Chapter Text
Monday 15 April 1912
Rose felt nothing. Any previous forms of emotion had been stripped bare from her, leaving her with a hollow feeling of numbness. The man she had truly trusted, who she believed to be a godsend had attempted to steal from her. How much more naive could she get? Of course she, a young and foolish woman would fall in love with a no good thief like Jack. She really couldn’t trust anyone, could she.
Turning her attention back to her twisted reality, she watched as her mother hesitantly stepped into the lifeboat.
”You're next, Rose. Come on, there’s enough room for you.” Molly beckoned. With a small sigh, she followed her mother into the lifeboat, taking the seat next to her. Both Ruth and Rose exchanged small glances as their boat was gradually lowered into the freezing depths of the Atlantic.
As soon as their boat met the smooth water, the men in charge of the boat begun to struggle to row away from the large vessel. “Come on! We need to get away from here, the suction will pull us down!” A man commanded.
An uneasy silence filled the boat until Molly spoke up. “What, have you never rowed a boat before?” She sassed. The boy shook his head as molly let out an unamused sigh. “Ladies grab an oar!” She commanded as a few other woman in the boat took an oar. And with everyone’s work, they were soon far away from the Titanic, which still had more lifeboats to lower.
“Rose.” Ruth hissed. Rose turned her head into her mother’s direction, meeting her icy unforgiving gaze. “What were you thinking? Running off with that poor lowly boy and almost getting the beautiful pendant Cal got you stolen? Are you stupid? I raised you to be a sensible girl who pulls her weight, not a silly fool.” She ranted, venom laced in her tone.
Rose could only shake her head, her wet auburn curls shaking in motion with her movements. Despite her mother’s cruel scolding, she was right. Rose Dewitt Bukater, a girl of high status had foolishly fallen in love with a thief and almost had a valuable item stolen from her. How much more stupid could she get? At this point she didn’t know.
The air was crisp and cold, the harsh conditions getting to many of the passengers in the lifeboat. Rose had a blanket draped around her shoulders from a kind Spanish woman, insisting that a pretty girl like her should stay warm. I wish my mother was as warm as that lady. She bitterly thought as she glanced at her mother from the corner of her eye.
She had a sour expression on her face, her lips thin and pressed into a firm line as if she was in deep discomfort. Her eyes darted from the men rowing the boat back to her lap every 7 seconds or so. Her hands tightly grasping her skirt.
What would become of Trudy? Rose anxiously twiddled her thumbs. The thought of her bright, cheerful and sweet maid being left to perish in the unforgiving icy waters of the Atlantic haunted her. She could only pray she was safe and sound somewhere in another lifeboat.
Just then, the many screams of the passengers still on the ships grew awfully louder. Rose winced at the noise as she looked up, slightly being able to make out the shape of the Titanic. The small oil lamp in the middle of the boat didn’t do much good when it came to actually providing light to anyone. She had to rely on her bare eyesight and how she wished she didn’t bother looking.
She could make out the shape of the Titanic as it went down, the stern hanging in the air as dozens of passengers screamed and cried as the waters pulled it down, engulfing it in its deep pits. And just like that, the screaming stopped.
Jack would be dead by now. He would’ve been dead along time ago when she came to think of it. And a small part of her felt pity for him but she pushed it down deep inside of her.
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A few hours later
Rose eagerly accepted the hot cup of tea a crew member on the Carpathia offered her. Gulping it down, she felt temporary relief from her pain as the warm liquid spilled down her throat. Before she could appreciate the peaceful moment, any sort of tranquility was shattered when Cal came rushing towards Rose and her mother.
”Rose! You survived!” He cried, wrapping her in a tight embrace. The curly-haired woman couldn’t help but feel a surge of nausea wave through her as she bathed in the familiar cent of cigarettes from Cal.
Reluctantly, she hugged him back, trying her best to not let her disgust show on her face.
“Oh, cal!” Her mother cried out. “What shall we do when we get to New York?”
Cals dark eyes looked up to meet Ruth’s blue. “Don’t worry, Ruth. My father will surely help us. And do be aware, not all of my money went down with the Titanic.” He assured, giving her a charming grin. Ruth let out a sigh of relief as she leaned back into the bench.
”Now, Rose. I think you learned your lesson to not run off with random men. Jack Dawson is nothing but a filthy thief who now lays dead at the bottom of the Atlantic.” Cal proudly declared, wrapping an arm around Rose.
She could only nod as she felt physically sick to her stomach as she stared into the soft blue waves lapping towards the ships hull. The vast ocean surrounded them and it made her feel ill. The same ocean where everything was taken from her. Where she lost her virginity to a no good thief. Where she was plunged into icy waters for hours. And now where she’s stuck with her abusive fiancé.
What do I do now? Please somebody give me a sign. Just anything..