Sunday April 14

Atlantic Ocean

11:38 pm

Jesse's POV

We broke the embrace apart and I placed my hand on her cheek. I felt my heart fluttering and it's going to go crazy when I'm going to kiss her on the lips for the first time.

"I've been waiting to do this for so long." I admitted.

I slowly leaned towards her. I sensed that she closed her eyes and I closed mine as if I anticipated to feel her soft lips. We didn't care if anybody's watching us. Not even the cold can take over this fiery love. Silence surrounded us and we could only hear the beating of our hearts.

Just as we near to feel each other's lips, we suddenly heard a familiar female voice shouting,

"ICEBERG RIGHT AHEAD!"

Our ears perked up, we turned and looked to the side of who was shouting. We got curious and worried at the same time.

"Is that Jackie?" April asked.

Jacqueline's POV

I voiced out loud my thoughts as the iceberg was coming towards the ship. I felt myself shaking because the iceberg was bloody enormous, and if the crew is not going to act right away, we're all going to be doomed.

I feel like shouting from my thoughts again as I did for the second time, "ICEBERG RIGHT AHEAD!"

And I could hear my echo from far away.

Narrator's POV

A sixth officer who was outside from the wheelhouse, overheard the young lady's cries as an iceberg warning. He rushed into the wheelhouse and called the first officer.

"ICEBERG RIGHT AHEAD!"

The first officer saw it and rushed to the engine room telegraph. While signaling "FULL SPEED ASTERN", he yelled at the quartermaster, who is at the wheel.

"Hard a' starboard!"

The sixth officer was standing behind the quartermaster.

"Hard a' starboard! The helm is hard over, sir!" The sixth officer called to the first officer.

The chief was just checking the soup he has warming on a steam manifold when the engine telegraph clanged, then went incredibly to full speed astern. He and the other engineers just stared at it a second, in shock and disbelief. It was incredible for them that it could escalate to the top level. But the chief engineer had got no time to waste as he yelled to the engineers and greasers.

"FULL ASTERN! FULL ASTERN!"

The engineers and greasers acted like madmen to close steam valves and started braking the mighty propeller shafts to a stop.

In the boiler room, the leading stoker was standing with the second engineer when the red warning light and "STOP" indicator came on.

"SHUT ALL DAMPERS! SHUT THEM!" He yelled at his crew.

Jacqueline's POV

The chilly wind blew on my face; my body could not stop shaking from fear and anxiety by just seeing the malevolent iceberg. The bow finally starts turning left. Without realizing it, my hands clenched into fists. My jaw just clenched because the ship is getting too slow to turn left. I felt my heart was about to jump out.

As it was getting closer to the iceberg, I ran away from the bow deck without hesitation.

I know, anyone could hear those quick click-clacks from my heels. I rushed to the first class promenade and the nearest door I found I entered. I immediately shut the door and walked the door away. I was standing in the empty reception room and began to walk in a slow pace.

I could only hear my heart beating faster as I tried to catch my breath. If I would have covered my ears; my quickening heartbeat would have been louder.

I looked back at the door as if I'm not going back out with that iceberg about to strike.

Narrator's POV

The ship took its very last steps in the ocean and suddenly--a loud crunch sounded off as the ship hits the iceberg on its starboard bow. The ice smashing in the steel hull plates. The iceberg bumps and scrapes along the side of the ship. Rivets pop as the steel plate of the hull flexes under the load.

Jacqueline's POV

Suddenly, I heard a roaring thunder sound coming from the left side. I gasped out of horror and started running through the reception room. The iceberg is definitely striking the ship and I could still hear the loud noises from over there.

While rushing to get out the reception room, I could feel the shaking from ground as if there was an earthquake going on.  My heart was still racing like the speed of a cheetah. I don't know how long I could handle this scary experience I'm having right now.

After rushing out from the reception room, I ran through the corridor and I nearly stumbled against the wall. But I kept running through.

I wish this could be just a nightmare. But...I'm living it. Everyone needs to know what's gonna happen next after the iceberg. 

The game is over and I have to find my friends for real.

Narrator's POV

The two male stewards staggered as the hull buckled in four feet, with a sound like thunder. The iceberg split the hull plates and the sea poured in, sweeping them off their feet. The icy water swirled around the Renault as the men scrambled for the stairs.

In the empty room from the crew section, Alex and Jenna held each other and stood frozen. They heard that loud scraping sound coming from. But they don't know what was that about. They could feel their heartbeats pulsing quickly in fear. 

Alex felt his breathing rate was increasing as if he can't breathe properly. He started trembling and couldn't stand with his own two feet this time. Jenna sensed that he was about to pass out and grabbed him in her own arms.

"Alex, are you okay?!" She fretted.

"I'm sorry. It's scaring me." His voice broke as if he was about to cry.

She hugged him as a comfort. They hoped that earthquake-like moment will go away.

