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9/11 Short Stories

Decent Essays

It was as if the sky was on fire. Red and orange flames painted over the once clear blue canvas and burned. Fog enclosed the area like smoke and ash. No one would bother to notice the sun, weary from burning high in the atmosphere begin to settle. November was coming. Shorter days were creeping up on them. Cold air would soon envelop the region and the year would repeat itself.
Doors slammed, cars beeped, sirens wailed and jackhammers roared. Jazz bands played songs named after the city. The shouts of children, cops, pedestrians, and merchants were echoed across the street. Common gusts of wind thundered from under the ground as subways passed by. Buildings began to light up to beat the darkness before it came. It was rush hour, but perhaps …show more content…

Is that all of the boxes?” She asked.
“Yes. There wasn’t that many.” James replied quietly. He placed the rest of the boxes in the car. As he climbed into the backseat, he glanced at the building behind him through the window. He assumed that this would be the last time.
Months ago when he first stepped outside, the bright rays of light almost blinded him. He raised a pale hand to his face in a petty attempt to shield himself. Now under the dying sun, he could see the city in its entirety. When the surrounding area grew darker, red and orange lights that brushed over the streets began to grow in intensity. Walkers on the sidewalk began to flourish in their own happiness as they hurried from their jobs and into the weekend.
“Thank you so much.” James said as they walked into the apartment.
“It’s no problem James. You know I’d never let any of my patients live in the streets.” Sullivan said with a smile. “I’ll let you get to …show more content…

He thought.
It wasn’t his choice to live here. He couldn’t remember ever having a choice. He looked down at the street below and marveled at the buildings. The buildings were the one thing he could enjoy here. He could appreciate architecture.
The knock on his door woke him up from his daydream.
“James? Are you finished unpacking?”
“Yeah, mostly.” He replied.
“Great, I’ve just got some Chinese food from the place down the street if you’re interested.”
“Alright, thank you. I’ll be right out.” He said through the door.
He lifted himself up from the bed and started to go out the door. Sullivan did tell him to take things slow. How slow was a matter of judgment. One day, everything would be back to normal, and James was looking forward to being able to experience it first-hand. A normal life. What was that like? He couldn’t even fathom the impression it gave off.
It happened one year ago. James’s life was brought to an abrupt and cruel end. From all of the other similar circumstances in which lives were cut short, James was an entirely isolated incident. Despite what he would have preferred, James had never

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