Fan Fiction
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September Mo(u)rn
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She trudged north with the crowd. As she went she tried to compose herself. It was difficult to do, hard to make any one thought hold still long enought to complete it. Slowly the sound of a plane entered her awareness. Such a common sound, part of everyday life, she had become inured to it, but not today. Again she realised it wasn’t quite typical, too loud, too close. No. Scanning the sky again, she found the source, another passenger jet incongruously speeding over downtown. She watched in dumb horror as it struck the South Tower, the billowing flame and smoke now oddly familiar. She gave up on her efforts to compose herself for the moment but resumed her attempt to get away, her tears streamed as she kept her feet moving. She could no longer believe that any of this was an accident.
As she walked, Bette heard a loud, strange noise, a crackling and a groaning and a whooshing all at once. She noticed that those who were lining the street were looking back at the building with renewed agitation. She turned to look. Christ! It was coming down! That enormous building was collapsing to the ground. How could it be? Yet again, Bette felt stupified. Not for long though. No time to feel. She could see a vast cloud of dust heading towards her, swallowing the stampede of humanity that tried to outrace it. Bette turned and ran for her life. It was hard to set a course, not every one was as athletically gifted as she and the slow became obstacles for the swift. She had to keep an eye out for them, the parked cars, the newspaper kiosks, and all the rest of the street furniture, but she still could not resist looking behind to watch the approach of the cloud, the monster that would swallow her. Bette now truly understood the meaning of the word "panic". Each time she looked. it had approached closer. On some level she knew it was futile, but she ran with all the strength she possessed. And then in hit her.
The force of it literally knocked her off her feet. From running at top speed, she suddenly was stopped, tackled from behind, sprawled on the ground. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of her. She tried to inhale. Initially she couldn’t, but even when she could it did no good. She was blind and choking. Gasping, she stripped off her jacket and put it over her head, trying to reduce the amount of dust she inhaled. It didn’t really help. She could feel she was next to something hard, a car, a van? She crawled beneath it like a wounded animal. Choking, gasping, retching she struggled for air that refused to enter her lungs. She resigned herself to her death, knowing with out breath it would come for her too, as it had come for so many this day. She thought of Tina and was glad she had not made this trip. She thought of Tina and was glad.
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OK, I’m not sure what to say… but very intense… it’s almost like you were telling your own story through Bette?
made me cry thinking of that day. Thanks for the story.
so brilliantly written. it brought us straight to the grim reality on the ground. thank you.
Funnyone…I respect this tribute of sort to what occurred on that dreadful day. That was a day that will always live in my mind, heart, and soul. I’m from NYC and have lots of family & friends there. On that day, I lost family & friends…it was truly a measure of human endurance;however, humanity served this spoil a drink of greater service. We came together, we chose to rise above it, and we learned to survive with such a devastion. Our hearts are filled with many emotions, but the first was love. Thank you Funnyone…I respectfully thank you for the journey. It was dark but in the end of every journey the lights is bright, warm, and welcoming.
I’m still trying to catch my breath. I felt like I was right there with Bette. Thank you for writing it and sharing.
i also live in New York… enough said… what a terrible day… please continue with your story…
All I can say is…Thank You.
Thank you for the kind comments, ladies. Just FYI: I’m very, very glad to say that not in the middle of the nightmare. The towers were already down by the time I woke up that day and opened the shades on my skyline view from Woodside, Queens. Much smaller nightmare for me.
wow, it evoked so much memories of that day…and i read that JB actually was in NY then and was supposed to go to twin towers…thank you for this story
Very affecting.
Wow, this was a very intense story. Thank you.
This is not just a story, the event is fact, and it is one that we should never forget. I tend to agree with those that believe if given enough time and absence we as humans stop remembering that which we should not. If anyone remembers history has always proven that people forget, or push the bad memories aside thus allowing another individual or party to attempt the same at another time. I live on the west coast and have never forgotten how I was woken up that morning, or the concern that being so close to S.F. I could not send work crews there as we were unsure of what would happen . Thank you for the story, and the reminder of what is important.
Thank You.
Thank you – that was a beautiful tribute to a dreadful and dark day i our history. It brought tears to my eyes…..
I live in the UK but visited Ground Zero last year on a visit to NY, it was a very emotional place to be, you have brought a vivid description of the serene memory I have of the place. Thank you.
I will always remember where I was and what I was doing that day. As a nation, and as a world I think that we all came together. Now that this type of horror continues to happen in other countries, I hope that we can remain as compassionate to them. I hope that one day these type of acts will stop.
You maded us feel like we were part of the masses. When you think about it it still hurts thanks so much.
you know i’ve been PC less for a while so this is very late comment. i am proud to call you a friend funnyone – that just conveyed so much of what was a terrible day. i don’t believe anyone is totally evil but to do this with glee sure tests that belief. in england we had a minor taste of 11/9 last year with what happened in London. the only thing that conquers evil is not more evil but love and comprehension.peace
i felt every step of the way with bette with this one, not your usual but heart wrenching
sad day in history, never forgotten