Once A Human Once A Child

Chapter 1: The Sinking Ship.

I walk down the hall. Looking for my mom, I walk into the kitchen and see her putting her hands in my favorite cookie dough, chocolate chip. I'm sure I'm drooling by now. I feel an itch on my nose. I run my hand over my face while watching my mom put cookies in the oven. I look outside the ship we're on and all I see are waves. Or so I hoped.

I look out and see an iceberg that is about half the size of the ship. I yell over to find my mother but I do not see her. My ten-year-old instincts tell me that the iceberg isn't our friend. I tighten my pony tail, and walk over to my mom.

"Mom?" I ask still watching the cookie dough, I put my hand in it and taste test it.

"What is it?" She asks, taking the bowl from me or I'll eat all of it.

"You do realize there is an iceberg outside, don't you?" I ask looking at the bowl but I refuse to keep watching it. I turn my head toward my mother.

She walks over toward the window; she has tears in her eyes. I walk over toward her. She grabs me by the shoulders and starts to shake me.

"Sweetheart, go to the room and get your life jacket, then go to your father and tell him to come to me. Okay? Can you do that for me?" She asks wiping the tears from her eyes and walks over toward the bell and ring it. "ALL HANDS-ON DECK!" She yelled and started to shoo me away from the kitchen to go get the life jacket.

(We've been through this so many times it's like second nature but it's never been this bad before)

I run toward the room and put on my life jacket. Then I run to papa.

"Papa? Mom wants you. There is another iceberg. And by the look of it, it looks bad." I said following him.

He walks up to mom and she points at the window. He looks at the iceberg. We're twenty feet from hitting it. The captain must move the ship.

"Mom? Are we going to die?" I ask.

"Don't say that! Of course, we're not going to die today... Benjamin, can you take Rose and go to deck nine? I must go with the staff and get the passengers to life boats." She said in a worried tone and walked down the hall before he could answer.

He grabs me by the hand and we walk down the hall together.

~.~

Walking down to deck nine, I feel the ship move. I fall on the grown and get back up. I run toward the outside deck and see the iceberg smashed onto the side of the ship. I stand there for a few moments and then, in shock, I see the water going into the side of the boat. I scream and run toward papa. I hug him and lead him toward the railing to show him the water that is rising in the ship.

About an hour after the water rising and staff going crazy, and all the life boats are taken, my papa takes me by the hand and sends me toward the line for departure to land. (Since men are not allowed to go women and children go first, mom and papa are staff so they can't go until the men women and children are safe).

The water has rose to the ninth deck and its so cold; I shiver. I look for papa. He is watching me. I scrunch my nose. There are snowflakes falling and the water is starting to freeze over my feet. I see my papa gets taken away. I watch him but he looks at me and I can see from the look in his eyes, he wants me to stay where I am. I feel so hopeless; I don't like feeling hopeless.

The ship is starting to sink. I look for my parents. I don't see them. The line is still really long. I leave, the line is too long. I run into Mr. Waltz and ask him: "Have you seen my mom or papa?" I ask desperately.

He sighs, I have tears trickling down my face. Am I going to die today? Is this the last time I will ever see my parents? I have to stay hopeful though. With a bit of luck, maybe we'll get off the ship. If we're lucky enough.

Thirty minutes later, the ship starts to sink. I can't find my parents anywhere. I stop looking because I cant go anywhere else. I start to swim off the ship. I see a island ahead of the ship. Its miles away though. I swim. Leaving everything behind.