Trigger warning: There are mentions/ allusions to assault. Reader discretion is advised

Cynthia's dreams had been much like they had the previous nights, with no real reason or rhyme to what was happening. But there is one thing that she can really gauge to what was happening. She was in the darkness of the ocean, with only some light that came from the moon shining down on her as she tried to dance. She spins and pirouettes in the water and as time moves on, she can feel herself get better and better, reaching up onto pointe along the water, like she was standing on air. There is some kind of music that she seems to be playing, but her ears cannot quite make out the melody or even if there are any words, as it all comes out as gargled, like it was being played in the water.

This continues for a while until it goes completely dark and she finds herself waking up. She blinks a few times, not getting up just yet but looking around with her eyes at her bedroom. Her eyes feel heavy, Not yet, Cynthia thought as she relaxed once again into bed and closed her eyes. Her mind drifted back to sleep.

This time, however, there was a bit more to her dream, it felt almost like a continuation of her previous one. She is standing somewhere in the deep ocean, and yet she indeed standing somewhere. Somewhere that she knows all too well; It's the dining saloon, but it looks nothing like it did when Cynthia last saw it. No, it was clear she was on the wreck of the ship, perhaps somewhere in her present, or perhaps future in this case. Time travel in that sense seemed so complicated.

There were no chairs or tables, it was completely encased in its own time, Cynthia had seen many photos of the dining room saloon on the wreck. And yet where she stood in some kind of pocket of her own reality, the floor looked like as it did before, it surrounded her like a piece of time that had been frozen. Cynthia looked around her, not quite sure how this was happening, she began to walk, and as it did, the circle followed along with her, and the rich-coloured floor and walls followed alongside her. She began to twirl around and spin, levitating a bit in the water as she soon felt like there was someone else with her, as she catches the sight of a figure.

No, not a figure she thought in her dream as she stopped and looked at it. Now that she looked at it, it was much more of a shadow. It had the same outline as a person, but that was the thing about it that was more strange to Cynthia than anything in her dream. Its figure kept changing, for one moment its outline looked like that of a young man, wearing some trousers and short hair, and then a second it would change to that of a woman wearing a long dress with curly hair. The shadow figure kept changing between these two forms every so often. Cynthia couldn't even make out any physical features on either form as Cynthia found herself compounded to approach the figure and as she did, she pulled herself into a deep courtesy, the kind she would have done when she had just finished a dance recital. She looked up at the figure who somehow Cynthia could tell was smiling somehow as the shadow person bowed sort of before the two of them straightened up, and danced. Cynthia would leap and do many of ballet and the shadow fiugee would follow alongside her.

They would even sometimes spin around each other, at least that's what Cynthia thought the shadow figure was trying to do, it would hold out their hand to spin her around, but it would not hold her hand She didn't seem to notice or mind as she and the shadow figure continued to dance, the circle of the ship's former glory following them around until at one point Cynthia began to spin around and round until she was levitating in the ocean water and she could no longer stop herself. Like it was the final move before she would get her encorce. But there was no sounds of claps and cheers as the ocean and the wreck itself spun around her and it kept doing so until she once again fell into darkness.

Cynthia's eyes opened once again for the second time that day, her mind in a while from her dream. They've never been that weird, she thought, butting one hand on her head as she tried to think of the details of her dream. Ugh, she thought as she pulled herself out of bed and towards her wardrobe. She didn't know exactly why, but she didn't feel like ordering breakfast again. Maybe it was just becoming a bit repetitive, she wasn't so sure.

Cynthia then pulled out something; a red and white dress and quickly puts her hair into a braid as quickly as she could before she finally left her bedroom. A few seconds she hears Lillian leave her rooms Cynthia makes her way to the cabin door.

"Would you need me to order breakfast Mrs?"

"No, I'm going for a walk, be back soon," She said as she headed out the door. Her mind is still a bit sleepy as she rubs her eyes a bit, before she walks down the hallway. There are a couple of others first. Maybe some air will clear me up, she thought, and her mind then soon moved towards what she should do today.

