by Daedalus » Fri May 06, 2005 10:42 am
And then he realized it wasn’t coming from his head. Turning around, he gripped the railing behind him tight enough to whiten his knuckles. The dull metallic tinge of the plane made it seems monstrous. Noah looked over the edge, to the ground, which seemed a lot closer than before, and switched his gaze back to the plane. It was above him, heading toward the top of the tower. Next to him, people were fleeing the restaurants and gift shops on the main concourse area. Riots had broken out, and he a man and woman grappling with each other near the edge. His eyes were full of fear, hers full of betrayal.
And Noah moved. No matter what happens, no NEVER mistreat a woman. It was a lesson his father had told him over and over, one that he treasured as much as any memory of his father.
The first impact rocked the tower. The fireball enveloped the top of the tower, and shrapnel peppered the deck. Everyone had been thrown off balance, and Noah saw someone get knocked over the edge by a flaming armrest. His scream was ear piercing, and the cacophony was impossible to ignore. The woman he had been struggling to assist had fallen to her knees, and, five feet away, had been skewered by a piece of metal. The long, jagged shard had pierced her chest just above the ribs, below the neck, and pinned her to the railing at an odd angle as blood bubbled from her mouth.
He leaned against the railing for support, and felt a stab of pain up his left side. He turned to look, and saw a chef’s knife buried up to its handle in his shoulder. The man standing next to him was a gangly man clothed in traditional waiter clothes, and his eyes hated. His hands grabbed for Noah’s throat, and Noah felt sobs coming up from his chest.
And then he tumbled over the edge as their section of the Tower fell off. The top of the tower had fallen, ripping a seam in the deck, and Noah’s last thought before he slipped into unconsciousness was whether he’d be buried in America or France.
((So, I'm still in debate as to whether this character lives or not.
But I'll include one more chapter from another character, and then get back to Daedalus))
Daedalus-he who sees by fire.
And so one day I will be gone, and all that will remain will be my love.