With you I fall.
It's like I'm leaving all my past in silhouettes upon the wall.
Withyou I'm a beautiful mess.
It's like we're standing hand in hand with all our fears upon the edge.
~We The Kings “Sad Song”

As I uncovered myself from the rubble I just looked around in amazement. I had no clue what just happened. I looked around but something was missing. Wait where is my girlfriend?! She was right here just a few minutes ago. Did I do something wrong? Wait where are the... the... twin towers? They were just right there! Okay, I have to sit down and think this through, because I don’t know what is going on.
Okay, well my name is David. I am 19 years old and I have two brothers and a sister. I live in New York City, NY and work in the twin towers. I am tall, muscular, and skinny. I have dark hair and it’s a bit longer. My girlfriend is named Cheyene. She is tall, loves to talk, and has the prettiest long maroon colored hair. She is my everything. We have been together for about three years.
It was hard this morning when I woke up, I could hardly move my left arm because of the pain from a year ago when I burnt my hand so bad they had to remove it. The pain was horrible and I couldn’t believe that I was letting something like a pain hold me down like this. I forced myself to get up and get dressed. I mean today was a big day to come. I threw on some nice boot cut jeans, a nice western looking shirt, and my boots. I walked out the door and locked it carefully. I walked down the stairs with care, making sure I hit every step. I walked fast down the sidewalk to Cheyene’s house, we had a big day planned. It was our 3 year anniversary, September 9, 2001. I had made plans to finally ask her to be my fiancé. I couldn’t wait. We are going to breakfast first, then maybe some shopping on the town square, depending on the time we can go to lunch, then go see a show, and last go on a picnic for dinner and watch the stars in the sky and maybe fall asleep on the park hill.
I finally made it to Cheyene’s house but I don’t know whether to knock or just walk in. I decided to knock incase she wasn’t quite ready. Then the unexpected sharp thud of a knock on the door was a little louder than I intended. I was trying not to startle her as stepped back and waited patiently. She comes down the stairs, I can hear her heels as they hit every step very carefully with the little click-clack. I can hear her as she slowly makes her way to the door to open it with a high-pitched squeaking creak. As she opens the door she tries to hide herself a little bit as if she doesn’t want me to see her yet. I walk inside and as I turn to look at her she has a long, décolleté, flowing dress. It was made of silk, super soft silk. It was a midnight jet black. She looked so elegant, beautiful, pretty, and her hair was curled with long, luscious curls. She looked too good not to go somewhere.
I then asked, “Babe, are you ready to head to breakfast and get some food?”
She politely answered, “Yes, let me grab my purse and jacket really quickly. Oh and my keys and lock the door.”
As we walked out her house she remembered she needed her purse that was left on the old, deep red, glossy cedar table. We turn around and she puts the tiny, shiny brass key into the door. She turns the key to unlocking the door, as she pushes on it she darts into the house to hurry and get her purse. She quickly returned and scurried out the door. As we walked down the busy street we came to a diner that was Cheyene’s favorite. We walked into the big, dark brown double doors. The sweet smell of a fresh baked cinnamon rolls, powdered sugar doughnuts, and chocolate chip pancakes filled our noses. The sweet smell made Cheyene and I's stomachs growl with hunger. We walked to the counter and both ordered a giant cinnamon roll. The size of the cinnamon rolls that we ordered was 2 foot wide and 3 inches tall! I looked at Cheyene and asked, “Babe, do you really think you are going to be able to finish all of that?”
She laughed a little bit and grinned ear to ear before saying, “I doubt it but I can keep it for tomorrow's breakfast too.”
I smiled at her. Then asked, “Baby where would you like to sit today?” She headed for a window seat so we could look at the birds and squirrels playing in the small water puddles on the edges of the road. Cheyene was amazed by how they never seemed to get tired of just playing all the time. I watched her as she stared out the window, she looks so happy. As our food came up we only took small bites, but it was still early in the day. We talked, laughed, and smiled until Cheyene decided it was time for some shopping. We had already wasted half of the morning just eating breakfast. As we walked down the smooth, bricked sidewalk we laughed and made small jokes. She would occasionally lean over and place a gentle kiss on my cheek without me noticing.
We finally reached her favorite store to shop at, Rue21. As we walked in the sweet overpowering smell of girly perfume made my head hurt. She pulled me over to a dress she had been looking at for about a month and she really wanted it for dinner later that night.
“Babe,” Cheyene said so carefully, in her soft loveable voice, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to put it on and show you for your opinion.”
“Okay, I’ll be waiting,” I said with the biggest, goofiest smile on my face.
