Arthur's English Journal

The trip had not been a good one. It was only after getting on board the Freedom Of The Seas, which was a very big boat, that Jerry realised he suffered from sea sickness. Jerry had hoped this trip would give him some time to relax, but instead he had just been lying his room only ever getting up to go to the toilet, or to be sick in it. Lying in his bed was what he was doing when a torpedo hit the side of the boat like a hunter’s bullet hitting the side of a fat hippo.

Lucky for Jerry it had happened on the other side of the boat so he had a full seven seconds before he knew of this.
The seven seconds passed and the door flung open to reveal a very stressed looking steward. Jerry wondered what could possible have made him that stressed.
“There’s been a massive explosion. Everyone has to get to the life boats now!” said the steward.
Ah that would explain it. Jerry leaped up and went for the door. When he got there he saw a wave of people. As he put one foot forward he saw a wall of dark, brown water push its way through the celling and begin to submerged the people beneath. Jerry slammed his door and locked it. He knew this would hold the water back for maybe 20 seconds at the most. Jerry looked around. No windows, no other doors, but there was a air vent leading straight up. He pulled out the cupboard and placed a chair on top. He got on the chair and with all his strength pulled the vent off. To this day he still has no idea how he managed this; maybe the adrenaline kicked in, maybe he was stronger than he remembered (although he doubted this) or maybe the vent was just very old. Jerry grabbed the sides of the vent and pulled himself up. The vent didn’t go to the left or right but only up, in one long tunnel to where he hoped he could get a lifeboat. He began to climb. Barely had he taken one heave of his body when the water smashed through the door and gushed up the air vent. Engulfing him.
Jerry woke up facing the stars. They were pretty. He was glad if this was what being dead was like. It was then that somebody stood on his hand and all his senses came to. He was back in hell. Sitting up he saw he was on the top deck. How he got there he had know idea. His legs would only just take his weight. Balancing himself he made for the side of the boat, hoping against hope that there might be one lifeboat left. Somehow there were two boats still there. That’s when the boat started to tilt. If he had not already bean holding on to the railing, he would have joined many people in sliding along the boats floor before hitting the cold Pacific Ocean. Jerry knew that if the ship was going to sink like this, it would be better to be at the end of the boat not already submerged in water. He began to use the railing as a make shift ladder. As he climbed, it occurred to Jerry that it was only now that he was taking in what was happening. After about 11 minutes of climbing, his arms were really starting to burn. After 17 minutes, his hands went numb and after 23 minutes he was very tempted to just fall of the ladder.
When Jerry got to the top, exhausted and dripping with sweat and water, he saw only 27 other people there. They all waited at the top of that boat, soaking wet, standing in the cold. It took thirty minutes for the whole boat to sink. And it took 29 minutes for the rescue helicopters to get there.