Title: The Siren's Song
Published: 10-17-10, Updated: 10-20-10
Chapters: 3, Words: 5,642
Chapter 1: Bon Voyage

Lucy crumpled up the letter she held in her hands and tossed it at the back of her mother's driver seat. The blue minivan chugged down the road as the salty smell of seawater crept in through the open windows of the vehicle. Lucy crossed her arms and huffed, feeling her suitcase tap against her foot with every bump the car hit. Her mother tapped her hand on the steering wheel, humming a melody to herself as the vehicle continued on its journey to the docks. She stared at the damaged letter that gently rocked on the car floor and sighed. What was she doing? The letter contained a message from Tess, inviting her friends on a cruise onboard her family's yacht. It had some weird Asian name. Lucy at first refused to go, but after some hounding from Mike – even though their situation had not improved – and Tess, she agreed to go on the condition she was not made to leave the bowels of the ship or set foot on the open deck that was exposed to the icy blue depths below. She didn't know why she was going, considering Mike would be there and after their previous fight earlier in the winter, the situation was decaying fast. But something inside of her wanted to go and so she obliged after much prodding, resulting in her current position in the backseat of her mother's minivan and their course towards the Roseville docks. She glanced out of the window as the car rolled over a hill and sighed. Her mother shot a look at her from the front seat, using the rear view mirror to gaze at her daughter.

"You sure you'll be fine, Lucy?" Her mother asked in a worried tone of voice, shifting her eyes between the road and her troubled child. Lucy rolled her eyes and nodded her head.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. S'not like I have to swim or anything."

Her mother frowned. "Well, at least you'll have Michael there to comfort you." She grinned, oblivious to the quickly crumbling relationship the two had at this juncture. Lucy blushed for but a moment, making sure to avert her gaze from her parent.

"Yeah, sure."

The car continued to bounce towards the docks, and with another few uncomfortable moments the large white ship appeared on the horizon, gently swaying with the ocean waves. Lucy could make out the vehicles and parents of her friends, who stood huddled on the dock near the boarding staircase that helped anchor the massive white vessel to the oak pier. Lucy could see the faint flutter of an orange scarf and sighed, propping her cheek on her hand as the minivan sputtered towards the dock. Her mother parked the vehicle near David's father's purple Camaro. She slid open the van's side door and stepped into the cold winter air, the snow under her feet crinkling softly as her weight compressed the precipitation. She turned to close the door as her mother smiled at her from the driver's seat.

"Have fun, Lucy." She said, winking at her daughter. Lucy returned with a nervous grin as her mother's van peeled away, splashing snow against the side of Michael's mother's red Prius. She sighed and turned, suitcase in hand, to meet up with her friends. She pushed past the gang of conversing parents to her friend's figures. Tess was over near the edge of the water speaking on her cellphone while the rest of the group mucked about in the general demeanor. Paulo was trying to drag himself away while Jasmine clung to his leg like a baby, inciting laughs and grins from David and Michael. Abbey and Daisy sat at the edge of the pier together, simply watching the waves slosh about back and forth. Upon noticing Lucy, Michael shot her a cumbersome glance and walked off, intruding upon Abbey and Daisy's quiet moment together. Lucy sighed and dropped her suitcase, not knowing what to do. David smiled and waved at her and she rolled her eyes, although his behavior couldn't help but bring an irrational smile to her lips. Tess sighed and closed her cellphone, turning around to see Lucy and rush over to her. The elder feline stared down at Lucy and grinned.

"Lucy! So glad you could make it." She said gleefully.

"Yeah, yeah." Lucy retorted, placing her hand on her hip. "Let's hope it's not a repeat of Acapulco, okay?"

Tess grinned nervously and twiddled her thumbs. "Don't worry, it won't be anything like that."

Lucy turned her gaze to the huge white vessel before her. It was an incredibly large boat, big for a yacht. A few lights in the interior sparkled through the dark windows at Lucy and she couldn't help but become entranced by the beauty of the liner. Tess noticed Lucy's transfixion with the boat and couldn't help but grin at the sparkle in her eyes.

"She's a beaut, eh?" Tess said knowingly.

"I guess. What's her name?"

"The U.S.S. Yuriloli."

Lucy turned her head to gaze up at Tess with a quizzical expression on her face.

"Whuzzat?"

