Written by Nameless for Now
Based on some situations originated by James Cameron.

It was so hard to understand what was going on around you when you were so little, so confused, and so scared. Why was all this water around? Why were all these people screaming? Why were they so frightened? Why did Daddy have such an alarmed face? Why was Mommy crying?

And where was Uncle Jack? It was so scary without Uncle Jack.

"Come on, honey. Hurry up." They were running down the long corridors of third class. Daddy was really scared; Cora couldn't remember when her strong, clever Daddy was so scared.

"Daddy!" His fear was passing to her.

"Don't be afraid, my brave little girl. We're gonna to find the lifeboat. We'll be safe soon." He grabbed her and kissed her forehead.

Cora didn't know exactly what the lifeboat was or why they needed to find it. But Daddy said that she, Mommy, and Daddy would be safe soon, and she just believed him.

Suddenly, she heard the noise, a very low noise, like the roar of an enormous lion.

"The ship is roaring," Cora said to Mommy.

Mommy was frightened. She didn't say anything in answer.

"Cora, dear, give me your hand," she whispered.

And then there was a lot of cold water. Mommy and Daddy were screaming with horror, and only Cora was keeping silent. She just held her parents’ hands.

They were running up the stairs. Cora saw the gates; they would pass the gates and find the lifeboat, and everything would be okay.

"Oh, no…no! Open the gates!" Daddy was screaming. Cora couldn't understand why, but she understood that for some reason they couldn't reach the lifeboat.

And then everything turned black, but Cora didn't release Daddy's hand.

Maybe Uncle Jack can help us to find the lifeboat, she thought.

*****

"Daddy, are we in New York?" Cora was screwing her eyes up against the sun.

"No, sweetie. Unfortunately, it's not New York." Daddy looked very sad and confused. Mommy was standing next to him, holding his hand. There were tears on her face.

"We are in heaven, Cora..." Mommy was whispering with both sadness and fascination.

Heaven was beautiful, very sunny and spacious. She could play, run, and do different joyful things everywhere and every time. But...

"So, we won't see New York? Never? So we are..."

"I'm very sorry, my little Cora. We died. Yes, we died, and it was a horrific death." Daddy was embracing her; she felt confused. Dead. Cora had never thought about death. She had never known what death was. "Listen to me, honey. We won't have any problems and fears now. God has taken us, but He will care about us, even though we don't live on the earth anymore."

Cora didn't completely understand his words, but Mommy and Daddy were smiling gently at her, and she was smiling, too.

"Look...there are so many people..." Mommy was saying.

Cora was turning back; she saw a lot of people around her. They had also been taken by God, and He would take care of them. A thought appeared in her mind. It was just so sad that there were so many of them...all these people were different--some of them were joyful, because they finally were free from the nightmare; some others were silent and low-spirited; someone was weeping. Perhaps they didn't want to die, Cora thought. She shared this thought with her parents.

"Of course not, dear. No one wanted to die..."

It would be so good to see Uncle Jack here, Cora thought silently.

But no. No. Jack couldn't be among these people. He was so clever, resourceful. He was probably alive. He had probably survived.

But then Cora looked at the crowd again and saw Uncle Jack. He was running through the crowd to her. His face was filled with gladness, but in a second he stopped and realized.

"Oh, Cora...I'm very sorry...if only I..."

Cora felt tears in her eyes. Why? Why didn't you help us? Where were you? That was what she wanted to scream to him. But then she remembered something.

"You were helping that lady from first class." Cora was looking at him penetratingly. "Is she safe?"

"Oh, yes...yes, I helped her, my little Cora. She is safe, and she will live her life happily. She has promised me."

"Really?" Cora was very, very glad. That beautiful girl from first class was alive, and she would live her life happily.

"It's very good that you helped her. But it's a pity, because you won't see her again."

Jack was smiling. "No. I will meet Rose, and you will meet her, too, someday. I believe it."

Cora felt that she already wanted to see Rose, who Jack was talking about so much.

Suddenly, he was falling on his knees and embracing her.

"You're such a remarkable girl, Cora. Forgive me. I’m such a dumb fool."

"Uncle Jack, why should I forgive you? You haven't done anything bad."

He was looking at the girl attentively and smiling.

"Thank you, Cora. You know, we are in better place now, and we will have a lot of fun! We can have Irish parties every day!"

Cora was laughing. "Uncle Jack, you have to dance with me. Do you remember?"

The End.

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