THE HEART NEVER LIES
Chapter Two
We went under so fast my lungs
burned. The coldness of the water hit me like needles. It was so cold I could
not think or breathe. Blackness invaded my senses. Currents ripped at my legs
like strong hands tugging at me. Jack! my mind screamed suddenly as the
realization that I was not holding his hand hit me.
Terror welled up in me, and my
mind was numb. Rose, you must kick. Jack’s words echoed in my mind. I
drifted and thought that I was so tired that I should just sleep, close my eyes
and never wake up, escape this torment.
You are so special, Rose.
Never let go. Jack’s face
swum before my eyes, the love spilling over from his brilliant blue eyes.
Never let go. Never let go. The words taunted me like slaps. I had to
do something. I kicked hard, every movement agony, my clothes weighing me down
and hampering my efforts.
I surfaced to a sea of writhing,
desperate humanity, arms flailing and gut-wrenching, animalistic cries against
the death in the air. "Jack! Jack! Where are you?" My voice was
ripped from my mouth by the cruel cold.
"Help me! Help me!"
"Molly!"
"Save me!"
I heard the desperate voices of
others calling in panic.
I was so cold. Before I could
look for Jack or gather my senses, big arms grabbed me and dunked me under. I
tried to scream, but it didn’t come. Swallowing water desperately, I tried to
come up for oxygen. I managed to wriggle up and take huge breaths of chilled
air.
"Get off me!" I
screamed.
The stranger grabbed me again,
caught my hair, and dunked me under. I could not stand anymore of this as I
felt my minimal strength fading fast.
Jack
As we went under, her hand was
gone. Survival overtook me, and my instinct was to look for Rose. She was not
going to survive this unless I found her fast. I was a good swimmer, often
diving into the cool waters of Lake Wissota in the summer. Even so, trying to
surface as the undertow was trying to suck me down with the ship was taking too
much effort. I kicked hard and pushed to go upwards.
"Christ, it’s
freezing!" I yelled as I got my head out of the water. Chaos was all
around me, lots of death cries and people thrashing about in the deadly cold
water.
"Rose!" I shouted. I
could not see her.
Panic filled me. I had to find
her fast. We could die in this water, and hypothermia was quick. Death was
indiscriminate and sudden.
I struck out with clumsy strokes,
looking for her, my progress slow. "Rose?" I called. Suddenly, I saw
her. She is being held onto by a large man pushing her down in blind panic. She
was trying to get away, but in vain.
I thought, My God, it’s that
evil Cal. He can’t wait to destroy her, but I quickly saw that it wasn't
him.
I hope he’s dead, I thought bitterly, after the way he
tried to kill us as the ship was going down over that damned necklace. That
was all he loved--a hideous, cold diamond, hard as his ruthless heart, and it
was all he was ever capable of loving.
He had never loved Rose, not
liked I loved her and would always love her.
Adrenaline poured through me. I
reached the man holding her down, punched him square in the jaw, and he
released her. I grabbed Rose and pulled her to me by the straps of her
lifebelt.
She was crying, huge, loud sobs,
and grabbed me and pulled me close, kissing me wildly. "Jack! Jack! I
couldn't find you! Oh, I need you! We need to get out of here!" she cried
in a choked voice.
Memories of flying on the bow of
the beautiful ship swept before my eyes, Rose’s soft voice saying, "Jack,
I've changed my mind." We kissed. We knew we belonged together, two sides
of the same coin. A start, I thought, that would be a lifetime for
us.
The coldness brought me back to
this horrific reality. I kissed her head, my legs feeling like dead weights.
She was right that we needed to get out of the water.
I tried to block out the sounds
of human suffering all around me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw people
floating silently, gone, the coldness sucking away their life.
I dragged Rose hopelessly through
the black sea toward what looked like a piece of wood; it was a piece of
molding, carved and ornate. Only hours ago, this was on the ship. Now, it was
flotsam.
I somehow heaved Rose onto the
molding. Her lips were blue, her hair starting to freeze. She had to be out of
the water before its chill pulled the soul of out her.
Oh, no! I tried to pulled half my body onto the
molding. A terrible realization hit me, and I nearly fell back into the water.
The molding would only support one person!
"Jack, get on," she
whispered faintly, her breathing labored.
"I can’t," I replied,
tears stinging my eyes. "It will only take one. We’ll have to wait for the
boats!"
I just hoped that they would be
soon. I didn't know how long I could hold on.