Final Hours

April 14th, 1912, she began, her eyes brimming with fresh tears as they fell upon the luminous dots in the cloudless portion of the night sky. It is not the smell of roses, it is more than splashes of blue, orange and yellow of dusk, Mariah Raines wrote. 

She looked up, her green eyes glistened as she stared ahead, heavy gaze fixated on absolute nothingness. I do believe it is more than the watery scent of salty ocean breeze, she continued with trembling hands, or the petrichor on sandy shores instead? 

Words sprung out from hollow depths of emptiness and maybe, just maybe, her love for nature. But they were nothing compared to what she was feeling inside. Endless thoughts, boundless suffering, she wrote again on a fresh page.

She expected to find solace in a sane cell in her mind as her head was buried in her book but the biting cold only increased the anguish she was experiencing. She tucked a strand of golden locks behind her ears, thinking of the exact word to describe stark emptiness. White, she thought. 

“Let’s go in dear,” Mariah heard a man say behind her. His voice left no doubt that he was a powerful man. She saw him take a woman’s gloved arm in his, his wife perhaps, smiling down at her as they walked past. Her hair was pulled up and held in place by a million pins. He whispered softly into her ear, making her smile. Mariah adored gentlemen and thought they were God’s gift to women, after poodles of course. But tonight, there was no admiration. She was devoid of every and any emotion. 

Dreading the thoughts of going back to her third class cabin, she walked in a totally different direction. The RMS Titanic was full of love and laughter, music and dancing, light and beauty. Mariah was struck with amazement by the gigantic ship the moment she got on it, but unfortunately jam-packed with passengers who flamboyantly display things that are not necessary: First class, their diamonds and linen handkerchiefs; second class, their need to be noticed and viewed as important; and the third class, their insecurities. 

She walked slowly around the boat deck with churning thoughts, her hands behind her back. She stopped, taking in the view of the ocean with her hands on the railings. Appreciating the faint sound of music in the background, her mind was filled with what awaited her in New York City. Misery washed over her as she thought of her dying father. Growing up, there was no one besides him. No mother, no sibling. I can’t live without him, she sobbed quietly. Just hold on Father. Don’t you dare die on me. I’m on my way.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

Two set of keen eyes stared at her through the darkness. 

“My thoughts are worth more than a penny,” Mariah said, visibly irritated. Do people mind their business? She thought, angrily as she dabbed her eyes with the sleeves of her pink fur coat. She heard his mild chuckle, pinching herself for even honoring him with a reply.

“Well, I was hoping I could afford it whatever the cost,” he replied with a smirk. 

“You cannot,” she thundered, sparing him only a side glance. “Now leave me alone sir.”

He acted like she didn’t just scream at him and continued. "I noticed you’ve been out here for a while. Your lips are turning blue.”

“How kind of you to notice.” she replied wryly. 

“It isn’t right for you to be out here in the cold ma’am. It’s freezing out here,” he admonished, probing further. She ignored him still.

“I’m Orion Aldrich by the way,” he said, taking a hand out of his coat pocket. 

“And I don’t care.”  

She let out a breath of frustration and walked past him. He is no doubt a shrewd under the guise of concern, she thought. But he was right about one thing, I am cold. 

“Miss! Miss!!” Mariah heard him call from behind. She picked up the pace, walking faster, farther away from him. 

“Stop. Wait.” Orion Aldrich shouted. 

“What? I told you to leave me alone,” she snapped.

“I’m sorry but you dropped this.”

She waited, looking at him with imperceptibly narrow eyes. 

He laughed. “Okay, okay, you didn’t drop anything.” 

She was fuming. “Mr. Uranium, if this is your idea of a joke, it is not funny. This is extremely rude and you don’t -”

“It’s Orion, you know, like the stars,” he interrupted, trying to provoke her intentionally.

“I don’t care! And I know what Orion is, thank you very much.” She wanted to smack the smug look off his good-looking face. She couldn’t help but notice his sandy blonde hair fall across his face as he shook with stifled laughter. 

“But you did drop this,” he said, pulling out her purple butterfly hairclip. She snatched it from him and started walking away. 

“Are you okay though?” Orion asked, his voice hoarse with concern. She didn’t know why but it tugged at her heart. 

“I thought I told you to leave me be, Mr. Aldrich,” answered Mariah, stubbornly. 

“I can’t. I know it’s not of my business but-.”

“You’re right. It is none of your business.” She walked faster but his long legs caught up with her. 

“Can I know your name please?” She stopped again and turned towards him. She wanted to ignore but did the opposite.

