September 11th, 2001. Two planes have just struck the World Trade Center buildings.
Smoldering, burning, collapsing. Screams and noise everywhere. Fear and utter panic rule the air. A state of shock sweeps over New York City. A city in shambles. No one knows what to do.
A newsroom. Television screens and computer monitors buzzing. People walking, working, writing. The biggest news in years. But it’s come in the form of unspeakable tragedy.
The employees in all their ruckus have failed to notice that they have not seen their boss for an unusual amount of time.
One eager employee walks quickly to the boss' office, on a mission. He knocks on the boss' undecorated, cold wooden door. The door opens, but no one opened it. When the employee pushes the door open slowly, his boss is sitting at the desk in the dark.
The employee enters. “Sir…I’ve got an script ready to go on the air right now…I just need you to approve it quick.”
A soft lamp lights half of the boss' face, but shadows are cast on it as he is frozen in his seat, not even his eyes moving an inch.
He starts to speak, but then holds back, throwing the words around in his head. He clears his throat and starts to speak to his employee. “Is it…about 9/11?”
“Pardon? Oh…what…is that today’s date?”
“Yes. Is the article about the Twin Towers?” He speaks slowly, letting every word sink in like they’re landing in quicksand.
“Yes, sir. We need to get this out right away! The American people need to know about this. More planes have been hijacked, this is now a national security crisis.”
“It’s too soon!” The boss stands up for the first time. There is a fire in his eyes.
“With all due respect, sir,—“
The boss interrupts him by clearing everything off his own desk in a violent sweep, knocking papers and family photos and his computer onto the floor, the computer being ripped from the outlet in the fall.
“It’s too soon! It’s too soon!” He repeats it over and over.
“Sir, people need to know about this. More people could die, is that what you want?”
“It’s too soon! Too soon! Have you no respect?”
The day continues as any other day, with breaking news about housing rates and monkeys escaping from zoos.