Tess tapped a finger to her chin and grinned widely. "I dunno, it sounded cool so I went with it."

Lucy frowned and shook her head as Abbey stormed past her and Tess with Daisy in hot pursuit. Michael trudged past them with a defeated look on his face, but Tess stopped him with a firm grasp on his shoulder. She waved her hand and called the rest of the group to encircle her before reaching into her bag's pocket and exposing a small list. She cleared her throat and gazed around.

"Alright, we've got seven cabins on board which means someone will have to share with another person." She took a pause and ran her eyes over the list. "Cabin one belongs to Paulo and David."

David pumped his fists in the air, but Paulo slapped a hand over his face as Jasmine continued to grasp on his leg. Tess laughed and returned to the reading of her list.

"Mmkay, cabin two is for Daisy, cabin three is me, cabin four is Abbey, cabin five is Mike, cabin six is Lucy, and cabin seven is for Sue… who doesn't appear to be here yet?" She inquired, scanning the horizon. Almost as expecting that phrase, Sue ran towards the group lugging a large yellow suitcase. She plopped it down on the snow and tried to catch her breath.

"I… I'm here." She huffed, raising a trembling thumb up to signify her presence. Tess chuckled and clasped her hands together. "Any questions?"

"Why is my room next to Michael's?" Lucy said snidely, inciting a glare from Michael. Tess grinned nervously and fidgeted about in her place.

"Well, I uh…"

"Because!" David suddenly shouted, striking a pose in the middle of the group. "This is the U.S.S. Love boat!"

Paulo rubbed his temples while the rest of the group glared at David. A cane and hat seemed to materialize from the air and he twirled the cane on his fingers.

"Love, exciting and new. Come aboard, we're expecting you!" He sang, using the tip of his cane to tilt his hat. The group continued to look on in amazement as he strolled between Mike and Lucy, winking at them both.

"And love, life's sweetest reward. Let it flow, it floats back to you!"

He propped himself up on his cane and screeched from the top of his lungs.

"The love boat soon will be making another run! The love boat promises something for everyone!"

He strolled up the staircase while twirling his cane.

"Set a course for adventure, your mind on a new romance. And love, won't hurt anymore. It's an open smile on a friendly shore! It's looooooo—"

His singing was cut short as an object smacked him in the face and he tumbled backwards down the stairs, landing in a heap at the bottom. Lucy bent down and picked up the small object before slipping it back into her suitcase. Everyone couldn't help but stare at David's figure which lay dazed on the ground.

"Nice shot." Paulo commented.

Tess rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Yeeeah. Well, uh… let's get on board everyone."

She bent over and picked up her travel bag and the group mimicked her actions. Jasmine was forced to let go of Paulo's leg and gave him a goodbye kiss. He followed suit of everyone else and stepped over David's form, climbing the staircase up to the deck of the ship. Michael frowned and bent over, grabbing hold of David's ankle and dragging him up the stairs. Lucy shot a final look back at the solid ground behind her and gulped, placing a foot on the sturdy staircase that was her only tie with the mainland. She grasped a nearby wall tightly as the boat pushed off from the pier and watched her friends wave goodbye to the only piece of solid ground she would see for a long time.
Chapter 2: Reconcillation

Lucy shoved her suitcase on the small bed before her and turned around to take in her lodgings for the next three weeks. The cabin was small and was barely able to fit the bed, dresser, and vanity that it held. The walls were a medium shade of blue with white stripes, and dark wood molding trimmed the ceiling and floors, which were of a deep blue carpet. It felt nice beneath her feet. The bed itself was a sleigh bed and the frame was of the exact same wood and the sheets were a similar shade of blue. The room matched so well it was sickening. She sighed and plopped down in bed, rolling over to stare at the white spackled ceiling. She had no idea what to do since she was to be cramped inside the boat for the entire trip. Most of the yacht's activities were located on the main deck and she refused to go outside. Her porthole was cracked and the sounds of the water kept taunting her through the punctured pane, making an uneasy feeling twirl in her stomach. She heard a thump next door and Michael curse a few words and she laughed to herself, knowing he had hit his head on the low-hanging door frame. She sighed and continued to stare at the networks of indents and bumps on the ceiling, allowing her thoughts to run off with her. Before she knew it, she had drifted off into a quiet sleep that was interrupted later that night by a knock at her door. She sluggishly sat up in bed as Tess stuck her head into the room to grin at the half-asleep Khao Manee.

