Shells

Part 6:

Cress ran down the hallway towards her children's room. She flung open the door to find them playing cards. They stared up at her with worried looks on their faces. "Are we here...?" Her daughter hesitantly asked.

Cress wasn't sure whether she should or shouldn't tell them the truth. If she lied and said yes, it would keep the kids calm and they'd be easier to handle. On the other hand, lying is horrible and she shouldn't be tricking her kids minds at all, especially at a young age. But it'll be easier to lie. Cress squeezed her eyes shut and nodded, forcing a smile on her face. She opened her eyes again and faked excitement for them. "Yes. Now hurry up and grab your bags. Make sure to bring the life jackets under the bed. You know what, it'd be easier to wear them out. Come on." Cress rambled on.

Her children exchanged looks, but did as they were told. They reached under the bunk beds and grabbed a bright yellow life jacket for both of them. Cress helped dress them in it, and then dressed herself in one too. She hauled up the bags and dragged them to the foyer. Thorne was already there, waiting with an emergency kit. "Okay kids. You stay here while mommy and I command the ship to stop." The kids nodded.

Cress walked beside Thorne back into the control room. "I need you to turn off autopilot and then I'll override the system so that when we are emerged in the water, the doors will open up." Thorne nodded, and grabbed Cress's hand. "Do you have the life raft ready?"

"Yeah. It should be blown up by the time we swim to the surface."

"Okay."

"I love you, Cress." Her heart skipped a beat and she squeezed his hand tighter.

"I love you too." They arrived at the control room. Thorne disabled the autopilot as Cress was overriding the system. And suddenly, they were falling. The couple heard their children screaming for help in the foyer. Cress ran down the hall, as best as she could, towards her children. Thorne trailed behind her.

Once he reached his family, he wrapped them all into a tight hug. Everyone was crying now. The ship shook as it touched the water. Thorne couldn't help but blame himself. How could he be so stupid? How could he forget the gas, the most important part of the trip?

The Rampion finally emerged in the water, and Cress and Thorne patiently waited for the doors to open. But they wouldn't. The water pressure cracked the glass and it came flooding in. The engine room began to over heat from the override, and it caught on fire. Cress now began to blame herself. She must have made a mistake while overriding the system.

The kids were the ones to go first. They drowned in the water while trying to wade to a safer room. Cress broke down crying, but Thorne couldn't lose anyone else. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the safe room.

"It's all my fault!" Cress screamed. She wrapped her arms around her, trying to hold her shattered pieces together. "I must have made a mistake. It's my fault!" She fell down to her knees as she mounted her children's death. No doubt the water carried their bodies to the engine room, where they turned into ashes.

Thorne wrapped his arms around Cress, who was violently shaking with sobs. "It's my fault, not yours. I was the one who didn't check the gas before we left. I was the stupid one. Not you." Cress finally let go of herself and wrapped her arms around Thorne. "You are the best wife that anyone could've asked for. I am so thankful for you, and I hope that we'll be together in the afterlife. I love you Cress Thorne."

She sucked in a breath before replying. "I love you too, Captain Carswell Thorne." With that last breath, she died. In her husbands arms, she died. Thorne began to shake her. No... He couldn't lose her.

No.

She must have just passed out from all the stress. She can't be dead...

He leaned down and began to shake her, trying to wake her up. It was useless. Her heart had stopped. She died from a stroke.

Thorne lightly pushed her body off of his and searched for something. He finally found it, the thing he had been looking for.

A gun.

He placed the barrel to his head, and pulled the trigger.