Cora Cartmell and TITANIC

Chapter 13~ Iceberg

A strange shutter woke Cora up. She screamed.
Mama rushed to Cora's side.
"It's ok, Cora, darling. Go to sleep now. Everything's all right." Mama said.
She kissed Cora on the head, and went back to her bed. Cora snuggled up under the covers again and went to sleep, her dolly right by her said.

"Everybody up! Put your life vests on!" Someone yelled into the room. Cora sat up in bed.
"What's this all about?" Daddy asked.
"I don't know." Mama said. Then she turned to Cora. "Go to sleep, darling. It's nothing to worry about."
Cora layed back down, but she couldn't fall asleep. The sound of people running in the hall, and people yelling at other passengers to put life vests on, kept her awake.
Mama went back to sleep, so did Mrs.O'Brien, but daddy went out into the hallway. She heard his footsteps outside the door.
A muffled voice said "what's happened?"
Then Cora briefly heard someone say "iceberg." .
Iceberg? What did this mean? Cora sat up again. She slipped off her bed, and opened the door.
"Daddy what's happened?" Cora asked her father.
"I'm not sure." Daddy replied.
Cora felt sick. What was happening?
Daddy began walking down the hallway, Cora followed him, and in horror, Cora looked down.
Water was pouring in the narrow hallway, over Cora's feet. Cora screamed, the water was so cold.
Daddy picked her up, and rushed back to the room.
He flung the light back on and said, "We have to get ready."
Mama rose up. "What's the matter?" She said.
"The ships hit an iceberg." He said.
Mama looked up in horror. "But the ship is unsinkable!" She said.
"I'm sure it's just precaution." Mrs. O'Brien said.
Daddy didn't reply. He sat on his bed and put his face in his hands.
Mama rushed over to Cora.
"Get dressed, darling.Put your dress over your nightgown, and put your coat on." She said.
Cora bent down to her suitcase and pulled out her dress. She put in on, over her nightgown, as mama had told her to, and put her coat on.
Mama, Daddy and Mrs.O'Brien all got dressed.
Mama placed a life vest over her shoulders, and tied it around.
Cora bit her lip. She took her dolly and sat on her daddy's bed waiting for her parents.
Mrs.O'Brien grabbed a sack full of her things. She hugged Mama and Cora and shook daddy's hand.
"Take care." She said, before opening the door.
"You too." Mama said. Mama had tears in her eyes. What was happening?
Daddy finished putting his boots on and said to "Cora, let's go."
Mama paused for a moment. "What about our belongings!"
"We won't be able to carry anything. Take a few small items." Daddy said. He grabbed his pocket watch, and a few dollars. Cora took her dolly, and Mama took hold of Cora's hand and walked out the door with Daddy.
"Where do we go?" Mama asked daddy.
"Let's go through the General room." Daddy said. 

  When they had made it down the hallway, they were stopped at the gate.

"Go back down the main stairway." A man told them.
Cora's daddy pulled them the other way.
Cora shivered. The water was up to her knees. Her stockings were wet, the bottom of her dress was wet, and her shoes were full of water.
    As they were walking back to the main stairway, Cora walked by Jack's open room door.
He wasn't there. Where was Jack?

   When they had reached the main stairway, there was a whole line of Third Class passengers waiting to go up.
"Why aren't they letting us through!" Mama exclaimed.
Cora cried Silently inside. She was so tired. She just wanted to go back to sleep. Why were they all dressed up to stand and wait?
Cora slumped against Mama and felt her eyelids get heavy.
Mama played with Cora's hair and said to daddy;
"I'm going to take Cora back to our room."
Daddy looked shocked. "But we have to get out of here." He said.
"I'll wake her up when they open the gates." Mama replied.
"Okay, I'll come back for you when they open." Daddy said.
Mama nodded and guided Cora back to her room. She took off her life vest, and shoes. Her stockings were still soaking wet but it felt good to be back in her own bed. In no time, Cora fell asleep, with Mama sleeping right under her.