Remember Titanic, J Wall [electric book reader txt] 📗

I was happy. It was a while since I'd felt happy, but now I was. I was lying by the fire with Poppy, whilst Charlotte and Sienna danced around our feet, getting in the way and tripping over just about everything in sight. My owner, Elizabeth, called for me, so I scampered hastily over to her. She smiled but the calling didn't stop. In fact it was getting louder!

The calling was here. Poppy was not. Wearily, I lifted my head off my paws and lay down next to Elizabeth. I had barely settled down again when SPLASH! Oh. Ugh. Water. I liked water normally but this horrible salty stuff was disgusting. Plus it was the reason for all this swaying to and fro. Sure, I was used to it but that didn't make it any better. Actually all this water had made me quite wet. Time to dry off. I shook my coat vigorously, getting rid of all the water.

"William!", Elizabeth and the important looking officer said in an exasperated tone. I looked up at them innocently, wagging my tail. Then WOOF! I barked as I crashed into the steering wheel. That horrible water again! Well, it could be worse. I could be in the water instead of on it. See, Elizabeth had taken it into her head that she wanted to take a trip to New York. I didn't like it, but I would go anywhere with Elizabeth. I didn't like three out of the four funnels either. They smoked, like a fire was nearby. Fire wasn't nice. Once I had wondered what it felt like. Never again. As people say, curiosity killed the cat, only in my case, it killed the paw. The funnels reminded me of that, which was NOT a good thing. The last funnel was fine though. It didn't smoke 'cause apparently it was just for show.

That was the funnel I wandered over to now, to relieve myself. Sadly I never got there. I yowled as I tripped over a pile of cables. You would think after exploring this ship for WEEKS I would remember where the crew left the cables. Well, apparently not.

Actually it was starting to get dark. Elizabeth would be expecting me to be waiting in the cabin by the time she got there. Better get going. I shot down the stairs only to realise that I was about to crash into a pile of newspapers. Which - of course - I immediately did. I skidded along the row of cabins before landing painfully at the feet of someone in uniform. I sheepishly looked up (if dogs can look sheepish) at him. I barely had time to notice the date on the newspaper - 14th April 1912 - before he grabbed the paper I was sitting on and stalked off. I dolefully made my way back to the cabin.

Hours later I was rudely awoken from my sleep. I turned over and - then - stopped. Water! The salty type! I was certain that water wasn't meant to be here. I should go wake Elizabeth, I decided.

There was no need to wake Elizabeth up. She was up and packing a few essentials.

"Well, William? Shall we go investigate?" I jumped, startled - I hadn't realised that she'd seen me. We walked to the deck in frightened silence.

Up on deck it was chaos. Lifeboats were being brought up, ready for use. A member of the crew was firing up distress flares. Another was being harassed for information on a loud crash people had heard around 12.

I'm not sure why but it was this person I listened to. Maybe my subconscious had heard a crash too, but I doubt I'll ever know. Anyway, this crew member said Yes, there had been a crash, yes a bit of water had come in, but it was fine. No reason to panic.

That was where I stopped paying attention. No reason to panic? Rubbish. I didn't think he was being truthful - a crash that was loud must have been serious.

I was musing that over in my head when Elizabeth came over and picked me up. I let out a little whine- I hate being picked up. Then she wrapped me in a blanket. I decided she must have gone crazy. I mean what sort of dog needs a blanket? Certainly not me.

There must have been a reason for her peculiar actions though, because she went to the side and climbed in the lifeboat when it was released. I looked forward and almost sighed with relief. There in front of us was a boat called the Californian. But it didn't seem to notice us. Helplessly I watched as the boat grew smaller and vanished. Great. Now who was going to rescue us? I suddenly had an idea. I was sure that the Titanic had been in contact with another boat - the Carpathia. It was only four hours away! I settled down to wait.

I'm not patient. That's a fact. For the first hour of drifting I lay still and tried to go to sleep. It didn't work. Then I thought of Poppy. Still bored. In the end I barked and crept out of the blanket. Everyone gasped - they hadn't noticed I was a dog. They'd assumed I was a child! I sat in the life boat and looked out to sea.

Finally the Carpathia came. It took ages but at least it came. Everyone clambered on board the ship shivering - apart from me that is. I had my big furry coat on. Still, Elizabeth didn't but now she was in safe hands.

Me and her became famous the moment we stepped off the Carpathia back into Liverpool. A survivor of the Titanic - and her dog. Finally - a famous dog. 'Bout time a dog became famous! I didn't think it would ever be me though. William, the dog that survived the Titanic.

Text: Jenni Wall
Publication Date: 04-25-2012

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