The water was all around her. Over her. She couldn’t breathe. She was drowning. She sat up with a jolt. “Alice!” Everything around her was pitch black and for a moment Anne wondered if she had her eyes closed. Her clothes were wet, and she was colder than she had ever been. And instantly she remembered where she was.
“Alice?” she whispered to her sister. Alice did not respond. Anne shook her gently. “Alice, wake up. Let’s move on.” But there was no response. “Alice. Alice, wake up.” She shook her sister harder. But Alice did not wake. Anne held her breath. Her fingers found her sisters throat. There was a low pulse, but the skin was cold; colder than Anne’s fingers. Anne felt her stomach drop. “Alice! Alice! Please!” She shook her sister desperately.
The tiniest moan rose from her sister’s lips and Anne inhaled sharply.
“Alice, we must go. We must move. You need to get warm!” But again, there was no response, and when Anne shook her sister again, Alice did not respond. “No. No. No. No.” Anne whimpered. She looked around for help. But there was nothing but the cruel darkness.
She was wild with panic and began to cry frantically. Alice was going to die. She couldn’t see a thing. She didn’t know where they were. They were all alone. And Alice was dying.
“Help!” she wailed, desperately believing for a moment that someone would hear her and come to their aid. “Help! Please! Please!” But no help came. “Please!” she shrieked. She curled up. Uncontrolled, high-pitched noises rose from her throat, interrupted by desperate gasps for air. She could not calm herself.
But at last she managed to steady her breathing and her mind cleared a little. There was only one option. It seemed like an impossibility. She would have to leave Alice here, and try to find help in the complete darkness in some miraculous way. But how could she possibly leave her sister behind in this state? What if Alice died in her absence, all alone in this horrid place? If she stayed, perhaps she could keep her sister warm just a little longer, keep her with her just a little longer, make the end just a little more bearable.
But she knew what she had to do. She got up, sobbing, gasping, praying. But she got up. Desperate to keep her sister as warm as she could – but not thinking clearly - she took off her shawl and dress. The latter came off with great difficulty, since the wet fabric was sticky and inelastic. Her corset was heavy with water, and she tossed it down. Then she knelt by Alice’s side and covered her sister with the dress and shawl, hoping it would keep her warm, rather than make her colder.
“Oh Alice, forgive me.” Alice did not respond, and Anne tried not to think of how this might be the last time she would see her alive. She kissed her sister. “Forgive me.” She whispered again.
Then she took a deep breath, rose, and ran off into the dark night.
“Alice?” she whispered to her sister. Alice did not respond. Anne shook her gently. “Alice, wake up. Let’s move on.” But there was no response. “Alice. Alice, wake up.” She shook her sister harder. But Alice did not wake. Anne held her breath. Her fingers found her sisters throat. There was a low pulse, but the skin was cold; colder than Anne’s fingers. Anne felt her stomach drop. “Alice! Alice! Please!” She shook her sister desperately.
The tiniest moan rose from her sister’s lips and Anne inhaled sharply.
“Alice, we must go. We must move. You need to get warm!” But again, there was no response, and when Anne shook her sister again, Alice did not respond. “No. No. No. No.” Anne whimpered. She looked around for help. But there was nothing but the cruel darkness.
She was wild with panic and began to cry frantically. Alice was going to die. She couldn’t see a thing. She didn’t know where they were. They were all alone. And Alice was dying.
“Help!” she wailed, desperately believing for a moment that someone would hear her and come to their aid. “Help! Please! Please!” But no help came. “Please!” she shrieked. She curled up. Uncontrolled, high-pitched noises rose from her throat, interrupted by desperate gasps for air. She could not calm herself.
But at last she managed to steady her breathing and her mind cleared a little. There was only one option. It seemed like an impossibility. She would have to leave Alice here, and try to find help in the complete darkness in some miraculous way. But how could she possibly leave her sister behind in this state? What if Alice died in her absence, all alone in this horrid place? If she stayed, perhaps she could keep her sister warm just a little longer, keep her with her just a little longer, make the end just a little more bearable.
But she knew what she had to do. She got up, sobbing, gasping, praying. But she got up. Desperate to keep her sister as warm as she could – but not thinking clearly - she took off her shawl and dress. The latter came off with great difficulty, since the wet fabric was sticky and inelastic. Her corset was heavy with water, and she tossed it down. Then she knelt by Alice’s side and covered her sister with the dress and shawl, hoping it would keep her warm, rather than make her colder.
“Oh Alice, forgive me.” Alice did not respond, and Anne tried not to think of how this might be the last time she would see her alive. She kissed her sister. “Forgive me.” She whispered again.
Then she took a deep breath, rose, and ran off into the dark night.
