Joseph rushed up the stairs of the World Trade Center to level 97, eager to fulfill his boss’s instruction to get coffee from across the street. At age 23, he accepted a job as the personal assistant to a project manager.

He politely knocked and entered his boss Charlie’s unnaturally clean room. There was not a paper out of place, nor speck or fingerprint on the large window occupying the space of the whole back wall.

“Here you are, sir,” Joseph indicated, setting the steaming mug of black coffee down upon a particularly clear space on his desk. With a nod of thanks, his boss took a sip and continued his business. Joseph sat on his designated chair in front of the miniscule, shiny black table in the corner and gazed at the breathtaking view of New York City. The window overlooked the other twin tower, symbolizing unity and incredibly hard work. “It is truly staggering, you know,” Joseph thought aloud, staring intently at the colossal clouds in the sky.

Charlie abruptly stopped typing and looked into Joseph’s electric blue eyes. “What?”

“America. It’s just so amazing how far we’ve come and developed a country of love,” explained Joseph, full of wonder.

“Yeah, okay,” replied Charlie, clearly inferring that Joseph lost his marbles. He returned to his work without a second thought. But Joseph sat transfixed, lost in thought for a long while. Suddenly something caught his eye and he returned to reality. A small dot was gradually growing, soaring through the sky at the speed of light. Joseph looked harder. The small dot was metamorphing into a large predator of the sky. Finally it transformed into an airplane, aiming right at the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The crash seemed to slow down in his mind; the plane racing into a suicidal dive, preparing to collide with the prominent building ahead. Joseph did not see the pilot, but he assumed there was a look of pure contempt and glee etched on a pitiful man’s face. The building exploded as debris and people fell to the bone-breaking ground below.

“Boss. we’re under attack. That was no accident. WE HAVE TO WARN THE OTHERS!” Joseph screamed, full of panic.

“Joseph. JOSEPH! Calm down! It will be okay,” Charlie attempted to sat calmly, but Joseph suspected a hint of fear. Without looking back, he clambered into the hallway and yelled, “WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! EVACUATE THE BUILDING! WARN THE--”

“Hey! The important thing to know is what just happened. We mustn’t jump to conclusions, boy! You are scared… we all are. but right now, I think the best thing to do is stay here and wait,” A bald stress-worn man commanded.

“No, please. You have to believe me. EVERYONE EVACUATE THE BUILDING!” Joseph screamed one last time, studying the reaction of others. Only a few seemed to believe him, others just stood there-- a little panicked-- wanting only to be back in their offices and ignore their panicky instincts challenging to overcome their bossy demeanors. And with that, he took a deep breath, and climbed the flight of stairs to warn that floor. Again, only a couple of people took his word for it and fled the building. He reached the top floor, and then started working his way down to warn his fellow co-workers. Facing denial and uncertainty, he just kept his head up high until he had reached the bottom floor. He was heavily panting, but didn’t seem to care.

VVVvvrrroooooooommmmmmmmmm! He heard a thundering boom and the floor began to shake. Agonizing screams met his ears from the levels above. He ran outside with renewed vigor, only to see the city in total chaos. People were screaming, sirens were blowing, and smoke and debris were thickly coating the air. He blundered through the crowd and stopped before a crumpled body with familiar curly locks.

“Charlie?” Joseph rushed to him in shock, and turned him over. What met his eyes felt like a burning blade through his heart. “No. No, no, no, no, NO!” Blood was slowly escaping his mouth and his usual wondering eyes were glazed over. But there was still a pulse. Finding strength from new determination, he heaved Charlie on to his back and set off in the direction of his home.

After what seemed like a half an hour of purely terrified outbursts from innocent citizens and a searing back, an ambulance came into sight. With as big as a breath as he could muster, he began to sprint--with his boss on his shoulders-- towards the parked vehicle that was loading all the injured that could fit into its trunk. This was his first boss; this was his first friend that made his dreams come true. Charlie gave Joseph the future that he wanted, and he was not ready to lose him just yet. Right now was the time to fight, and save the life of the man who gave Joseph his life.

Now that Charlie was safe, Joseph had only one important thing  in mind: Kathryn. Now his next destination was home… where the only person whose safety mattered the most to him was. He realized that his feet had been moving on their own volition towards home before his thoughts even came to. But now urgency set in. He had to reach Kathryn. Now.

He entered his house with great relief and called maniacally to his beautiful wife, “Kathryn! Come quick!” She came racing down the stairs and looked from Joseph’s pained expression to his sweat drenched red dress-shirt. She put her hands to her mouth and muttered, “Oh my goodness. What on earth happened?”

“I can’t… I can’t explain now. Got… Got to go… got to go save the others. Please don’t... Don’t leave the house, okay? I don’t know what I would do if I lost you. Die too, maybe.” He replied through staggered breaths. Kathryn nodded. Two both shaky hands met, two warm lips touched, and Joseph left the house without looking back.

Once he reached the driveway he began to sprint in the direction of the gigantic cloud of desolation. Whatever danger befalls me, I will fight. To cower in fear would be a disgrace, he repeated endlessly to himself until he reached the scene of merciless massacre.

His footfalls slowed to a steady walk when he reached the edge of the disarray, contemplating what to do. The dominant her of agitated people ran in the opposite direction Joseph was now facing. Without a second thought, he charged into the valley of death. His vision was obscured by the dense plume of smoke, but he pressed onwards, occasionally hitting a straggling pedestrian.

“Sir, do not go beyond this point! It is too dangerous! Evacuate the city!” shouted a fireman through an oxygen mask. But Joseph did not heed his logical advice, and instead juked and scrambled into the nearby flashing fire truck. He pulled an emergency handle and an oxygen tank came flying down. He hastily strapped it on his back and stumbled out of the truck, the directing fireman staring blankly at him. Joseph knew what he had to do. As if God was telling him to save the lives of his fellow co-workers through his heart, he just knew where he had to go.

His weary feet carried him to the entrance of the South Tower, the second to be hit. The sound immediately silenced and he was trapped within the ruins. Everywhere he looked seemed to be filled with dead bodies. He was searching for any kind of movement. “I have come to save you! Move so I can see you1” But the only movement or sound was the rise and fall of his own chest.

His stomach flopped as he noticed a man on the far side of the room sprawled by a broken window lift a finger. He shimmied his way through the rubble and turned the man over gently. There was a large shard of glass protruding from the man’s bloody eyebrow and his leg looked badly broken.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of here,” Joseph said in as reassuring of a voice as he could muster, and hoisted him on his back, just as he had with Charlie. When he reached the street and chaos met his ears again, he screamed to any listening fireman, “HEY I HAVE A SURVIVOR!” One bulky fireman heard his call and clambered over to take the injured man.

“Thank you, sir. You are a real hero,” he bellowed as he heaved the crippled man into the ambulance. Joseph nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to the tower. He heard the ambulance take off as he entered the silent building yet again. But this time a deafening rumbling met his ears. he looked up and the ceiling came rushing to meet him. The walls folded against the weight of the falling building. With all the remaining hope he could gather he cried into the darkness, “I love you Kathryn…” before his body fell limp and the mighty tower crumbled to the ground.