Day and Night Part II

We started to walk. We had to walk in groups of three or four as to not look too much like tourists. Aaron, Meg, and I decided to walk together. We knew it would take us at least two hours to make the trek back to the flat. As we were walking Aaron kept his arm around me and kept whispering to me that it was okay and that we were okay.

The walk back was surreal. We were walking with hundreds of other people, since both the tube and buses were down. We walked for what seemed forever. As we neared our flat we also neared one of the major hospitals in London. Outside the hospital was a growing crowd looking at the lists posted on makeshift tents trying to find the names of their loved ones, along with people being brough in on stretchers. I remember feeling a tear run down my face and feeling Aaron's grip on me tighten.

We finally made it back to the flat and it was not until here that we realized how close we had been today. The train that had the bomb was the one we were suppose to be on. It was the one we took everyday. Today, we had gotten lucky and caught the one 5 minutes early

Once we all had made it back to the flat our program directors wanted to have us all together in case we wanted to talk about anything. And what do people do in the face of a tragedy? They feed you. So that is what they did. They got Chinese food for all us and we sat outside on picnic tables. It was nice to see everyone there and it was what we all needed.

After dinner I headed back to my room. I had not let it hit me at all yet. I was trying to be so strong, yet at the same time I was scared and I wanted to go home back to the States. I heard a knock on my door around 10 o'clock that night. It was Aaron. I was so happy to see him. He walked into my room and closed the door behind him.

"Are you okay A.?" he asked.

I didn't answer. I looked up at him and tears started to fall from my eyes. I remember feeling the breeze coming in from my window. I remember feeling it on my skin.

He walked towards me and put his arms around me. I think I cried into his arms for several minutes. I was so thankful to have found somebody to have during a time like this. I finally allowed myself to feel scared and to let it out. I sobbed that I wanted to go home and he just stroked my hair.

He stayed with me that night and just held me. I felt safe in his arms. I felt that I was okay and that nothing could hurt me if I was in his arms.