"Say, Lucy. Wake up!" Tess said gleefully. "Dinner's ready, come on."

Lucy waved her hand at Tess and used the other to rub her eyes. "Yeah, hold on. I'll be right there."

Tess let her be and left the door cracked, and Lucy stared through the door outside into the warm hallway. She notice Mike stroll down the corridor and averted her gaze for a moment, waiting to make sure that she would not run into him in the hallway. Once a few minutes had passed, she slowly crept out of her room into the hallway and followed the crimson carpet to the boat's foyer. A grand staircase went up the middle of the room and at its foot was a large dinner table with Tess at its head. Large silver plates adorned its top and the heavenly smell of roasted pheasant filled the room. Lucy took a deep breath of the aroma and sighed, only to come to the realization she would have to find a seat that was nowhere near Mike. But her insight had come far too late and she was forced to take a seat next to her dreaded friend, both refusing to look at the other. Tess looked completely on edge when she saw Lucy was forced to sit next to Mike, but there was nothing she could do. She nervously rose a large wine glass in her hand and tapped it with her fork, bringing the group's attention to her. She was far too jumpy and ended up breaking the glass, to which David smiled widely.

"Oh boy, glass fight!" He shouted, hurling his glass at Abbey who dodged just in time. Paulo was forced to yank his friend back down to his chair while Tess was busy having a heart attack.

"L—L et's just eat." She sputtered, still on edge. The servants around the table bowed and removed the illustrious silver lids to the plates, exposing a smorgasbord of confectionary delights and delicious meat before her friends. They all eagerly dug in to the provisions before them, spooning said foodstuffs onto their white china plates. Lucy noticed a large container of pepper sauce out of her reach and absolutely refused to ask Michael to hand it to her. Instead, she leaned right over his plate and he snarled under his breath while she hovered above his piping hot food. He impatiently tapped his finger on the table as Lucy fumbled to get the hot sauce. She succeeded in her task and relaxed back into her chair, allowing an angry Mike to eat his food once again. As the dinner progressed under the watchful eye of Tess, Mike grew hungry for some bread rolls. He sighed in an annoyed fashion and opened his mouth.

"Lucy, would you please pass me the bread rolls?"

She finished chewing her bit of turkey and swallowed. "Your legs broken?"

Michael threw up his hands in frustration. "Ugh, I can't stand your behavior anymore!" He shouted, causing the clinking of utensils against plates to quiet and a nervous and agitated glance from Tess to run over him. "Can you not hand me the god-damn bread rolls without making a big deal about it?"

Lucy scoffed and crossed her arms. "Get Sandy to pass you the bread rolls, Mike."

His face froze up for a moment, before it became contorted with anger. "Yeah, well, don't worry about that, Lucy. Sandy already broke up with me!"

A silence fell over the table and Lucy's expression relaxed. Mike's fists were balled up in his hands and he was quivering.

"Mike… I'm… I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"You didn't what, Lucy? Didn't know? Didn't care? It doesn't matter anyway. I don't know what I ever saw in you in the first place."

Lucy seemed taken aback from his statement and rose up to shout, but a ball of mashed potatoes smashed into her cheek and caught her off guard. She turned to see Paulo twiddling his thumbs nervously.

"I just want you guys to stop fighting." He admitted sheepishly, but David's behavior had gotten the best of him.

"FOOD FIGHT!" He shouted, tossing a large chicken breast at Abbey which smacked him squarely between the eyes and slowly slid off, leaving a large imprint of gravy. David pumped his fists in the air but Daisy rose from her chair and tossed a piece of cheesecake at him, which hit him on the snout and sent him toppling over the chair.

"You don't throw food at my Abbey!" She warned, wagging her finger. But she, too, was silenced as another ball of mashed potatoes fired from Paulo's spoon-cannon smacked her face, causing her to shout in surprise. Within a few moments, all hell broke loose. Food and drink flew around the room like a warzone as Tess rose from her place at the head of the table, her hands shaking violently. As a large cupcake bounced off her right breast, she screamed from the top of her lungs.

"Enough!"

The war ceased for a few moments as Tess stormed over to Mike and Lucy's figures, grabbing hold of the ears and dragging them behind her.

