This Is Where It Ended ... (R5 AU)

"Blow a Kiss, Fire a Gun"

Chapter 7

1:01 am

Riker's POV

Rocky finally got off me and afterwards mom wraps the blanket around my shaking body again. Now I'm sitting here against the cold white wall on deck with my knees up to my chest and my arms wrapped around them to keep me warm. My family stands around me; they also have their arms wrapped around themselves to keep them warm in the freezing night. I can see the steam escaping from our mouths because of the cold air. I look at Rydel and see her shivering like crazy. I wait for her to notice my glance and after some more minutes she looks at me and this is the moment when I open my arms with the blanket around them. She knows what I'm trying to tell her and she smiles at me before she sits down next to me and cuddles into my chest, while I wrap the blanket around us again. The silence is really creeping me out. Nobody says anything. All we can hear is the ocean underneath us. The sudden commotion causes us to look into the direction where the noises come from. Waiters and sailors are running through the people with hectic expression, while the rest of us looks clueless after them. They run towards the lifeboats and Ellington follows them, to ask what's going on. After some minutes he comes back with a sad expression on his face. This is not gonna end well ... .

Ellington's POV

I run after the servants, trying to gain more information of what's gonna happen next. When I reach them, they're already untying the lifeboats and make them ready to be used.

Ellington: Excuse me, sir. But what's the sudden commotion?

Waiter: ... We can't fix the leak. It's too big and the water already reached the second class. It's only a matter of time till the whole ship goes under.

Ellington: So, you're saying-?

Waiter: ... One way or another. ... The ship is gonna sink.

He places his hand on my shoulder and looks sympathetic at me.

Waiter: I think it's better if you spend the rest of the time with the people you love because ... . I don't know if we're all gonna get off the ship alive.

My head drops and I can already feel my tears forming in my eyes. So it's gonna happen. We're sinking. He gives my shoulder a light squeeze, but it's really making me feel better.

Waiter: I'm sorry it's gonna end this way son.

I show him a slow nod and a sad smile before he continues preparing the boats and I go back to the Lynch's. I'm better not gonna talk around the bush. I'm gonna tell them the situation like it is. Well, this is gonna be hard.

Rocky: What's he saying?

I look at each on. While some of them look sad at me, some still have some hope in their eyes, like Rydel. Why is this happening? I don't wanna tell my girlfriend that we're sinking.

Ellington: *sigh* ... The ship is sinking. They're preparing the lifeboats, but ... he said ... not everybody is getting off the ship alive.

Rydel's face drops. Her sad expression is breaking my heart. I take her into my arms and I can hear her crying softly into my shirt. Again there's a creepy silence, but it gets fast interrupted; the boat starts dropping to the side a little bit, but luckily it soon stops again. The ship is now slightly leaned to the right, which is why I tighten my grip around Rydel, so she won't fall. I see how a waiter from the ship gets on the railing with a megaphone. While he's holding himself with his left hand on a rope, he holds the megaphone in his right hand and after a silent rustle, he starts speaking.

Waiter: Dear passengers. We've prepared the lifeboats which are now accessible. We want the women and children entering the boats first. Afterwards the men please.