My dearest Heather,
You are and will forever be the only woman for me and the true princess of which I thank the Lord each and every day for your arrival into my life.
The moment our eyes first met on that autumn afternoon in Venice, I knew my heart had been newly awakened and that I would forever relish in your intoxicating beauty, melodious whispers, and warm gentle embrace.
Today is April 15, 1912, and as I struggle here amongst the sheer chaos and flood of human emotions, I have somehow summoned the solace to take pen to paper and express my thoughts before these dire circumstances become overwhelmingly insurmountable.
This evening was truly a royal gala steeped in culinary delights of which I’ve not even imagined in my wildest dreams. An endless feast designed for a King was presented to us which included seared Filet Mignon with sliced truffles on a bed of crispy potatoes. My business associate and dear friend Quinton Burberry, opted for the Sauté of Chicken Lyonnaise, served with extra zucchini stuffed with fresh herbs and vegetables. After dinner, our conversations with several world travelers and dignitaries were most intriguing as we enjoyed the finest brandy and cigars on the upper deck in the cool brisk air beneath the surreal luminance of the moonlit and vast Atlantic Ocean.
There is so much more to share my love, but as I mentioned, an event of epic proportions has occurred and time is of the essence. This letter of which I am composing will be inserted into an empty bottle of 1907 Heidsieck Goût Américain Champagne. Fortunately, these bottles are quite large, seeing as they were intended for this celebratory inaugural voyage, and it is most fortuitous that the bottle opening is just as such to accept this symbol of my love and dedication to you for all eternity.
Certainly, my true and ideal intentions were to present this elegant diamond ring to you swiftly upon my arrival back home in New York City. But due to these most unforeseen circumstances that have fallen upon us all, I beckon you to accept this version in lieu of my previously planned and more intimate proposal and request for your loving hand to join me forever in this life and any subsequent journeys destined for us in the unexplored afterlife.
It is virtually impossible to describe the wretched agony of my soul as I must share this information with you and try to the best of my ability to fend off the incessant tears of which simply continue to cascade down my face and onto this desperate scroll.
The Captain, Edward Smith and his crew have adamantly instructed all passengers to urgently convene on the upper decks and adhere to precise instructions as to boarding the limited and sparse supply of lifeboats. Naturally, these accommodations will be filled by women and children first and ultimately, I cannot guarantee the outcome of the events that may occur in this rapidly unfolding dilemma.
It is with great sorrow and yet a tinge of joyfulness that I am allowed this final opportunity to extend my heartfelt wishes to you one last time and can only hope that as I reluctantly toss this bottle into these cold unforgiving waters, that it may someday wash upon the shores and fall into the hands of a kind romantic soul who might take it upon themselves to procure this item and see to it that it is someday delivered to you and that you will always know in every bit of your heart how much I truly adored you.
Most lovingly, and forever yours,
Jacob Archibald Pennington
Passenger of the RMS Titanic
About the Creator
How one decision that takes a minute
Warning This is a Fiction story that deals with suicide and the planning of suicide. How can one minute make all the difference in the World. In my case it did. Let's start from the beginning. It all started with the decision to take my life. That choice took way longer than a minute. I made a plan months in advance. I was going to go to a hotel and do it.
By Jeremy White6 days ago in Fiction
Comments (4)
I'm always fascinated by the past. How people thought, behaved, reacted. This was such a wonderful fictional glimpse into what might've happened that night, before chaos ensued. Wonderfully creative. Loved it, Tony :)
very moving letter. Very cleverly constructed
You really know how to capture a reader's attention. Well done!
I like how you have projected a sense of urgency in the story. A most interesting twist in the last moments on the ship. It reminds me of the stories we have heard about the people on the plane headed for the Pentagon and how they sent messages to their loved ones because they knew they were going to die. With that in mind this wa very moving. Good job.