"I've put up with this for far too long! I will not have you desecrate my ship and ruin this trip! You two will talk out your problems if I have to tie you to the engine and force you to talk myself!"

She dragged them all the way to Mike's room and tossed them in, shutting the door behind them and locking it. She turned to face both cats who were covered in food bits and liquid, and crossed her arms.

"Talk. Now."

"About what?" Lucy said in a sassy tone, but Tess' expression scared her far more than the elder's usual demeanor.

"About you two."

There was silence for a few moments.

"It's all your fault, Lucy."

Tess and Lucy turned to face Mike, whose face was lowered and tears streamed down his cheeks like waterfalls.

"You're the reason that Sandy broke up with me. Well, one of the large reasons. After you… told me… how you felt, all I could do was discuss you with Sandy."

He rose his face up to stare at Lucy with a genuine sadness on his face.

"And it hurt her, so she gave me an ultimatum. Stop talking to you."

Lucy took a step back and placed a hand over her heart, shocked by this news.

"But… I couldn't do it… You've been my friend for far too long…"

He collapsed to his knees and began to sob. Tess shot Lucy an expecting stare and she knelt down to place her hand on his shoulder.

"I… I'm sorry, Mike. I don't like seeing you hurt…" She told him, patting his shoulder. He raised his head to force his tear-filled eyes to stare into hers and collapsed into her grasp, sobbing into her shoulder. She comforted him as he sobbed.

"And… and then I found out to get her newest modeling job, she slept with the director…" He began, but Lucy slowly rocked him and quieted him.

"Sssh, Sandy can't hurt you now."

He broke from her grasp and raised his face level to hers and stared into her eyes. The tears in his sparkled like brilliant gems that encapsulated the large emeralds that were his eyes. Despite his sadness, he smiled weakly.

"The reason I couldn't stop talking to you… was that I came to the realization that I love you. I love you, Lucy."

The words caught her off guard and she had no idea how to react. However Mike took the lead and gently ran a hand over her face, bringing her lips closer to his. She didn't protest as their lips met and savored the time before her, her fairy tale coming to a realization at that moment. Tess smiled and clapped her hands, bringing the two of them back into reality. The two rose from the floor and Mike wiped his eyes before smiling warmly at the two women.

"I'd… I'd like some time alone, please." He said. Tess and Lucy respected his request and Lucy went off to her room to shower. After the warm bath, she climbed into bed and tried her hardest to fall asleep, but the sloshing of the waves outside her room rendered her unable to sleep soundly. She then decided that a late-night snack would help her case and exited her room, quietly creeping past Michael's room. She peeked in the crack and noticed a dim light from within, and stuck her head in to see Mike watching a small television. He noticed Lucy and beckoned for her to come in.

"Can't sleep either, huh?" He asked nervously. She blushed and rubbed her arm.

"The sound of the waves…" She began, but shuddered and refused to finish her sentence. Mike frowned at her and had a genuine look of concern in his eyes. He patted his bed.

"Hop in. You don't have to go through this alone. I'm here for you, I'll protect you."

She smiled nervously and climbed into Mike's bed. He shut the TV off and awkwardly put his arm around her to warm her. She blushed and snuggled into his relaxing grasp before letting out a content sigh. She felt as if not even the water could hurt her as he cradled her in his arms. She looked over her shoulder at Mike's face and smiled.

"Promise me you'll never leave me, Mike." She said. He gently kissed her on the cheek and snuggled up against her, closing his eyes and preparing his body for a long night of rest.

"I promise."
Chapter 3: Mercy Killing

Daybreak poured through the porthole to the boat's cabin and Lucy's eyelids fluttered open. Her body was warm and unresponsive as Michael's body heat had lulled it into a deep slumber. He was still sound asleep and his arm was still around her and she couldn't help but smile having believed the previous night to be nothing but a dream. She snuggled into his grasp and allowed herself to fall asleep yet again, being woken up some time later feeling the bed move as Michael sat up and rubbed his eyelids. She propped herself up on one arm and looked over at him. He smiled down at her and she blushed, returning the innocent grin.

"Did you sleep well, Lucy?" He asked, genuinely concerned for her well-being.

"Yes, thank you Michael." She answered, blushing profoundly.

"Anything for you Lucy, I wouldn't want to see you hurt."