I still need to steal those keys, and I've still got to distribute my notes to everyone in Third Class. Her mind is still a bit foggy and dreary as she turns a corner and looks up. She almost stopped right where she was, for standing only a couple of feet away from her was Rose. Rose, she thought and took a step towards her direction. At that point, Rose hadn't seen her yet, as she seemed to be talking to someone, Maddaline. Rose wore a yellow and white long-sleeve dress and had her hair pulled up into a bun, with a small yellowish hair clip on it. Rose seemed to be finishing her chat with Maddy as both women turned around and left, and that's when Rose saw Cynthia.

"Cynthia," Rose called with a smile and all of the worries she was feeling seemed to fade away.

"Rose," Cynthia said, almost surprised by her own words as Rose quickly made her way to her.

"Hi," Rose smiled at her, a sort of goofy kind of smile that Cynthia hadn't seen Rose pull of before.

"Yeah, hi," Cynthia said in a high-pitched voice wish she wasn't expecting, God that must have sounded dumb, she thought, and she began to grip her dress tightly and ruffle it a bit.

"So, umm..,.." Cynthia starts.

"Listen, I uh," Rose also begins.

"I just wanna."

They both stared at each other, surprised that both of them were speaking at the same time. Rose let out a giggle whilst Cynthia smiled.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," Cynthia said.

"No no, I should have let you finish really," Rose said earnestly. Cynthia nodded, mostinging for her to speak.

"Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to have breakfast with me if you haven't had any already."

"Yeah, yeah that's perfectly fine," Cynthia said rather quickly. Rose smiles at her.

"Great."

"Hmm."

The two of them then went together towards the grand staircase side by side with each other as Cynthia began to think about what she was going to say. I need to apologise for how I acted the night before.

They eventually make it down to the dining saloon once again where they take a seat at a small table. A steward comes by and takes their orders for breakfast and tea. And then it was just two of them. Alone.

Cynthia spoke first.

"Look, about the night at dinner, I'm so sorry how I left it with you."

"Oh, no Cynthia, it's fine really-"

"No really, I should have raised my voice like that-"

"No, it's fine, honestly I should be apologizing for how Mother was acting towards you. Gosh, I didn't expect her to ask you those questions so early in the night, especially with things you weren't comfortable talking about."

Cynthia knew what Rose was alluding to.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's fine-"

"No, I mean maybe. It's just that I didn't feel like I was lying in that way. More like it was kinda true. I did have friends that I travelled to countries with, but they're not my friends anymore. I figured that out a few days before getting here," Cynthia said, looking down at the table, and holding her hands together.

"I thought they were my friends, but I was never the same to them," Cynthia continued, "And after a while I just wanted them to be strangers to me, I didn't want them to hurt me anymore. Like have you ever had that feeling like you thought you knew someone? Like you thought they cared about you and supported you only to find out that was a complete lie and it was actually the opposite?"

Rose said nothing as she watched Cynthia.

"I didn't know."

"Well of course you didn't know, I didn't tell you."

Rose let a small laugh at this.

"Yeah, well It's fine. I feel like it's behind me now," Cynthia said honestly. She then looked up at Rose. "So… are we good now?"

"Yeah, yeah, Of course, we're good," Rose nodded, giving a reassuring smile.

"Yeah…" And Cynthia's mind then went towards the night before. "I was worried about you last night."

Rose's smile faltered a bit at these words.

"I didn't really see you all day and I didn't see you at dinner anywhere," Cynthia continued. Rose had this sort of look on her face, like she was trying to think about what she wanted to say, but she didn't say anything she wanted to say.

"Sorry, I was really busy last night."

"It's fine," Cynthia smiled.

Soon their breakfast and tea were brought to them and they began to eat, the awkwardness of their previous discussion went away quickly.

"Again, I'm sorry about how I acted before."

"It's really fine, Cynthia," Rose said once again.

"I know that it's just. I wanted to apologise yesterday. I didn't mean to hurt you like that," Cynthia then gently put her hand on Rose's which rested on the table. "Listen, if anything ever bad does happen to you, or if there's something going wrong in your life, I'll be here to help you." She then gaze Rose a reassuring squeeze.

Rose looked down at Cynthia's hand, she looked surprised for a moment but then her face seemed to go red a bit, and then she smiled.

"Ah, well... Thank you."

Cynthia's gaze softened as she smiled, they continued to chat as they finished their breakfast, about artists, and Cynthia's travels, until they were eventually leaving the dining saloon together.

