A Day Like No Other by Andrew LaFrankie The crisp fall air had just begun to sweep through New York City. Signs of fall reared their heads as the leaves began to turn magnificent fall colors. A slight chill filled the air on the morning of September 11, 2001. The great hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps came to life as usual on that Tuesday morning. New Yorkers prepared for another normal Tuesday at the office. Nobody knew it yet that morning, but the day ahead would go down as one of the worst days in American history. Charlie Harper awoke to his usual six-thirty alarm that morning, feeling quite tired from the previous night’s shift. Charlie worked as a firefighter, currently stationed at Engine 84 in Manhattan. Charlie prepared for his day, thinking of the long twelve-hour shift that lay ahead. More than anything, he missed his wife and daughters that morning. His demanding job took away so many moments with them. Charlie, at age fifty-five, had decided that he would retire from the service after this year. He looked forward to more time with his family. “Ready to go?” his longtime partner Dave Haskins asked from the other room. “You know I always am,” Charlie replied. Dave and Charlie started their usual morning routine, washing the firetrucks and prepping all the equipment. At that time, Charlie and Dave had Station 84 all to themselves. The hard-working Charlie kept the station in spotless condition at all times. He finished cleaning earlier than usual that morning and headed over to the kitchen to watch the morning news at around 8:50. A quiet morning with no emergency calls yet so far; Charlie hoped it would continue. Charlie flipped on the news to Matt Lauer’s familiar voice. “Sources on the ground inform us that a Boeing airplane has just crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center,” Matt declared. Before Lauer could say anything else, the emergency phone rang off the hook as calls flooded in. Charlie and Dave sprinted to get their gear on and get into their truck, speeding towards the Twin Towers as fast as they could. Sirens roaring, they made the final turn onto Greenwich Street. The North Tower emitted a ring of fire about halfway up the tower in the distance, smoke pouring out like a massive factory. The firefighters and police officers on Charlie’s radio all seemed convinced that this plane
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