26. Nothing Anymore

When I woke the next morning, I found myself on the floor. "What... How did I even...?" I muttered as I sat up. And then I realised that the ship was moving again. Finally! We were returning back home!

I got up from the floor and couldn't help but to do a little jig. But I stopped halfway when I remembered my upcoming fate. "Aw crap." I said and plopped back onto the floor. I racked my brains for some excuse but found none. It seemed that I had run out of lies to tell. This can't happen! I must think up of at least something! I came up with nothing. Sighing, I got up once more and left the room, beginning to look for something.. productive to do.

Did this ship even have a library? Probably not. Mr. I-do-not-waste-time possibly hasn't read a single book in his life. He doesn't seem to know the concept of an adventure anyways. Yet... I tried recalling his office of this ship. Hadn't there been books there? I couldn't remember... But I can go and find out. Hopefully he wasn't inside.

How wrong I was.

Upon entering his office, he looked up from his work. I tried my best to ignore him, so I distracted myself by looking around his room. And I was wrong again. There were books in his office. What a marvellous surprise!

"Is there something the matter, Mr. Linton?" he asked me, but I didn't heed him. Curious and in slight dream-like state, I seemed to float over to the books and I was right about another thing. He never touched a single book. How did I know? The volumes were all dusty, that was how. I picked out a book at random, dusted it off and opened it. It was a novel. And it was a novel novel.

Halfway through the book, I realised that it was a sappy romance novel. Letting out a noise of disgust, I shut the book and put it back where it was. I wanted adventure. I wanted magic, dragons and knights in danger! With heroines to save them! But as I scoured the books and their insides, I found out that they were all damsel in distress books.

"Is there not a single book wherein a female is the main character!? The heroine??" I spluttered angrily. I pulled out another book and began reading it. I stopped when I found out that it was another damsel in distress book. I let out another noise of disgust and slammed the book shut.

"Would you keep quiet?" I jumped a mile high and whirled around to see Mr. Ambrose staring at me intently.

"Does the rustling of papers bother you? You should know that you're doing the same. So you keep quiet as well." I said and turned away from him.

"Say that again." I rolled my eyes but repeated myself, not turning around.

"You should keep quiet as well, sir, if the rustling of papers bothers you." Mr. Ambrose muttered something I couldn't hear. I could care less though. My attention was on another book already. I sat down on the floor and read, half bored.

As I read it, I felt Mr. Ambrose's gaze on me again, so I looked up to see if I was right. And I was.

"Why are you staring at me? Did no one ever tell you that it's rude to stare?"

"No." I snorted.

"Didn't think so." I returned my attention back to the book and found that it was about a lonely peasant on a journey to find some secret treasure that his village had been gossiping about for years. She, the peasant, decided to go on the journey in proving everyone in her village wrong. She had been ridiculed, teased and taunted without end all her life. Her parents were dead and she had no one other than an old woman who lived nearby.

As the story progressed, I found myself rocking back and forth. It was becoming more and more vigorous. I looked up, eyes wide at Mr. Ambrose. "What's going on sir?" I asked, slowly standing up.

"There's a storm approaching." At that I dropped my book.

"Another!?" My voice went up an octave. "We have to go through this again?"

"Again?" He looked at me incredulous. "What do you-" He stopped talking, remembering.

"Oh good god. Please tell me that there are lifeboats on this ship."

"It can't sink. This ship is built from-"

"I don't care what it's built out of!" I cut him off, panic rising inside me. "I just want to know of this damn ship has lifeboats! Because I want to get out of here alive!" I started for the door when I remembered something else. Turning around, I marched over Mr. Ambrose and grabbed his hand. "And you're coming with me this time!"

* * *

We were out on the deck. Fortunately the ship had lifeboats. But the storm was too violent for anyone to bring them down to the sea. The ship rocked wildly from side to side. Wind was blowing harshly and the rain was battering down on us intensely. Lightning flashed. It was all a mess.

Why was Mother Nature so mad at us? Or maybe she wasn't mad at us, but at someone in particular. I wondered briefly who.

I ended up finding myself on the side of the ship. I was looking over the edge at the dark sea. The wind ended up blowing off my hat. As I tried getting again, I began climbing the Empire sides. I heard a shout behind me but I couldn't make out what the person said. The hat was bouncing about, held by the wind. My fingers were very close to reaching it but I just couldn't.

And then, my fingers closed around the wet fabric of the hat. But I seemed to have run out of luck. For I found myself falling, falling, falling. I screamed but my voice was lost in the storm. I came in contact with the sea and then saw nothing anymore.

• • •

"Mr. Linton, what are you doing!?" I saw her on the ships edge, reaching out for something. She caught whatever it was and I was watching her, watching her intently. I saw her, and.. then I didn't.

"Mr. Linton!" I strode over to where she'd been but I couldn't see her. Looking overboard, I saw nothing but darkness. "Lilly! Miss Linton! Lillian!" It was no use. I couldn't see her. She couldn't be just gone! Panic rose up inside me, stealthily and quickly. It was just like what'd happen two years ago... But worse.

* * *

An hour and fifty three minutes and thirty seven seconds later did the storm finally stop. I had ordered for the anchor to go down. In that hour, I figured out something to do in order to find her. I went into my office and ordered everyone back inside the ship, including Karim who wanted to help out.

I put away my cane and took off my coat which was drenched in seawater and rain. I was going to have to send it to the porter upon my return. Everything else passed by in a slight blur. I found myself on the deck again, back to where I'd last seen Lillian. I prepared myself. And then..

I dived into the sea.

____________________________________________________________________________________

...

I'll just let that sink in. ;]]] (feel free to kill me now for that pun lmao)

So. This chapter was obviously taken from the infamous Chapter 97. Man and Woman, the final chapter of SAS.

Obviously it isn't the same as that one, but I tried didn't I?

Okay maybe it's not up to your expectations, but I'm sorry. Like I have said multiple times, I'm no Sir Rob. I'm not that good of a writer. I'm better at singing, but you don't need to know that.

Yes, I wanted this to happen. As I was listening to music, specifically Adventure of a Lifetime by Coldplay, I couldn't help but to think of Lilly and how she loves adventures.

This chapter came from that. I have decided to do something slightly cliche, but also not very cliche.

And you know what this means.

If you read my last author's note, the one that is now deleted, you'll know and remember that I said that there would be only five chapters left.

But now, I've been thinking about it, and three days is a long time if you must know, and I have decided to extend that. Probably an extra five chapters. I don't know.

I apologise for the short length of this chapter. Spring break is upon me and this means that I have plenty of time to work on this. Over the course of this weekend, I'll be completing my homework first, get that over with and have eight days all to myself (I have Monday off).

I am still refraining from telling you all about the one shots I mentioned. If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry. I'll tell you.

I have decided that once I finish this fanfiction, I'll begin a series of one shots about YOU the reader.

I shall explain more on the final chapter author's note.

Sorry that I seem so academic and boring in this authors note. I'm really very tired. My most sincere apologies guys. I'm sorry.

Please leave comments if you want. I'll figure out the location of the one shots, whether they be in a different book or this one. I dunno. We'll see. Maybe. Lol

See you later.

P.S. #earlyupdate also, #classof2018myclassatMYSCHOOLsucks 😂👌😜