He continued to smile warmly at her and she felt her defenses melt. He dragged himself out of bed and plopped down next to her. He stretched out his tired muscles and sighed, next shoving himself off the bed and approaching the nearby suitcase to rummage through it. She watched him intently as he reached into the suitcase and withdrew a large blue piece of cloth that Lucy recognized as his old scarf. She was mildly amused by this choice of garments as he hadn't worn the blue scarf for quite some time now and upon noticing her surprise he laughed to himself. He bent down and picked up Lucy's untied bow from the floor and handed it to her and she wrapped it around her neck, tying it with expertise. He held out his hand for her and pulled her off of the bed and into his embrace, causing her face to deepen in its shade of red.

"Michael…" She began, but he pressed a gentle finger to her lips.

"Shh, don't speak. Savor the moment."

He drew a small noise from the depths of her throat as his lips neared hers and her gaze ran over his emerald eyes, the jewels that had tantalized her for so many years, always slipping from her grasp at the very last moment.

"I love you, Lucy."

She sighed as their lips met tenderly and grasped at Michael's back, gently hoarding tufts of his fur in her hands as he leaned her back. He nearly dropped her as the cabin's door swung open and David absentmindedly walked in.

"Hey Mike, have you seen Lucy? She's not in—"

He stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing the scene before him. Michael blushed but Lucy looked as if she was to kill the canine for interrupting her moment. A large grin crossed the dog's face and he winked at Michael, snapping his fingers at him.

"I was right!" He shouted triumphantly, smacking his fist into an open palm.

"About what, David?" Michael asked, straightening up and releasing Lucy from his grasp.

"That this was the U.S.S. Love boat!"

"Oh, for the love of…"

The hat and cane once again materialized from thin air and David danced around the pair, twirling his cane with his fingers.

"The love boat soon will be making another ru—" He began, but a comedic blow to the face stopped him dead in his tracks and he collapsed to the floor, dazed and unconscious. Lucy cracked her knuckles and turned to face a stunned Michael, subsequently running her finger through the fur on his chest causing him to shiver.

"Now, where were we?" She asked nervously.

Michael laughed and bent down, grabbing the large brown dog by the ankles and then dragging him from the cabin, propping him up outside the door. The heavy oak door to the cabin slid shut and the lock clicked, denying anyone the ability to disturb the couple until they remerged sometime in the early morning of the next day. The two waltzed into breakfast that day, obviously happy and elated and it drew several confused reactions from the participants at the breakfast table. Only Tess knew of what happened – or rather assumed – and everyone else was left clueless. Michael pulled out a chair for Lucy and she sat down at the table, him in turn taking a chair next to her. They quietly attended to their breakfast while stares from the rest of the group hounded at them from the corner of their eyes. They bid them no attention however, and continued to feast upon their breakfast. Eventually the others followed suit and the tense atmosphere over the table was only penetrated by the clinking of silverware against plates. David rubbed his face and shot a look over at Lucy and opened his mouth to speak.

"So, did you two bang yesterday or what?"

Lucy spat out her eggs and Mike choked on his milk. Everyone eagerly cast their eyes upon the two, waiting for some form of response. Michael grinned nervously and waved his hand in a dismissive fashion at David.

"Of course not, what made you think that?"

"The way you kicked me out of your room yesterday and locked the door."

Sue giggled under her breath and Paulo looked pale.

Lucy nervously glanced around the table and then proceeded to rub her temples.

"David is just being stupid again; we've done no such thing."

No one would dare contest Lucy's word and resumed breakfast, Lucy sending murderous glances at David the whole while. Paulo excused himself from the table shortly after the culmination of the tense mood and disappeared off in the direction of the cabins, Tess following shortly after to see what was wrong. The remaining people finished their meal and Lucy returned back to her cabin while Abbey, Daisy, Sue, and David went out onto the boat's main deck to play a few games. Michael went to follow them but saw Lucy trudge back to her room in a defeated fashion and went to console his love. He quietly entered her room and saw her lying on her bed with her face buried in her hands. He sat down next to her and lovingly placed his arm around her, shaking her gently to let her know of his presence.

"Hey Lucy, why don't you come out on the deck to play some games with us?" He asked concernedly.

