Date: Monday, The Fifteenth day of April 1912
Place: Lifeboat 13 – North Atlantic Ocean
Time: 1:15

As we were being lowered down from the Titanic, I watched Papa from on deck. He glanced down at us, but eventually disappeared from sight. Anneliese and I were still crying, and I believe Momma was crying as well.

While we were being lowered in to the water, our lifeboat was nearly caught by an enormous stream of water, that was coming from Titanic somewhere. It seemed to be about three or four feet or so. We ended up having to use the oars in the lifeboat to push us away safely We started to move faster which caused us to drift under an oncoming lifeboat coming down.

It appeared to be lifeboat fifteen.

We all screamed in terror.

Luckily the lifeboat lowering had halted just in time, with only a few feet to spare. The falls aboard or lifeboat jammed and had to be cut free to allow us to get away safely from the side of the Titanic. It's a good thing I don’t believe in superstition, for we are all in lifeboat thirteen.

“Hey,” One woman in the lifeboat yelled. “We have no one to man this boat.”

“I may not be a sailor or anything,” said a man, named Frederick Barrett, “But I have been leading the firemen on here since the start of the voyage.”

“Anyone want to elect him to take charge?” The woman asked.

“We all agreed he should.

“Okay men,” Frederick yelled, “let’s all take an oar and start rowing away from the ship.”

It didn’t take long for the lifeboat to move away. I watched the men row away.

I could still hear the music playing on the ship. I had a feeling the musicians were not going to make it and would be going down with the ship.

I look toward the back of the ship and notice it was lifted out of the water. The propellers were showing.

I still saw rockets shooting off in the air. It lit up the sky enough to view the water we were floating on. I thought of all the fish that were under us right now. Possibly even sharks or whales. I worry a whale would come up and push us out of the lifeboat.

Anneliese was sitting talking to Ruth, the girl from earlier. She was bundled up in the blanket. At least she wasn’t going to be bored.

Momma sat there watching the ship. I bet the was thinking of Papa. I started to cry a little after thinking of him as well. Momma hugs me.

Time: 1:48

Anneliese and I were attempting to stay less bored by playing a clapping game. Some people in the boat were restless and didn’t want all the noise we were making. I sigh and look towards the ship.

With wide eyes, I saw the Titanic’s front end of the ship was deeper in the water. The back of the ship was up in the sky. I wonder what it would have been like trying to stay balanced on that ship at this moment.

The pianos I was playing on must have moved and possibly crashed. I think of the beautifully polished piano in First Class. I may also have been the last person playing on both of those pianos. I glance down at the water and sigh again.

We must be far away from the ship, because I can no longer hear the sounds of the instruments playing. It was very calming to hear them, now it was almost silent. I heard the waves of the water as we moved away. People from other lifeboats were talking or even crying.

I glance over at a young girl in the lifeboat we were in. She was fast asleep. I was getting tired too. I could see Anneliese yawning, which made me yawn.

Contagious.

Our lifeboat may have been one of the quietest boats floating. I see almost everyone watching the ship.

I look over at it. Titanic’s front end is totally submerged in the water.

I think about how only a few days ago I was standing on that deck watching dolphins swimming and playing, and how I felt like I was flying with my hands in the air. My hair blowing against the wind, and the sun warming me up.

Now I don’t even recognize that part of the ship anymore, and I am freezing.

Time: 2:09

I hear people screaming from the Titanic. Even from as far as we were, their screams were chilling. I still think of Papa. How he may still be on the ship and one of those screaming. I think of Captain Smith, how he would still be on there as well. I think of Peter and…

Why am I thinking of him? Forget about Peter. He can die in heck for all I care.

I thought he was a nice guy, until he tried to hurt and kidnap me.

I watch as the front of the ship slowly but noticeably plunge downward. I also notice the ship wasn’t tilting to the side anymore. The deck was sitting a little bit more even. Like it seemed to rise a few feet in the air, almost like it was mooning the sky. Talking about the moon, I look up in the sky and notice it wasn’t out tonight. All I saw were the stars.

