Fan Fiction
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September Mo(u)rn
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How long? She wasn’t sure. Breathing was still difficult, but no longer impossible. That meant she wasn’t dead. Her eyes burned like they never had before, but she could begin to discern some daylight. She dragged herself out from under the… what? Oh, an SUV. Whatever. She sat leaning against the SUV trying to stop coughing and gather enough strength to stand. As she waited the dust was settling. She could make out the street signs. She knew her bearings now, time to go. She stood and shook the dust from her hair, at least most of it, tried to brush it off her clothes. Great. A new cloud of her own creation, started her choking again. North. She concentrated on that one thing. Go north.
Slow going at first with her respiration still compromised. With the compunction natural to a lady, she was embarrased to be spitting in public but she had to get that awful crap she’d inhaled out of her lungs and mouth. No one noticed. In fact everyone around was doing exactly the same. She looked around noting the sky was returning to a clear blue, but otherwise everything and eveyone was a solid shade of pale grey. She caught a glimpse of herself reflected in a shop window. She hardly recognized herself. She was a mess. Her hair was a mess. Her clothes were torn and disheveled. She looked like a ghost. Or maybe someone who’d been victimized by that guy on Jackass who threw flour bombs on his sleeping friends. The only place her own color showed through was where the tears and snot had washed the grit away. Charming. Well, she thought, welcome to the unwashed masses. She started to laugh but she recognised the hysteria in the sound. She pulled herself back. No time to worry about it now. Just go north.
The blocks passed by without her taking much notice. She kept her eyes peeled only to be disappointed time and again. All the subways were shut down. None of the pay phones worked. She was glad to see that people were being so decent, though. She’d spent enough time in New York to know that there was more to the residents than their gruff, hard, sometimes scary reputation. But in the face of this sunlit nightmare, she saw things that exemplified the best and most beautiful in humanity. All around her she saw people trying to help, be it giving first aid, the strong assisting the weak, and sometimes just plain picking others up and carrying them to get them away. Strangers aiding and comforting strangers. And of course the army of firefighters, emergency technicians, and police streaming the opposite way, their sirens filling the air. Even just the simple kindness of merchants and private citizens handing out bottles of water to whomever might need them on the long walk. These things too were worthy of tears.
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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