Billie's POV
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Bodies are whirled and spun around. Some limp as dolls, others struggling spasmodically, as the vortex sucks them down and tumbles them. I kick hard for the surface holding tightly to Y/N, pulling her up.
Over a thousand people are now floating where the ship went down. Some are stunned, gasping for breath. Others are crying, praying, moaning, shouting, screaming. We surface among them. They barely have time to gasp for air before people are clawing at them. People driven insane by the water, 4 degrees below freezing, a cold so intense it is indistinguishable from death by fire.
A man pushes Y/N under, trying to climb on top of her, senselessly trying to get out of the water, to climb onto anything. I punch him repeatedly, pulling her free.
"Swim, Y/N! SWIM!" She tries, but her strokes are not as effective as mine because of her lifejacket. And I'm sure she was never quite the swimmer. We finally break out of the clot of people. I have to find some kind of flotation, anything to get Y/N out of the freezing water.
"Keep swimming. Keep moving. Come on, you can do it."
All about us there is a tremendous wailing, screaming and moaning, a chorus of tormented souls. And beyond that, nothing but black water stretching to the horizon. The sense of isolation and hopelessness is overwhelming.
I stroke rhythmically, the effort keeping me from freezing.
"Look for something floating. Some debris, wood, anything." I tell Y/N.
"It's so cold."
"I know. I know. Help me, here. Look around."
Y/N and I scan the water, panting, barely able to draw a breath. Y/N turns and screams. There's a black French bulldog swimming right at her like a seamonster in the darkness, its coal eyes bugging. It motors past her, like it's headed for Newfoundland. Beyond it Y/N sees something in the water.
"What's that?" I see what she's pointing to, and we make for it together. It's a piece of wooden debris, intricately carved. I push
Y/N up and she slithers onto it belly down.
But when I try to get up onto the thing, it tilts and submerges, almost dumping Y/N off. It's clearly only big enough to support one of us. So I let Y/N stay on.
I cling to it, keeping my upper body out of the water as best as I can.
"B-Billie what are you d-doing?" She asks as she scoots over trying to make room for me.
"No don't move Y/N. I'll be fine. Just stay on."
Just then a man swims toward us. I know what he's trying to do. I warn him back.
"It's just enough for my sister. You'll push it under."
"Let me try at least, or I'll die soon." The man insists.
"You'll die quicker if you come any closer."
"Yes, I see. Good luck to you then. God bless." He says as he swims off.
I really desperately feel bad and I would love for everyone to have a chance to survive, but unfortunately now that's not an option.
I see one of the ship's officers nearby, Chief Officer Wilde. He's blowing his whistle furiously, knowing the sound will carry over the water for miles.
"The boats will come back for us, Y/N. Hold on just a little longer. They had to row away for the suction and now they'll be coming back."
She nods, my words helping her. She's shivering uncontrollably, her lips blue and her teeth chattering.
