28 Seconds
Bring Home Daisies
A/N- Hello. As many of you know by now, I have written "28 Seconds" as if it were it's own TV show. In keeping with that spirit, we here at "28 Seconds" present to you a play. One based off of a short film that was written and directed by one of my High School's alumni. The film is entitled "Paper Angels" and can be found on Youtube. This play will begin with an introduction, in present day (September 11th, 2015). Thank you. The Narrator, Alyssa Milano, while be written in italics, like this.
"Hello, I'm Alyssa Milano. While some of you probably know me from my other projects, all of you know me for the role of Kyra Castle here on 28 Seconds. As a New Yorker, Bensonhurst born and bred, I experienced the tragic and terrifying events of September 11th, 2001, 1st hand. And while the story was changed in "28 Seconds" for dramatic effect, have no doubt that the events of that day were just as tragic in real life. It was 14 years ago today that at the World Trade Center, Flight United 93, and the Pentagon, 2,977 innocent people were brutally murdered. Of those 2,977, 2,605 were US citizens, including 72 law enforcement officers, 343 Firefighters and 55 United States Military personnel.
This story is dedicated to sacrifice. The sacrifice made by the firefighters who ran into the burning towers, saving countless lives, and to the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, who fought back against the hijackers, and forced the plane down, rather than let it be used as a target. This story is dedicated to the over 5,000 American fighting men and women who have been killed in action in the war on terror. To the 72 Law Enforcement Officers, 343 Firefighters and 55 United States Military personnel who were murdered that day.
By now, we all know that when they named New York's Bravest and New York's Finest, they knew what they were talking about. Heroes don't wear caps, or jerseys; they wear dog tags and oxygen masks. Heroes are the ones running into a burning building, when everyone else is running out.
Don't try and spend a lot of time trying to figure out where this particular little plays falls in our 28 Seconds timeline, because it doesn't.
This story of ours is dedicated to one final group of people, one too large to possibly quantify. It is dedicated to those who were left behind. The parents who had to bury their children. The children who had to bury their parents. To the widows and widowers who had to bury their spouses and put on a brave face for their children. To all of them, we thank you. And with that, we now present to you, "28 Seconds: Bring Home Daisies"
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It was a gloom and dreary day as NYPD Detective 3rd Grade Erica Jane Barrett pulled up outside the small Staten Island home. As she got out of the car, she looked out across the water, to southern Manhattan, taking notice of the hole in city skyline. She had decided to leave her Glock at home; she wouldn't need it today. As stepped onto the sidewalk and briefly paused, making sure the piece of paper was still in her pocket; it was.
Erica took a deep breath and walked up the front steps, and knocked on the front door. She waited a minute before knocking again. When still no one answered, she was determined not to be discouraged. She made her way around the house, up the driveway into the backyard. When she got there, she found a woman, in her late 20s, sitting by herself, coffee cup in hand. "Excuse, Mrs. Burton?" Erica spoke softly. The woman looked over at her, and noticeably stiffened up. "Detective Barrett, NYPD" she said, producing her badge.
"What can I do for you, Detective?" the woman asked.
"Mrs. Burton, if was hoping that I could speak to you about your husband" Erica said, trying to broach the subject gently.
"What about him?" the woman asked, placing down her coffee mug.
"Before he passed, he was working with us, helping us on a case involving money laundering on Wall Street" Erica told her.
"Dennis was a good man" the woman smiled. "Unfortunately, he never told me anything he was doing with the police" she said.
"Well, that's ok. This is mostly just on background information" Erica told her. They spent the next few hours or so, talking about her husband, Dennis Burton, who had been killed in the North Tower on September 11th, 2001. She told Erica all about her husband, who as it turned out had been her high school sweetheart. She told her about how only months before she and Dennis had decided to try and have kids. She then told her about the morning of the 11th, and the last time they saw each other.
"We had gotten into a huge argument. I can't even remember what it was about" she shook her head. "Whenever we would get into a fight, Dennis would always bring home daisies, as a way of apologizing" she smiled.
"Daises are your favorite?" EJ asked.
"Mine" she nodded. "Dennis was terribly allergic. And that's what made it special. He would put himself through hell for days at a time just to show me that he was sorry, even if it was my fault, and how much he loved me" she gave a weak smile. "My biggest regret is that be stormed out of the house that morning, and the last thing I told him was to go to hell" she said, tears in her eyes.
"Mrs. Burton, I have a confession to make" EJ said. "I've never met your husband, and he wasn't working with us" she said. "Hell, I didn't even make Detective until December of that year" she told her.
"Then why the hell are you here?" the woman asked her point blank.
"Mrs. Burton, I was what we call a "uniform" on day of the attacks" she said. "I was only a few blocks away when the 1st plane hit the north tower" she said. "I was inside the North Tower, when it went down" she said.
"You were in the rubble?"
"Yes" Erica nodded. "It wasn't until hours later that my father, an Army Officer, pulled me out. When I was down there, I was so scared. I couldn't see, I could hardly breathe. I began clawing around for something, anything that could help me. I ended up grabbing a piece of paper of all things. And I don't know why, but I clung to that like my life depended on it. Even after I was pulled out, it was still clenched in my fist" she said. "Mrs. Burton, I know that there is nothing I can say or do that can bring your husband back, but I hope that maybe, this can give you some peace" she said as she pulled a crumpled and partially singed piece pierce of paper from the pocket of her coat. "Have a nice day, Mrs. Burton" EJ nodded as she stood up and walked away. Mrs. Burton sate there for a minute, in silence, before opening up the piece of paper. It was a not from her husband's desk, reading "From the desk of Dennis Burton" across the top. It was a to-do list, "pick up dry cleaning", "buy milk". But what she saw at the bottom, in her husband's writing, was what took her breath away.
"Bring home daisies"
A/N- This story is dedicated to all of the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. While they are no longer with us, they will never be forgotten.
Starring:
Alyssa Milano as herself/narrator
Sarah Jane Morris as Erica Jane Barrett
Lindsey Morgan as Mrs. Burton