Titanic

Chapter seven

Lauren struggles as she kicks hard for the surface, holding tightly to Camila, pulling her up.

Around them was a chaos of screaming, thrashing people. Over a thousand people now floating where the ship went down. Some are stunned, gasping for breath. Others are crying, praying, moaning, shouting, screaming.

Lauren and Camila surface among them. They barely have time to gasp for air before people are clawing at them. People driven insane by the water, 4 degrees below freezing, a cold so intense it is indistinguishable form death by fire.

A man pushes Camila under, trying to climb on top of her senselessly trying to get out of the water, to climb onto anything. Lauren punches him repeatedly, pulling her free.

"Swim, Camz! SWIM!"

She tries, but her strokes are not as effective as Lauren's because of her lifejacket. They break out of the clot of people. Lauren knows she has to find some kind of flotation, anything to get Camila out of the freezing water.

"Keep swimming, Camila. Keep moving. Come on, you can do it."

All about them there is a tremendous wailing, screaming and moaning, a chorus of tormented souls. And beyond that nothing but black water stretching to the horizon. The sense of isolation and hopelessness is overwhelming.

Lauren strokes rhythmically, the effort keeping her from freezing.

"Look for something floating. Some debris, wood, anything."

"It's so cold."

"I know. I know. Help me, here. Look around."

Lauren's words keep Camila focused, taking her mind off the wailing around them. Camila scans the water, panting, barely able to draw a breath. She turns and screams.

A devil is right in from of her face. It is the black french bulldog, swimming right at her like a seamonster in the darkness, its coal eyes bugging. It motors past her, like it is headed for Newfoundland.

Beyond it Camila sees somehting in the water.
"What's that?"

Lauren sees what she is pointing to, and they make for it together. It is a piece of wooden debris, intricately carved. Lauren pushes her up and she slithers onto it belly down.

But when Lauren tries to get up onto the thing, it tilts and submerges, almost dumping Camila off. It is clearly only big enough to support her. Lauren clings to it, close to her, keeping her upper body out of the water as best she can.

Their breath floats around them in a cloud as they pant from exertion. A man swims toward them, homing in on the piece of debris.

"It's just enough for this lady, you'll push it under." Lauren warns him.

"Let me try at least, or I'll die soon."

"You'll die quicker if you come any closer."

"Yes, I see. Good luck to you then. God bless." He swims in another direction.

Lauren and Camila still float amid a chorus of the damned. Lauren sees the ship's officer nearby, blowing his whistle furiously, knowing the sound will carry over the water for miles.

"The boats will come back for us, Camz. Hold on just a little longer. They had to row away for the suction and now they'll be coming back."

She nods, Lauren's words helping her. She is shivering uncontrollably, her lips blue and her teeth chattering.

"Thank God for you Lauren."

People are still screaming, calling to the lifeboats.

"Come back! Please! We know you can hear us. For God's sake!"