Collapse

Date: 1/29/2019

New York City, with the girls (Poppy, Abby, Sofia and Darcy). We are on the subway, arguing about where to get off to go to an art gallery. We get off, still arguing. It is mostly Sofia and Poppy arguing. We decide to, instead of waiting for the next train to go only one stop, to walk to the art gallery near the next station. I realise that the station were in is quite smokey, but peg it up to just city pollution. We come out to the station and start walking to the next station, through the upper East side. Central park is within our sights. We reach the next station, and see that thick pungent smoke is churning out if the station entrance. People come out, coughing profusely and crying from their eyes. We have no idea what to do. Then, suddenly, a huge eruption sounds from behind us. We turn to see the same black smoke apparating just above where the station we previously were in was. It is clear that there has been an explosion. Then, a tall building, several stories high, starts to quake, it's bottom imploding into itself. It leans towards us and it's hits us that were going to be crushed. We scream, and start running, but by some miracle, the building starts to fall in the opposite direction. The exploded metro station has imploded and the building is being swallowed into it. The sound of thundering stone and brick and the screams of new Yorkers around us fills the air. Once the building disintegrates into the earth a cloud of putrid dust follows, hitting us like a wave. We choke on it. Then, silence. The girls and I exchange a knowing glance. We want to help, or we want to see. Either one drove us to run towards the wreckage. By the time we get there, the police have already cordoned off the site. We run under the tape. Amongst the rubble and shrapnel, firemen are digging looking for survivors. As we watch, a firefighter lifts up the stiff and bloodied body of a business woman. She is dead. I turn away quickly so as to not see it. It occurs to me that this could have easily been us if we'd chosen to stay in the station and wait for the next train. Sofia and Poppy, upon seeing the bodies, erupt into powerful sobs. They sound like newborn babies. They cry and cry and cry. Abby Darcy and I try to get them away from the chaos. Then I woke up