Under The Waves

Chapter 8

My body was completely insubstantial and my brain was dead. Right then and there as I watched the lifeless body of my father lay on the ground, my heart shattered into a million pieces. I closed my eyes and held back my tears until I fell to my knees and cried a thousand of them. I laid on the cold floor going in and out of consciousness, sobbing until it felt like all the water that was in my body was now in the pool around me. "What have I done?" I whispered. "What have I done?" I repeated over and over again. The words became a default for my lips and I thought about the question hard. What had I done? I was the reason why my father committed suicide. If I hadn't have been angry at him, he wouldn't have thought that he had no one. What have I done?

"Are you alright miss?"

The question brought me back to reality. I looked up at a woman with a worried look. I just stared at her. She had pure black hair and pale skin. She would have been a replica of me if it hadn't have been for her blue eyes.

"Would you stand up?" She insisted.

I contemplated just laying there and not listening to this stranger but I needed help and she was the only one who payed attention to me. So I stood up. I noticed a baby in her warm coat and I looked at her questioningly.

"Her name is Lena and I am Rose. What is your name?" She asked.

"Clara" I said beginning to trust her.

"Alright Clara, why were you crying?" She indirectly pressured me to look at the unrecognisable corpse laying a few metres away. A puddle of fresh blood soaked the wooden floor.

My face remained emotionless and I numbly said "I need to find my family!"

I looked back at the shunned body. Rose looked at him too trying to figure out what was going on. She looked confused before a deeply sad expression landed on her face. I looked at her again and walked off. She quickly caught up and we walked through the crowd in silence.

I went to the grand staircase with Rose following and walked up the stairs. Once I reached the platform with the clock, the most frightening sound echoed through the walls. Water rushed into the room causing a loud gush! I screamed in horror as the water crept up the stairs! The water dripped closer and closer and another scream echoed around the cold room. I looked around without being able to see anyone.

"CLARA" the shout boomed up the stairs.

I looked out onto the pool of water to see..."GRACE!!" I screamed louder then ever.

I ran down the stairs, not afraid of the water until Rose grabbed my arm. She shook her head and directed me to look at Grace. I looked at her and saw her shiver in the freezing water. I ran into the water, ignoring what Rose had indicated. The water hit me instantly, numbing my legs. I looked out at Grace and tried to shout above the roaring water "I am coming! Hold on!" I continued further into the water until I ran out of steps and was now walking on the ground. The water reached my waist and I found it hard to move my freezing legs. As I tried to go against the raging stream of water, I heard a loud scream. This time the scream wasn't coming from Grace, it was coming from Rose. I looked up to her on the dry platform and looked where her scared eyes were pointing to. She was peering at cold Grace and the pillar beside her. When I looked closer at the pillar I shrieked. The modern pillar cracked open and it smashed into the deep water. The water where Grace was just standing.

I screamed louder and let tears melt down my red cheeks. The water was now at my neck and I began to fall all the way in. I was fully under water, motionless from shock and horror. I almost sank into the burning cold water but couldn't as my lifejacket did its best to keep me afloat. If I had of gotten to her sooner she would still be alive. I knew I was crying but all the tears just became apart of the chilled water. I just laid on the water in pure shock. Unexpectedly two strong hands pulled me out of the water. I looked up to see an unfamiliar man lift me up the steps. Rose was crying silently but when she saw me, she cried harder. Once I was next to Rose I sat up, still emotionless with tears falling. I stood up and Rose was hugging the mysterious man who pulled me out of that horrible water. When she saw me standing, she quickly pulled me into an embrace and cried into my shoulder.

"I am so sorry" she sobbed. "I should have helped you! She was only a little girl" Was she your sister?" She pulled my face to hers.

I shook my head and said "A friend."

She nodded and took a deep breath.

"Oh this is Issac" she said wiping away a tear and pulling her arm around the now identified man. "Issac this is Clara"

"Thank you" I said with a blank face.

"I am sorry for your loss" he said quietly.

I soon realised we couldn't stand around and chat. The ship is sinking! The water now just reached the platform and I began to run out to deck.

"Follow me" I yelled back at them.

When I got on deck I noticed only four remaining lifeboats. I had to choose so I ran to the one on the left. It was the most empty and I got a good feeling from it. As I started running I looked around the deck and saw many people still left on this half sunk ship. I mean many many people. I was mortified! I soon felt the familiar shoves as people, especially men, rushed past. "Women and children" rang in my ears and I noticed only a few men on board the boats. Why hadn't all the men boarded? This is crazy! I turned to Rose and Issac and saw them also absolutely horrified. Rose looked at Issac with a tear slowly rolling down her cheek and they hugged tightly. "I love you Rose Taylor" he said lovingly. "I love you too Isaac" she mumbled. After hugging for a long time he angled his head down to her chest and kissed Lena on the forehead. "I love you Lena Taylor" he said once again full of love. "Rose and Issac must be married and Lena must be their baby" I thought. Then Issac knelt down and whispered something to her stomach. I didn't understand what that meant. After Issac and Rose hugged once more, she came with me to the lifeboat glancing back once more until we got on. We sat down in the middle which meant we didn't need to use the oars. The women around me seemed sad and scared. Two little girls sat at the back on their mothers lap. I looked over to Rose with Lena and was reminded of my lost Tillie. I still couldn't believe I let her get taken. I heard the sound of the band playing.

"Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee! E'en though it be a cross, that raiseth me" I sang inaudibly. I remembered singing that song in class a bit over a week ago. Oh, how times have changed.

Soon the boat began shuffling down and the last glimpse I saw of the deck was filled with people trying to keep a steady balance on the tilted deck. I frowned and just sat there awaiting the sadness ahead

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