History Repeats……Heroically
It was a day out on sea. The S.S Tipton was sailing across the calm sea, on the ship it felt like people where gliding. Meanwhile, Cody was sitting on a table at the sky deck. He was talking to a passenger, who was interested in ships and shipwrecks, Cody was doing a report. The passenger was Cody's age, and she knew a lot. Mr. Moseby was happy to have this kid on board, she liked what Mr. Moseby liked, besides handkerchiefs, he admired the passenger because she was kind, considerate, and doesn't get into problems like Zack Martin and Cody Martin. Bailey came up to the boys. The stars dotted the sky as Cody punched keys on his laptop.
"Hey guys" Bailey said happily.
"Hey" the passenger named Maddy said.
"What are you guys doing?" Bailey asked.
"Maddy's tellin' me about the sinking of the Titanic"
"Really?" Bailey asked.
"Yup" Maddy said. Mr. Moseby came to the three.
"Hello Maddy" Mr. Moseby greeted. "Bailey, Cody"
"Hey Mr. Moseby what's up?" Maddy asked.
"I would like to show you the bridge"
"Why?"
"Because, I heard you are interested in ships" Mr. Moseby said. "And we thought you would like to see it"
"Okay," Maddy said. She turned to her friends. "You guys wanna go?
"No thanks Maddy," Cody said. "I have to do my report"
"I have to tutor London in Social Studies" Bailey said.
"Alright" Maddy said. "Well I'll see you guys later"
"Bye" Cody and Bailey said together.
One Maddy and Mr. Moseby arrived at the bridge, Maddy looked around.
"Wow just like Titanic!" she cried. "Look that looks like a switch to watertight compartments"
"Well, we do have compartments Maddy, we also have boilers"
"You still use those?"
"Yes we do"
"Cool!"
Maddy looked at the man steering the ship's wheel. He swayed to one side and took a sip of something. He then hicupped.
"That is Captain Hanks" said Mr. Moseby.
"Mr. Moseby," Maddy began. "I think he's drunk"
"Why would you say that?"
Maddy reached over the broken down radar and picked up the bottle the man had. "What are you doin' with me whiskey?" Hanks asked.
Maddy looked at the bottle and showed it to Mr. Moseby. "Jack Daniels" she said.
"Captain Hanks?" Mr. Moseby said.
"Wh-what?" Hanks asked. Mr. Moseby showed him the bottle. "I only drank a little biot"
"More like three-fourths" Maddy said. The bell rang from where the lookouts where three times.
"Somethin's in the way" Maddy says. She looks at the bow headed towards an enmourmus figure loomed out of the darkness. The phone rang. Mr. Moseby picked it up.
"Yes?"
Silence.
Maddy could hear the scream.
"ICEBERG DEAD AHEAD!"
Maddy quickly acted, she looked at the figure. Mr. Moseby hung up.
"Mr. Moseby, send to the engine room to stop the engines, it may help turn the ship!" Maddy shouted.
"Okay" Mr. Moseby said.
"You're not in charge *hic*" Hanks said. "You're just a kid"
"Well yer drunk!" Maddy said. She pushed the man away from the wheel. She turned the wheel all the way to the side.
"HARD A STARBOARD!"
She held the wheel all the way to the side, the bow began turning. Mr. Moseby came from the telegraph room on the bridge.
"She may hit" Maddy reported. "But it's the only way"
"Well I trust you" Mr. Moseby said. Suddenly a sharp jolt was felt. Cody and Bailey were on side next to lifeboats. But the lifeboats where close the berg and the berg scrapped along the lifeboats. Wood flew up to the air. Cody put himself in front of Bailey and tucked her head in his chest so she wouldn't get hit. The berg grinded many lifeboats to shreds. The whiskey bottle fell on Maddy's sandles, which caused her foot to get sliced up.
Once the ship came to a complete halt away from the berg. Maddy let go of the wheel. She sighed.
"My ship!" Mr. Moseby said in a wining voice. She looked him.