In the third class accommodation room where the steerage friends were sleeping, they heard a sound like the greatly loudened squeal of a skate on ice, waking them up along its shaking ground.

Kristen was startled and Kenny holds her in his arms.

"Kenny, what was that?" She asked with a hint of anxiety of her tone.

"I don't know. I don't know." He muttered as he shook his head.

He seemed to be startled as well.

"What is this madness?!" Xavier exclaimed.

In the boiler room, the leading stoker and the second engineer staggered as they heard the rolling thunder of the collision. They saw the starboard side of the ship buckling in toward them, and were almost swept off their feet by a rush of water, coming in about two feet above the floor.

On the forward well deck, Jesse and April looked up in astonishment as the iceberg sailed past, blocking out the sky like a mountain. Fragments of the ice broke off, and crashed down onto the deck. 

"Get back!" April urged as they urgently backed up to avoid flying chunks of ice.

Then they held in each other's arms, as they saw the iceberg passing by.

On the bridge, the first officer rang the watertight door alarm. He quickly threw the switch that closes them.

"Hard a 'port!" He called out.

Judging the iceberg to be amidships, he tried to clear the stern.

The leading stoker and the second engineer heard the door alarm, and scrambled through the swirling water to the watertight door between the boiler rooms. The room was full of water vapor as the cold sea has struck the red hot furnaces. The leading stoker yelled to the stokers, scrambling through the door as it came down like a slow guillotine.

"Go lads! Go! Go!" He shouted as he dove through into Boiler Room 5, just before the door rumbled down with a clang.

April's POV

We leaned over the starboard rail, looking at the hull of the ship. Seems like we didn't see much of a scrape on the hull. Hopefully it isn't too bad.

"Looks fine." Jesse said.

"Could it have damaged the ship?" I asked.

"I don't know. It didn't seem like much of a bump. Hopefully we'll be okay." He said.

I deeply sighed out, hoping we can make it through.

"I hope so too."

We started thinking about the game we're playing. But seems like we're not going to play it this time. 

"We have to find Jacqueline and the others. I'm pretty sure they know what happened by that sound." He said.

That sounds a good idea. We have to find them as soon as possible.

"Yeah. Let's go." I nodded as we held hands to walk inside the ship.

Jacqueline's POV

I ran down the stairs in the first class Grand Staircase. I nearly stumbled again but someone stopped me from falling.

"Oh my goodness, be careful! Are you okay?" It was Valerie when I looked up at her.

With Valerie, there's Richard, Ivan and his girlfriend Serenity. They seemed to be very elegant in those fancy clothes they're wearing. But my mind was reeling through the iceberg and its horrible sound of striking the ship.

"Please forgive my clumsiness, but this is dead serious. An iceberg just struck her. It's going to sink." I told him while trying to catch my breath.

Shock has crossed their faces like they couldn't believe it. But this is true.

A humongous ship called the 'unsinkable' who has started her maiden voyage and now just struck an iceberg to sink?! It feels like she took the voyage in vain.

"What?" Valerie was so shook.

"Inconceivable!" Richard exclaimed with the look of disbelief on his face.

"Jacqueline, she can't even sink!" Ivan insisted.

"But she can't float either!" I countered.

"You have to face the reality. You might not even know that there are not enough boats to get on. Half of this ship are going to die." I told Ivan as I placed my hand on his shoulder to pay attention what I was saying.

Seems like he still can't believe it at all. But he has to.

"Not the better half. I'm afraid you're right, Jacqueline." Richard said.

Ivan seemed a bit scared; he looked at his girlfriend Serenity who looked worried. He held her hand as he never wanted to let her go.

"Do we have to let everyone know?" Serenity asked.

"We must let everyone know about this. I'm pretty sure the crew will let everyone know too. Seems like I got the most job to do because I have to find my friends from playing hide and seek. But no more playing games because the game's over. The real game is now." I demanded and walked away from them.

"What about the packing?" Ivan called.

It frustrates me because I don't want to waste time from finding my friends. I turned back and told them, "Pack later, let everyone know now!"

And I turned around going to the left side of the Grand Staircase, where is the promenade at.

Kristen's POV

I was kind of scared when we heard the loud noise that just went moments ago. Kenny hopped out from the bunk and I heard some splashing.

He naps on the light. The floor is covered with 3 inches of freezing water, and more coming in.

"Cor! What is this!" Colten exclaimed as he stepped into the flooded ground.

"It's flooding!" Xavier exclaimed.

"Do you think you can handle this chilly flooding water, Kristen?" He asked me with a concern look on his face.

I deeply sighed out as if I feel a bit nervous. Well, at least I have my shoes on.

"I suppose so." I spoke.

He then outstretched his hand towards me. "Grab my hand."

I took his hand and he picked me up by the waist. I landed on the flooding water and goodness, it's cold.

Xavier pulls the door open and steps out into the corridor, which is flooded.

"We need to pack up real fast." Kenny said and we packed up quickly to get out from the room.