“Mariah Raines.” 

“May I walk you back o ye Raines?” he asked mockingly with a grin.

“What part of leave me be did you not understand Mr. Aldrich?”

“Please call me Orion.” Although she would never admit it, he was good looking. How can he be this tall? She asked herself. Mariah wondered how his full lips were red as rose in the cold. Even though he was dressed casually in shirt and slacks, his perfect posture gave a commanding presence. As she looked up at him, he smiled. In that moment she realized how piercing his deep blue eyes were. His scent assailed her senses as he walked beside her. 

“It’s late, I want to see you safely to your cabin,” Aldrich said with a shrug. 

She looked at him with an unimpressed look. “Was that really the best you could do?” 

He let out a chuckle. “Well…”

 “I mean, it’s a ship.”

“Oh Ms. Raines, you’d be surprised.”

He went ahead to tell her a story about a teenage girl who stole his watch under his nose. He made several gestures with his hands, making funny faces and sounds. She smiled quietly when he said as a conclusion, “And pop went the weasel.” 

They were about to get to E deck when she stopped and said, “I think I got it from here.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind at all,” he said with a raised eyebrow. “Or am I boring you?” he said, feigning shock. 

“Yes you are, Mr. Aldrich.” Mariah said. The crunched look on his face made her giggle, surprisingly. 

Seconds passed.

Then they heard it. Too shocked to move, they stared. Grabbing her hand, Orion rushed in. 

“What was that?” she asked as they walked quickly to her room.

“I don’t know but it sounded bad Raines.” They were flying through corridors and stairs. “Not that way, this way,” she directed. People were coming out with puzzled looks, one question on their lips. “What was that noise?”

Mariah opened the door of her cabin and walked into it, her hand still holding Orion’s. She closed the creaking door behind them quietly. They sat on her bed, thinking of what they heard, unconscious of their environment.

“Hmm, Raines! We’ve not even had our first date yet and you invited me in.” Orion whispered with a smirk, trying to make her calm. “I thought you were a nice girl.”

“Please! We all know where nice girls finish,” she replied, with a giggle. “Last!” she added. He laughed silently. He wanted to assure her everything would be fine, but he wasn’t sure himself so he let the comment die on his lips. 

“So where were we?” Aldrich asked.

“Pop goes the weasel?” 

“Yep, pop goes the weasel,” he answered, grinning. Thirty minutes of ridiculous stories from him followed. They were laughing uncontrollably, getting annoyed glances from Hannah, one of her roommates, who was a light sleeper. Their apologies were no use. They both knew the moment would be short lived. Orion noticed how beautiful and carefree Mariah looked. She also found out that he was actually a first class passenger on the ship. 

Minutes passed.

“Everybody, put your life belts on now!” Their door was abruptly opened by a crew member. “It is really important that you adhere.” He banged the door shut after the re-laid message.  

Suddenly, water gushed out from the side of the ship. Mariah gasped, springing up immediately. She pushed the other ladies violently, telling them to get up. She took Orion’s hands, leading him out of the room quickly. She looked ahead and saw the water coming in from both directions. She was terrified and it showed.

“Mariah, look at me. Calm down, we’re going to get out of here. The water level is rising. Come on! This way!” Orion directed. She followed him, her hand in his.

The twitching of the lights caused chills to run down her spine. Pushing back all negative thoughts of fear and death, she focused on getting out of there alive, especially for her father. As they reached the gate, it was locked. “Step back!” a man, obviously a member of the crew, shouted. He pointed a gun at them, causing several shrieks and screams.

“I’ll be back,” Orion said to Mariah. He struggled to get to the gate, shouting at the man. “Open the damn gate.”

“Open the gate! There are women and children down here,” Another man joined in, visibly angry. He looked like he could kill someone. “You can’t keep us down here. The ship is sinking.”

“Will you give us a chance to live, you slimy bastard?” Another cursed. His thick Irish accent rolled out with every word he uttered.

Minutes passed. 

The men were frustrated. They banged their bodies against the iron gate. Soon, they were hitting it with wood, suitcases and knives, trying everything to bring the gate down.

Minutes passed.

Finally, the gate was broken. People ran out, terrified. Mariah and Orion ran towards the boat deck. Mariah looked with shock on her face as people rammed the remaining lifeboats. Orion dragged her forward. “You have got to get on one, Raines.” He relished the idea of Mariah being on the ship. He wanted to save her, but couldn’t.

