In honor of the tenth anniversery of 9/11/01, I decided to write a short piece about it. Today, I'm putting one of my OCs in this story. He discusses how he lost his parents and what he saw, heard and felt that faithful morning.

Prickly was talking to a news crew about the morning of 9/11. He said, "Well, it's a long story. Ya see, my mother was always big in the stocks.

Naturally, she worked in the World Trade Center. In the North Tower to be exact.

My father was a firefighter. His whole life. He never knew anything else. Hell, I remember when I was a kid, for my birthday, I got to spend the night at the fire house. Anyway, as the years rolled on, I deceided I wanted to join the fire department.

After a year and a half, and watching my partner get burned to death, I had to quit the engine. The department put me on a rig that didn't see much action, and wouldn't see any fires. I was put on Motor Pool 3, the department's oldest, rattiest heavy wrecker. Basicly, I became the guy who goes out whenever one of the fire trucks breaks down. I towed the trucks to the garage. I never saved anymore lives. I never fought fires again.

Anyway, on the night of 9/10/01, I called my mother like I did every monday night. Don't judge. We were talking about our jobs. She told me how Microsoft went down three points and Apple had gone up by four. I told her about the stupid call I had gotten from an engine company that wanted me to check the air pressure in their tires while they were on a run. Anyway, before we hung up, she said, 'I love you.' And I said, 'I love you too.'

The next morning, the morning of 9/11/01, I was driving to the Motor Pool to start my day of runs to help the idiots that didn't put fuel in their trucks and other such things. I had just lit my morning cigarette when I heard a loud explosion. I looked out my driver side window and saw the North Tower with a huge fireball. I was so worried about my mother that I dropped my cigarette.

A few minutes later, my cell rang. It was my dad. He said, 'Did you see the plane crash? This is for real this time. The big one. I just wanted to tell you that I love you one more time.' I said, 'Be careful, Dad. I love you.' he said, 'I love you too.' and the line went dead.

I got to the Motor Pool and heard the second tower get hit. I climbed into my truck and called dispatch for my orders. All that had come in so far was an assist for a flat tire. I drove to the address, fixed the tire and the rescue continued to the scene. I was about to ask for my next assignment when I was dispatched for an accident involving one of our rigs and a taxi. I was responding when the South Tower collapsed.

I got to the scene and it was just a ladder truck had bumped a taxi and the forgein driver was screaming at the firefighters because there was a huge dent in his fender that we were sure was already there.

After convincing the taxi guy to contact the city and they'll look into it, I became very worried about my mom and dad. They were both in the North Tower. I wanted to go over there and see if I could find them.

I grabbed the radio mic and said, "Motor Pool 3 to dispatch... Motor Pool 3 to dispatch...". I can understand that they didn't answer me right away because of the disaster and the fact that I'm only a support unit. After fifteen minutes of this, I finally got through. I was about to say, 'I'm going to the North Tower.', but just as I was about to say those words, I heard a terrible roaring sound. I looked, and my heart sank. I saw the North Tower collapsing. I was mortified because my mother and father were probably still in there. I said into my mic, 'Dispatch, the North Tower just went down. Repeat, the North Tower is gone.' Immedatly, they called for every avalible unit to respond. I keyed the mic again and said, 'Motor Pool 3, responding.'

'Roger Motor Pool 3' they said. I flipped on the siren and flashing lights that had been installed on the rig simply because it had to be more like a fire truck than a heavy wrecker.

Anyway, I raced to ground zero, giving that old truck everything I dared to. I loved the feeling of moving so easily through traffic, driving in the fire lanes, the siren screaming, it felt like I was back on the engine three years earlier.

So, when I arrived on the scene, it looked like a warzone. The dust blocked out the sun. Destroyed cars and fire trucks littered the streets.

I did what I could. I backed up to the first vehicle, hooked up to it, and pulled it out of the street. After I got the street cleared, additional apparatus and crews were able to get through.

After I'd opened the roads up, dispatch sent me to Ground Zero. They had live victims trapped and needed a crane to move the debris. I made a Code Three response. (lights and siren)

I arrived at the scene, and I was completey blown away by the distruction. All that was left, was a huge pile of busted concrete and twisted steel.

One of the rescuers was waving me over to one area. I drove over to him and we began attaching the hook to different stuff so I could pull it off of the victims."

Tears came to his eyes and he continued, "I worked on that scene, everyday, unti the last brick was turned, hoping against hope that it wasn't too late. That my parents were alright.

Their bodies were recovered after two weeks. I was called to the morgue to identify them.

After I saw their bodies lying on the autopsy tables, I was a complete wreck. The hope that they were still alive was all that was keeping me going, and now that was gone too.

I did what anyone would do. I confirmed that they were my parents, gave them both a kiss on the cheek, and said goodbye.

Ya know, it's not too often that the last words that you say to your parents is "I love you", and it's not to often that the last words that your parents will say to you are "I love you". But they were the last words I said to my parents, and the last words they said to me. So I have no regrets.

Am I sorry I wasn't on the engine with my old man that day? Yeah, I am. But I know in my heart that He's glad I switched to the Motor Pool. If I hadn't been there with that old tow truck, I know quite a few more people would have died.

Mom? Dad? If you're watching me right now, know that I love you both, forever and for always. I miss you both so much."

*Sob* Sorry. I always get weepy when I think about 9/11. Sorry if it didn't make sense in places, but for a fact, FDNY does have fleet tow trucks that haul trucks that have broken down. I don't know if they really had one of the tow trucks pulling rubble off of survivors, but it makes enough sense to me. Thank you for reading. Please review.