AFTER TITANIC
BOOK ONE:
Chapter Six
It was a beautiful day in
Chippewa Falls when he broke the news to her that he was leaving
and didn't know when he would be back. They had met in their
usual meeting place, right by Lake Wissota. She looked so
beautiful as the sun shone down on her golden blond hair and her
green eyes sparkled with happiness at being with him...something
both of them knew her mother wouldn't approve of.
"Hi Jack," She had greeted, hugging him closely.
"I've missed you."
"I missed you too," He said. He wished he was here
under different circumstances, but with his parents dead, and her
parents hating him, it was best that he left Chippewa Falls now,
before her life was as screwed up as his now was.
"What's wrong? Something else other than your parents dying
is bothering you," She pulled away, staring into his eyes
with concern. "Go ahead. Tell me."
Taking a deep breath, he replied, "I'm leaving Chippewa Fals
for a while and I don't know when I'll be back." There. He
said it. It was time for the consequences.
"Leaving? Why?"
"There's no reason for me to stay really, except for you and
your parents hate me. In fact, rumor has it that they already
have a suitor in mind for you and it isn't me."
"Jack, I don't care about what they have in mind. It's you I
want. No one but you," the girl cried. "You can't just
leave me to their mercy like this. Please, don't go."
"Eliza...I don't have much of a choice. I refuse to live off
the charity of this town any longer. I just came to say good-bye,
then I'm leaving," Jack sighed, trying not to be touched by
the sight of her tears. He hated it when she cried, especially
when he was the cause.
"Jack, isn't there anything I can say to make you
stay?" Eliza asked, tears streaming down her eyes.
"No there isn't...but you could come with me. Come on Eliza.
Come with me. That way you won't be under your parent's control
anymore. You won't have to marry who they want you to
marry," Jack pleads with her. He had never felt this way
about a girl before. She was the first girl he had ever loved. He
wanted to be with her forever.
"Oh Jack," She sobbed. "I can't leave my home. I
love it here so much. I'm afraid to find out what's out
there."
"Eliza..."
"I love you Jack. If you must go, then you must go. But I do
hope you'll return for me someday. I'll be waiting for you."
"Eliza..."
"Good-bye Jack," She gives him one last kiss before
turning around and darting off into the distance. That was the
last time he ever saw her again.
"Don't bother coming back Dawson. She's mine," A hard
voice hisses from behind. It was Lee Conway, the son of the
richest man in Chippewa Falls and Jack's biggest rival. He was
behind a tree listening to everything. If Eliza had agreed to
leave with Dawson, he would have jumped out and dragged her away.
"Leave me alone Conway," Jack growled, ready for a
fight.
"Her parents want her to marry me, and she will. So if you
do come back for her, it'll be too late. She'll already be Mrs.
Conway. I'll make sure of that. But just in case, I'll make sure
you don't return for her. No one will be the wiser."
"What are you talking about?" Jack turns around just to
be pushed into the freezing lake. When Jack resurfaces, he's no
longer in Chippewa Falls; he's in the middle of the North
Atlantic along with other thrashing people screaming for
survival.
"How did I get here?" Jack wonders to himself. Well, if
he was here, he had to find Rose and fast. "Rose!" He
called. "Rose!"
He bumps into the female form floating face down. It looked like
Rose, but it couldn't be. She survives. She has to. Jack turns
the body around to see Eliza's eyes staring up accusingly at him.
Jack wakes up screaming. Rose bolts awake, concerned why
Jack, who she had never heard scream before was screaming in such
horror.
"Jack!?" Rose places her hands on his sweaty face,
trying to bring him back to the present. "Jack! What's
wrong?"
"The water...it's so cold..." Jack breathed, trying to
get Eliza's dead eyes out of his head.
"It's okay now Jack. It's over and we're safe. We're no
longer in that cold water. It's okay," Rose hugs her husband
tightly, surprised that he's having such nightmares about
Titanic, but then again, she's not. She can still hear the dying
screams of all those people in her head. She even dreamed that
Jack never woke up and she had to go on with life without him.
"It's ok Jack. You're safe and warm. It's all over
now."
"Oh Rose...I love you," Jack hugs her tightly and then
begins kissing her passionately. The kiss never stopped. They end
up making the most passionate love since they've been together.