"Have you taken any more photos?" Rose asked as they left.

"Oh yeah, a lot," Cynthia nodded, "You wanna see them?"

"If you'd like."

Cynthia nodded as she led the way back to her cabin, as she let her and Rose in, Lillian was folding some of her dresses.

"Oh, you're back Mrs," Lillian said, seemingly trying to figure out where she should put her clothes.

"Yeah," Was all Cynthia could say before she and Rose went into her bedroom, where she began to pull out some of the photos she had taken from yesterday and handed a couple of them to Rose.

Rose began to flick through them, gradually a smile came to her face.

Its while Cynthia watching her that she suddenly feels it, a sharp aching pain coming through her fingers on her right hand

"Argh," She hisses as she clutches her fingers slightly. Rose looks up and notices.

"You ok?" She asks gently, putting the photos on the dressing table and taking Cynthia's fingers, gently rubbing circles along them. Cynthia's a bit taken aback by her sudden action she almost forgets to speak and she's just staring at Rose, her cheeks going red slightly.

She finds her words though, eventually.

"Y-yeah, I had a lot of letters to right yesterday…"

"What kind of letters?" Rose asked, looking up at her.

"Work-related," Cynthia lied, "I've got a lot of stuff I need to send out once we get to America."

It was the best lie Cynthia could come up with, at least it was half true, they were important.

Rose held onto Cynthia's fingers for a moment longer before letting go and looking around.

She then let out a sigh.

"You having dinner with anyone tonight?"

"Nope, why? You want me to join you?"

"Maybe," Rose said, in a rather playful manner, "I swear it will go much better than it did before."

Cynthia smiled, almost chuckling a bit at Rose's words.

"Yeah, maybe, will have to see how your mother kooks up this time."

At this, Rose started to burst out with laughter and Cynthia couldn't help but laugh too

"You can't make me laugh that hard this early in the morning," Rose laughed, clutching her chest a bit trying to breathe, a smile

"Sorry," Cynthia giggled, and eventually the two managed to calm down.

"Kay, I'll see you later," Rose said as she started to make her way.

"Yeah, I'll definitely see you later."

Rose smiled at this.

"See ya Rose."

"Bye."

And then Rose left and it was just Cynthia again. She stared at the door for a moment longer than she probably should have before she looked at her closet. It was time to get ready for the day again

And so, as Cynthia called Lillain to help her out of her breakfast dress and helped tighten her corset up.

And with her help, Lillian helped Cynthia into a pink and black dotted dress that went up to her ankles, with a velvet belt along the middle of her waist. Afterwards, Cynthia sits in front of the dressing table and begins to separate her hair into two sections, putting each into a braid with some hair ties. Once she's done, she makes sure to grab her camera and put it along her neck, and puts on some boots before heading out. She had very little idea of what she was going to do, other than to do more photography.

"See ya Lillain," Cynthia called as she left the cabin.

"I'll see you later Mrs."

Cynthia then made her way down the hallway and towards the grand staircase. She walked through the entrance and down the staircase, holding onto the railing with a bit of grip as she did. There were very few people there, some of whom were sitting down on couches and chatting.

So with that, Cynthia began to snap away, taking photos of the grand staircase, and every so occasion she would take a look at what she photographed once it finished developing.

As she was looking at them, she remembered the many replicas she had seen of the staircase back home, back in her own time. They would either be much bigger in size than the actual one, the one that she currently standing near and taking photos of. There hadn't been any actual photos taken of the Titanic's Grand Staircase, any that were shown in books were of the Olympics.

After a while, she moved back up to the boat deck, she still hadn't seen the Gymnasium. There were a couple people also out on deck, taking a stroll no doubt. She was looking down at her camera for a second when.

"Mrs Cornell?"

Cynthia looked up, and to her surprise, leaning against the railing, looking at her was Herman. Cynthia blinked a bit, she hadn't seen him since the first day.

Herman smiled at her as he approached her, "Ah Mrs Cornell, How've you been?"

"Y-yeah, it's been great so far," Cynthia said, trying to think of a response.

'Yes, it's been great weather so far hasn't it?"

"Yeah, shouldn't be much of a problem getting into New York," Cynthia smiled, lying through her teeth.

"Yes, I do have to ask about that," He then moved a bit closer to Cynthia, "How are you feeling about it?"

