𝑺 𝑻 𝑨 𝑹 𝑮 𝑨 𝒁 𝑰 𝑵 𝑮 harold lowe

chapter thirteen.

𝑪 𝑯 𝑨 𝑷 𝑻 𝑬 𝑹  𝑻 𝑯 𝑰 𝑹 𝑻 𝑬 𝑬 𝑵
❝ UNITED IN SORROW ❞

( 𝐓 𝐇 𝐈 𝐑 𝐃  𝐏 𝐄 𝐑 𝐒 𝐎 𝐍  𝐏 𝐎 𝐕 )
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 15/04/1912.
"further apart the closer that we are,
i'll keep you for away from me like a star."

𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 lifeboat, Harry's gaze drifted upward, his blue eyes tracing the endless stretch of the sparkling night sky. And there, as a stroke of luck, a shooting star streaked across it. His heart skipped a beat and his mind fell back to Tabitha and his first night on the decks together, what she had told him to do the next time he saw a shooting star.

It hurt his heart.

But he took the rare opportunity presented before him, and in that short moment, he closed his eyes, his mind consumed by a single, fervent wish—for Tabitha's safe return to him, alive and well. And he begged in his mind, begged whatever was hearing him to grant his wish.

And then he opened his eyes. He kept this wish guarded, not revealing it to anyone on the lifeboat, just like what she had told him to do. He wasn't going to risk any chances, as silly as it sounded.

As he watched the ship sink into the ocean, the echoes of screams rang in his ears, and a deep sense of sadness and sorrow enclosed around him. Each piercing cry carried the possibility that one of them belonged to his Tabitha. The mere thought tore at his heart, shattering him entirely.

His mind drifted back to their final moments together, the tender declaration of love she had whispered to him before they were separated had sent his mind spiralling. The weight of those words lingered in him and had left an unforgettable mark upon his soul. Clutching the sapphire necklace she had given to him, he held it tightly in his hand, as if it were a lifeline connecting him to her. In the depth of uncertainty, he was grateful he had that one thing of hers to hold onto.

Some time had passed and the Titanic had disappeared, swallowed whole by the ocean. The loud, haunting cries and chaos had slowly fallen to nothing, leaving behind an eerie silence. Harry's mind fought a wild battle, torn between the overwhelming urge to find Tabitha in the waters and the rationality of how she might have gotten on a lifeboat in time. But deep within his heart, a relentless longing for her pushed him towards a decision.

He wasn't going to take any chances

She was the reason he had been so happy. Her presence, her laughter, her smile—each element interlaced to create a blaze of happiness within his life. Every moment spent with her on the ship had filled his world with light, a brightness he had never known before.

He made up his mind. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving Tabitha behind, even if she was on a lifeboat or not. He was going to go back for her.

Commanding authority with a firm voice, he directed everyone to board the other lifeboat while carefully selecting a few trusted crew members to accompany him back. Amidst the darkness, he called out for any survivors; "Can anyone hear me?! Is anyone alive out there?!"

And then, a faint sound of distress reached his ears, prompting him to shine his light in its direction. His heart skipped a beat as he caught sight of a man desperately clinging to a makeshift board as he cradled a barely conscious woman in his arm. Without hesitation, Harry sprang into action, yelling at the men to pull faster and guided the two people onto the lifeboat.

As they pulled them aboard, the realization struck him—this man was Gene, Tabitha's brother. And the woman was Muriel. His heart swelled with reassurance, grateful for the chance to save their lives. He wanted to so desperately ask if Gene had seen Tabitha at all, but the man was barely clinging to consciousness.