The Fall of the Twin Towers

This is a short story I wrote when I was a freshman in high school, year 2007. I'm graduated now so it's interesting for me to look back and see how I used to write. I have this on another writing website and I thought I should transfer it over for others to read. I should have posted it a couple days ago when it actually was 9/11. It's very short but I hope you like it. By the way, all the characters in this story are made up.

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          Hello, my name is Hazel. I'm a simple girl with a simple life. I have few friends and no brothers or sisters. My mom and dad divorced when I was nine. Now I'm sixteen. I go to school every day, every week. I've never missed a day of school my whole life. My heart is set on studying. I guess you could say I'm pretty boring. Wrong. My life changed completely on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

          New York City was the last place anyone would want to be. Sitting at my desk, looking out the window was a regular for me.

          "Hazel?"

          I look away from the window to the direction I heard my name being called. The teacher was staring at me, almost as if she wanted me to say something. I give her a blank look and wonder what she wants.

          "Hazel, I'm not going to tell you again. Pay attention." she demanded.

          She went back to writing our weekly terms on the black board. I wait a few minutes then glance back out the window. Just like almost every other day, I see a plane fly by. Today was one of those days. I look back at the teacher to make sure she was still writing on the board. She had about seventeen terms left to write. I look back out the window. The plane was going by fast, heading straight towards one of the twin towers.

          "Hazel!" The teacher yells.

          I don't dare look away from the window, but she yells my name out again. I can feel everyone's eyes in the class room staring at me.

          "Hazel!" I hear her noisy shoes clinking my way. I look up at her and she asks, "What are you looking at?"

          I look back out the window. She does the same. We both watch as the plane flies right into the first building. I hear all the students in the classroom rush over to the window, wanting to see what was happening. We all watch as flames and smoke poor out of the hole in the building. We all knew that hundreds have just died in under three seconds.

          I can hear students behind me saying, "Oh my gosh!" and "Cool!"

          But in my head I was thinking, "Shouldn't someone do something?"

          I blinked repeatedly, hoping I was just dreaming or at least seeing things. But the sight of the building remained, and so did the smoke. I could hear the fire trucks rushing up the streets towards the tall building.

          Just minutes later, another plane was flying through the sky towards the other tall building.

          "No!" I shout. This can't be happening.

          "Why are these planes hitting these two beautiful buildings?" I thought.

          We all remain watching. Watching as flames and smoke rush out of the second building. I shake my head and refuse to believe any of this is happening.

          Questions in my head were flying around and not being answered. So many fire trucks went by, I lost count. I look behind myself and there are few standing there. I look at the other window. That's where most of the students were. Their eyes were glued to the two buildings. I look back at the towers and feel sick to my stomach. We watch in horror as people jump out of the windows. One by one. Some, two by two. If there's one way to go, I guess it's together.

          "Why are they jumping?" I heard a kid ask from across the room. No one answered. We all just kept watching. The air around the buildings was black, gray, and smokey.

          We begin to hear people screaming. The first building started falling. It got shorter and shorter, then it was gone, leaving nothing behind but a big cloud of smoke. The only thing standing as tall was the second one.

           Millions of innocent people had just lost their lives. In the clearing of the smoke, people were appearing. Running. Just trying to get away. Then, the horrible screaming came again. The second building was falling.

          "What are the people feeling that are inside the building?" I thought to myself.

          That question would not be answered either.

          Nothing was left but smokey streets, millions of dead people, and a mess on the ground, Even if the towers were still standing, we wouldn't be able to see them because of all the smoke and dust.

          Suddenly, I wake up. I look around my room. "What happened?" I asked myself out loud. I look out my window and the two beautiful buildings are still standing there like always, straight and tall. Not one scratch on either structure.

          I think about it awhile, "Is this going to happen?"