"Alright, I think?" Cynthia says looking at Herman with confusion.

"Yes, well that's good to hear that, I know that previously you were feeling… a bit anxious to be returning to the States, but it's good to hear that you're in good spirits," He smiled.

Anxious? What's he on about? Cynthia thought.

"But regardless, whatever happens when we get to New York, whatever it is that troubles you when we get there, I will be there every step of the way," He then gently puts one hand on Cynthia's shoulder, almost reassuringly.

What is going on? Cynthia genuinely looks confused but that seems to have been lost on Herman as he took his hand back.

"Well, I best be off. Hopefully, I'll see you at dinner tonight."

Cynthia began to open her mouth to say something, asking anything about what he was talking about, but then she closed it shut as he began to walk away. And so she was left by herself, left to herself to think.

What is going on? She thought as she watched Herman in the distance. What is happening? What is Maybelle running from? She looked back around a bit, and then it came to her what she should do, as she stormed back to her cabin.

I'm figuring this out right now.

She flung the cabin door open and went straight into her bedroom, she glanced around the sitting room a bit to find that Lillian wasn't there. Probably out, she thought quickly went into her bedroom and shut the door. She then went over and pulled out the diary and the music box and put them on the bed, opening the box and pulling out and pulling the pages and she began to skim through, looking for anything of a beginning, something or anything.

And then there was something, a page that had a date that piqued her interest: "November 16th, 1909"

Cynthia sat down on the bed, bringing the page closer to her face and began to read:

November 16th, 1909

Journal, I am in most desperate need for some excuse to go outside, one that both mother and father will agree on. I've yet to know what family is like outside my own. Hopefully, they are like the ones that I read about in my books.

What? Cynthia then began to look over at the other pages, as well as the diary as she found more:

"Journal, I'm glad that I've managed to keep up some of this charade for as long as I have, I'm not sure what mother and father would do if they were to find this journal. Which I know that's what they've been doing, they seem to keep wandering close to my room, I'm sure they will soon try and bring the maids in to try and find this. But hopefully, they won't find it and if they are somehow reading this entry now I hope they know that I like to have my privacy and that they would see there is nothing about them written in it."

Is she talking about her disappearance? Cynthia wondered, as she flicked through the pages, they seemed to all have the same sort of language, alluding to something that hadn't been written.

What is she talking about?

And then, as she was flipping one of the pages, she felt something along her fingertips. She looked at the corner page and could see there was actually two pages. Confused, Cynthia turned the page, but there was nothing, just another journal entry about Maybelle's day.

Cynthia then pressed the page hard and she could see the faint lines of writing peering through. And then she realises.

Maybelle stuck some of the pages together. She let out a dry chuckle, impressed as she looked closer at the page. And then, as gently as she could, began to pry the page.

And slowly, but surely, the pages separate and Cynthia can finally see the other side of the page.

Now we're getting somewhere, Cynthia thought and she began to read again, this page dating much earlier:

"Journal, I'm writing this after Father let me out of the closet. I'm not quite show how long I was there for, I've yet to be able to tell what the time is, and that will surely be what he teaches me for my next lesson, but I know that before he dragged me in it was still dark out but when he let me out the sun was up. I'm not sure how long that is. But I had the most frightening nightmare, it was awful, there was shadow people coming after me and trying to gobble me up. I woke up with such a fright I ran straight into my parents room. But I've since learned now that wasn't the right idea. I guess I shall have to walk around my room for a bit from now on whenever I have a nightmare."

What the fuck? Cynthia thought, her eyes widening as she read. She flicks through some other pages, there are more stuck together and Cynthia does her best to separate them, continuing to read as she does:

"Journal, I'm starting to notice that mother brushes my hair very roughly whenever we are getting ready, she grips me very tightly enough that it hurts. It would always seem to happen after my spelling lessons with her, and especially if I got some wrong. Today it was whirligig. I was close though and she seems to keep putting harder words each lesson. I think I'm starting to lose hair because of it, and you can see it on the brush."

