Building The Strongest Family-Chapter 98: Watching A Movie [ 2 ]

The screen flickered to life, revealing an eerie underwater graveyard filled with rusted metal and shattered dreams.

The camera glided past a broken chandelier, its crystals still clinging on for dear life, and a child’s doll half-buried in silt.

Finally, it settled on the ship’s name barely legible on the decaying hull: TITANIC.

A collective gasp rippled through the theater.

"Goodness," muttered a bearded man in a flannel shirt, gripping his date’s hand tightly. "Is that an actual wreck?"

His girlfriend wiped her suddenly clammy palms on her jeans. "They must’ve used those special underwater cameras. Look how clear it is!"

Next to them, Ophelia sat unnaturally still, her violet eyes reflecting the ghostly images on-screen.

Her popcorn munching slowed as she became entranced by the unfolding story.

The scene shifted to 1912 Southampton, where the audience murmured appreciatively at the opulent costumes,the tailored suits, feathered hats, and glint of real gold pocket watches, transporting everyone back in time.

As anticipation built within the crowd, silence enveloped the theater; all eyes were glued to the screen.

Then came the pivotal moment.

Rose fled from a stifling first-class dinner, overwhelmed by her engagement to Cal and her mother’s relentless pressure.

Clutching the railing at the stern of the ship, she sobbed and climbed over the edge, threatening to jump into the icy abyss below. Jack, leaning against a nearby wall with a cigarette, spotted her and intervened calmly:

"Don’t do it," he urged gently.

"Stay back! Don’t come any closer!" Rose shouted defiantly.

Jack disarmed her with humor and empathy: "You jump, I jump. Right?"

Rose was taken aback. "You’re crazy!"

"That’s what everybody says," Jack replied with a grin. "But with all due respect, I’m not the one hanging off the back of a ship."

In that heart-stopping moment, Rose slipped, a scream escaping her lips as she dangled perilously over the ocean.

Jack lunged forward and grabbed her hand just in time, pulling her back to safety.

Every person in that theater was engrossed, munching popcorn and sipping drinks while watching intently as if their lives depended on it.

Time flew by as whispers and gasps echoed throughout; they were utterly hooked!

Then came that fateful scene when disaster struck, the iceberg collision!

Tension gripped everyone as they realized calamity loomed ahead; anxiety rippled through their ranks like electricity.

Suddenly came chaos, the grand staircase flooded!

Water burst through stained glass windows like an unstoppable force, swallowing luxurious hallways whole.

A woman in front screamed when sparks erupted from a short-circuited chandelier overhead.

"That’s... that’s not how physics works," someone in the audience muttered, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

His date smacked his arm playfully. "Shut up and hold my hand!"

Arthur could feel Ophelia tense beside him as Rose swung the axe with determination, aiming to free Jack from his handcuffs.

"Left! Left!" came a whispered shout from the back from the audience urgency lacing the words.

The blade sliced through the air, narrowly missing Jack’s fingers by mere millimeters.

In that moment, the entire theater seemed to hold its breath, a collective exhale echoed as one when the danger passed.

Then came the heart-wrenching scene where Jack and Rose clung to a floating wooden door for dear life.

Rose lay atop it, just above the icy water’s surface, while

Jack was submerged up to his chest, struggling against the cold that threatened to pull him under.

His lips were blue; each ragged breath betrayed his impending fate.

"Listen, Rose... You’re gonna get out of here," he said with a desperate intensity. "You’re gonna go on and make lots of babies; you’re gonna watch them grow into wonderful people. You’re going to die an old lady,warm in your bed,not here, not tonight, not like this. Do you understand me?"

Tears streamed down Rose’s face as she sobbed, "I can’t feel my body."

Jack replied softly but firmly, "Winning that ticket was the best thing that ever happened to me... It brought me to you. And I’m thankful for that."

As Jack’s grip weakened and silence fell between them, Rose realized he no longer responded to her frantic pleas.

"Jack? Jack!" she cried out in desperation before shaking him gently. "No... No, no! NO!"

With a heart-wrenching decision, she released his hand,watching helplessly as he sank silently into the dark abyss below.

The haunting sound of a crewman’s whistle pierced through her despair as she signaled for rescue.

The theater fell into an eerie silence; every eye was glued to the massive screen displaying this tragic moment.

Dazed expressions filled faces around Arthur,then suddenly sobs erupted throughout the room.

Many girls buried their heads in their partner’s arms, tears flowing freely amidst muffled cries.

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The theater doors swung open with a dramatic flourish, unleashing a torrent of emotionally shattered moviegoers into the shimmering lobby.

The atmosphere buzzed with a mix of sniffles, animated chatter, and the occasional heartfelt sob.

Arthur surveyed the scene with a sense of triumph, this was precisely the reaction OMEG had been aiming for.

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"Oh! My goodness!" The tallest girl, her eyeliner transformed into an abstract watercolor masterpiece down her cheeks, clutched her friend’s shoulders like a lifeline. "I will NEVER recover from this. Never!"

"I need to text Kyle right now," another girl whimpered, desperately fumbling with her phone. "I don’t care if we’re fighting, life’s too short for drama!"

The third girl blew her nose loudly into a Titanic-themed napkin, exclaiming, "That old couple holding hands in bed? I’m gonna have nightmares!"

Meanwhile a couple were talking among themselves:

The wife dabbed at her eyes with a tissue as she exclaimed: "You would’ve let me freeze to death, wouldn’t you?"

Her husband sighed in exasperation: "For the last time, Sharon! We live in Neo-Luminara there are no icebergs here!"

"But would you have given me the door? Would you?"

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Meanwhile, another group of friends were talking among themselves:

"Did you see that long tracking shot during the sinking? Absolute genius!"

Sad he lanky guy with horn-rimmed glasses. "And the director use of practical effects for the flooding was mind-blowing!"

His friend, a girl sporting vibrant purple hair, interrupted eagerly: "Forget that! The score! That iconic song! I need it injected into my veins!"

A third student pulled out his phone excitedly.

"I’m downloading Harmonix right now, Osborn’s streaming service has the Dolby Atmos version!"

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A group of frat bros were huddled together looking at each with various expressions.

"Dude... that was... intense," said one guy in a backwards cap, his voice suspiciously thick with emotion.

His friend playfully punched him on the arm. "You cried! Just admit it."

"Allergies, bro! But... yeah... that was rough."