It was a normal sunny Tuesday in New York, with the streets full of busy people in a rush to go to work or to school. I was just getting ready for school when my mom came in to say bye to me. “Bye Sophia. See you when I get back home.” I didn’t say much to her afterwards, since she said that everyday before she left. I just replied with a simple ‘Bye’. While I was walking to school, I saw the ordinary- people rushing around, all the tall buildings standing proudly and people walking in and out of vehicles. When I arrived at my classroom, where the twin towers were in view, my best friend, Allison, greeted me happily as usual. At 8:00, class started. It was a normal day with the normal routine, such as homework or daily announcements. Suddenly, we heard a loud crash outside. We rushed to the window to see what had just happened. I thought a car accident had just happened but as I stared outside, I saw the twin towers on fire. At first, I didn’t believe what I was seeing, but as I stared at the towers, I realized that this wasn’t a dream it was real. Everybody started to panic and cry. This was the most depressing and frightening moment of my life, especially since my mom worked in there. What if she couldn’t escape in time? Terrified by the fire, I looked over to Allison. She looked back at me with the same heartbroken eyes, but it seemed like they also read ‘It’s okay.’ She knew how I felt, and what I was worried about. Suddenly, my teacher came up behind me and told me to go use the phone to call my mom or dad. I called my mom first, but the phone couldn’t connect so I started to panic even more. Then, I called my dad. He was just as frightened as me, so he told me to tell my teacher that I had to go and then pick up Kaylee on the way back home. After I hung up, I briefly explained the situation to my teacher, then left in a hurry. While I was running to Kaylee’s school, I noticed the streets full of smoke, firefighters and frightened people, instead of the usual smiles and busy people. After I picked up Kaylee, I rushed back home to find dad looking out the window. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion noise. I looked out to see the twin towers collapsing. I immediately rushed outside to find a firefighter and asked, “Hi, my mom works in the twin towers and I was wondering if you could help me find and rescue her.” I explained to him what she looked like, and he promised me that he will try his best. I watched him run towards the tower to help find and rescue my mom. He was brave, and didn’t hesitate to go in there. He was willing to help. After a while, he came back out, completely covered in smoke and dust. “I’m sorry child, but I can’t seem to find her. Do you want me to put her on the ‘Missing List’?” I nodded quietly, and watched him go back in to rescue other people. Suddenly, I remembered what my mom had always told me: “Never give up on your hope. No matter what happens, always have it with you.” I rushed back to my family, and found dad talking on the phone to our relatives, telling them about the event. After he hung up, he told me that we should go back home, and try to sort things out. Kaylee, dad and I slowly walked back home together, and didn’t say anything on the way. On the way home, I saw Kaylee looking really sad. This was not the normal her. She used
to always be energetic and looking on the bright side of things, but it seems like after the event, she had changed. When we got back home, I sat on the front porch steps, and thought: ‘Just because the firefighter didn’t find her, it doesn’t mean she’s not alive. She will make it out safely and come back to our family and home.’