"Sir, we could not avoid the berg in time" Maddy began. "If she hit head on she would sink faster"
"This ship's going to sink?!" Mr. Moseby shouted.
"Yeah, but it will by time," Maddy said. "By lots"
"How long?" Mr. Moseby said.
"We need to inspect the damage first"
"Okay, come along Maddy, apparently, you know how to take control"
Mr. Moseby and Maddy went down to the cabins. She knocked on Zack's door. Zack opened it.
"Yes Maddy?" Zack asked. "Oh Mr. Moseby!"
"We need to check your room" Maddy said. She walked inside and look at the walls.
"What's going on?" Zack asked.
"We hit an iceberg" Mr. Moseby said. "We need to check damage, and since you are the closest to the water, this may be…."
"Water!" Maddy shouted.
Mr. Moseby and Zack looked at her. Water was pouring in.
"Oh my God!" Zack shouted.
Maddy looked at the ground.
"Maddy what do we do?" Mr. Moseby asked.
"I did a powerpoint on how to avoid a titanic disaster" Maddy said.
"So you have to lead!" Mr. Moseby said.
"What?"
"Our captain's drunk and our officers don't have a clue how to survive a sinking!" Mr. Moseby said.
"Alright," Maddy said. "First, we need to get the passengers awake and send them up to the boat deck"
"Some of our lifeboats where destroyed" Moseby said.
"Alright, come on" Maddy said. She turned to Zack. "Zack get all the students out of their rooms and send them up to the deck, Moseby, get all the stewards or what ever people there are, tell them to get up to the deck and have lifebelts on."
"How much time do we have?" Zack asked.
"By the looks of this," Maddy began. "She'll have only 2 hours, three at the most"
"And that's will buy time instead of hitting the berg head on?!" Moseby said.
"If she hit head on," Maddy said. "Her bow would be smashed and water would pour in faster, causing her bow to push us down under the water. If that kept up by how much mass the water could come in, she would only sink in an hour maybe less"
"Are you sure?" Zack asked.
"Look for yerself"
"Alright, let's not panic." Mr. Moseby said. "Maddy can you check how many lifeboats there are?"
"Aye" Maddy said.
Zack opened his mouth. "Maddy!" he called. He walked into his closet and grabbed something. It was a sailor hat. "Here, you may need this"
Maddy put on the hat and nodded, Mr. Moseby and Maddy left the room. The two separated, and Maddy headed up to the boat deck. She walked to the officers.
"What are we going to do?" asked one.
"I'll lead ye" Maddy said.
"But your just a kid" said another.
"A kid who can avoid a Titanic disaster" Cody said walking up. Bailey was right behind him.
"She could get us out of this mess" Bailey said.
"Maddy," Cody began. "Is this ship really sinking?"
"Aye," Maddy said. "We only got ourselves two or three hours before she founders"
"What are we going to do?" Bailey asked.
"Let's count the remaining lifeboats" Maddy ordered. "Then we start getting' 'em ready"
"Alright" Cody said. Maddy turned to the crew.
"Men," Maddy began. "I am asking for your trust right now, some of us won't make it. But we need to try to get many as we can off"
"I trust you" said the first officer Harris
"Make that two" said Second officer Leroy
"I give you my trust" said Third Officer Thomas
"Cody," Maddy asked. "You trust me?"
"I trust"
"What about you Bailey?"
"I trust you"
"Alright, all of you guys have to help me" Maddy said. "Come on, you two go on down towards the stern, count the boats down the starboard side"
Leroy and Harris nodded. "You two get the stern port" Maddy said to Cody and Bailey. They nodded.
"You" Maddy said pointing to Thomas. "Come with me"
They all split up, as they counted the remaining boats, Maddy looked at some damage of the boats. She looked at one boat that seemed to could be okay, it was beat up a little. She carefully tried moving the wood, it broke and fell into the water.
