Hold on. We're almost there

Endurance. (One word writing challenge) 15, April 1912

3:10 Am

A promise kept.

“Come, Josephine, in my flying machine. And it’s...up, she goes. Up...she goes.”

Rose was fixated on the stars. The shooting stars seemed to keep coming. One after the other, and then more and more. There was no moon. Only stars. The screams and cries of the other survivors that been plunged into the frigid North Atlantic were slowly beginning to die off, one by one perhaps? She didn’t know. All she knew was that she was so, so, cold. Perhaps, if she closed her eyes and went to sleep, all this would be over. And she and Jack would be together.

Then something bright caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

Slowly, she turned her head and saw a boat floating past.

“Is there anyone alive out there!? Can anyone hear me!?” she could hear a ship’s officer call. It seemed distant, and she could barely make out the words. She sighed and closed her eyes. They wouldn’t be able to hear her calls.

“Don’t you do that. Don’t you say your goodbyes. Not yet. Do you understand me? .” She could hear Jack’s voice ringing her ears, willing her to go on. To at least try to hail this lifeboat. It was then her eyes popped open.

“Come back.” Her voice was weak and feeble. Much too quiet for her voice to be attempting to hail a lifeboat. But she had to try. “Come back.” she called out again, forcing her voice to become a bit stronger. “Come, back. Come back. Come back.” but it was no use.

She glanced at hers and Jack’s hands, which were now frozen together. She pulled her hand free with a grunt, and lifted his hand and gave it a light kiss. “I’ll never let go. I promise.” Releasing his hand, she watched him sink into the depths of the icy North Atlantic. She cried softly, for a moment then rolled off the door and made her way to the dead officer who they had heard blowing a whistle a few moments before.

She climbed up onto the deck chair the corpse was floating on, and yanked the whistle out from between his lips, and began blowing it loudly, in a last attempt to hail this lifeboat back to her.

The next she knew was a flashlight being shone in her face, and then “Come ABOUT!” she heard the officer say. Before she knew it, the boat had stopped in front of her and she was being pulled in by two officers. The next she knew she was being covered in blankets. It was then she passed out.

Then sometime later, she heard “Hold on. We’re almost there.” the voice sounded far away and distant, but most certainly female. It had to be one of the other survivors in the boat. Had rescue finally arrived? Finally she opened her eyes, and looked up; the morning sun nearly blinding her. She could see a big hulk of black, and word Carpathia spelled out along the hull. Finally...they were saved.