Under The Waves

Chapter 6

"Goodnight Clara" he said as he took his lips off mine.

He walked inside and towards his stateroom. I was completely shocked by what just happened! I felt happy and content. Benjamin was an amazing person from what I could tell from these past few days. Mother and father liked him too but at the moment I didn't care what father thought. As I thought that last notion the thrill of the previous event went and sadness and anger flooded in. I didn't know what to do with that situation. Should I forgive him? I soon realised that was not an option, what he did was unforgivable. I looked out onto the beautiful ocean before me and smiled in awe of the magic in the world. I let all thoughts go and just leaned against the railing. The salty water filled my nose and the loud wind howled in my ears. Suddenly all of my previous senses numbed as the ship shook violently. I fell into the railing hard and hit my hand on a sharp metal edge. I grunted in pain as blood dripped down my fingers. I looked around for an explanation to this chaos. All I heard was the sound of crackling ice and a few faint shouts. I slowly walked around the corner and saw something that made me gasp. Ice.

Ice was scattered all over the deck. Some pieces big, some small but all as scary as each other. But that wasn't even the worst part. Right before my eyes slowly passing by was a huge unexplainable wall of ice. "An iceberg!" I alarmingly thought remembering the possibility that we would see an iceberg. I was so terrified and confused that all I did was run. I ran fast. Faster then ever. I looked back at the horrible seen only for it to be blocked by the wall. As I looked back to where I was going I found myself losing balance. I tripped over my feet and fell onto the rough floor. My head aced and my legs stung. I opened my heavy eyes and looked around me. All I could see was the blurry figure of a man running towards me. I sat up and rubbed my eyes to reveal a steward at my side.

He looked at me concerned and said "Are you alright miss? Why are you on the ground?"

I took a deep breath and stood up.

"I am okay, I just tripped" I said looking around again.

My eyes shot at him and I looked at him confused.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Oh just some turbulence, everything will be fine. Just return to your stateroom and you will be further informed."

"Turbulence?" I snapped in disbelief.

"I really must go" he said running off.

"Wait" I yelled but he continued around the corner.

I just stood there, not knowing what to do. I decided to go to my stateroom, not to listen to the steward but to tell mother and take her and Tillie out to show them. As I walked down the steps leading to the second class staterooms, I noticed many stewards and stewardess running through the halls. This got me more worried than before. As I walked further through the halls, I saw women and men in there night clothes, stopping the crazy stewards and stewardess' to ask questions. I listened in on one conversation between a stewardess and a young lady.

"Why have the engines stopped?" The lady asked. This question made me realise that the engines have, indeed, stopped.

"Nothing to worry about but miss would you please wear this lifejacket?" She said passing her one.

My mouth dropped and I ran towards my stateroom to mother.

I swung the door open with mother surprisingly still sleeping. How could she sleep through this racket? Tillie too! I shook mother hard and she woke with a shock.

"What is the meaning of this Clara?" She growled.

"We have to go!" I said grabbing a coat for mother and I.

I passed it to her and slipped mine on.

"Where!" She barked.

"I don't know yet"

I picked up Tillie and wrapped her in blankets.

"Clara! Stop this nonsense at once!"

She reached for Tillie but I pulled her out her reach. Now I could tell a storm was coming but luckily it was interrupted by a steward who came to our door.

"Ma'am please dress warmly like your daughter and if you would both kindly wear a lifejacket" he said walking into our closet and pulling out two lifejackets.

My mother was mortified but she took a deep breath and frowned. She put on the coat I gave her and took the lifejacket from the steward. I too grabbed the lifejacket and helped mother strap up hers before I did mine. Suddenly mother grabbed my hand and pulled it towards her.

"Clara! How did you get such a horrible wound?"

"It doesn't matter right now mother! Follow me!"

I guided her out of the stateroom still holding Tillie and came face to face with father, Louis and Nathans stateroom.

I knocked on the door hoping for Nathan or Louis to answer instead of father but to my dreadful surprise no one answered. I took a deep breath and tried to not panic. I wanted our family to be all together, that's until we figure out what was going on.

I looked at mother and said "Lets go get the Clarks!"

We walked to Alice and Grace's stateroom and knocked on the door to reveal only Alice.

"Where is Grace!?" I demanded!

"I am unsure, she wasn't here when I woke up!" She said very concerned.

"When did you wake up?" I asked.

"Only more than a minute ago" she said as she slipped on a life jacket over warm clothes.

The stewards and stewardess must have woken her up with their insist to dress warmly and put on a lifejacket. Now where could Grace be? Did she wake up from the sudden shake of the ship or the yelling it caused afterwards? If so what did she do and where did she go? Did she investigate the suspicious events? The countless questions echoed through my brain and I found myself quite terrified. However I didn't have time to worry about these things, I had to go to Benjamins and Williams stateroom and inform them of this...this...I didn't know what it was! 

After Alice was finished getting ready I rushed them out the door and we ran through the crowded halls. We had almost reached the stateroom until a steward stopped us in our tracks and directed us to move out on deck. I was reluctant at first but mother and Alice wouldn't go any other way so I decided to find William and Benjamin later. The deck was also crowded. More crowded than in the hallway! I tried to navigate through the people keeping us four, me, Tillie, Alice and mother all together but this was proven hard. A big herd of people came rushing in and I broke my connection with Alice and mother. I was pushed in the crowd and it was clear I wouldn't be able to find them anytime soon.

I held Tillie tight to my chest and walked through the emotional swarm of people. Some people around me were confused, some scared and some angry. What was going on to cause such a big inconvenience? This obviously made many first class passengers offended by the way they were treated. I, myself didn't know what to feel. The most likely feeling through my numb body was fear. Fear of what would happen to me. Fear of what would happen to my family. Fear of what would happen to Benjamin and his family. Fear of this ship.

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