I sat there thinking about what could possibly happen today, when the fire alarm went off. The whole squadron was called to go out on this call. I had no idea what could be going on. When we arrived at the scene, I realized the disaster.
     People all over were screaming and crying. I heard a huge rumbling and looked up. Just as I did, a plane hit one of the towers. It burst into flames and everyone started screaming again. I knew I had to get into the building and save everyone. From what I had heard, that was the second plane that had hit.
     I rushed into one of the Trade Center buildings and I could feel the panic. People were rushing around up above me. I dashed to the stairs. Hundreds of people were trying to get out through the stairs, elevators, and windows even. I could see many of the other firefighters trying to help out as best they could.
     I couldn’t see smoke or feel any heat, so I figured it was safe. But it wasn’t. I opened the door, the fire sucked up oxygen, and exploded at me. My last thought...Backdraft.


     Now, I lay here in Limbo, not being able to leave for I have so much unfinished business. I had my wife, my four-year-old daughter, and my job. I had a life to finish, and now I can’t even help others finish theirs.
     I have heard of all that has been going on down in the U.S. with terrorism. I wish I could get my thoughts out and have them be heard and taken in, but that will never happen.
     I can see a nation going ballistic, people afraid of going outside of their house, people afraid of opening their mail. I never dreamed of this day coming, of terror actually spreading because of one accident. One man who hates us. One man made our brave nation into scaredy cats.
     Everyone was talking about this. It seemed that this was all they could think about. It was controlling their lives, but no one was brave enough to do anything sensible about it. The President declares war. Many countries including Britain and Canada join their side. The “War Against Terrorism.” So far, Afghanistan only has one country with them. It’s not going to help. Bin Laden has gone into hiding. By bringing themselves to war, they are only having more terrorism brought onto them. Why couldn’t they go to the children? Listen to them for once. They would tell you what they have learned about violence. That it’s not the answer. Maybe if they talked it out, they could bring a stop to terrorism because if they kill Bin Laden, there are many people out there just waiting to take his place. It’ll never end.

     I ponder these thoughts for a while. Maybe, somehow, I could get my message out. Before this turns into World War III. Flashes of images race through my mind. I felt like I was going crazy. I felt like screaming and just getting my anger out. Before my anger turned to fear. Fear of death, of war, and the heart of pure evil.
     I could hear voices. Voices of panic. The President deciding what to do next. Wanting-no, needing-suggestions. I try to shout out something, anything, just to get a point across. I thought of two different worlds. One filled with war and hatred, the other of calm and agreement.
     What if they took the wrong path? If they chose to further the war, they would ruin everything. Life as we know it wouldn’t exist. I could see it now. President Bush would call an all out war, and people would panic. Nothing would ever return to the way it was, and with the technology we have human kind would never show again.
     In my head, I could picture them choosing to further the war. Children clung to their mother’s legs as their father’s left for battle. Wives cried and begged husbands not to go. All over the world everyone was joining together to fight Afghanistan, filled with fear. Bombs flew above the soldier’s heads, blowing everything within a few miles to smithereens. Fire was the only thing seen, and the loud booms of guns and bombs were the only thing that could be heard.
     Back in North America, everyone stayed hidden, just waiting for the big attack from the enemy, just waiting to be blown to pieces by a nuclear warhead. Nobody felt safe enough to even look out the window to see if any damage had been done.
     On the other side of the world it was sheer terror. All the soldier’s knew of the new technology and were just waiting for death to come and carry them away. They knew they had more power. More stealth, more strength, more armies, but they could never tell what the enemy had up their sleeve. Just as a troop of American soldiers was about to raid an Afghan tank, two bombs struck. One on the Western hemisphere, the other on the Eastern. The world was gone as we knew it.

     I screamed in terror as the horrifying picture dissolved from my mind. My heart raced and beads of sweat poured down my cold body. I panted and waited for the fear to pass, then relaxed. I got out of bed and walked around in the cold night. No clouds were covering the stars, and the moon was shining brightly in the black sky. As my mind calmed down, I began to think about the better side. What if they chose to take the peaceful way and talk everything out? If they actually listened to the children’s way of thinking, what would it be like?
     Bin Laden was seated across from the President in the Oval Office of the White House. They were talking, trying to figure out an agreement about terrorism. President Bush could sense that Bin Laden was uncomfortable, so he tried to put himself in his shoes for a moment. After talking with Bin Laden for a couple hours, he began to sense what he was going through in his country, and could see that his acting out may have been a way to get back at the Taliban government, to show them what he was capable of doing, not just as means of attack on his country.
     President Bush sat down at the large rectangular conference table. All the world leaders were seated around the table. Seated right next to the President was Osama Bin Laden. Everyone there had only three things on their mind. Freedom, liberty, and most importantly, peace.
     “After talking with Bin Laden, we have created an agreement we would like to propose to you,” President Bush spoke to the leaders.
     Everyone murmured about what it could possibly be, and all looked towards the President for more information.
     “We have agreed to stop the attack on Afghanistan. The Taliban has been run out, so I feel there is no more need for attack. Bin Laden has agreed to keep out of trouble, and we will have many meetings with all of you to sort out what needs to be done for a matter of freedom and peace.” All the leaders seemed happy, and they all agreed. But they all knew that this wasn’t exactly a solution to a problem, it was only the beginning to one.


     I smiled to myself. Maybe the peaceful way out didn’t seem like a quick fix. It would take many years for all the terrorism to come to a slowdown. But at least the world won’t be blown to bits, I thought.
     I walked slowly back to my bedroom. Maybe my death was a good thing in the end. If my death meant that the citizens of the world could be free, it was for the better. I crawled into my bed, took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
     I never woke up again.