Waves of Tomorrow | Titanic

Going Right (Ending 1/2)

"Right," I respond promptly, deciding to commit to a plan and not waste any more time.

Andrews nods in approval and we begin making our way uphill, away from the sea engulfing the deck. The screaming is unbearable – women and men both – as the harsh reality sets into those left on the ship: all lifeboats have been deployed.

Some sit in peace, couples huddle together by walls, holding onto piping and praying to one another in acceptance. Others simply enter the water on pieces of furniture attempting to float, but their bodies still seep down into the water. I wonder if Rose made it onto a lifeboat.

"We need to find something buoyant and large, strong enough to hold the both of us, or multiple things," says Andrews, breaking our silence. He pulls me into a nearby doorway, and I find myself faced with a wall of machinery.

"Luckily the power hasn't cut yet, once it does we won't be able to see anything we're doing," he explains, and my stomach drops; I never even considered that. Without saying anything else, he travels deeper into the room through another doorway, presumably to look for a flotation device.

I run through another doorway to an adjacent room. My mind races while knowing nothing about swimming, water, or especially buoyancy. I just need something big and sturdy, right? That will float.

The room has a couple of chairs, but my eye immediately lands on a long wooden table, likely for crew meetings. Although it could probably only fit one of us, I figured it was better than nothing.

I run over to the wall where a small emergency axe stands, existing behind a thin layer of glass. Breaking it with my bare fist, I retrieve the tool with a bloodied hand. I begin at the back leg, furthest from the door.

Hacking away at the leg, I try to make the table thin enough to fit through the small doors of the ship. With the adrenaline flowing, and in turn my increased strength, the leg cracks and breaks apart from the table. Onto the next one.

Before I can resume my cutting, I feel the ship shift into an even harsher slanted position, and a large crash from the room beside me catches my attention. It was too loud to be something Andrews made himself.

I drop the axe and run, nearly slipping on the tilted floor while going back into the machinery room and reaching the door he entered.

Shit. The scene before me made my stomach drop; Andrews was pinned against the back door of the room from a large panel of the wall machinery that came loose.

"Andrews!" I yell across the room, carefully making my way across the room and down the slope.

"I'm fine," he grunts, "just need to get this thing off of me." The free half of his body turns towards the panel and attempts to free himself but is unsuccessful.

"Let me help," I offer, leaning into him to grab the side of the panel trapping him. With as much strength as I can muster, I push into the panel. Andrews places his free hand on my lower back for support and uses his leg to help me push.

The creaking of the panel is a signal of process, at least. I look into Andrews eyes, and he gives a firm nod. Again, I press my whole body against the panel. Feeling a slight shift in the metal, I use every last bit of energy I have to drive home the blow, and the panel fluctuates enough that Andrews manages to slip out from behind it.

The force of the panel falling against the wall is enough to loosen my grip, and I nearly fall as the other side of it crashes into the wall, echoing throughout the room.

Andrews lets out a deep sigh before asking if I'm alright, as I regain my balance.

"Are you alright?" I respond right back, "with how loud that crash was, I can't imagine how much weight was on you." I reach out my hand and touch his arm comfortingly.