"That's not going to hold" Maddy said. "Come on"
Thomas checked two other lifeboats, one could only be used. Once the boats were counted, there was only 30 that they could use. 26 boats could fit only 28 passengers. 4 boats could fit 30. Soon they started unlocking the locks on the lifeboats, they got rid of the covers and pulled out o the oars. The lights gleamed as they worked on the boats. Maddy put some food into the boats, She and Harris lowered the boats down the davits a bit so the top was leveled with the deck. Passengers began to come out. Maddy explained the issue, not trying to cause a panic.
"We have indeed struck an iceberg" Maddy began. Mutters went around. "So we will load these boats. Don't worry, I am trustworthy, my men agree."
Harris came up to Maddy. "We should do women and children first" he said.
"I will, but we will put elders in the boat first too" Maddy whispered.
"Good idea"
"Right now, I require women, children and seniors!" Maddy said. "Come on up"
Women came up to her. Maddy placed them into the boat. She kept filling up the boat until 28 passengers were aboard. She told Harris to lead the commands of lowering, while she and Thomas lower the boat. They lowered and lowered until the boat reached the water. They rowed away. Maddy looked up at the stars that dotted the sky. She prayed to the Lord. She then went on to the next boat. She loaded that and did the same thing.
After an hour and a half, the bow was almost under water. She ordered Harris to take over, he knew what to do. "Don't lower until you count 28 heads" she ordered. Harris nodded.
She walked down to where the students where. She heard shouts. "What the hell?" she asked herself. She noticed the kids locked up.
"What the hell!" she shouted. There she saw Captain Hanks, with a bottle in his hands.
"Unlock the gate!" Maddy barked.
"No! *hic*" Hanks said. "Yer not in charge!"
"I am now!" Maddy shouted. "Unlock the gate, you drunk!"
Hanks slammed her into the wall then threw her against the gate. She grabbed an empty bottle and smashed it on her head. Maddy removed the glass from her head, as blood trickled down her face. She pushed Hanks away and kicked him in the stomach. She punched at his face, She then threw him into the gate then at the wall. She jammed his head into a door causing him to get knocked out. Maddy looked for the keys, but there was none. She looked around desperate. She finally ordered the students to move back and she charged at the gate. She jabbed her foot into the metal then she slammed her shoulder against the wall. Soon water began to rise, someone shouted.
"Water!"
Maddy jabbed at the gate once more, finally Cody came. Bailey was right behind.
"Maddy!" Cody shouted.
"Cody!" Maddy shouted. "Help me out here!"
Cody looked at his fellow students. He finally wrapped his hands around the gate. He pulled the gate towards him. He ripped it out of it's hinges and Maddy helped Cody move it to the side, Bailey was impressed by this. The students ran out to the deck and Maddy, Cody and Bailey ran to check the corridors. They jumped into the foot deep water and searched. It may be flooded, but some kids panic and just stay inside. Or they could have been locked in. Maddy couldn't take any chances of people still locked in their cabins. She opened a door and saw papers floating around. The water was not as cold as the night Titanic sank, but it was cold. She checked and checked. She then went down the rest of the hallway but saw something pushing against two big doors. It was water. Soon the doors were pushed down causing a jet stream of water attacking the three. They were pulled backwards by the force. Bailey shouted as Cody yelled her name every time his head came out of the water. Cody spotted her. Cody grabbed Bailey's hand and they slammed into the exit door. Maddy slammed into the stairway as Cody pried the door open. She slammed into the first step and pulled herself to surface. She breathed heavily, her eyes were closed and her cuts had got deeper, like how a hole in your jeans could get bigger. Cody helped her up to the third step. She got out of the water, her chest went up and down. Bailey asked if she was alright. Maddy nodded slightly. She finally had the strength to get up. She slammed into the wall when the ship tilted a bit sideways. But then balanced. Cody helped her up to the exit, where the other passengers cabins where. Bailey came shortly behind.
Maddy limped up to the deck. She looked around and saw many lifeboats gone. Maddy saw one boat. Leroy was there. The three ran to the boat. She turned to Cody and Bailey.
"Leroy!" Maddy shouted. Leroy looked at her. "How many more can you fit?"