"It's just… the sound of the…" She couldn't finish her sentence and was reduced to the verge of tears. Michael held her in his arms and quieted her, slowly rocking her.

"Sssh. Come on, come outside with me. I won't let anything happen to you."

She looked up into his eyes. Her eyes were wet with tears and her body was quivering slightly.

"Do you promise, Michael?"

"I do."

She allowed him to lead her from the bed out into the hallway and to the nearby sliding door. She clutched to his torso as he led her out onto the deck. The quiet sloshing of the waves caused her to freak out and bury her face in Michael's chest fur, and he held her close. He told her not to worry as they continued to inch outwards onto the deck. Lucy opened her eyes and looked around the deck; she wasn't afraid. She smiled up at Michael and hugged him tightly.

"I'm not afraid, Mike! I'm not afraid!"

He laughed as she frolicked over the deck and leaned against the banister. She stared down at the blue liquid and suddenly her confidence was lost. She fainted and fell backwards, and Michael rushed over to her side. She woke up some time later in the bowels of the ship, contained within the infirmary. Each day for an entire week, Michael would comfort her as she exited the ship, each day she got more confidence to peer over the banister at the water again. It was the middle of the second week when the boat turned to return home, and Lucy and Mike stood on the deck of the boat in the cool evening air as he slowly danced with her. They were entering cooler waters. Lucy had had the time of her life these past few days and had hoped they would never end. As Michael cradled her in his arms, the boat rocked violently for a moment. They fell to the floor and the song player nearly smashed itself. There was a large sucking sound and the deck slanted. Panicked and confused, Mike and Lucy ran back into the ship and ran through it down to the annals of her inside to find Tess and the rest of the group huddled and confused in the engine room.

"We hit something…" Was all they heard Tess utter.

Lucy's body tensed up as the boat slanted further.

"We have to get to the lifeboats, come on!"

Tess motioned for her friends to follow her back up to the deck. As she did so, alarms blared all over and doors designed to hold back water began to lower. They hurried down the metallic and lifeless corridor lest they be trapped down here when the boat capsized. At the end of the group was Sue who was hurrying to keep up with the rest. They passed the final door as it lowered and she would be forced to roll under it. As she prepared, a familiar green obstacle tripped her and she slid across the floor directly under the huge metal door. Before she had a chance to react, there was a sickening crunch and spurt of blood as the door disconnected her torso from her lower body. There were several shouts of horror from the group and Sue weakly rose a hand to Paulo, begging for him to help her. Daisy buried her face in Abbey's chest and began to wail. Mike gagged and Lucy held him close while Paulo vomited. David just smiled widely and grinned while Tess covered her nose.

"Please help me." Sue cried, tears streaming down her cheeks and blood oozing from her crushed body and mouth. Tess turned to look to her side to see the emergency fire axe and ice pick station. She opened the cabinet and gripped the large metal ice pick, weighing it in her hands.

"Look away." She commanded. The group did so. She stared down at Sue's plighted figure and held back a few tears.

"I'm sorry Sue."

There was a crack and a thump, followed by a gushing sound and death rattle. The sharp edge of the ice pick had punctured Sue's skull and killed her instantly. Tess' front was covered with the girl's blood and she dropped the ice pick which landed in a puddle of the red liquid. She dropped to her knees and began to cry. Paulo wiped his lip and prevented himself from gagging, placing a hand on Tess' shoulder and tearing her away from the scene. The group dashed up through the ship to the deck and one by one they climbed into two separate life boats. Tess, Paulo, Abbey, and David were in the first while Lucy, Daisy, and Michael ran to the right, the boat that had hung right where Michael had waltzed with Lucy only moments before.

"Somewhere, beyond the sea. Somewhere waiting for me, my lover stands on golden sands and watches the ships that go sailin'." The radio called out, still playing despite the capsizing vessel. The first boat was lowered to the water and made it out safely, but Lucy was hesitant to enter the second boat. Michael reassured her and she climbed in, and he stepped over the banister to get in himself.

"Somewhere beyond the sea, she's there watching for me. If I could fly like birds on high, then straight to her arms I'd go sailin'."

Michael readied himself to enter the lifeboat, but the large boat sunk even further and his balance was thrown off. There was a loud snapping sound as the ropes holding the emergency lifeboat to the vessel snapped and it fell two stories to the cold blue water that slowly engulfed the sinking liner.