All of a sudden a huge wave started to rise up and head quickly up towards the second funnel. I hear an enormous explosion almost like the sound of thunder coming from the ship and the funnel closest to the water falls over with a big splash and sinks into the sea.

The ship starts submerging faster and faster. Many more screams of panic filled the air.

The lights go out on the ship with a flash, almost like lightning, making it extremely dark and scary. As my eyes adjust from the darkness with the light from the stars above, I see the second funnel fall with a larger splash and sink into the sea as well.

Another loud explosion erupted and then the Titanic splits in half with a gigantic splash, bringing massive waves hurdling towards us.

Our lifeboat flew up in the air a bit, but landed safely back on the water. The little girl that was sleeping woke up.

Back at the Titanic, the tail of the ship starts to move upward again after it splits and just sits there in the air. I watched it and was contemplating is this the end? It was bobbling in the water for quite a time, basically about a minute or two, before it quickly sunk into the water, never to be seen again.

I sat there with tears streaming down my face. Anneliese and Momma do as well. I heard many passengers crying from the horror they had just witnessed all those people that had just sunk in with the ship.

All the men, the women, and even all the children (don’t forget the pets), still stuck on that ship as it goes to the bottom of the ocean.

Their final resting place.

Time: 3:55

After being in the dark for so long, I finally fell asleep. Most of the passengers were. I woke up in a panic and look around. Momma was still awake watching over me and Anneliese.

Frederick Barrett was also awake as he watched for a ship to show up. Many of us didn’t believe any ship will show up, and we would die out here just like those on the Titanic, but much slower. I didn’t think of it. I just know somehow that we will be rescued. I had a feeling.

“Momma, I need to go potty,” I cried.

“Oh honey,” Momma whispered. Can’t you hold it?”

“No I can’t,” I cried.

I could hear Frederick chuckling on the other side of the lifeboat.

“I won’t look if she must go,” he said, looking the other way. “And I doubt anyone will, since they are asleep.”

“Go ahead,” Josephine,” Momma told me. “I’ll hide you with a blanket while you potty.”
Worried someone would wake up and see me, I went as fast as I could. I didn’t want anyone to discover I had a penis.

As refreshing as it was, I felt relieved after going and was able to go back to sleep again.

Time: 6:21

I woke up to the sound of a ship horn.

It either was a ship horn, or it was just my dream. I didn’t know. I look around and everyone was awake.

I guess it wasn’t a dream.

As we look around, we are surprised at seeing a ship in the distance. Everyone cheered. We are being rescued. We won’t die out here in the freezing cold in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.

As the men all rowed the lifeboat to the ship in the distance, they all sang. I just sat there listening, and smiling, knowing that we will make it out alive.

“Light in the darkness, sailor, day is at hand!
See, o'er the foaming billows, fair heaven's land,
Drear was the voyage, sailor, now almost o'er;
Safe within the lifeboat, sailor, pull for the shore.

Pull for the shore, sailor, pull for the shore!
Heed not the rolling waves, but bend to the oar;
Safe in the lifeboat, sailor, cling to self no more,
Leave the poor old stranded wreck and pull for the shore.

Trust in the life-boat, sailor, all else will fail;
stronger the surges dash, and fiercer the gale; .
Heed not the stormy winds, though loudly they roar,
Watch the "Bright Morning Star," and pull for the shore.

Pull for the shore, sailor, pull for the shore!
Heed not the rolling waves, but bend to the oar;
Safe in the lifeboat, sailor, cling to self no more,
Leave the poor old stranded wreck and pull for the shore.

Bright gleams the morning, sailor, uplift the eye;
Clouds and darkness disappearing, glory is nigh!
Safe in the lifeboat, sailor, sing evermore,
"Glory, glory, hallelujah!"-Pull for the shore.
Pull for the shore, sailor, pull for the shore!
Heed not the rolling waves, but bend to the oar;
Safe in the lifeboat, sailor, cling to self no more,
Leave the poor old stranded wreck and pull for the shore.”