A New Beginning

Chapter 1: Ship of My Dreams

Chapter 1: Ship of My Dreams

The water is cold. Unbearably cold. Emma's eyes flutter open as she clings to a piece of wreckage, it is the only thing keeping her afloat and away from a very dark and watery grave. She's afraid to look down into the deep black void that is the ocean below, ready to suck her down below the icy waves. Her entire body is numb as can be, knowing her hands must be frozen to the wreckage. She slowly looks up to see a mighty ship in total blackness going downwards, sinking into the void of the abyss. Thousands of people are screaming in her ears and she can only watch in horror as tremendous boom echoes across the water, the sound of the ship breaking in two. The screams become louder and death is so near. Emma's tears freeze to her face as a final ship horn blows out before it vanishes beneath the...

"Emma" a faraway voice calls out to her. "Emma wake up."

Emma jolts upwards in bed, chills all over. She's panting frantically as her face meets daylight and her eyes try to adjust from the darkness of her slumber.

"Emma, sweetie what wrong?" Peter asks, blowing his blonde hair out of his face.

Emma looks beside her to see her fiancé's bright blue eyes looking up at her.

"Just...just a nightmare," She pants. "One about a sinking ship."

The ship horn blares across the harbour. Emma shudders again.

"You're just nervous that's all," Peter says, patting her side.

"But it was so real Peter! What if this ship sinks?!" Emma says, going to the curtain, pulling it back to stare at the ship that just last night had enchanted her and made her excited.

"It's brand new Emma, this ship has all the latest and proper safety equipment. They wouldn't let people set sail on it if it wasn't safe or seaworthy."

"Still, you can't help but wonder..." Emma squeaks, closing the curtain again.

Peter gets up, wraps his arms around her, and kisses her cheek to comfort her

"It's just the stress of what's to come to Emma. We have a lot to deal with when we get back to America."

"Don't remind me." she groans.

"It'll be okay, I'll be right here the entire time...I promise."

A happy squeal reaches the couple's ears as Sybil, herself wakes up. Her tiny legs kick upwards, and she sucks on her fingers. Emma moves to the cradle and stares lovingly down at her sister. Her lively blue eyes seem to light up the room and her lovely patch of blonde hair seems to glow in the morning sun. Emma had always been pleased that her sister looked so much like her mother did, while she herself looked like her father with blue eyes and chestnut brown hair. She wants to be reminded of her mother whenever she looked at Sybil.

"Hello, sweetie." Emma coos, forgetting her nightmare completely to pick up her baby sister.

Sybil squeals again and reaches her arms up towards her sister. Although only five months old, Sybil was quite the individual and an easy child to handle. She slept well and was beginning to crawl on all fours. She was calm or happy most of the time, despite the sadness that surrounded their family. Emma couldn't help but spoil her sister a bit, now that she was her only family left. Peter absolutely adored Sybil as well and both felt their lives would go smoothly after the couple married and made it back to America.

Emma holds Sybil over her head and nuzzles their noses together. She kisses her sister multiple times. Sybil responds by kicking her feet and continuing to squeal.

Peter leans over and whispers in Emma's ear.

"We will definitely be okay."

The small family packs up their hotel room and headed for the docks. They had packed as light as possible, for their trip only lasted two weeks, which consisted of getting to Ireland, laying her parents to rest, and getting home. They had little time for anything else and it's not like Emma wanted to do too much after her parents' passing. Her recovery from grief was slow, but Peter was patient. He loved and cared for her, reminding her of the good things that would come in the future. The only thing that made her smile more was Sybil and Peter. Emma also found solace in drawing and painting, a passion she'd had since childhood and something her parents always encouraged her to pursue. She even drew a full family portrait of them just before her mother passed. Although she had stopped her passion in order to take care of her father for the next several months, her muse left her completely when both her parents were gone. It was after the funeral in America, before they departed across the ocean, that Peter suggested Emma draw her feelings out on paper. Draw or paint as many things as she would like, express herself through art. She had started to draw again on her way to Ireland, but all the images were sad and didn't make her feel any better. It wasn't until she saw Peter sitting with a sleeping Sybil in his arms, that she decided to draw them, something peaceful and calming. Something that gave her hope for the future.