The ship creaked and groaned its death pains. The dim light at the top flickered and zapped one last time before all the ship’s power failed. “Do ya hear that?” Jamie whispered hoarsely. The struggle that had just ended had left its marks on his throat. His breathing was labored. The man that we both had feared lay dead at my feet.

“Yes.” I answered. “She’s sinkin’ faster. Water must be to the deck ‘neath us. We need to get ya to a lifeboat fast.” Starting up the ladder, I noticed that we were more vertical than when we had first descended. When we at last reached the main deck, I glanced down one side then the other side of the ship. One life boat. Just one. And right in the path of the swaying funnel. Indeed the ship was sinking faster. The water now swallowed about half the ship. Funnel’s 1 and 2 where gone and 3’s lines would snap at any moment. “Lifeboat won’t save us now!” I yelled above the din of helpless screams around us. “By the time we get there, 3 will break off and swamp us!”

Jamie nodded and pointed aft.

I acknowledged his idea. And we darted over the railing onto the deck below. Regaining our feet we scurried to the stern. We were nearly halfway there when the ship moaned. There was a deathly silence that clutched all hearts on board for a moment before we began to realize what the sea was about to do to the pride of the White Star Line. Metal shrieked. Sparks flew. Not one person was standing as gravity threw us and the stern down while the sea finished its meal of the bow. Then just as greedily as it had swallowed the bow the sea began to play with the stern. As she raised once more like a finger pointing to the sky, we slid across the deck. And slammed into a wall. Jamie, still sliding reached for a handhold and caught the railing. I crawled to his spot, and stood up clutching the rail. It was strange. Had the ship been upright, we would have been standing sideways. I looked at Jamie and we gave each other a nod as we knew what was to come. “Take care of yourself, chap.” Jamie smiled softly and nodding said in a voice that would make one choke once it was heard, “Aye! Godspeed, Thomas. Godspeed.” I looked into the sky and whispered a prayer to my Gracious Maker. Then at last the Titanic began its final plunge.