Ok, this is basically gonna be my view on the 9/11 attacks and how emotionally drought I felt after witnessing people dying on live TV. It was something that would haunt me forever...for the rest of the my life.
Story:
So, this happened back when I was in middle school, either in sixth or seventh grade at the time. I woke up this morning, thinking it was going to be a an average day. So I arrived at my school at around 6:45 A.M. My first class didn't start til about 7:10. I went to class and did all my work and such. The bell was about to dismiss us to our second class when we heard the announcer in the classroom:
"Attention students...a tragedy has just occurred in the state of New York at approximately 8:46 A.M. Please turn on the news station for more information..."
The bell dismissed us to go to our second class, and we almost never left our second period class for the entire day. I went in my second class and saw it all unfold on the TV. I saw the building, engulfed in flames. I was thinking to myself, "Something went wrong! This is terrible!" And then, I had an uneasy feeling about the second tower. I was hoping that the second tower was not going to end up like the first one. But at around 9:03 A.M., I witnessed in horror, seeing the plane hit that tower as well.
The classroom was quiet. The teacher was shocked. Everyone was frozen as we heard screaming and crying on the television. I then knew, that this was planned. I literally started to cry as the screaming and shouting got to my heart. And what really haunted me is when the camera zoomed on people jumping out of the buildings. After seeing that, I didn't want eat anything. The teachers decided to not give us any work at all that day. Most of them got emergency calls that kept them from continuing work. Then, the announcer told all the students to report to the gym.
We did go to the gym. They gave us lunch there, but the sight of seeing those innocent people getting killed on national television still kept me from eating. I just wanted go home. And surely enough, parents started coming in taking their children home because they got off early due to the tragedy as well. I saw my mom coming to pick me up. And I said, "Mom! The towers! They...they collapsed! Those innocent people!" And then my mom replied, "They attacked the pentagon and another plane is gonna hit the White House!"
I was shocked. More innocent people, being killed as we speak. I really wanted to go home now. I didn't want to be at school crying. The news of the attacks were all over T.V., internet, and the radio. All we heard was the news crew discussing of the live events that was happening. Finally I reached home and mom turned on the T.V. Live coverage of the attacks were still on the air. Then suddenly:
"The first tower is collapsing! Get out of there, NOW!"
I looked on T.V. and saw it happen. I was really upset. I went to my room and tried to pretend that this did not happen at all, not at all today. But it did, and it still haunted me.
Now, it's been ten years, and the images of witnessing the event still lingers inside my mind. Whenever I go to school, I think that anything like that could happen to me. I could be the unfortunate being ending up injured, disabled, or dead. I have become a bit more cautious ever since.
As the tenth anniversary of the tragedy nears by, I pay tribute to those who lost their lives. I also pay tribute to our firefighters, our real heroes, who sacrifice their lives everyday to ensure the safety of our people.
May you rest in peace. And may God be with you.
