Superman
9/11
Chapter I
September 11, 2001: 9:25 AM; New York City, New York.
Where is he? Are we not deserving of his attention? Is he too busy? We need him now. Without him we're screwed.
Another plane hit. Another plane hit. That's two. People are jumping now. They don't care. They just want out. I do too.
But I'm not moving. I'm just a pencil pusher. I'm scared. But, why shouldn't I be? Superman could save this city. But Superman's not here. It's not his city. Not his problem. The Spider boy tried, but he's not fire proof. Superman's fireproof, but he's not here, he won't be.
Whu-wait. He's here. After the longest seven-teen minutes of my life, he came. But it's too late. Too late for all of us. Too late for New York. Too late for America. The Al Qaeda won.
"Help!" I shouted. I could hear him.
"Are you alright?" Superman asked as he reached me.
"I'm *cough* fine. Please help me out."
He carried me out, set me on the ground.
"Do you have any family?" Superman asked.
"My wife, kids, and parent's." I said.
"Go home, hold them…love them, while you still can." He said.
"Can you save this city?" I asked.
He stared into the sky, coldly.
"I can try." He said as he flew back to the World Trade Center, where I once was.
On the ground, things were no better.
"Sir!" A young child called to me.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
He nodded.
"A piece of building fell off and hit my mommy's car. She can't get out! Please help her!" He shouted.
He led me to the car.
As we ran I saw Superman in the sky above, doing what he could, racing from cars to buildings, taking people to ambulances, and helping those he could.
We reached the car. I knew the second I saw her that the boy's mom was dead. I couldn't help her. Before I could say anything Superman caught a piece of building from falling on us.
Superman stared at the car, at the dead woman, at the boy.
"Superman! Please help!" The boy shouted.
"I…" That was all the hero could say. I doubt he had ever seen anything like this. And he probably won't ever again.
"Can you help her?" The boy asked.
Superman, tears in his eyes looked at the car, then at the sky. "No," he said.
The boy stared at him, heartbroken.
"I'm so sorry." Superman said. "I…I…"
The boy started to shake his mother's body.
"Mommy! Don't go! Please!" The boy cried.
I'm not an emotional person. But I cried. I cried with the rest of the United States of America, as this would be the longest day in the history of this country.
Chapter II
September 11, 2001: 10:00 AM
New York City, New York.
I couldn't leave the boy, so I took him with me as I tried to escape the living nightmare. The Twin Towers were on fire, Superman tried to extinguish it with his ice breath; but to no avail. The fire just kept coming, as if Satan himself was shooting the flames right up from the mouth of Hell.
"What's your name?" The boy asked.
"Paul," I said, "Paul Richards. Yours?"
"Ronny." He responded. This was the first real conversation we'd had. All he'd done for the last fifteen minutes or so is cry. I don't blame him.
As we walked further we came across a mob of people. Things were getting worse. We walked closer to see a woman, on her knees, crying.
"Ma'am? Ma'am are you okay?" I asked.
"My…baby…dead…my…baby!" She shrieked under her breath.
"Ma'am?" I said.
"They knocked my baby out of my arms…trampled her…trying to get away…" She said.
I looked over and saw a bruised and broken baby body, not ten feet away. Ronny started crying again.
"Superman! Superman, help!" The woman called. I didn't understand what she needed help for.
Superman flew down to us.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
She stared at him coldly and pointed to her baby. "Damn you." She mumbled.
"Excuse me?" Superman asked.
"Damn you! You killed my baby!" She shouted as she beat on Superman's chest. But he didn't flinch. He accepted it, as if he agreed with her.
"I'm sorry about what happened, but I…" He started.
"Where were you? The city's gone to hell and you were off signing autographs in Metropolis! Are we New Yorkers not deserving of you?" She screamed.
"Ma'am, I came as fast as I could." He argued. But in his eyes you could see, that he truly hated himself right now.
"You dragged your feet! Because of you my baby is dead! My little girl!"
I tried to console her by putting my hand on her shoulder, but she pulled it off, managing only to mumble "Go to hell." She wasn't done with Superman yet.
"Look at this city! You could have stopped this! What's wrong with you! Why couldn't you come? I! Hate! You!" She screamed.
Ronny cowered closer to me.
"I know you do," Superman said, "I am so sorry about what happened. I…I…"
"You what?"
"I…" But before he could finish someone else called for help.
"I've got her." I said.
Superman nodded and flew off.
"You!" She said, pointing to me. "You were in on this!"
"In on what?" I asked.
"This!" She shouted, waving her arms around to motion the burning city.
"I had nothing to do with this!" I shouted back. Ronny started crying harder.
"You and Superman started this all!" She said.
"You think that the two of us plotted this whole catastrophe? You're an idiot!"
"I'm an idiot?"
Ronny tried to get my attention by calling my name.
"Will you shut up, you little worm!" I shouted. As soon as I said it, I wished I was dead. How could I say that to this kid? Ronny took off running.
"Ronny!" I called. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
I started to chase after him, but then I saw what he was trying to tell me about. A giant piece of building was about to fall right on top of us.
Chapter III
September 11, 2001; 10:39 AM
New York City, New York