He counted. "2 more"
"You two get in" Maddy said turning to them.
"What about you?" Cody asked.
"What about me?" Maddy asked.
"Aren't you coming?" Cody asked.
"I want you two in" Maddy said. "This is your chance of making it"
"We're not considered children Maddy"
"You aren't but they need oarsmen." Maddy said.
"Maddy, we need to lower!" Leroy said.
"Here get into the boat Bailey" Cody said.
"Why not you?"
"I'm staying" Cody said,
"I am too" Maddy said. "Leroy! Get in!"
"Cody," Bailey began. "I don't want to leave you"
"You have too" Cody said. "This is one of the last lifeboats being loaded. Maddy and I'll try to get into one"
"You promise?" Bailey asked.
"I promise"
"I love you" Bailey said to Cody.
"I…." Cody paused. He finally heard the words he wanted to hear for a long time. "I love you too"
Cody and Bailey kissed, as soon as they broke apart. Cody led her to the boat. She walked into the boat, as her hand left Cody's slowly. I walked to Leroy.
"Take care of 'em all" Maddy said.
"I will"
Maddy commanded the boat to lower as Cody watched Bailey. Soon the boat reached the water and they rowed away.
"Come on," Maddy said. "We need to get into a boat"
One more boat lowered. The bow was now completely underwater. The deck was very titled. It was just like the Titanic. Only there was more off into the boats, then on the ship. Zack caught up with the two.
"Hey!" Zack said. He stopped. "What happened to you?"
"Got into a drunk fight"
"There you are!" shouted someone. Maddy turned and saw it was Captain Hanks. He tried getting Maddy. Finally he grabbed a big grip on her and threw her into a window. The window crashed down on her and Maddy lost her balance. Zack went for her. She grabbed a railing, she felt her ankle slam against a chair. She pulled herself up. She walked up to the deck, the deck became steeper. She pulled herslef up to the high stern in the air. The ship tilted to the right causing people to slam into the railings and fall over board. Maddy grabbed the railing and thursted herself out of the way of the water. The ship was going to capsize. She kept pulling herself towards the stern. She met up with Cody and Zack. They helped her up to the railing.
"This ship's going to capsize" Maddy began. "The last boat was lowered"
"We're done for" Zack said crying. People was shouting, panicking and praying. Maddy's hat that Zack gave her was still on her. It was a tight hat. She was cut up, even on her legs. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. The ship capsized finally, causing an enormous wave to sweep the kids up. Maddy surfaced as a piece of wreckage fell down against her foot causing her to go lower. Cody grabbed her hand and helped her resurface. Maddy at this point was not wearing a lifebelt, Cody wasn't either, but Zack was. Cody was clinging to a chair from the sky deck.
Maddy resurfaced and panted. She found a boat that was upside down like one that was on the Titanic.
"There!" she shouted. They swam towards the boat, and two people help them aboard. Once Maddy pulled herself up the keel of the boat she panted and was really tired and beaten up.
"Did you notice," Cody began. "This is like the ending of the Titanic"
"Only the ship didn't capsize"
Maddy turned to the boat that was still above water, the ship was pulled back up. It was balanced.
"Weird" Zack said.
"Actually," Maddy said. "The water came through the rooms inside causing the water to pull her up straight."
"Well, how?" Zack asked.
"It's has something to do with buoyancy" Cody said.
"Wow" Zzack said. "You still are a nerd"
"Shut up" Maddy said. People began swimming to wreckage clinging. Boats began coming back to pick up some people.
"Wow," Cody said. "They must have not filled all the way"
"Some boats didn't fill all the way" Maddy said. "It was the way of the weight, some where pretty beat up"
Maddy and Cody pulled up another person. It was Captain Hanks. Maddy just moved away from the captian as far as she could. She felt a sharp pain get at her wrist.
"Ow" she said softly. Cody looked at it.
"You must have sprained it" Cody said.
"You really are beat up kid" said one man on the boat.
