I decided to write this today because it is 9/11.
I was only in second grade when these attacks occured but I remember it perfectly.
Today my heart goes out to everyone who was effected by this day 9 years ago.
God bless America.
I live a perfect life. I have the best husband, great friends and a killer career. Could I really have this perfect of a life? The answer was no.
My name is Mitchie Torres-Grey. I am 24 and a fashion designer. My husband's name was Shane Grey and he worked in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. He went to work around 6:30 in the morning and never bothered to wake me up before he left. Let's just say, I'm not a morning person. We learned that in the early days of our marriage. In a week, Shane and I were going to celebrate our 4 year wedding anniversary.
I woke up in the morning around 9:50 to the sound of sirens in the streets. I didn't bother turning on the news, just figuring a building nearby was having a gas leak or something but I got out of Shane's dress shirt that he put me in last night and put on a pair of skinny jeans and a loose t-shirt. I opened the shades in our room and saw a lot of fire trucks with control running everywhere. People looked like they were in shock but I didn't see the truth behind the situation. I was confused so I turned on the TV.
"If you're just joining us, a plane just crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. People, who are in the neighborhood, please stay in your homes or buildings so you won't get hurt by fallen debris." The reporter said.
I was in shock, this couldn't be real. A plane crashed into one of the world's tallest buildings? I was scared. What was going on? This wasn't making sense.
It became real when 9:03 struck my clock. I still had the news on.
"There's another plane! It just ran into the second tower. Ladies and gentlemen, the second tower has just been hit."
My eyes widened. Shane! My husband was in the tower! I grabbed my phone and called Shane's office number. The office number didn't go through and when it didn't I called his cell phone. It went directly to his voicemail, "Shane, please call me back!" I said through my tears. "Please, please, please be okay! I can't do this without you." I hung up.
How did my life come to this? Shane was the best thing that has ever happened to me and now I don't know where he is or what he is doing or if he is…alive.
When I was crying my eyes off, my phone rang and I hoped it was Shane. I picked it up with hope but the caller id said Caitlyn. "Hello?"
"Mitchie! Oh my god, are you okay?" She said through tears.
"No, I don't know where my husband is! He works at the center. What if he is dead?"
"Calm down, Mitchie. Think positive."
"How can I?" I said hanging up. I ran outside onto the crazy streets of New York. I pushed through people until I saw a police officer blocking the way.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Nobody can go through because it isn't safe."
I really felt like punching the man because he is standing between me and my husband who could be dead. "My husband is in the South Tower! I haven't heard from him!"
"I'm sorry I don't know who is alive at this point. Please, for your safety, stay behind this point."
I nodded, not wanting to fight a police officer. Pretty soon I heard a huge crash and looked down the road to see a huge cloud of smoke coming down the road. I ran into the nearest building with a group of people and pretty soon, I couldn't see anything outside the road. I was still crying and when the cloud of smoke cleared up, I looked at the firefighters outside. They were brown from all the smoke and debris. They were also on the phone. I walked out and heard them say goodbye to their loved ones.
I wish I could have said goodbye. What if he was dead?
The two firefighters gave each other a hug and ran to the direction of the attacks.
Less than an hour later, I was stills standing in the same spot, crying. A loud boom filled the area and another cloud of smoke came again. I took off running into a building. The second tower had collapsed. Two towers down. What had happened to our country?
I walked outside again when it was clear and I saw that people were rushing to the location, which was covered with debris. I started looking at the hundreds of people scrambling to find their loved ones. I was scrambling too. I had to find out what happened with Shane.
"Shane!" I screamed. "Shane!"
Then I felt a sharp pain fly through my body. I crouched down to the ground and expected to see blood come from my body. I thought I was losing my baby. Yes, I was a month pregnant and I was planning on telling Shane on our anniversary. I screamed in pain but I knew that I was just stressed. I stood back up and ran to a few people covered in debris. I was stressed.
That's when I saw a man who was dirty from the debris his hair was messy yet short and he was talking to a doctor.
"Shane!" I screamed.
The man looked up and took of running to me. "Mitchie!" He screamed.
"Oh thank god." I said sobbing. "I thought I lost you. I woke up and I didn't hear anything but sirens."
"I'm not going any where, Mitch. I can't leave you but I couldn't have done this alone. I was following a group of people and I'm so shocked."
That's when I looked around to see people scared for not finding their loved ones. I walked up to a woman and I gave her a hug, knowing she needed it. "Be strong. I'm sure your loved one will be okay." I said.
She nodded her head and screamed, "John?" That's when she saw her husband.
I knew that a lot of people didn't find their loved ones today. I'm so sad and terrified that this would happen to anyone but I'm so lucky to have Shane standing next to me.
I walked back to Shane with tears in my eyes.
"Mitch, I have to go to the hospital. Since it is overloaded, they don't want family there."
I nodded, "I understand. But Shane?" I asked
"Yes?"
"I just wanted to tell you I'm pregnant. I don't know how I would have done this without you."
Tears flooded through his eyes and he nodded before emergency care took him away.
Always remember 9/11.