this again! Nothing will get sorted out there! Why can't they just let us through, I don't understand!! Roses' expression gets more worried when she hears that, we glance at each other, and then run up the stairs even quicker until we're on another short corridor.
"Open the gate." Jack says firmly as me and rose run to where he is, at the gate. I hear Tommy, Fabrizio and Helga run behind us. I put my hands on the huge Iron Gate. It feels really cold, I shake the gates a little, I know that I can't break it, but I just wanted to see if it might loosen. Oh god, it's so heavy and thick, there's no way that we're gonna get past here, unless he unlocks it. I look up at the officer; he has the keys in his hand! Why doesn't he just unlock it, why does everyone want to keep us locked in here? Third class used to be free, everyone helped each other, you were allowed to be yourself, we had no chains to hold us down, it was first class who had all the rules and regulations, they were the ones who were in cages, having to act a certain way. Now it's us that are been locked up, forced to stay in here while everyone else can be free. It makes no sense! Why can't everyone be free?! Please open the gate I pray silently, please open it....
"Go back down the main stairwell." The officer replies automatically, like he's a machine, repeating the same thing.
"Open the gate right now!" Jack says with more force, he looks so determined to get us outta here, I can tell, he really wants us to be safe again.
"Go back down the main stairwell like I told you!" The officer repeats again, this is hopeless! How are we meant to get out if they won't let us! Jack sighs and turns back to us, we both look up to see rose, she sighs too, she senses it's helpless too, it's like we're chained up, the keys are right outside but no one can get them, the more we struggle we more hopeless it is, we could so easily be saved but no one some to help, and-
"GOD DAMMIT, SON OF A BITCH!!!" I get snapped out of my thoughts and jump at the sound of Jack shouting and the gates been shook. My hearts pounding so hard I can feel it in my chest, and feel my blood run hot and cold at the same time. My breathing quickens panicky, I can feel rose grip my hand tighter. In the space of a second Jack flung himself against the gates, trying to break them. Rose stepped back slightly; it frightened or shocked her too. I've never seen Jack get angry before, I didn't think he ever could get mad, he seems far too calm and kind for that, I never imagined he could get like this, it scares me. I know that he would never hurt me, or rose, or anyone of us, but it's scary to watch. My eyes dart around, I look back at Fabrizio and Helga, Fabrizio looks shocked by Jacks outburst, but not worried at all, he looks like he's prepared to go in if his best friend needs help. Helga's eyes scream fear, she can't have any idea what's going on, she's gripping Fabrizio's hand tightly, I see him gripping it back just as much, reassuring her without words. I still have roses' grip on my hand, it's like we need each other now even more, to hold onto each other. I'm terrified now, about everything, about the ship, daddy, the gates, Jack, the water, but holding her hand tight gives me just a little bit of reassurance, makes me feel safer.
Suddenly Jack runs past us to the wooden bench at the side of the corridor, why is he- he's gonna pull it off! He's gonna bash the door down. He starts to pull it off, the bottom nails begin to come loose from the floor, it starts to come apart.
"Fabri, Tommy give me a hand here." Jack calls to them and they ruin to pull apart the bench, it comes loose quicker now, this has to work now, if this doesn't then nothing will.
The officer shouts at them to stop, but I know that they won't, we're trying to get out! Why should they stop, we have to get out of here!
"Move aside, move aside!" Rose shouts and pulls people out of the way as the bench becomes looser and eventually comes away from the wall altogether. She pulls me firmly to the side, letting go of my hand for the first time since I went with them, I don't like it, I'm used to her hand been in mine, it makes me feel unsafe, now that she's not with me. I look at Helga, standing there in the middle of the corridor, looking utterly terrified, she can't follow anything we're saying, all the noise and shouting's terrified her. Her tear filled blue eyes are fixed on the bench, like she's in a trance. I wish I could talk to her, to make her understand everything, let her know that this is okay, it's to help us. She doesn't move, she still stands there like a statue, staring at the bench, I wish I could help her, help her understand...
"Move aside!" Rose shouts and pulls her away from the middle of the room. This snaps her out of her trance and she looks at rose and then turns back to face the scene in front of us. I feel Rose take my hand again and grip it tightly, she squeezes it and I squeeze back, neither of us look up at each other, our eyes are focused on what's going on. Jack and Fabrizio and Tommy are holding the bench up, ready to push it through the gate. Jack looks so angry and determined to get this done. This has to work I think to myself please, please let this work, it has too!
"ONE...TWO...THREE!" Jack shouts and they run and push the bench into the gate, it crashes and rattles loudly, some of its come loose, yes, it's working! We're gonna get out of here! Just one more time, one more push into the gate and we should be able to get out, please let this work, we can do it, please let it work...
"AGAIN!" Jack shout and they ram it into the gate forcefully and it crashes to the ground. They knocked it down! Yes, we can escape! People around us rush through the gap, desperate to get out. I can't believe we can actually get out! This means that everything's gonna be okay!
I turn round to see Jack coming towards me and rose; he looks at us both and then takes her hand.
"Let's go rose, Cora." He says as we walk through the corridor, I sigh of relief as we pass onto the other side as the broken gate. What Jack did back there, it was incredible. I know why he did it, what made him do that, he did it for rose. He turned back to her and couldn't bear to see her distressed, in danger, he loves her so much and he'd do anything for her, I know he would, he wanted to make her safe, and he'd do anything to do that. I know that they've only known each other a few days, but their love is so strong and real, I know it is. Something else must have happened today, to make their love even stronger, because they're closer than ever now.
We're heading outside, to where the boats are, there are bound to be one's left they wouldn't let people go without them, and then we can all get on the boat, and we'll all be okay. Daddy will be on one too, he has to be okay, he just has to be, and then we'll all find each other again, and everything will be okay. I really hope it is, we have to be through the worst now? Yes, we are, it will be fine. Tommy and Fabrizio and Helga are behind us, I think we're getting closer to the deck, I can hear more noise and a breeze from the night air. I can't think too much, if I do them I'll panic, I just have to keep thinking that it will be okay, because it will be, it's bound to be. I grip roses' hand tighter as we get closer to the outside, and I feel her firm grip back.
Please let it be okay now I think silently to myself, I sigh, it will be fine now, we're getting nearer the boats, we'll be fine.
Soon we reach the door at the top of another flight of stairs, jack opens it and we step out into the cold night air...
Hey, hoped you enjoyed it, late update I know, sorry about that. Is the ending to this chapter okay? I didn't really know how to end it. I forgot to mention it in the last chapter but you know now, Helga was with Fabrizio when he found Jack at the gates where they weren't letting anybody through, and the gun went off, I just forgot to write that she was there, but now you know. Reviews are appreciated. Will update soon. Xxx