The End of My Beginning - Rachel (top e book reader .txt) 📗

She stood in the water tall and proud. Her magnificent size left me in awe. The sheer amazement I was struck with made me tremble, along with a slight breeze in the England air. The Titanic was the creation of the century, the unsinkable ship. And soon, I would be aboard, a witness to the extravagant luxuries that were so well anticipated. I felt the dainty touch of my mother’s frail hand on my shoulder, tearing my gaze from the ship I turned to face her.
“I don’t like this, you know.”
“Mother, please-” I began to protest her unnecessary fretting but she wouldn’t hear of it.
“No, Lucy, I’m quite serious. I don’t like the fact that a young, beautiful girl will be traveling all alone on a ship of that size. It’s dangerous.” She paused slightly before a panicked look set into her blue eyes, the very eyes that were the only trait she had passed down to me. “And when you get to New York. Oh, it’s such a large city, and you must be reasonable Lucy. I have never had anything against your escapes before, you were raised as a strong woman but you are still only twenty. You must face the facts that this is taking things to extremes.” My mother paused to take a breath, knowing that I would have no other chance to get a word in if I didn’t now so I spoke quickly.
“I’ll send word when I reach New York. Mother, please, spare yourself the worry, I will be fine. Tell father that I love him.” I leaned in to give my mother a brief hug and a peck on the cheek before retreating backwards. With a graceful turn I scaled the ramp and onto the Titanic, my journey had begun.
Dinner that night was spectacular. It proved to be as delectable as expected, a sizzling warm ham garnished with greenery that was so fresh it must have been picked that very morning. And the raw elegance of the ship did not stop there. Chandeliers that twinkled with such brightness hung from the ceiling, while each table was covered with a red table cloth made of pure silk. White candles graced each table with their hesitant glow. The trip to my bedroom was an adventure in itself. After scaling the grand staircase I am greeted by a large Grandfather Clock. My room consists of a beautiful bed strewn with pillows that were stitched by one who finds perfection to be the only option. A maghony table sits in the center of the room; two chairs are placed opposite each other. A sofa in the corner tempts me to sit and remove the weight from my sore feet for I have not had a chance to rest all day except for dinner. I force myself to turn away and unpack my bags first.
I spent my following day exploring the wonders of the ship and trying to get accustomed to the rocking. I found myself lucky that I never truly got sick; I saw many cases of others suffering from seasickness. In my day of discovery I found a pool, library and four restaurants. By the end of the day I was tired and sore from walking the immense ship and I found myself slouching at dinner before quickly correcting myself. I was eating with a young woman who was just older than I, she appeared to be around thirty and introduced herself as Miss Caroline. She too was traveling the titanic alone and after talking over dinner we immediately became steadfast friends. I agreed to meet her at noon the next day in the library, and after this we departed ways.
Books. Books lined wall to wall encased me and I had a sudden sense of being far too overwhelmed. I could get lost in a place like this. Before I was able to dwell on this for long Caroline rushed up to me in a frenzy of excitement.
“Oh isn’t it just divine?” She exclaimed. “They must have every book ever written in here. Now, the books go in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. A begins over there.” She pointed to a row with her gloved finger. “Are you a fan of Shakespeare?” She questioned, but continued on before I was able to reply. “I find him to have a certain power and style of writing that many writers are yet to master. Come, his books are this way.” Caroline led me deep into the forest of words.
Hours later we were both deeply engaged in our books, enjoying them in front of an astoundingly large fireplace. Caroline had insisted that I read A Midsummer Night’s Dream, so I had recommended that she read War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. She had happily obliged, grateful for a book that she had never read before.
The next day was April 13. Caroline and I enjoyed the pool most of the day before resuming our books that we had gotten the day before. Feeling relaxed and renewed I stayed up later than I had the previous nights, but after dancing and enjoying a glass of champagne I found that I was more than ready for bed. I bid goodnight to Caroline and the young man that she had met earlier at dinner, after which I retired to my room.