Soon the ship disappeared from sight, Maddy cried softly. It was her fault, if she knew that ship could grind some boats to shreds she wouldn't have turn, she would load the boats as fast as she could. She told Cody about this but he said it wasn't her fault. Soon after an hour, water took it's toll. About 150 perished, out of 1,700. It wasn't as bad as the Titanic. Not nearly.
The ship sank at 1:30am, three hours after she hit. A ship was spotted an hour later. Maddy helped oared to the ship. The people were picked up and Maddy got onto deck and almost collapsed. Someone helped her up. Another two hours and the ship was off. Maddy was resting on a bed in the ship's hospital. Once news went out that she led most of these people to survival, people were asking her questions. Maddy could speak, but she didn't want to. She was stitched up and wore a sling around her wrist. Her ankle was twisted. Maddy had a black eye and her clothes were torn. Once Maddy left the hospital. She saw Cody and Bailey walking up to her, holding hands.
"Glad ye got yer man?" Maddy asked Bailey.
"Glad" Bailey replied.
"So Maddy," Cody began. "People are crowding us"
"Yeah," Maddy said. "Some came to my bed side asking me questions, doctors chased them out"
Cody chuckled. "You know how many died?" he asked.
"How many?" Maddy asked.
"Only 150"
"Really!"
"Maddy you saved over a thousand lives!" Bailey exclaimed. "You're a hero!"
Maddy smiled weakly,
"Hey you couldn't save all of them" Cody said. "You did save over 3/4 on board"
Two days later, all was counted. Mr. Tipton's daughter became a little angry towards Maddy, but Cody explained the situation. London had gotten into a boat, so did Woody. Mr. Moseby got into a boat as well, serving as an oarsman. The ship docked on this day in Boston. Maddy walked off the boat not knowing what to do. People from newspapers gathered around her and started asking questions. Maddy was answering them mostly one worded.
Cody ran up to his mother. His mother heard of the sinking and held him close. Zack came along and ran to his mother. Maddy walked over to the Picketts. Mrs. Pickett took notice of Maddy.
"Who is this?" she asked.
"The girl who saved me" Bailey replied.
"What?"
"She saved most of the passengers" Bailey said.
"Wow," Mrs. Pickett said.
"Sir," Maddy began. "Your daughter is safe"
"I can see that," Mr. Pickett said chuckling. "But I didn't know that a kid saved my daughter"
Maddy smiled. "Many couldn't believe it," she said. "I'm thanking Pilgrim for giving me the imformation I need, my name is Maddy by the way"
"Thank you" Mrs. Pickett said.
"No problem,"
"Do you have to go anywhere?"
"I have no where to go," Maddy said. "My mom and sister are out in Mexico, and my dad is out in Finland"
"Do they know?"
"Yeah I told them," Maddy said. "Through phone call"
"Are they staying?"
"Yeah,"
"How long?"
"Three weeks"
"That's a long time"
"Yeah"
"Do you know where to go?"
"No"
"Well you are welcome to stay with us" Bailey said.
"Really?"Maddy asked. "Is that okay with your parents?"
Bailey asked them and they said yes. It was the least they could do.
"And in a couple of weeks you'll get back in school" Mr. Pickett said to Bailey. Bailey looked at Cody.
"Mom? Dad?" she asked. She looked at them.
"Can my boyfriend and his brother come too?"
"Your boyfriend?"
"Yeah"
Bailey called Cody and Cody walked over.
"Mom, dad," Bailey began. "This is my boyfriend Cody"
"Well," Mr. Pickett said. "Nice to meet you young man"
"Pleasure" Cody replied. They shook hands.
"So Cody," Bailey began. "You want spend a week or two at my place down in Kansas?"
"Kettlecorn?"
"Yeah"
"Sure why not, let me get my mom."
Cody got his mom over to where Maddy and Picketts where. They talked and talked.
"I think it would be nice" Carey said. "How about three weeks?"
"That is no problem at all" said Mrs. Pickett.
Since that day, the Picketts took Maddy and Cody to their farm. Pigs were in their pen, cows were eating their grass.