A few more pages along, and Cynthia feels herself losing her appetite as she reads

" Journal, I believe my parents may actually be the devils. I'm absolutely sure of it now, at least from what I overheard them say is anything to go about. They were talking in the garden and I don't believe they noticed that I was there, but they were discussing Uncle Reginald and how he'll be coming back soon. I dreaded this so much and I was happy that when he left 10 years ago. They were talking about how they were going to convince the public that he was a good man. And then mother had this twisted idea that I was so hoping that father would tell her now, that he had some sanity in him after all. She suggested that if they left him alone with me then it would show that he's a good man and he's changed. And father said that was a great idea. Madness has come into this house and claimed my parents. But then father must have had some kind of sanity because he then asked her what would they do if it did turn out he did something to me. And her response, "Then nothing happened, he's been gone for so long and he needs to get into good graces. If Maybelle does say anything we'll just send her to boarding school, then she won't get in the way of anything."

That skin and bone that resemble my parents are not my family, not anymore. I cannot believe they would throw me to the wolves for their own pride. And they never once sent him a letter. I fear they may invite him to stay at our place. I will absolutely jump out the window if they do.

I'm so scared they'll do something. I'm not sure though."

Oh my god, Cynthia thinks, holding the diary tightly, just breathing for a moment, letting the wors she had read sink in. I cannot believe them, oh my god.

She flicked through a couple of more pages:

"Journal I'm too scared of it now, I don't know what my parents will do if they brought him hear. I've had nightmares ever since I heard them talking and walking around my room does nothing. I've got to get out of this madhouse, it's full of demons that want my skin to build their thrones out of. I don't know if I will write or could write. It's very cold out there with the snow. They have mentioned that he will be coming to visit us in a few days, but I have a plan so that I will not see him. I will feign sickness for as many times as I can. Hopefully neither the monsters of mother and father don't catch on to my plans."

Please tell me nothing happened to her, Cynthia was dreading what she might have to read next, please tell me nothing happened to her, please, please, please.

She almost didn't want to turn the next couple of pages, perhaps that was the very reason she had hidden these journal entries. But the truth had to be in here, more of the truth at least.

And so, Cynthia very slowly turned the next few pages and began to read:

"Journal, it's managed to work for the most part, they have some kindness in the place where their hearts should be because they didn't force me out of bed to meet him when I told them I had the cold. I did see him though, and he just stood by the door. I made sure to sneeze a couple of times if he tried to come too close. Mother and father were not happy about that and gave me a handkerchief. They might be suspecting that I am doing it on purpose, though they haven't said anything. Though they keep pinching me when he comes, it's getting bad that they're leaving bruises on my arm. No matter though, I will keep this charade up for as long as possible."

Oh thank god, Cynthia found herself sighing in relief. She's ok, nothing happened. But then she was looking at the last words, those of Maybelle's parents and Cynthia found herself glaring at them, enough that if she could it would set them on fire. No wonder she doesn't want to see them.

She flicks through a couple more:

"Journal, I must get out of this house as soon as I can, it seems to me now that both sides of my family are the devil's children. They have shown to me their ways and their true nature, all of my aunts from both sides seem only fascinated with their reputation and they treat me just the same as the animals that are my parents. I can't stay with any of them, I can't live with them like this. Which is why I'm planning on running away. There's a market that Father is sponsoring for the local village and when everyone is busy I will walk out and I will go as far away as I can. I don't know if this will be the last time. I shall have to see."

Now this sounds familiar. She turned the page:

"Journal, I was found. The police did find me and brought me back to my parents, and from what I can tell I was at least gone for a week. So here I am now, back again. Mother and father were so concerned for me, at least in from of the reporters and photographers. They hugged me multiple times and even Mother was shedding tears. I wonder how many times she had squeezed lemons or whatever she does to get her sappy act for the press. They were nothing like that when the reporters. Though I don't think they knew what I was actually doing. Maybe they really do think that I got lost and went missing. I don't know, At least they haven't given any signals that they are suspicious or accusing me. I don't want to know what they would have done to me had they known."

