My first Titanic fanfiction. So don't kill me. Enjoy and review.
Got a video for you too if you're not certain about this story. It's a little trailer I put together. Just follow these directions written below.
Directions:
1. go to YouTube
2. type "Heal Lee" in the search box
3. click on "Filter" and click " channel" before clicking search
4. when you find me you'll find the video titled "One Dreamer & One Artist"
Hope you enjoy. Peace :)
Rose leaned her back against the wall, stretching her legs out on the bed. Her cabin is small but she sure is relieved that she won that poker game to win a ticket to get on the magnificent Titanic. But it's been only two days, she spent hours going about in every inch of the ship until it came to the point that she can navigate where she is going blindly. She returned to her cabin after a quick supper a while ago, and she is still bored.
Her eyes rolled dully up in the ceiling than down to her satchel. A smile curved on her lips once she realized she packed a few cigarettes on the way. With her foot, she pushed her satchel up to her hand, she grabbed it and dug her hand in until she felt the figure of a small box. She pulled it out and stuffed it in her coat pocket. The night is still young, and it's no good avoiding a good breeze to smoke a good cigarette. She closed the front sides of her coat together and got off the bed, heading out the door.
After going through a crowd of people, she finally reached to the deck. Nobody is in sight, the only sound heard is the harsh hitting of the waters and the strong cold wind. She walked over to an empty bench and sat down. She pulled out the small box out of her pocket, and pulled out a cigarette. She placed it in her mouth and lit a match, a few she kept with the cigarettes in the box, and lit the end of the cigarette on fire and blew it away. In a quick move, she flipped the match on the ground, lied herself down and placed one of her hands on the back of her head.
The dark navy sky is beautiful, shinning its numerous stars. Rose pulled out the cigarette out of her mouth, breathing out the smoke and placed it back in. With her focus at the lovely stars, she quietly enjoyed the lighted cigarette, taking it out of her mouth couple of times to breathe out the smoke.
~ Again Jack is in another dinner party. Never will he ever get use to wearing these uncomfortable tux, or having another argument with his fiancée over which bowtie he should wear for the evening. Here in the dinner table, the only thing that seems to be appealing is the dinner that has been served not while ago – a grilled veal, green garden salad, mashed potatoes, and warm homemade rolls with bottles of bubbly, champagne.
He is exhausted of hearing the same conversation and seeing the same people stopping by at the table briefly to say hello. While his fiancée, Kathy, continued discussing about the wedding, he took the chance to look around the room to avoid the annoying gasps from the women about the plans. All the guests are dressed in a ravishing and extravagant fashion, the women wearing their best dresses with diamonds and fine beading, the men dressed in their clean suits, all in black with either a white or a black bowtie. In other's eyes, they might consider this as an exciting warm party that anyone can enjoy being in. But in Jack's eyes, what he sees is misery. He considers these people like puppets, trapped with strings, performing the same performance in a box to children until they withers and breaks. Jack has been a "puppet" ever since his mother died. Though his family once was rich, his father ruined himself with a terrible gambling problem, and adding on to his comfort with alcohol. Mr. Dawson was never himself, even to this day the death of his beloved wife scars him deeply to be this horrible man.
Jack's engagement to Kathy is the only reason why his family's house is still standing. Once he's officially married, his father's debts can also be paid off. Kathy is aware that the whole affair is a convenient marriage, but she fell head over heels for Jack the first time she met him, she is willing to be his wife whether she has to play being his family's checkbook or not. Although the plans are already made for America, and his father is ever more relieved and relaxed than ever, the only one who is not ready or willing to go on with this is Jack. He does not love Kathy, or at least believe that time is a remedy to help him get close to her. She is a beautiful and elegant young woman. But she is not the person who is able to reach into Jack's dark, and tormented heart. She's not a strong person who is willing to heal vulnerability, she is raised to be spoiled for the rest of her life, she will never learn to understand the meaning of comforting a person's emotional wounds.
"Jack, darling, stop dozing off and talk to us," Kathy whispered, placing her gloved hand on his arm.
