Titanic: Voyage Of The Damned

Chapter 3: Unexplained Occurrences

Jack strode down the cramped third class corridor, ducking his head to avoid the pipes running along the low ceiling. He was heading up to meet Rose for another secret rendezvous, eager to steal a few more hours together before they arrived in New York. Their time felt increasingly precious.

Up ahead, the electric lights lining the hallway flickered erratically, as though struggling to remain illuminated against some unknown force. Jack frowned, pausing mid-step until the lights stabilized again, returning the passageway to dim brightness.

Odd, he thought. Probably just some electrical fault down in the bowels of the ship. He continued on, putting the incident out of his mind.

When he ascended to the first class deck, the sea air revived his spirits. He and Rose had devised a system of signals to coordinate their clandestine meetings without drawing notice. As he approached their chosen spot, he gave a low whistle. Moments later, her slender figure emerged from the shadows.

"Jack, I'm so glad you came," Rose said breathlessly as she drew near. Her face was pale and drawn.

"What is it?" Jack asked with concern, grasping her hands. "You're trembling, Rose."

"Oh Jack, the most unsettling thing...I was in my room dressing for dinner when suddenly all the lights went out. I called for Trudy, but she didn't answer. Then the room became icy cold, and I heard the most awful moaning sound, like souls in torment!"

She clutched his arm tightly, her eyes wide. "I didn't imagine it. The sounds seemed to come from inside the very walls. And that bone-chilling cold..." She trailed off with a shudder.

Jack enveloped her in his arms, troubled by her story. "It's alright, you're safe now," he soothed, though an unsettled feeling gnawed at him. Her experience eerily echoed the flickering lights he had witnessed below.

"What if it's some kind of omen?" Rose whispered. "A darkness haunting the ship?"

"Hey, it was probably just some electrical issue," Jack replied gently. "This is the grandest ship ever built. Nothing bad will happen while we're aboard."

Though he spoke with confidence to reassure her, he couldn't dismiss his own vague misgivings. But he didn't want Rose troubled by superstitious thoughts, not when their remaining time together was already so scarce.

"Let's go up to the bow," he suggested, hoping the wide-open vista would lift her spirits. "The wind in your face will blow all those worries away."

She nodded gratefully, linking her arm through his. Jack tried ignoring the uneasy prickle between his shoulders as they walked. But he found himself glancing frequently down the empty, motionless passageways.

Up on the forward deck, they leaned against the railing, faces tilted to the biting sea breeze. The inky blackness of the North Atlantic surrounded them, with only a smattering of stars overhead penetrated the clouds. In the distance, shadows shifted along the horizon.

Rose gripped Jack's hand tightly. "It looks so vast and cold out there. And we're so small, just specks adrift."

Jack squeezed her hand, wishing he could banish all her worries. "Don't think about the darkness. Look up at the sky. The stars will always guide our way."

She followed his gaze upward but gasped softly. "Jack, the stars...they're going out."

He stared as one by one, the pinprick lights high above seemed to wink out of existence, leaving only a void of blackness.

Unease crawled up his spine. He shook his head sharply, trying to dispel this strangeness.

"It's just some clouds rolling in," he said evenly. But his voice lacked conviction.