The following day was April 14. I awoke around eight, as I had the previous mornings. I readied myself for the day as I had the previous morning before going to breakfast. I ate slowly, savoring the salty bacon. Proceeding breakfast I returned my room to fetch A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and I ended up sitting down on the sofa just to read it in my room when I heard an urgent knock at the door. Smoothing my dress I pulled the door open. An ecstatic Caroline rushed in. “Lucy! You will never believe it! You remember the man I met last night at dinner, right? Well, after you left we went dancing, and of course I only thought we would dance a few dances before parting ways, but it did not happen! We danced all night long, and when the ballroom finally closed we went up on deck! I was terribly cold but John lent me his jacket. We stayed up on deck watching the stars for hour upon merciful hour. We talked, I told him things that I hadn’t told anyone. We stayed there until the break of dawn! Then, right before I said good-bye he called me back. He asked me to get off the ship with him in New York! Oh Lucy, he told me he loved me!” Winded from her rapid and long explanation Caroline sat down, as for me, I stared at her, astounded. Finally, words came.
“Are you going to? Do you love him too?” Caroline remained seated on my sofa, flushed and with deep lines in her forehead as she thought. I stood and she sat through many minutes of silence. Taking a deep breath she arose.
“Yes.” With that she exited my room.
The rest of my day continued as normal, though I found myself lonely without Caroline’s easy presence. Despite this I had no resentment for her abandoning me, I knew she was on the boat with John somewhere, probably discussing their life plans. Dinner came and went, i checked the ballroom afterwards in hopes of seeing Caroline, of asking her how things were going but she was nowhere to be seen. Retreating to my room I climbed into my nightgown, feeling it’s soft silkiness glide over my pale skin.
Hours later I was still unable to find sleep, I glanced at my clock. Eleven-twenty it read. Realizing that sleep would come no sooner than it had the past few hours I climbed out of bed. Slipping on my slippers and leaving my room and began to make my way to the sky deck, Caroline had mentioned how beautiful the stars were. Remembering her warn of the frigidness of the night I returned to the room to retrieve a thick sweater.
It was 11:30 by the time I reached the deck, and the view was just as spectacular as Caroline had said. The stars shone like candles in the night, the radiated their power and might. The thought never ceased to amaze me, millions of miles away and they still decorated the sky with grace and elegance. The silence of the night was broken as I heard the watchman in the Bird’s Nest above being yelling something that at first was indecipherable. Then I was able to make out the words that he was screaming over and over into a receiver. “Iceberg, dead ahead! Iceberg! Iceberg! Stop the ship!” I turned to the bow of the boat, facing the black water that stretched out before me. A white protrusion broke the water’s surface, and I knew that this was what the man was screaming about. Immediately I felt the ship’s motors kick in as they attempted to propel the ship in reverse, but we had been traveling at a rapid pace and I knew we wouldn’t able to stop the ship in time, or turn an get far enough around the large mass of ice that loomed before us, much closer than it had been ten seconds ago.
I began walking slowly, in a daze-like state towards the bow of the ship, craning my deck for a better look as to what was lying in wait in the darkness. Then someone grabbed my arm. I spun around to see a young man in uniform, a sailor, gently pulling me away. “Madam, you need to go inside now please.” Hesitated, causing his grip to tighten even more and his pull increase to a stronger intensity. “Now.” I snuck one last glance at the ice mountain only yards away. Grasping my dress in my hands so I would not trip I ran for the nearest open door way.
I entered just as we struck the iceberg. The entire ship trembled and shook with fury as metal and ice collided. I watched as ice broke and flooded the deck, striking one of the people who hadn’t chosen to seek cover. After a few seconds the impact had ended, but we were still beside the iceberg that stood hundreds of feet above the ship. Immediately doors opened behind me and people rushed out into the halls, screaming questions of what had happened. I turned slowly and spoke the elderly man behind me. “We’ve struck an iceberg,” I informed her. She paused a moment before relaxing.
“Oh. Well, an iceberg can do much harm to the Titanic, no indeed. We shall be fine.” She had just finished speaking when a voice was projected through the announcing system.
“This is Captain . We have struck an iceberg and the damaged areas of the ship are being sealed. We ask that you all locate the lifejackets nearest you and put them on. The most important thing to do right now is stay calm. Thank you.” The voice clicked off and there was a moment of hesitation before people began moving in all directions, each person in the room certain of where the nearest life jackets could be found. I heard one woman raise the question that the Titanic could sink; she was quickly reprimanded for thinking such silly thoughts.
It took me almost awhile minutes to finally find and secure myself into a life jacket. Crowds had flocked to every possible place where lifejackets could be found. Thirty minutes had passed and word had not been received as to what was happening in the heart