"Aye," Maddy said. "Farmin', one of my favorite things"
"You have a farm?" Bailey asked.
"No," Maddy said. "But I help out when I got out to Indiana"
"Well," Mr. Pickett said. "We need some help with the farm, Bailey's older siblings are out in college and we could use an extra hand"
"Sure why not!" Maddy exclaimed. Two horses neighed.
"And Maddy," Bailey began. "We got three horses, you can ride them"
"Cool" Maddy replied.
That night, Maddy got the guest room as Cody slept with Bailey. Bailey's room wasn't girly, it was a normal room, with blue wall-paper, she had a big enough bed for two to sleep in. Bailey's parents didn't mind Cody sleeping with Bailey, as long as they didn't well…..you know.
Maddy walked out of the room and walked to Cody and Bailey. They went outside to hang out. Bailey showed them around, there were roosters and chickens. Hens laying eggs, two cows one for milking, three horses, four full grown pigs and a liter of piglets, a tractor, a silo, and corn. Bailey showed the two how to saddle up horses. Maddy gave it a try and nearly fell off. Bailey laughed. She forgot to strap the saddle. She finally got the saddle ready and she jumped on. The horse bobbed his head and Bailey told Maddy how to ride a horse.
"I know how to ride one" Maddy said. She snapped the reins and the horse went speedy fast, Maddy pulled him to a stop. Bailey was impressed by this.
That night, the Picketts and the two others ate dinner, Bailey was explaining what happened. Cody explained the rest from when he was on the ship. Maddy smiled. After dinner, Bailey and Cody went up to Bailey's room. In Bailey's room there was a T.V so they put on a movie. They actually choose to watch Titanic. Cody wrapped her arms around her and held her close as they watched the movie. Towards the sinking, Bailey and Cody started whispering to one another. After the movie, they both went to sleep in each other's arms. Maddy was having a nightmare about being on the Titanic, but then calmed herself down.
Three weeks later, Maddy went back to her school in Chicago. She walked into her school and saw many kids surrounding her. She walked up to the classroom, and her classmates looked at her. Maddy didn't know what they were looking at her for, they showed her a newspaper article.
"Maddy Taylor saved many lives on the S.S Tipton, she was smart and brave. The captain on the ship was drunk so she took over. The captain is arrested for drinking while steering the boat, Maddy was awarded a medal, presented by Mr. Tipton and his daughter London Tipton. Only 150 souls were lost out of 1,700.
"It could have been worst" said Mr. Moseby, the ship's manager. "Whatever Maddy was thinking, it was smarter than any other sailor or captain. Her smarts saved almost all of us. If we hit head on, we could have sunk faster, so she hit the berg on its side, knowing that the ship would sink but it would buy time. She certainly knew how to avod a Titanic disaster." Maddy is 13 years old-going on 14. She was attacked by the Captain, Captain Hanks, who was also charged of assault. He locked the ship's students of Seven Seas High on their decks, causing Maddy to go down there and free them. Thanks to Cody Martin, she managed to free them. After checking all the students weren't locked in their cabins, she was attacked by a jet stream of water.
"Maddy was one of the most bravest and smartest kid I ever met" said Zack Martin, Cody Martin's brother. "When I saw her with my brother, she had cuts everywhere on her face, arms and legs. She had a black eye, torn clothing and many other bruises. Her ankle was sprained and her wrist was sprained." It was reported that Maddy had gotten the worst blow on the ship. She was the most injured and still the most bravest. "Maddy saved my life," Cody Martin said in an interview. "Her ship knowledge was put to the test, but she got us all off the boat. She refused to board a lifeboat when Second Officer Leroy asked her too, so she put in Bailey Pickett, one of me best friends. I refused to board as well, but as soon as the ship capsized, we got onto a boat that was upside down. Like one on the Titanic."
It was finally stated, that history did repeat itself but heroically. If it hadn't been for Taylor, there would have been more perished then saved. She truly avoided a Titanic disaster"……..
The end