Please tell me they do anything to her, Cynthia found herself thinking as she turned the page, and her stomach began to curl a bit as she read:

"Journal, mother and father threw a party for my "safe return.," and many of my aunts and uncles were there, including Uncle Reginald. There still trying to get me alone with him. I still can't believe there still on about it, I was doing everything I could to get away from him, but Mother and Father definitely noticed. They actually had the nerve to try and order me to speak to him. I'm surprised they even raised their voices like that in public. But maybe since there surrounded by the same like-minded people they don't care anymore. I said no once again and for once, for absolutely once I said what I wanted to have said all those years ago, "I will not spend even a second with that offender. You know what he did" And do you know what Mother said to me? "So what? Someone needs to help him have something good to say to him, you should be thankful that we don't leave you in a locked room with him." I absolutely despise that woman, I cannot believe she would say that to me, and that father would let her. Had we not been in public I would have surely slapped her, I wish I had, my fists were tightening at her words. God, all I wanted to do was scream at her, and father as well, and tell the whole world that my entire family are nothing but demons. But I did not, I wished I had thought, but I instead only said: "If you did that you would not have a daughter anymore, you would have however someone who will destroy this house and everyone in it," and then I left.

I'm sure they are now thinking of some kind of punishment, lashes, the cupboard again, maybe 1 day, maybe until dinner. I don't know, but I'm done with them. I have no parents, nor do I have a family. I will leave this house and family somehow, I will figure it out somehow."

Cynthia stared at the words, pulling the diary away from her for a second as she took it all in. Oh my god, She thought, as she gently caressed the page with her thumb, as it would somehow ease the pain that the page was written on. She started to turn the page, but she stopped, something told her that the next page would detail whatever cruel punishment Maybelle's parents gave to her, and right now Cynthia's heart couldn't take reading another page like that.

She began to flip through much further, at least 10 pages looking for something, anything that would talk about Maybelle, and when she was happy.

And then she found it:

"Journal, today at yacht dinner, there was a young man my age I met, a gentleman by the name Eugine Cornell. He and I chatted a bit at dinner and even afterwards which is strange, men do not so easily come and talk to me, and yet I cannot help but think this is a ploy from mother and father, I trick to get my hopes up and then offer me to some older fellow. But he is kind to me, at least much more than what usually men talk to me are like. He apparently has wishes to move to Europe, it sounds nice, I have yet to leave the country on my own before, or even ever. It would be nice to live somewhere, where mother and father cannot follow. Perhaps I will see him again, I'm not sure But if he is a spy from mother and father I will burn the house to the ground."

America

Eugine, Cynthia thought, smiling now for the first time reading the diary. She almost wanted to laugh at Maybelle's attempts to call him a spy from her parents, but at the same time, she felt like she could understand that mistrust. It was sort of odd that Cynthia could feel so connected to her great-grandmother from these pages.

Cynthia flips through a couple more pages and the first words are enough that Cynthia is smiling much wider:

"Journal, I am absolutely taken with Eugine, I still cannot believe there was a time when I thought he was a spy from mother and father. He is absolutely nothing like them, god I absolutely adore him. I don't know how to describe it, but it's like he's become my wings in a sense. I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but I feel so much more alive than I did in that house, with my family."

Cynthia continues on for a couple of pages:

"Journal, Eugine has been discussing with me about moving to Europe with him. Oh what an absolute treat that would be. I will hope that I can convince him that it would be such a hassle for us to visit mother and father in America. Oh, I might finally be through with them now. After all these years I will be through with them."

Cynthia's smile stays for a bit, but it begins to fade a bit as she remembers what happened, and sure enough she finds herself on the page she had found earlier:

"Eugine has been discussing with me about going back to the states in the next year. I said we could take one of those Cunard ships in Decmber if we really wanted to but Eugine proposed a better idea. He suggested that we go in April next year, he says that that's when the RMS Titanic is supposedly going on its maiden voyage and she'll be heading for New York bound. I guess it will be nice to go over their again, though"

I wonder if she's talking about her seeing her parents, Cynthia though as she looked at the black marks that covered up whatever writing Maybelle had written.

She skipped through more of the pages until she was close to the end:

"Journal, it seems I will have to go back to America after all. There's no way now to refund the tickets so I guess I will be going back. I felt like it would have been so much easier if Eugine was still with me, but it's precisely that fact that he's gone that I'm going alone. Well, at least not entirely. There are still some things that need to be put in order but they shall be done in time. But I guess the trip back won't be so bad, Herman is returning Eugine's belongings back to his family. But there's something else that I've been thinking about. I know for a fact that once I meet with my parents they are going to try and get me married right away, maybe even finally get me alone with Uncle Reginald. I can't do that to myself again, not when I got my freedom so far from them. So I've made up my Mind. I won't see them when I reach New York. I'm going to hide from them somehow, and I'm going to begin my new life. A new life in New York, or anywhere really. And I'll be successful, I will do what I could not when I was 16, I will disappear from my family's life and begin anew."

