The Heart of the Ocean

Chapter Four: They Meet

Katerina who was followed by Cal sprinted from her room and above the desk while in tears. She didn't want this life. She didn't want to marry a man after he married her mother. She didn't want to keep going anymore. So she and Cal made their way to the stern where Jack was laying on a bench, looking up at the stars, and having a smoke. That's when he heard sobbing and two pairs of foot steps running past. It was Katerina and Cal. He sat up and looked over at them. They stopped to catch their breaths before Katerina was looking at the railing. Katherine walked over it, as Cal walked behind her slowly, making sure she was okay, Katerina climbed over the side. Once she was over, she turned to the ocean below, waiting to find the courage to jump.

"Don't do it." Jack and Cal told her, slowly approaching.

Katerina looked back at them. "Stay back. Don't come any closer."

Jack and Cal slowly walked over with their hands out. "Don't come any closer. Come on. Just give me your hand. We'll pull you back over."

"No! Stay where you two are. I mean it. I'll let go."

Jack and Cal managed to get a little closer, nearly standing next to her after Jack tossed his cigarette overboard.

"No, you won't." Jack said, sure that she wouldn't.

"What do you mean, no, she won't?" Cal asked him. "Don't presume to tell her what she will
and will not do. You don't know her."

"Well, she would have done it already."

"Both of you distracting me. Go away."

"We can't. We're involved now. You let go and I'm going to have to jump in there after you."

Jack took his jacket off and he started to take his shoes off.

"Don't be absurd. You'll be killed." Cal told him.

"I'm a good swimmer." Jack told him.

"The fall alone would kill you."

"It would hurt. I'm not saying it wouldn't. To tell you the truth I'm a lot more concerned about that water being so cold."

Katerina and Cal went quite as Jack took one shoe off and started on the next.

"How cold?" Cal asked.

"Freezing." Jack said. " Maybe a couple degrees over." Jack got his other shoe off. "You ever, uh... ever been to Wisconsin?"

"What?"

"Well, they have some of the coldest winters around. I grew up there near Chippewa Falls.
I remember when I was a kid, me and my father, we went ice fishing out on Lake Wissota. Ice fishing is, you know, where you..."

"We know what ice fishing is!" Katerina and Cal said.

"Sorry. You two just seem like, you know, kind of an indoor girl and boy. Anyway, l, uh...I fell through some thin ice and I'm telling you...
water that cold, like right down there it hits you like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body. You can't breathe, you can't think--
at least not about anything but the pain. Which is why I'm not looking forward to jumping in there after you. Like I said...I don't have a choice. I guess I'm kind of hoping you'll come back overthe rail and get me off the hook here."

"You're crazy."

"That's what everybody says, but with all due respect, miss, mister, I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship here. Come on. Come on, give me your hand and the other guy. You don't want to do this."

Katerina looked at Jack and Cal's hands. She knew they were right. She didn't want to do this. She would've jumped off by now if she did. Hesitantly, she took Jack's had and turned back around.