Jack returned his gaze at his bride-to-be. Without thinking, he released his self-control to stop playing along in this game of charades – pretending of actually loving this spoiled woman – and his plain expression deepened into a darkening look that nearly frightened Kathy. Her gloved hand moved away from his arm and returned to the island of her lap.
"Jack? Wh-Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I can't do this anymore," he grunted.
He pushed his chair out and immediately stood up to his feet. His father stopped talking to the gentleman who is seating beside him, and turned his attention at his son.
"Jack, sit back down."
"Excuse me," he said and left the table.
Kathy tried to grab his arm, but he left so quickly she didn't get a chance to lay a hand on him. His heart is beating like a mad drum as he marched out of the dining room.
Air..I need air...
With his body shaking and slightly damp from sweat, he made it out to the deck. He breathed in deeply into the fresh breeze, calming himself down.
Rose, still lying comfortably on the bench, turned her head a little and saw the well-dressed man struggling to breathe. Thinking he needed help, she sat upright, but seeing that he's fine, she leaned back on the bench relieved, blowing her lighted cigarette away.
I can't do this anymore..I can't. What's the point of living if happiness doesn't exist? I can't even do anything on my own anymore..I don't even know what I want, or what I should do. How can I marry Kathy and expect my future to be perfect as she says? There will be no happiness. No peace. No freedom for me. None of that for anyone!
Jack took a breath again, and looked around the deck. There's no one around except a woman, whom he's guessing is some beggar, on the bench. He speed walked across the deck until he made it to the edge of the deck. Without any hesitation, he climbed over the barred rails, and rested his feet on the open edges of the floor, his hand gripping on the rails, and his body facing the blue seas. Rose finished her cigarette and tossed it on the ground. She stood up to her feet, and crushed the burning short stick with her shoe. Suddenly, she caught the sight of Jack gripping onto the rails. Clearly she is aware that he is about to commit suicide. If anyone was in her position, they would grab that man and pull him over. But these cases must be taken carefully, it's a sensitive matter where Rose has to do everything she can to talk to the stranger before getting to the stage of physically pulling him over to safety.
She took steps closer to him, closing her jacket with her hands. "I wouldn't jump if I were you."
Jack turned his head immediately from the sound of her voice. "I'll jump if you get any closer. Just go away."
Rose immediately took pity in the man once she caught sight of tears streaming down his cheek. She has to try harder to convince the man.
She reached her hand in her pocket and pulled out her cigarette box. "Want a cigarette before you go down there?"
"No thanks..I won't be missing that."
She nervously lighted another cigarette for herself, it was hard lighting the fire at first but she managed. She blew the cigarette with a shaky hand, thinking hard as she can. She stepped closer to the rails, only a few inches away from him. Jack watched her closely, breathless from looking down at the terrifying water couple times.
Rose blew on her cigarette once more, and making sure he was looking, she tossed the cigarette in the water. He looked at the water with an unpleasant look. She sighed, feeling a little relief to see him slightly doubting his decision.
"You know I wouldn't go down there tonight. The water is pretty cold. You won't survive it."
The man paused for a moment. But feeling a little unsure of himself now, he asked her. "How cold?"
"Ice cold. Once you jump in the water, it'll feel like thousands of daggers piercing right through your soft flesh. Now that doesn't sound pleasant to you, now does it?"
Now he is convinced of that point she made, he looked down at the blue seas once more but with a pale completion. He never thought of the temperature of the water..But he'll be dead for the next two minutes, it might just be worth it.
Rose, unable to think of any more ideas, decided to beg him. "Okay. Just stop this and I'll help you. Clearly you don't want this. Once you kill yourself, what if you change your mind? You can't turn back, you'll never have the chance to change your mind. Now if you don't want that than don't do this," she inched closer to him bravely and opened out her hand, "Take my hand, and I'll help you. Please..."
Jack looked at Rose for a long moment, and then back at the water. He knows Rose is right, doing this is not exactly what he wants. His life may be too suffocating to be in. But death won't solve his father's debts, or his small relative who is depending on him to restore the family fortune. He slowly took her hand, and Rose gladly helped him. He climbed up the rail, and Rose made sure he did not slip. But suddenly, Titanic passed a large wave that made the ship shake, and once Jack got to the last bar of the rail, he accidentally jumped to land, landing on the ground on top of Rose.