When she came out of the dressing room I was speechless. The red dress was so beautiful. It had a little shine to it. It was gathered to the left side with a big bunch of glittery, sparkly, beads and buttons. It had the left arm a long sleeve and strapless on the right side. I couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked. I was in such amazement, I’m sure I looked like a fool because I couldn’t stop smiling.
Suddenly she looked at me and said, “What do you think?”
I was still speechless and had no clue what to say. “Wow,” I said with big eyes and my mouth wide open.
“Do you like it?”
“Oh yes! You look stunning baby! Is that one thing you are wanting?”
“I would love to have it.”
“Then baby it’s yours,” I said with a huge smile on my face. “Awe are you tearing up?”
“Just a little.”
“But why babe? You look so amazing.”
“Because you are treating me like a queen!” she said with such excitement.
“That’s because you are my queen and that’s how you should be treated. Now go take it off so I can pay for it and we can find another store or keep looking in here. Your choice.”
“I’ll think about it as I change.”
“Okay, baby.”
As she came out she started to grin ear to ear, and all I could do is smirk at her. She softly giggled and said, “What’s that smirk for?”
Laughing a little I replied, “Your smile makes me feel like I’m doing something right. You make me feel like I am doing something right and that I can always do right. Cheyene, you are so beautiful, amazing, pretty, and my queen. I wouldn’t be the happiest man on earth today without you. I have something to ask you about.”
Without giving it any thought she says, “David are you okay? Is something going on? Is it serious?”
I laughed a little as she looked so concerned. “No Cheyene, nothing is wrong, I am okay, but it is a serious thing,” I say as I slowly get on one knee. “Cheyene Nicohle Cook, will you marry me and continue to make me the happiest man on earth?”
She starts to get tears in her eyes as she finally makes the words out, “Yes! Of course!”
I get up off the ground and stand back on my feet she almost knocks me down as she gives me the biggest hug I have ever gotten from her. She was so happy, excited, and surprised, it was the reaction I was hoping and looking for. When she gave me kiss, it gave me butterflies in my stomach. It made me feel like I was the only man on earth like time had stopped and it was just her and I. I loved that kind of feeling and it made me know she was my one and only partner for life.
I looked into her eyes and said, “Cheyene, you mean more to me than anyone else in the entire world and I would love to marry you as soon as we can get it done. You are already a huge part of my life and my feelings are only getting stronger for you. You are my queen, my love, and my everything. You are so beautiful and I wouldn’t be the man I am today without you. I truly do love you Cheyene.”
“I love you too, David!” she replied.
“Would you like to go sit down somewhere for lunch? I’m getting a bit hungry.”
“That sounds wonderful!”
We walked down the street out of Rue21 to try and find a place to sit down and eat. We walk by an Italian restaurant that has the best spaghetti in town.
“Would you like to eat here babe or go somewhere else?” I asked ever so politely.
“It looks like a wonderful place to eat,” she said with a big smile.
We sat down beside the windows again because she wanted to see her ring sparkle in the sunlight.
“What would you two like to drink today?” the waiter asked.
“I would like a Dr. Pepper please,” I replied.
“I will do the same. Thank you,” she answered quickly but not rudely.
“Sounds perfect. Here are some menus and I’ll go get your drinks and be right back to take your order.” the waiter said.
All I could do was look into Cheyene’s eyes as she looked down at her sparkling ring. The waiter came back with our drinks and took our order. I ordered the couple’s spaghetti. It was just a big bowl of spaghetti with the long noodles that make big messes on your face when you slerp them up.
As we waited for our food Cheyene looks up at me and asks, “David, why did you choose me out of all the other girls on this big earth? Why am I so special to you?”
“You are special to me because you show me a family figure. You still have a way that you pull me in every day. You are pretty, beautiful, and everything I have ever wanted.”
She starts crying and it makes me feel bad. As she gives me a hug she says softly, through the tears, “I love you, David.”
I look over my left shoulder and I can see the tops of the twin towers. I don’t want to think about work, though. I want to focus on my soon to be bride. As I turn back around to look at Cheyene our food is being set down on the table. I feel a soft vibrate of my phone in my pocket. I don’t want to answer it but I can see Cheyene reaching for her phone as well. I pull mine out and it is a call from work. I look at Cheyene and ask, “Is your call from work too?”
“Yes, it is. I’m going to answer you do the same.”
As I answer the phone I can hear my boss, Mr. Anders, talking to others in the background before saying to me, “I need you to get to work ASAP, there are not enough people at work today and many have called in.”
