unsinkable love [jack dawson]

005

⭒❃.✮:▹𝐚 𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝◃:✮.❃⭒

April 13, 1912.

"ᴘᴏᴏʀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ʀɪᴄʜ ɢɪʀʟ. What does she know about misery?"

ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-

BELOW DECK.

It was Saturday April 13, 1912. Katerina unlatched the gate to go down into third class. The steerage men on the deck stopped what they're doing and stare at her.

Today was her 17th birthday, she never celebrated her birthday anymore. It only brought up more painful memories. It was just another birthday without Louis to her. Sure, what was another ten years without him?

Everything...

It was everything to her.

Yet, Katerina had to make sure she covered her bruises she received from Bartholomew as best one could with just powder.

The social center of steerage life. It was stark by comparison to the opulence of first class, but was a loud, boisterous place.

There were mothers with babies, kids running between the benches yelling in several languages and being scolded in several more.

There are old women yelling, men played chess, girls doing needlepoint and reading dime novels. There was even an upright piano and Tommy Ryan, noodled around it.

Three boys, shrieking and shouting, are scrambling around chasing a rat under the benches, trying to whomp it with a shoe and causing general havoc, making Katerina smile at the children.

Jack was playing with 5 year old Cora Cartmell, drawing funny faces together in his sketchbook.

Fabrizio, struggling to get a conversation going with an attractive Norwegian girl, Helga Dahl, sitting with her family at a table across the room.

"No Italian? Some little English?"

"No, no. Norwegian. Only."

Helga's eye is caught by something. Fabrizio looks, does a take... and Jack, curious, follows their gaze to see...

Katerina, coming toward them. The activity in the room stops... a hush
falls.

Katerina feels suddenly self-conscious as the steerage passengers stare openly at this princess, some with resentment, others with awe.