I'll never let go..| A titanic inspired story 🚢

Prologue

(Joel's POV)

Clink, clink, clink.

The sound of metal clashing against the thick layer of ice echoed around the clearing as I glided across the frozen surface of the lake. My hands clutched tightly at the brim of my woolly hat to keep out from flying off as I started to gain in speed with each time i propelled myself forward. Biting my lip, my eyes locked on my target right in front of me. As I approached, I dug the blades of my ice skates hard into the ice and watched as my target was consumed by a thin cloud of ice spray.

"Joel! Why do you always have to do that?" Rosemary playfully smirked at me as she lifted her gloved hand and brushed the ice particles off of her coat, her mittens were thick and concealed her small hands as they were previously Mine.

"Sorry! It's a force of habit, you always used to love it when I did that when you were little. You called it a snow storm." I folded my arms across my chest as if I had actually made a point. My eyes focused on her dazzling blue eyes which were focused on mine, her brows furrowed as though she was deep in thought.

"Well I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm ten." She argued. Glancing down, I noticed two Dutch braids which sleekly ran over her shoulders and were tied off with two sage ribbons which compliment her hazel hair colour.

"I'd say you are still a little girl. Who does your hair every morning?" I asked, watching her expression change.

"You." She admitted, her voice rattled shallowly in her throat as if she were on the verge of tears.

"Yes. And I'd say that I do a darn good job. For a beginner anyways." I admired my work as I circled around Rosemary who stood isolated in the middle of the lake. "Come on, Rosemary. Let's just have a bit of fun. We deserve it, don't you think?"

Peeking from behind the horizon, the sun slowly descended, blends of pink and orange were painted beautifully in the sky as Rosemary's lip quivered slightly until a hint of a forced smile appeared on her lips. Kicking off gently from the ice, her fragile body sailed along the ice, lifting her leg slightly, my eyes tracked as she circled around me as I stood idly, watching as my sister gracefully spin on the ice.

"You're getting so good. I am so proud of you." My sister came to a stop before me and flashed an uneasy grin at me before opening her mouth slightly to speak.

"Do you think mama and papa will be able to come out on the ice with us sometime?..."

"Maybe some day. When they are feeling a bit better, which will be soon I think. We just gotta stay happy, you and me. For Mother and Father." I crouched slightly and got on her level, I noticed that her eyes were glazed with tears as she spoke. I outstretched my hand and softly ran my forefinger against her dainty cheek, wiping away the tears that rolled from her wide eyes.

"Well I hope it is soon, because I miss it when it was the four of us. If just isn't the same without them on the ice with us." I nodded my head slightly and watched as Rosemary tugged her mitten off of her hand before tucking it into her armpit, then she outstretched her hand and I felt the warmth of her hand on my cheek. In the spur of the moment, I hadn't realised the tears that were flowing down my own cheeks.

"I'm sure it will be, Rosemary." Our eyes stayed locked for a while as the wind weaved through the trees and gushed through the clearing. And that's when I heard it, the splutter and coughing that erupted from Rosemary's lungs.

"Joel?" My sister slowly faded from view and my eyes squinted open, a punishing light pierced through my eyes as they focused on Kian in front of me.

"Kian! Christ, you scared me." I attempted to swallow but my throat was as dry as sandpaper as his sweaty complexion came into view. His blonde strands of hair clung to his forehead as he exhaled heavily.