I quickly answer, “Okay sir, I’ll be there shortly,” and hang up the phone.
I look at Cheyene as she is hanging up the phone too. She looks at me and says, “Babe I just got called into work, and told them I would come in.”
“That’s what my call was about too. I have to go to work as well so we can walk with each other to work.”
“That sounds perfect.”
I as the waiter for a couple big to go boxes. We put our food into it and get up to pay. Cheyene looks at me and says, “I’ll be waiting outside for you.”
I smile and say, “Okay hun.” I quickly pay for our food and walk out the door. I grab Cheyene’s hand and say, “Ready to go?”
“I’m as ready as I’m going to get,” she says with a laugh.
We walk down the street a little quicker than we both had liked but we had to hurry and get to work. It sounded crazy. As we are walking she is watching the little birds flying around the flowers along the sidewalk and the squirrels eating acorns in the trees. We finally reach work and we both let out a big sigh. I look at her and say, “I love you and I’ll see you after work. Have a great day baby,” and gently place a kiss on her cheek.
She answers, “I love you too. See you later,” with a big smile.
I go to the elevator on the other side of the lobby as her and watch her as we depart from each other. I go to the 81st floor and go straight to my office. I couldn’t have been working longer than a couple of hours before I hear the loudest bang I have ever heard. I look out my office window and look up. All I can see is dark black smoke coming from the other tower. I don’t think much about it and just turn back to working. All of the sudden I remember nothing but seeing black smoke in my office and a fire starting. I black out.
The next thing I know I wake up as the tower starts to fall. I black out again I’m going to guess about half way to the ground. I wake up long enough to feel the impact and pass out again. I don’t know how I’m still living because when I wake up for the final time I am under pieces and parts of the tower that I can almost guarantee there are broken bones. I slowly uncover myself and crawl out. I can’t tell if I have any bones that are broke but I am bleeding a lot out of my scar from the removal of my hand. I quickly take my shirt off to place my arm in it to try and stop the bleeding. I quickly look around for other people but it is still dusty from the towers falling. I get up slowly and glance to the left and see a small hand under the rubble. I quickly rush over and start to uncover the body. It’s... it’s... it’s Cheyene. I check for a pulse but... but... she’s gone. My beautiful bride to be is gone. I finish uncovering her but realize her left hand is missing the ring I gave to her. Where is it?
I look around for someone to help me, but nobody is around. What do I do? All I can do is cry. I am yelling out for someone’s help but I see no one. All of the sudden, I can see a shadowed figure walking towards me. I cry out, “Please come help me. My bride... she’s... she’s dead. Please.” As the figure moves closer I can see that it’s a woman, but I can’t make the face out. The closer they get the more it looks like Cheyene, but how can that be? She’s laying right here on the ground gone.
The woman calls out, “David. David is that really you? It’s me, your bride, Cheyene.”
“No! No, you’re not. She is right here beside me dead on the ground,” I quickly say.
She gets close and I can see that it is really Cheyene. She even has the ring to prove it. She kneels down beside me and says, “David this is my twin sister. I just found out about her today not long after we departed at work. She was coming to see me when the first tower was hit. We only got to talk a little while and then they started to escort us out of the building and we were separated.”
“I’m glad that you are okay Cheyene and I’m sorry about your sister.”
“Babe it’s okay. Can you pick her up and bring her with us? I know where everyone is at right now and I want to give her a proper grave.”
“Of course I will, Cheyene.”
I get ahold of her and walk with Cheyene to a tunnel that they had a bunch of people in. We sit down and Cheyene held her tears in until then. She leans over and starts crying on my shoulder. I wrap my arms around her and try to comfort her. We then finally get to head home after about 3 hours. We take her sister with us and immediately start to make funeral plans back in Virginia for Cheyene’s sister. It would be on Friday, September 14, 2001. The cemetery would come get her and transport her back to Virginia for the funeral.
The next few days leading up to the funeral I don’t remember anything except Cheyene crying all day long. When we went to the funeral she wanted nothing to do with anyone, not even her own mother. She was devastated. When we got back home she wanted to proceed with the wedding. We were to get married September 30, 2001, and nothing was going to stop her from having it all ready by then. The weeks went by fast and we got her dress, my tux, and everything else.
Today is the wedding day. I am nervous and I feel like I’m going to vomit. I am so happy and I can’t wait until I get to see my beautiful bride walk down the aisle. She is doing so amazing after all that she has been through in just a few short weeks. I hope today goes just as she planned it to and I will do everything in my power to make sure it does.