September 11, 2001
The White House
Washington, D.C., United States
Early morning at the White House was my favorite time of day. I still preferred to eat breakfast in the formal dining room, with the pale sunlight filtering through sheer white curtains. I always aimed to arrive at my office before the rush of staff at nine. I liked to clear both my inbox and outbox for the daily flow of paperwork ahead. Recently, I had also developed the habit of checking my email every morning.
I sipped my coffee as my desktop computer slowly whirred to life. I had finished it completely by the time the shrill tones of the dial-up internet finally ended. My computer mouse clicked softly as I navigated to my email inbox. An unusually long subject line caught my eye.
Next time you fly to China, why not connect through Sydney? Would love to grab a beer with you.--A
An irresistible smile spread as I opened it. The body of the email was empty. Shaking my head, I clicked on the reply button and started typing.
Australia dear,
Have you not heard it's against email etiquette to
Suddenly, I felt a tingling pain in my back. I straightened my shoulders, and it shot into my chest like a bullet. My hand clutched my sternum. "Oh my God," I breathed in shock.
Something rose in my throat, forcing me to cough into my hand. I whimpered as the pain practically ripped my chest in two. Feeling wetness, I pulled my hand back to see a splatter of blood on my palm.
Icy fear rushed through me.
My computer screen abruptly shut off with a white flash. The entire room was thrown into darkness, save for the sunlight leaking through the blinds. As the generators kicked in with a loud clunk, red emergency lighting appeared.
A pre-recorded voice played through the speakers overhead.
"Attention. This is not a drill. Proceed to your assigned evacuation route immediately. Repeat, this is not a drill."
~
On September 11, 2001, four US airliners were hijacked by unknown assailants.
At 8:46 AM and 9:03 AM, the first two collided with the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. The explosions caused horrific fires that trapped and killed indiscriminately, even driving some to leap from high windows to end it all. One hour after being struck, both 110-story skyscrapers collapsed straight to the ground, sending deadly clouds of shrapnel and dust throughout the busy streets of Manhattan. The entire world watched the live footage in shock as an unearthly plume of black smoke dwarfed the iconic skyline of New York City.
At 9:37 AM, the third plane had struck the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The fourth, en route to the White House or the Capitol Building, was retaken by brave American passengers and crashed into an empty field in Pennsylvania at 10:03 AM.
Two thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven Americans died. To this day, it remains the single worst attack on US soil in history.
In the immediate aftermath, no nation, organization, or individual claimed responsibility. The hijackers left no trace of a motive. As the country attempted to mourn, blind fear and paranoia about another attack seized the hearts of everyone.
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YOU ARE READING
Her Name Is America
Historical Fiction''I shall never be as powerful as the likes of you.'' France gave a reproachful hum. ''𝘈𝘮𝑒́𝘳𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦, you are but thirty years old. I am well over eight hundred. 𝘗𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘦...almost three hundred.'' My eyes drifted downward, where Prussia's ar...