story3791.xml

story3791.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I was getting ready for work when my mother called and told me that a plane had hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center. The first thought that came to mind was not terrorism, but how could a commercial jet lose control and hit a building that large? When the second plane hit there was no question. I immediately went to the TV to see what was going on and saw the towers on fire. It didn't seem real - like something out of a movie. I was shocked and horrified, but I still felt the need to attempt to go to work. When I went downstairs and was about to reach the door leading to the street, I heard my neighbors scream. I will never forget their words "Oh my God we're under attack they hit the Pentagon". Not knowing what was going on or what would be next I ran back to my apartment. After watching more of the news coverage, I needed to see it with my own eyes so I ran up to the roof of my apartment building to see the skyline that I have looked upon countless times over the years only to see those two magnifcent buildings in flames. The vivid colors and billowing smoke will forever be burned into my memory, however; at that time it seemed so surreal. When I returned to my TV, I saw the first building come down and could not believe what I was seeing. How could one of thise buildings be gone? Shortly after, the second building came down and it was truely beyond belief that they could both be gone. I spent the rest of the morning trying to contact my loved ones to be sure that they were all OK; all the time clutching the TV remote to be sure I would not miss a thing. It was impossible to get an open phone line so I used my cell phone to contact everyone. After I reached everyone I needed to, I lay in bed and watched hours upon hours of news coverage. I eventually got up enough nerve to go back on the roof and see where the buildings once were. In their place was a large plume of smoke traveling towards me. By nightfall, when my loved ones returned home safely I was so completely emotionally exhausted that I passed out. As soon as I awoke, I resumed watching the news coverage to be sure nothing else had occurred. For days after, I watched the news day and night. It was the first thing I turned on in the morning and the last thing I saw before I went to sleep. I would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and turn the TV on to be sure nothing else had happened. I was truly the most horrifying experience of my life that will never be forgotten. No one who was alive on that day will ever be able to get past those images and the memory of the fear. I hope that this archive will help later generations completely understand what it was like to experience this first hand and to truly be changed forever.