Too little Time by Stephanie Parke (sci fi books to read .TXT) 📕

April 14, 1912
She shivered as she slumped against the wall and felt tears trickling down her cheeks, feeling her heart breaking. She’d cowered behind the giant plant, not wanting them to see her watching them go down the hall. They were so perfect together that it made breathing impossible. She closed her eyes and tried again to capture her lost breath but only managed a ragged sob. The world seemed to spin and she felt sick. She whimpered and wiped at her eyes as she turned to go. Pain threatened to choke her, but that need for self preservation, to escape was pushing her to run. Unfortunately a hand on her arm brought her up short and she found herself looking into his brilliant green eyes.

“Anna”, he asked hoarsely, “My god I thought… I thought you were..”
“Dead” she stated on a sob as she jerked away from him, “too bad you’re not that lucky”, she hissed as she crossed her arms over her chest and began to back away. The urge to run was so strong now that her skin began to crawl with it. Like an animal in a trap her eyes desperately searched for a way out. He caged her in his arms flattening her against the wall. His heart burned and threatened to burst as he looking into her beautiful blue eyes. He had thought two years ago that he’d lost his chance at love and now it stood in front of him again, like a ghost come back to haunt him. Her eyes spit fire at him as she pushed against him, hating him and loving him at the same time, unable to help herself.

Donovan gripped her face with his hand. She glared at him but all he saw was the woman he loved come back to life. He felt as if he could breathe again for the first time in two years. He felt as if the iron bars of expectation had finally fallen away setting him free, he felt like he could fly. He pulled her face to his and kissed her.

Anna shivered and tried to scratch him but her heart skipped and she found herself grasping him to her instead of shoving him away. She knew she should, she knew he was engaged to someone else, but her heart screamed at her to enjoy this moment. The kiss went on as the ship seemed to shudder under them and Anna sighed, thanking the lord that He was here and in her arms and that they had this moment no matter what tomorrow would bring.

He pulled back and touched his forehead to hers breathing deeply, breathing in the sweet scent of lavender that always clung to her; a scent that had haunted his every dream since the day he’d thought she’d been lost to him forever. “I died when I thought I’d lost you”, he moaned as he nibbled her lips.
She smiled and opened her mouth to respond when the sound of rushing feet pounded down the corridor. They broke apart and looked up at the sound and Anna felt the blood drain form her head as a white star employee rushed past. His hoarse voice echoed down the strangely empty corridor, causing doors to open revealing sleepy passengers. He was screaming for everyone to get up and get on deck with their life belts on and Anna felt goose bumps break out on her skin as she realized that the shifting she’d felt earlier when they’d kissed was not her bodies reaction but the ships shuddering.

Anna looked into Donovan’s eyes as the question on both their minds was answered as the next employee ran through screaming “iceberg”. Anna felt fear rip into her as she gripped Donovan’s hand. She never expected it to be like this, she had only wanted to see him again, despite the fact that it ripped her heart out. The ship tilted again at a crazy angle and a mirror jumped off the wall, joining the large potted plant on the other side of the hall way as the ship slid. Passengers who had moments before been staring sleepily at the back of the retreating White Star Employee now lay in heaps on the floor realizing the seriousness of the situation.

Donovan grabbed her hand and pulled her over the wreckage that had been the first class hallway. The ship groaned and protested with pops and crashes as the world went sideways. Donovan dragged Anna down the hallway to his room where he grabbed the two lifebelts there and slapped one on her cinching it tight. He grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him up to the main deck.
Pandemonium reigned in a mad circus of terror as the passengers pushed and shoved their way toward the lifeboats. Donovan looked back at Anna and gripped her hand tighter. He forced his way through to where the white star employees were calling for women and children first. Donovan pushed Anna toward the lifeboat and watched as the White Star Employees pulled her inside. Anna fought against the arms of the Steward helping her aboard and scrambled back into Donovan’s arms. She wrapped herself around him and clung. “I won’t go without you,” She sobbed into his shoulder “I just found you again, I can’t lose you now.”

Donovan felt his heart fall as he took in the chaos around him as people pushed and shoved forward like a wave, trampling anyone unlucky enough to get caught in front of them. He was a sensible man and he knew that his chances of getting a seat in one of the boats were slim, even if he were first class. He pulled her closer and smelled her sweet scent, glad to have these final moments with her, even though they were being cheated out of a lifetime. He swallowed hard to push away the tears in his eyes and tried to smile for her.

“I have to go get my mother and father and Georgia.” He murmured in a calming tone. Anna jerked back as if stuck, unable to process his words in the chaos.

“NO!” she shouted as they finally sank in, “You have to come with me, save yourself, Please Donovan, do it for me, for us!” She frantically clutched his back, burying her face in the material of his dinner jacket. He pulled back and tenderly brushed her wild hair from her face, memorizing each feature. His heart shredded a little more at her pleas but he knew they would do her no good. She was just as beautiful as she’d always been but the last two years had matured her girlish charm to a woman’s beauty. He was glad he’d gotten to see her again one more time. It was as if god had answered his prayers.

“Anna, love I can’t, it’s my duty.” His words sliced through her and it was as if years of her life were fading before her eyes as he smiled at her
.
He smiled tenderly and pulled her arms away. Anna’s breath froze in her chest as he smiled sadly and pulled away. She knew in that instant that he was not going to come with her, she knew that she would lose him. The world had faded into an eerie silence as he picked her up and pulled her toward the lifeboat. He kicked and pushed his way through the mass, not caring that he’d just kicked one of wall street’s most prominent financiers out of his way. He placed his mouth against her ear as Anna struggled. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent, praying it was the last one he’d ever get to smell. His warm breath poured over her ear and neck as he pushed forward fighting her and the crowd. She closed her eyes as he began to hum softly in her ear. She stopped dead and melted against him as he hummed her favorite song, the one they’d danced their first dance to so long ago. Tears poured down her face as he lifted her away from him and the trance she’d been under broke as she frantically tried to hold on to him.

He held her close one final time and kissed her lips fiercely, trying to put a lifetime of love into that one kiss. He pushed her away and up into the boat. “I love you.” He said loudly so that she could hear him above the din. Anna scrambled to the side and tried to climb back aboard Titanic but she was held in place by the other passengers as the boat began to descend.

“Donovan!” she screamed as the boat descended “I love you, please get to a boat.”
Donovan smiled sadly and blew her a final kiss before the crowd pushed him back from the railing. He pushed his was back to the rail as the water began to rush toward him as the deck began to go under. He found her in the boat swiftly moving away from the ship. He locked eyes with hers and prayed that one day they might be together again. He almost didn’t feel it when the water pulled him under.

Publication Date: 04-26-2012

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