Stardust

Part 2

Chapter 2

The North Atlantic Ocean

En route to New York City

April 12, 1912

2:00

Pov Ymir:

Most of the Titanic's passengers had made their way back to their cabins for the night at around 10:00. But that was not the case for Ymir. Ymir, like an owl in the night, found most of her energy came during a time when she was supposed to be asleep. She has once asked to be taken to a physiatrist for her insomniac behavior but her father refused any form of treatment. Ymir spent many nights staring, pretending to be asleep, laying there but with her eyes wide open staring at the night sky through a laminated glass window. Tonight was no different. While the world around her was hustling and growing with energy she could never find the spark inside her to stay awake. But, during the night, it was as if her eyes were glued open. Her mind filled with thoughts.

Tonight she found her body was just as restless as her thoughts, perhaps that is what persuaded her out of bed and onto her feet. She slipped on her off white felt slippers, lined with fur. She left her cabin for a night stroll.

First class facilities were located on the upper decks within the structure of the Titanic, where the vibrations and noise of the engines were at their lowest.

The good thing about the open ocean was there were no buildings to block the view of the stars. Ymir breathed in the cold crisp air while she walked, she stopped at the uppermost rail of the deck where the ship ended in a sharp point. Where there were no cranes or ropes to block her view. She looked up. The night sky, like a painting you could stare at forever and ever constantly changing. Ymir always found the stars fascinating. She made shapes in her head with the lights above. The stars furthest away, almost outside the span of human comprehension, were like flashing pinpricks in a veil of darkness.

But even at this hour, a loud voice caught her attention. It came from behind, the second class cabins, the rooms with bunk beds. She turned, all the rooms were dark except for one, lit by a dim lamp inside, Ymir could make out the silhouette of two boys arguing.

One of them slammed his hand on the wall in a big noise.

"You almost blew our cover!" he yelled. "Now we'll have to think of a whole new plan!"

Ymir could only make out part of the argument before her friend from earlier, Nhan stormed out of the cabin, slamming the door behind him.

"Fine then, Go away!" yelled Hua from inside. Followed by a series of vietnamese cursing.

Nhan walked in fury shaking his head, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed Ymir. Startled, his angry demeanor vanished, he bowed. "My apologies Lady Ymir, I didn't know you were there." He wore a white button up that hung loosely over his trousers. Different from the fabric gown he wore earlier.

"Not to worry, I should be the one apologizing for frightening you."

Nhan looked back at the door. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Only the end of it." she said. "Is Hua upset, what troubles him?"

"Well," Nhan placed his elbows on the edge of the rails. "Older brothers, you know how they are."

Ymir looked back towards the sea, she held onto the rails as the boat plowed over the waves. "Unfortunately not, I only have a mother and father."

"Oh is see, '' said Nhan. "In my homeland Vietnam, as you'd call it, your elder siblings might as well be your parent, anger or ill feelings are one sided." He sighed, "It's as if you must constantly please their every wish, or you are a disgrace. But you still care for them, it's a strange amalgamate of family and foe."