The following chilling account was left as a comment in December 2001 to my entry of 9-11-01. I often wonder how she is. (I sent her a couple emails after she posted her story, but never received a response.)

I worked across the street from WTC and was on Broadway and Wall Street when the second plane hit. I usually get off on Fulton, but the train bypassed that stop without any explanation. We all walked off the train, out of the station and into terror attacks. No one told us not to exit or where to go or what had just happened with the first plane. I just walked into it all.

There was dust, debris, shoes, paper, hats, purses, all kinds of stuff on the ground. Very few people were on the streets, but whoever was there was either crying or just out of it. Lost.

Then there was a loud noise like a plane flying really low. It's weird I thought of a plane because I had no idea it was a plane that caused the flames I could see coming from the first tower. From Broadway you can't see the hole in the building clearly, you can only see the flames and smoke.

Once the plane was in sight, I said to myself "there is no way that plane is going to hit that building." Just as I finished that sentence, people began screaming and pointing, and it did just that.

Everyone took cover anywhere they could. People ran into vestibules, stores, and like I did, under cars. A Chinese woman and I were under a car, side by side. I could hear screams and things hitting the ground and the car I was under. There were cars crashing and glass breaking. Then there was silence. I'm not sure if anyone else heard the silence, but I know I did.

Then someone close by says "Oh my god." I'm not sure how long I was under the car, but a man came over to the Chinese woman and myself and pulled both of us out from under the car. My clothes were dirty, there was all kinds of stuff in my hair and I only had on one sandal.

When I looked up I was astonished. The streets were covered with more dirt and debris. It seemed like it had snowed. When I looked up at the tower... I don't know how to express it in words. I can describe the sight but I can never fully describe the feeling.

There were people falling from the windows, there were bodies hanging out and parts on the floor. I couldn't breathe... I couldn't think... A cop began screaming for us to run. I started to run but I couldn't keep my eyes off the towers.

When I got to Fulton Street, I saw all the people standing around and pointing. When I turned around to see what they were pointing at, I finally saw all of the damage. The hole in the first tower. I still didn't know it was a plane in the first building, my brain couldn't comprehend all my eyes were seeing.

I'm only 21. I've never seen a dead body other than on TV. It looked like a movie. The cops were trying to clear the area. I just kept running but I felt like I wasn't getting any further from it. It felt like a bad dream when no matter how hard you scream no one can hear you.

I knew my mom would be hysterical but cells didn't work and there were lines for phones. People on one line let me skip ahead and I finally called her, I was on about Houston by now. She couldn't believe it was me. She said she was going to prepare herself for the worst. She calmed me a bit. She said to just get home any way possible. But I couldn't function. I didn't know which way I should be walking or how far my house actually was (I live in the Bronx).

A police officer came over to me and began hugging me and dusting me off. I had blood in my hair, but I wasn't injured. He hailed me a cab and I got in along with two other people. I was in shock and said nothing the entire way. The driver had the radio on and I finally found out what happened. Traffic was crazy.

The further we got the less people knew. They were looking at me like I was some type of freak. They would just stare. At about 42nd Street, the radio person said the towers had collapsed. First one, then the second. I could still see the smoke.

I don't remember anything else from then until the driver was poking me. The man was gone and we were at the girl's house. I told him where I was going and he got me there. What seemed like my entire family was in my mother's house. Some were outside waiting for me. I collapsed into their arms.

I woke up in my mother's bed. My hair was clean and I had on new clothes. I was home. Thousands of people were still struggling to get to their loved ones. Thousands of others would never get home.

I have accepted what happened but I am nowhere near moving on. I just started sleeping at my own home, but not yet through the night. I have a little girl to take care of, so I need to get it together. I'm trying. I know people are hurt by this, but no one can truly understand how I feel unless they went through what I did. We will move on.

TIFFANY
Dec 14, '01 - 12:50 PM