This is my first time writing fan fic (that I can really remember). The book is "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys. SPOILER ALERT - Don't read this description or my fanfic if you don't want to be spoiled. War II is ending in East Prussia and thousands of displaced refugees are trying to get home to reunite with their families. The Wilhelm Gustloff is the ship that Joana, Florian, and Emilia board together before disaster strikes and everyone is forced to fight for survival. The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff is unknown to most people, however, "By one estimate, 9,400 people died, which makes it the largest loss of life in a single ship sinking in history" (Wikipedia). Even worse than the Titanic. My story tries to fill in the dots. I try to imagine what life was like for the survivors after this traumatic event. Joana Vilkas - 21 years old, Lithuanian, surgical nurse. Her name is pronounced 'Yoana' Florian Beck - 22 years old, Prussian artist and art restoration apprentice Emilia - 15 years old, a young Polish girl who didn't survive the sinking of the ship Klaus - a little orphan boy (around 5 or 6) that had joined Joana and Florian's group as they trekked toward safety Halinka - Emilia's newborn daughter who got rescued thanks to Emilia's selflessness The shoe poet - A now-deceased old man that had been in the group, a grandfather-like figure to Klaus and to the rest of the group Ingrid - Joana's blind friend that died before getting on the ship