Trying to fish for a statement to obliterate the fear she felt, he said, "I'm here with you all the way. I'm not going to let go.” It reminded her of her father and his constant compliments. “You are a star baby. It is as evident as life itself,” her father would always say sweetly. 

There were fragile screams from women and children, shouts from men. Voices from everyone and anyone. Wide eyed, Mariah watched as the ship split in half. The water level was rising fast. 

The crew members barked out order after another, whistling for people to come from the end of the ship. In desperation, different men cut down the ropes that held the lifeboats safely for boarding, trying to save themselves and their families. 

“Get out of there.” 

“Let there be order or I’ll shoot,” one threatened. “Women and children only. Get back. Come quickly.”

“Mariah, there’s one. Come on. You have to get on that one right now.” Orion said. He pushed back and forth, trying to get through the mob of people. Mariah opposed, “There's no use Orion.” He turned and looked at her. “Don’t you dare give up on me.”

The passengers talked above one another, some prayed, some complained, some cried.

“There’s no space on the boat.”

“Help us.”

“Get out of the way.”

“There are women and children here.” 

“Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee,” another prayed loudly.

“God help us,” one man screamed.

“We find another way,” Mariah screamed at the top of her lungs. 

“Then we have to jump. The ship is sinking quickly.” 

“I don’t want to jump in,” she said, frightened. 

Orion held both her hands and said with a smirk, “Wanting something is a thing of hope. But what you know is harsh realism, regardless of what you hope or don’t want to do.” 

How can he think about a line right now? She thought, amazed. She panicked and leaned against him. She nodded. 

“Take deep breaths.”

 The ship was going down quickly. They jumped off together. The water hit them like sharp arrows. She felt his hand let go. Orion! Where is he?! She thought.

“Orion!” She shouted, her teeth grinding against each other. 

The sound of people’s screams was deafening. She looked around frantically. I need to find him, she thought.  

“Orion! Orion!!” She swam forward, the cold water feeling like the stabs of a thousand knives on her porcelain skin. 

“Mariah! I’m here,” he answered, weakly. He reached out to her and held her hand in his. He was shaking violently. 

“Are you okay?”

“Uh, I’m leaking,” he replied, chuckling softly. 

Then she noticed the blood. He was bleeding profusely. She panicked, trying to put pressure on the head wound with her aching fingers. 

“Oh my God! Oh my God!!” 

“Mariah! Let it go.” 

“No, I can help,” she cried.

He gripped her hands like a vice, shouting with all the energy he could muster.

“Please! Just let it go.” 

“Don’t worry, we’re going to get out of here.” She assured. “Help is on the way. Okay?”

“Okay.” Orion said crisply.

Minutes passed.

“A dollar for your thoughts Raines?” he asked slowly. Every word he uttered took a toll on his strength. He wanted to live, to get to know Mariah, but he knew it was too late. 

“We’re going to die,” Mariah said, her hopes now like quivering bowls of jelly. She looked at Orion, expecting a reassuring response from him. But there was nothing. There was no grin like the Cheshire, no charm like the leprechaun, no sarcasm. His face was hard like concrete, white as glacier. She held him close. 

Minutes passed.

“Orion, I’m sorry.” She whispered into his large ears, remembering how hours before she thought they looked like an ogre’s.  

“Don’t you dare apologize Raines. Don’t you do that to me.” He turned to her, staring intently at those beautiful eyes. How can they still be this beautiful? “It was an amazing four hours and I’m grateful for it.” he continued, with a hint of a smile. “Do you know it takes only a minute to like someone?” 

She struggled to laugh. “I did not know that.” She hugged him again. She knew the life in him was disappearing like smoke. 

Minutes passed.

The sudden silence that surrounded her was ghostly. 

Minutes passed. 

Slow drumbeats turned to ten, then five, four, to none. There was no beating of his heart against hers. There was no vibration, nothing from him. He was gone. From her, there was just tears. Tears that couldn’t bring back Orion. Hot tears that couldn't bring warmth to her deathly shivers, fresh tears that couldn’t help her stay alive for her father. She held Orion tightly, not wanting to let go. 

Minutes passed. 

Like an owl in abandoned ruins, Mariah laid in silence, waiting for a sound, or any sign that she was still alive. Her mind, calmer now, tried but failed miserably to prohibit all weak retrospect of happiness past. 

Minutes passed.

Her sharp breaths prodded her from her recollections. With her arms still around Orion, she looked up at the tiny and luminous stars shining brightly above. It is a moonless night, Mariah Raines realized as her thoughts and her breath lurched to a full stop.