At this moment, their eyes met. Jack, still breathless, took in a surprising moment into the eyes of the beautiful woman on top of him. Rose too fell mesmerized by the sight of his eyes, and didn't even bother to get him off her once help finally arrived.
"Jack! Oh Jack!" A feminine voice screeched.
Jack quickly got off Rose and helped her up before Kathy rushed over to him, and wrapped a gentleman's coat around him. She gave him a concerned look for a few short seconds, then turned to Rose who stood a bit shocked and disappointed – finding out he's seeing someone else – beside him.
"How dare you touch my fiancé? No one dares have the right to touch him. Who are you anyway?! Oh never mind. Arrest her immediately. She must have clearly tried to mug my dearest Jack."
The two officers beside her went over to Rose and grabbed her by both her arms. Jack stepped in to explain the whole issue.
"It was my fault, Kathy. Really?"
Kathy turned around, looking a bit appalled to hear this from him. "Your fault? Then what really happened, Jack?"
Jack gave a nervous eye at a quiet Rose, and then back at his determined Kathy. "Well, its really silly. You see, I had a terrible headache so I needed to step outside for a moment – I deeply apologize for walking out the room like that earlier, Kathy. Anyway, I caught sight of the sky, and I went over to the rails to see a better view of the uh..the uh um..."
He snapped his fingers a few times to think of a good lie to conclude this once and for all.
"The propellers?" Kathy asked.
Jack stopped his snapping and nodded. "That's right the propellers. I almost fell if it wasn't for this woman here. She saved me. So there really is no reason to arrest her."
"Oh well, that certainly is a relief," she turned around to face Rose, "I owe you an apology. I misunderstood the whole situation."
"There's no need. It happens." Rose answered.
The two officers released her arms. And followed a freezing Jack and Kathy leaving with arm to arm. But Jack stopped, and returned back to Rose.
"A person like you who saved someone's life deserves a reward. Why won't you join us for dinner tomorrow night? Please, come. "
The sound of Kathy's deadly heels started toward Jack. She took Jack by the arm. "Darling, there's no need to do that for this girl. You don't even know her."
"You're right, I don't. The two of us are complete strangers and yet she still saved me. And besides it's rude, is it not, of avoiding to award a woman who saved the man who you truly love?"
Kathy thought for a moment, a little speechless by that question. But she finally surrendered. "Do you have anything suitable to wear, Miss..Miss..."
"Bukater. Rose Dewitt Bukater."
"Quite a fancy name for a woman who wears a men's old coat with her outfit."
"Well, I have quite a story in my past, madam. I'll be delighted to talk about it during this fine dinner your fiancé here speaks of."
"I can't wait for the story, Miss Bukater. Now do you, or do you not have anything else to wear than what you are wearing now?"
"Yes I have clothes. But no, I have nothing else that's suitable for a fancy dinner."
"I thought so. I'll arrange an outfit for you, don't worry. You saved my beloved Jack's life, I won't let you be humiliated tomorrow night. Well, let's be off, Jack, I'm awfully tired. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, madam."
Kathy took Jack's arm and pulled him to leave. But Jack gave Rose a long last glance before returning to his fiancée's side. Once they all left, Rose returned to the bench she sat on earlier.
A dinner with a bunch of wealthy snobs? Well, its not exactly what I would call a perfect evening. But I guess I got something from saving a suicidal man..whom I hope I will see again. Damn shame he's engaged to a horrible witch like that, though.
Rose returned to her cabin, and undressed herself. The hour is only nine. But the whole incident that has occurred exhausted her of wanting to sleep a lot early. She kicked off her boots, carefully placing her father's coat on top of her satchel, and slipped her dress over her head. Now only wearing a white peach underdress, she pulled her mother's silver hair comb off - allowing her red curls to fall, and slipped under the covers. Once her cheek touched the pillow she fell right to sleep, the silver comb resting in the fist of her hand.