Serenity

The Mirror

Church and tea passed by in a blur of fog, haze and the endless rattling of China. That was the sound Rose sometimes believed could send her mind spiralling out of control. She heard it daily, signalling something in her dull, mundane life. Tea was set to be drunk, and then biscuits were served. It was meticulous and tedious. The chatter accompanying it was the same, no matter which country a person travelled to. It was mindless, made by spineless mothers, bitter daughters and their friends, all completely pulling together pieces of poor, innocent deer like a pack of wolves, and when there is no more meat left, well, then they shall be left wounded, to fend for themselves or even better---dead. Rose felt as though she was dying internally.

The tour of the ship with Mr Andrews enabled her to immerse herself in the beauty of shipbuilding, but as soon as there was silence, Rose was once more overcome by the burden of her situation. She had clung to every word of the master shipbuilder, posing questions and theories that he seemed grateful and curious to answer.

That was until a firm hand grasped her arm, leading her into an empty gymnasium. Shock overcame her until she saw Jack's face beneath a tall hat and grey overcoat, neither of which could belong to him.

''I need to talk to you.''

Rose heard the hums of voices, music from somewhere, and footsteps going to and fro. She noted a peculiar expression on Jack's face, or rather lack of expression, which indicated that he was dealing with some strong or private emotion. She noted that the gymnasium's interior was empty of people aside from them both. She stepped inwards, allowing the heavy door to close with a loud shriek of unoiled hinges, and silence enveloped them entirely. He removed his hat, discarded it on the windowsill, and exposed the concern within his eyes.

''You should not be here, Jack, you know that.''

Rose's heart began to drum with furious force. Jack approached her slowly with tired eyes. The closer he came, the more it seemed everything around her was unravelling, falling away, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. Jack's breathing wasn't relatively steady. Neither was hers. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"I was up all last night...I could not sleep or anything." His troubled aura disturbed her, but she still allowed him to continue. "Look, I have ten bucks in my pocket; I have nothing to offer you. God, I know that..." He reached for her slowly, giving her every opportunity to object. His face must have been made in Heaven; the topaz blue eyes shaded by long, straight lashes. His hair needed cutting, the heavy dark blonde locks curling slightly over the back of his collar, and a tiny bit of darkened stubble now appeared across his top lip, chin and neck. She had rarely seen an unshaven man too closely. Rose's throat cinched around a quick breath as she saw his fingertips approaching her cheek, and she ducked towards the window to retreat, albeit hesitantly.

''What?'' His words barely made sense to her. How had she questioned Mr. Andrews extensively on his shipbuilding knowledge, yet simple words seemed impossible to comprehend when in the same space as Jack? ''What do you say? Why do you feel the need to save me so badly?''

She waited stiffly for a response. His eyes flashed dangerously, somehow igniting the flame within her once more. How had she kept it quashed for such long periods?

''Jack, this is not a game anymore. You sought me to speak and yet are utterly silent.'' She exhaled to see his face, which was still half-soaked in amusement and sparked a rage she had never felt. ''I am engaged to Cal. I love him. I love Cal.'' The final words were said with about as much desperation as she could muster to make him believe it to be so. He had to accept it. Why would he not?

''Why marry him?'' Jack asked again, as he had often done during their conversation yesterday.

There was a heavy pause. The silence seemed deafening. The air around her seemed utterly useless, and breathing was difficult. It wasn't the strength of her corset stripping away the last remnants of oxygen; it was awaiting the answer. What answer could she give him? Even when trying her absolute hardest, she never convinced him otherwise. What use was it when he could see through into the depths of her already? The question went unanswered as Jack continued quietly with a strangled tone.