She didn’t have class that morning. She didn’t have class until that afternoon. This was good considering she was still hung over from the long weekend. She had been out partying just about every night, whether she had class the next day or not, and last night was no exception. So here she sat, Tuesday morning, in front of the TV with a big cup of coffee half listening to the TV and half studying her book. She had just downed a “cross” with her bagel and was waiting for the effect to kick in and wake her up. It was early. Too early, she thought to be up. But then again she had to read over the assignment before class. She had to make an effort this semester, especially since she had cut her class load down.

Studying her book it took a second for the sound of her television to cut through her concentration.

“At this point no one is sure why the plane flew into the tower. The area around the World Trades Center is a no fly zone.”

Brianna’s head snapped up and her attention came completely focused on the news broadcast.

“All ready you can hear the sounds of sirens approaching and there is general panic on the streets surrounding the buildings.”

The reporter was talking but the words just weren’t making sense. A plane flew into the World Trades Center? How was that possible? How could that happen? Then her eyes grew big as she continued to stare at the television. The cameraman had focused in on another plane and it was like watching something in slow motion. The plane took a sharp turn, what could only be seen as a very deliberate turn, and crashed into the second of the two twin towers. Her books fell out of her lap as she crawled to the TV. It was like watching a horror movie; so scared that you want to turn away but so frightened that you might miss something important, some key piece of evidence that could change the horrible outcome, so you continue to watch anyway. Minute after minute she watched. She cried as she saw countless people rushing from the buildings. She prayed as others ran in to try to save the helpless. Became lightheaded as she watched victim after victim jump from the upper stories where they were trapped to surely plummet to their deaths. And then it happened; the most unthinkable horror. With thousands of people still trapped inside, one of the towers collapsed; the dust rising into the air like the ash of a volcano.

Brianna couldn’t breathe. She found herself gasping for air. Placing her head between her knees she swallowed hard choking on her own sobs of shock and grief. All she could think was how could something like this happen? Why? There was more commotion on the television and she looked up in time to see the second tower collapse in on itself. She would remember thinking how tragically that famous skyline had forever been changed. She continued to watch as the faces of New York became obscured in dust. They were faceless, colorless, raceless. They had no prejudices separating them. Coated in dust the people of New York were united by a horrible tragedy. They were no longer men and women, blacks and white, Hispanics and Italians. Rather now they were New Yorkers, Americans, Humans, who in the aftermath of this attack shared a haunting sorrow in each of their eyes.

Face after nameless face appeared on the screen. Face after face showing terror, shock, sorrow, despair, anger, pain, and fear. Their eyes said what their voices could not. Their tears carving paths down their ash-covered faces. Brianna never felt so helpless in her life. Slowly, another thought began to creep into her overloaded mind. Another pair of eyes she saw not on the television, but rather in the memories of her mind. As the blue became sharp her panic renewed itself and took a strong hold in her chest.

They were in New York. HE was in New York!

Nick! Oh, God! Oh God!

She could hardly keep her feet under her as she scrambled to find the papers that had their schedule on it. All she could remember was they had been in New York. They were supposed to have been there for several days. But she couldn’t remember when they were supposed to leave and where they where going from there. She just kept repeating over and over in her mind that he was safe and far away from all this tragedy that had taken place. Finally, reaching her desk she found the piece of paper she so frantically sought and exhaled the breath she had been holding. He wasn’t in New York. He hadn’t been in New York for a few days. And in fact, he was supposed to be in Canada as of tomorrow. Collapsing into the chair she put her head down on her desk and cried. She cried because he was safe and she cried for all the people who were unlucky enough to have been caught in such a terrible event.

<~ Chapter 78 or Chapter 80 ~>

In the End

Karina 2003