9/11 Interlude
No one knew or understood how he could stand with his back straight, his face expressionless, emotionless. He'd just suffered an attack to his lands and his people, the first one to hit since the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. They'd expected him to be hunched over, still reeling from the pain, yet he stood straight, he stood tall, and he stood proud.
Perhaps it was because of his stubborn nature – America had never been one to let anything get him down for long – that he refused to show weakness in front of them, that he even showed up for the meeting in the first place. No one failed to notice the blackened skin circling his right eye or the gash above his right temple. There were probably some more bruises and cuts where no one could see, all equally painful.
They wouldn't have blamed him, if he'd decided to not show up for the meeting. The loss of life in such a short amount of time had to be breathtakingly staggering and painful. Yet there he was, his face remaining expressionless as those who were his closest allies approached him. They were concerned for him, for his people, and to how he would react to the attacks. Everyone knew his people were shocked, confused, and outraged by what had happened. Who could blame them? In their eyes, the attacks happened for no reason, and they wanted answers, justice, and revenge. If it had happened to one of them, their people would feel the same way.
Those who approached him, they didn't really dare touch him even though it's what they wanted to do the most. There were tears in their eyes, and they reached for him, expecting what, they didn't know. They just held out their arms, like a parent seeking to comfort a distraught child. In a way, that's what they were, the nations of England and France, America and Canada.
For a moment, no one said a thing. He stood still, watching, wary, of those who'd had the biggest impact on his life before finally, hesitantly accepting their embraces. A tired yet reassuring smile appeared on his face, and he said he was fine, that he would be okay. It would take more than that to break him, he said. He was strong, and he would prevail. He would move forward. He had his people to guide him and give him his strength, after all.
Little did they know how right they would be.
Author's Notes:
Eleven years ago today, the United States of America was struck with one of the worst tragedies since the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 - four planes in total crashed, each hijacked by terrorists. As everyone remembers, two of the planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The third plane hit the Pentagon while the fourth crashed in a field in the Pennsylvania countryside. Over three thousand lives were lost in those dark moments and for the following week, this great nation was plunged into chaos.
This event, while it happened in the U.S., isn't just a tragedy for one nation. It's a tragedy for all nations. American lives weren't the only ones lost when the towers fell. It was called the World Trade Centerfor a reason, my friends. People from various nations worked there, and people from various nations died that day. We shouldn't ever forget that it wasn't just one nation affected by acts of terrorism. It was many nations.
For those who died not knowing what the day was going to bring, for those who died trying to save the lives of others, and for those who survived and will always live with nightmares, this is for you. We love you, and we will never forget what happened.
Chapter Four is started. This, I just had to write. It's been a long time since I've thought about this day, eleven years ago, and this is by no means my first piece in dealing with the events. It's just one of the first pieces in eleven years.
08/17/2013 - Edited because I had the year wrong for the bombing of Pearl Harbor.