Cynthia stares at Maybelle's words, letting the diary gently rest on her lap, letting the last words sink in for a moment. The only sound that Cynthia could hear was the slight hum from the engines and she just sat there on the bed, thinking.

I can't believe she went through all of that, and she kept going. Cynthia then looked down at all the pages around her, then back at the diary in her hands.

I think…. I think I understand her a bit more… Cynthia thought after a while, thinking on everything she read, Yeah, I guess I have somethings in common with her.

She chuckled at the thought, and then she thought of where she was, what time she was, and what might happen in the next few days.

What if I can't stop the sinking? What if I can't get to New York at all and can't go home? Everyone on this ship is depending on me, Jack, Rose and my family, my lineage, it all doesn't exist if me and Maybelle don't make it.

And then once again, the thought came, thoughts that Cynthia knew weren't her own:

You'll manage, you've already done so well so far.

Cynthia felt herself jump her skin for a bit, but not as much as the previous nights, no, it felt almost calming in a sense.

Hello? She called out in her thoughts, not quite sure exactly what she was trying to do, perhaps whatever it was was telepathic or something.

There came no response, no reply and Cynthia sighed, before looking over at the dressing table.

Everything in the reflection seemed normal, except her. Cynthia didn't jump at this, her eyes widened though as she stared back at the reflection that was watching her.

She was wearing the same clothes, but that was not her face, it looked very similar to it, but not hers, her eyes were not green, but rather blue, and were a different shape. And her hair was not up in its braids but gently down reaching her shoulders.

The reflection stared at her, with gentleness in her eyes as Cynthia stared back. It took her a few seconds but she realised who it was that was staring back at her, but it didn't make it any more believable. She blinked and held her eyes shut for a few seconds before opening, and then the reflection was gone, hers now returning to normal.

Cynthia felt herself breathe again for a second as she stared at her reflection again, half expecting the woman to return, but she didn't. But even if it did, she knew somehow deep down it wasn't anything malicious or had ill intent. Malicious? I sound like I'm talking about a ghost.

A ghost, that's not quite what she was though, that woman is still alive, Cynthia is just inhabiting her body.

It's then that Cynthia feels her stomach rumbling. She puts her hand on her stomach, God, is it lunchtime already? She looked over at the window to the blue sky. I better have lunch then huh?

She then got off the bed and took the diary and pages and put them back in the dresser. She puts her camera back around her neck as she heads off to the Cafe Perisian for lunch.

For the first time on the ship, Cynthia ate alone for lunch, having ordered some roast beef and mashed potatoes. She had placed her camera next to her on the table as she ate and her mind began to wander a bit back to Rose.

I wonder what she's doing right now, She thought, and then her mind went to Jack. He's probably drawing or something.

It was then that the image of the two of them standing side by side came to her mind, just like it had in her dream the other night.

Jack and Rose, she thought, Jack and Rose, you know, I'd think those two would get along just fine. She smiled at the thought, but the likelihood of those two meeting was very slim.

She eventually finished her lunch and headed back onto the boat deck. As she does, she finds herself taking more photos of the ship, the lifeboats, and every so occasionally; the passengers.

Wonder if this is enough to convince Mum I was actually on the Titanic? She thought examining a a photo she had taken of the funnels. She stood there looking at it a bit before she looked up, about to lift her camera when she saw her.

A couple of metres away, standing along the railing was Rose. That enough made Cynthia shoot into a smile as she quickly went over to her. It seemed she was with someone, at least that's what Cynthia could tell as she called out to her.

"Rose!"

Rose turned her head quickly and turned her body around as Cynthia quickly made her way to her. The person that Rose was with also looked over at her, and the sight of him made Cynthia come to a complete stop when she got to her.

It was someone Cynthia did recognise, but she didn't expect him to be here, standing in First Class.

And yet here Jack was, standing next to Rose, wearing a red long sleeve with his suspenders, looking just as dumbfounded as Rose did.