Titanic [STEFAN SALVATORE]

Chapter Eight

SHE used to take early morning walks with her father as a child. He would nudge her awake before the sun had risen and take her outside so that the two of them could witness the sunrise together. Those were the good moments in Margaret's life, before she knew there were limits to the world.  It was hard to think about this as water filled her lungs, covered her eyes and ears.

Her body was thinking about survival, but offered no way in which to get there. Her mind offered her hope, to keep going. It offered her memories of better times, it offered her hopeful images of how the future could go. Stefan and she, together alas without complications. Her father and mother reunited, her mother's happiness to see that her father was alive. It was all there at her fingertips and all she had to do, was stay alive.

Staying alive, of course, was harder said than done. The water was freezing. And Margaret could hardly feel her heart beating. But she told herself to swim, to move her legs in arms in long and elegant movements. Her leg made contact with something hard and at first Margaret thought it was nothing, as she could barely feel anything.

But she grabbed on to it with her hands and found it was a big piece of metal from the Titanic. Margaret got on top of the metal and rested on it, for the first time since the Titanic had sunk, feeling hope on the horizon.

2 HOURS EARLIER

"Pappa?" Margaret stammered. She blinked a few times, thinking it was something she had imagined. But the image of her father standing before her, stronger than ever before was still there. "How are you here?"

"Stefan's blood," he explained. "It was still in my system when I died. His blood brought me back."

Margaret touched his cheek. "But you look better, Pappa. You look stronger and--"

"My darling, there will be time to explain this later. But why don't you first go and try to find something for us to open the vault with?" Her father asked. There were a lot of questions running through Margaret's mind. Momentarily, she was frozen, before her father's words brought her back and made her snap.

"Wilde has the key, Margaret," Stefan said. "Find Wilde and you find the key."

"Run, Margaret," her father kissed her forehead and sent her on her way. Margaret ran out of the room quickly, down the corridor and towards where she had last seen Wilde. He'd been outside, helping put people to the lifeboats.

With luck, she would find him there and he'd have the key with him. But if not, she hoped her father was able to find a way to open the safe...if not then, well, she didn't want to think of such possibility. The Titanic on the other hand, continued to tremble, but now faster than before.

And the water, was getting to Margaret's ankles. And still, she ran. Her feet were getting numb and her whole body was beginning to grow cold, but she continued.

It took a while for Margaret to reach the deck, more than she would have wanted to. She could begin to feel the tilt worsen more and more, and moving felt like she was going against a tide. The tilt combined with the swarm of in the hallways, made Margaret move slowly. Pushing the doors open, she stepped out.

Her eyes scanned the area, trying to find officer Wilde. But despite the light, Margaret could hardly see before her. She was aware time was ticking by. As she looked around, she noticed the first safe boat was launched. And then, she was momentarily blinded by light. She heard a soft swoosh and saw as a rocket lit up in the dark sky.

She pushed by the crowds, grabbing their shoulders and turning them over. She scanned their faces, searching for  Wilde. Time was lost that way. And none of the faces Margaret saw belonged to the officer. She saw as two other lifeboats were launched. The crowds were forming a line and Margaret was next. She stepped out of line and ran back inside.