Chapter One- Airplanes
I started out the window, watching the swirling city below. Everything was in motion. Even the newspapers flew around the busy streets.
I felt my mom rub my hand with her tumb. She was anxious to be here. New York City scared her, but I couldn't figure out why. What was so scary about the movements of all the people?
The sound of applause made me jump, and I turned around to see my dad standing up in a briefing room, smiling at his co-workers.
Mom picked me up in that moment, and I rested my head against her collarbone. It was only 8:30am, but I had been awake for hours, and I resisted the urge to shut my eyes.
"Elizabeth, what a wonderful surprise" I heard someone say. I didn't bother looking up.
"Oh, hello Robert." my mom said with a smile, and then passed along the normal pleasantries to the man I assumed was Dad's coworkers.
Mom rocked me back and forth on her hip, hoping I would take a nap. She occasionally tousled her fingers through my hair, and my eyelids continued to slip.
I heard a loud noise and moaned. Mom rubbed my back.
"Hi!" A voice shouted at me, "My name is Mary Alice, but everyone just calls me Alice. What's your name?"
Was she oblivious? I opened my eyes to see a child, who looked close to my age
"This is Edward," my mom said in a much quieter voice, "He did not sleep well last night because we were on an airplane"
"Oh" Alice said, "How old is he? I am going to be 5 on January 1st, which is 112 days away"
I could hear my mom smiling, "He will be 4 on December 31st"
I pulled my head up now to look at Alice. She was taller than me, and has her short black hair in two ponytails. She was dressed in a pink, frilly dress. She looked like a cartoon princess.
Mom signed and put me down. Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me away.
"Careful with him sweetie" I heard Mrs. Brandon call, "He's not completely awake yet... I'm so sorry, Elizabeth! We have been in New York for almost a week now and she has not found anyone to play with for a long time…" Her voice trailed off as Alice dragged me towards a blanket with some toys on it.
She sat down next to her dolls, but I went straight for the dinosaurs.
"Roar!" I said, making the dinosaur walk over to Alice's doll
Alice's doll screamed, and she stood up and ran away from me. I chased after her.
Suddenly two pairs of arms reached down and grabbed us.
I pushed the dinosaur towards Alice while Alice moved the doll behind her. We giggled at each other. I felt my mom kiss my cheek.
I have met Mrs. Brandon before. She was my dad's secretary. But I never met Alice before. I wondered why she didn't come to work everyday.
"I hope the Masen- Whitlock firm closes this deal soon. My husband has been at work all week and I had to bring Alice with me, but I haven't been able to work much with her here" Mrs. Brandon said
"I think it will be done today. Edward told me to fly down so we could spend a week in New York, and he said this should be his last meeting-"
"Edward convinced his mom to go on an airplane? That's not fair! He's younger than me!" Alice interrupted
"No, no Alice" My mom said, "I meant Mr. Masen; his name is also Edward"
"They have the same name? What a weird… um… same thing"
"Coincidence" Mrs. Brandon giggled
I turned my head towards the big window and saw a huge object coming towards the building next to ours.
I cocked my head to the right, "Airplane?" I said.
My mom spun around, Mrs. Brandon gasped.
My mom immediately put my face into her shoulder, shielding me. In that moment I felt the building shake, my mom grasping her arms around me. The lights flicked.
I opened my eyes but I couldn't see anything. I tried to move my head, but my mom's arms wove around me like steel. Adults screamed and sobbed.
"The elevator is full. We can't take it down!"
"Stairs! There has to be something we can do"
"How many casualties?"
"How stupid does a piolate have to be to crash into a world trade centre?"
I started to cry, unsure of what anyone was talking about
"It's okay baby. It's okay" My mom repeated over and over again, but I knew she did not believe that. I continued to try and move my head, but she wouldn't let me
"Elizabeth!" A familiar voice called
"Edward. What is happening?"
"Someone turn on the radio!"
I kept fighting on my mom's arms, sobbing
I felt another warm set of hands around me
"Kiddo, it's okay" My dad stuttered, "Don't open your eyes. Keep them closed"
I couldn't even wiggle anymore, and couldn't see anything
"There's another plane!" someone screamed
I could hear a loud noise
"Oh My goodness are they…. Jumping?" my mom said
I could hear the second plane now. The two bodies shielding me began to sob.
"He cannot die. We cannot let this happen"
My mom suddenly snatched me and began to run to the conference room. Her body nipped shielding me, and I could see a broken window where Alice and I played. People ran around and screamed, trying to shove their way down the stairs.
In the room there was a safe. My mom pressed the right buttons and put me inside.
"Elizabeth, that's not going to save him…"
"I love you" she said, "Don't be scared my love/ I'm going to lock you in here and you need to stay still, okay baby?"
Tears streamed down my face as I nodded
She put her hands on my checks, whipping away the tears.
"It's okay to be okay. You'll be okay"
She was somehow smiling as she locked the safe.
"I love you" both my parents said.
And then everything went blank.