“Take him, I beg you.” 

​

The fuzziness drains out of my body. The ringing in my ears shut off, as if flicking a light switch to “off”. I find the strength to open my eyes, and see Val. My twin sister, she appeared to be hurt, and crying. I look around and see the boat we were on, in shambles on the ocean. Quickly, I try to rethink about what happened. I close my eyes and think deeply. Suddenly, I remember seeing something, feeling something, hearing something.

​

“Watch out!” I heard Val scream. Everything went blank after. I put the puzzle pieces together to realize that I had been hit with something. The gears in my heads start turning again, and I utter a word through my mouth. “Val…?” I am able to say. She keeps crying. Why can’t I do anything? Why can’t she hear me? I see her looking at a gruntly men. They were on a raft. A raft! I felt so relieved. I wanted to tell Val about how happy I was, but I saw she was greatly injured. “Val….?” I murmur out again. For some odd reason, I can’t say any more than that. I put in all my strength, and not a single peep comes out of my mouth. Suddenly, I feel cold hands clutch onto my weak body. The men were holding onto me, and wouldn’t let go. So badly did I want to pull away from them and hug my sister, but I couldn’t. I felt paralyzed, My legs, body, arns, they didn't move. No matter how hard I could possible try, my aching body didn’t move a muscle. 

​

“Don’t look behind you anymore, Jamie.” I heard my name again. My attention turns to Val as I see her struggle to say any more. “The best, is ahead.” With barely any remaining brain cells in my head, I repeated her words in my head. A tear rolled down my cheeks. Suddenly, I felt warmer. The men loaded me onto the raft and covered a blanket over me. I wanted to thank them so badly, but I didn’t have the power to even move my eyes. All I felt was pain. Pain. WIth all my might, I looked over to my sister one last time. Her skin fell paler than paper. Her eyes, fully shut. What happened to her? Val…. I tried to scream to her. I tried to keep her company. I tried to jump out of the boat to save her. Nothing. My body wasn’t able to react even a single bit. What was happening to me? It felt like my body wasn’t responding to my brain.

​

 As the raft slowly began to row away did I see my sister’s lifeless body begin to float further and further away from the raft I was on. I was cold, inside and outside. My ears opened back up, and I hear chatting. Chats from the men in the lifeboat. I tried to listen, but all that I could think about was Val. Val’s words. Val’s body. Val’s soul. She could have lived. Truly, she had more skill in performing than me. She was more social, more willing, and more brave. Was it really the greatest choice she made to save me instead of herself? Is it my fault that Val didn’t make it? I was almost dead, and I’m sure she would have had a better chance of surviving and becoming successful that I’d ever have. I don’t know what I’ll be able to do after practically killing the one person who made me feel special. If only I had the strength, if only I had the power, if only I had acted in the moment. The image repeated in my head of Val’s lifeless body in the water as we floated away. After overthinking, I fainted.

​

I awoke to a loud, ear rupturing sound. HONK! My eyes jolted open as I looked around. Where was I? As soon as I saw the bright orange raft, I remembered. I remembered the ship. I remembered the harsh weather. I remembered Val. Remembering my limited ability to move, I tried squeezing my fingers to see if I was still as limited. There was very little movement, but it was definitely there. I couldn’t feel it, but it was numb. The cold conditions and the thin blanket wrapped around me didn’t go well together. I tried my best to look behind me, where I saw I ship, smaller than the Titanic, but much bigger than the raft.

​

The boat’s shadow overcame me, and I zoned out as two hands reached out for me, just like when I was getting onto the raft. Lord knows how long I've been stuck on that raft, but I was free now. The two men who carried me carried me gently. I felt as if an angel was slowly ascending me into heaven, but then my thoughts broke as I was placed on a small rolling bed. As I was carried away onto the deck, I heard murmurs around me. My hearing was not great, but I was able to hear a few words.

“...Japs…..” 

“......Titanic…”

“......Alive?”

“......Survivor..” What did these words mean? Jap? As if. I tried to speak, but it felt as if my vocal chords were tied in a knot. Putting all my might into speaking, suddenly, I passed out.

​

Everything from there was a blur. I opened my eyes to see a bright light. In front of me was a dark figure, who had suddenly gained human features, and it appeared to be.. Val? What was happening? I looked to my hands, and they seemed fair and well. I ran to hug my sister, but quickly snapped out of it and re-awoke into a hospital. 

​

“Sir, are you associated with the sunken Titanic?” I heard. I turned my head, my neck had healed. It was something I had always taken for granted, but moving again felt like a luxury you cannot buy with money. 

​

“Pardon?” I asked. The man who asked me had a khaki colored coat, suit, and a fedora. 

​

“Answer me son, were you on the Titanic when it sank?” The man asks me again, I know he is suspicious of me because of the tone of his voice.

​

“I do not remember much, sir. But I was on the Titanic when it hit.” I responded. The man and a few of his, what I assume to be, employees, look me up and down with a disgusted look.

​

“Look at those small eyes.” “He is definitely hiding something..” “You can never trust those Japs.” I heard from around the room. I think frantically, trying to figure out what I should do and what happened before. But, all I can remember is the look on Val’s lifeless face. It traumatized me, was it really my fault that my sister is dead? I should’ve said something. What was I going to do now? Without her, I’m nothing. Our acts were for the two of us, nobody else. Without her, I cannot continue performing. I am but a single piece of the puzzle. Without the rest of me, I am nothing.