Jessika Fleck - Molly and the Twin Towers: A 9/11 Survival Story

... and just as Little Red Riding Hood entered the wood... Papa paused and glanced back at me. He cleared his throat, which meant he was going into an even lower, more menacing voice.... a wolf met her.

From the corner of my eye, I saw my little sister, Adi, pull our family cat, Rolo, up next to her. She covered herself and the cat with her quilt.

I smirked and raised my eyebrow at Papa. At twelve, I was getting too old for bedtime stories. These old fairy tales didnt scare me anymore. Id moved on to more grown-up books since starting middle school this year.

But my dads considered story time an important tradition. Plus, my little sister lived for it. And since we shared a bedroom... I didnt have much choice.

It could be worse, though. At least we read out of the actual Brothers Grimm book. Those stories were pretty strangedefinitely creepy.

Across the room, Adeline shivered in her bed. I might be too old to be scared, but at seven years old, Adi still got nervous. Even though Little Red Riding Hood had been her choice, I knew shed be keeping me up tonight.

As Papa continued, I forced my eyes to stay openI couldnt fall asleep yet. I had more important reading to do after he was finished. Thats when I read what I wanted.

It was as if Papa knew this and read the words extra slowly tonight. When my head nodded backward, I jumped and sat up taller. From the chair, Dad smiled. Id been caught.

As Papa continued reading, my mind wandered. My eyes roamed the bedroom I shared with my sister. The old lava lamp we kept on all night made shadows dance against the wall and up onto the ceiling. At certain angles, the light reflected on my snow globe collection.

My collection took up several shelves. Papa brought me one from each new city he visited. As an airline pilot, he visited a lot of different places.

My favorite was the one from Venice, Italy. Inside the small glass globe, a couple sat side by side on a gondola. When I shook the globe, flower petals floated all around them.

Papa read on, ending with the last line, Red Riding Hood went joyously home, and no one ever did anything to harm her again. With that, he closed the book.

You know, I said, I read that in one version the wolf makes Little Red Riding Hood eat her grandmother.

What? In her bed, Adi looked horrified. Thats not true, is it?

She looked at Papa, then Dad for confirmation. Poor Rolo was basically a rag doll in her clutches at this point.

Dad shook his head at me. Molly, please dont scare your sister.

He had a point. The more scared Adi was, the more likely she was to end up in my bed during the night.

Its just an old story. I shrugged and gave Adi a soft smile. Back then they didnt have TV or radio or anything. Books were, like, the only entertainment. Sometimes they got super weird.

I glanced to my bedside table. The book I couldnt wait to dig back into was waiting for me. Like Frankenstein. I picked it up and showed it to my sister.

Adi cringed at the scary monster on the cover. I placed it facedown on my bed.

Forget that part. My point is that Frankenstein is only a story about a misunderstood monster. Little Red Riding Hood is just a story about a girl who meets a mean wolf. But theyre just stories.

Adis shoulders softened, and she allowed the cat to move from her lap to the foot of her bed. But why would Red Riding Hood eat her grandmother?

Just then Gran popped her head into the room. Did I hear the words eat her grandmother come out of my baby granddaughters mouth?

Grans eyes were wide behind her glasses in exaggerated shock. Adi nodded proudly, but the expression on her face showed Id freaked her out. I hadnt meant tonot really.

GranPapas mothercame into the room already in her pajamas, ready for bed. She had lived with us for almost as long as I could remember. Shed moved into our old apartment, temporarily, to help after I was born.

Shed done the same when Adeline came along seven years ago but had ended up staying. With the addition of my sister, we needed a larger apartment, and Manhattan was expensive. Plus, it made sense with busy schedules and Papa traveling so much.

Listen, Gran said to Adi, your big sister is full of stories. Its something thatll serve her well someday. She sat next to Adi on her bed. But for now, you just ignore it and have sweet dreams.

Gran pulled the quilt up under Adis chin. She tucked it in all around her until she was like a burrito.

Adi smiled happily. We both loved having Gran live with us, me more than anyone. Gran and I were super close. Id even been named after her.

Night, Gran, Adi said, barely able to hold her eyes open.

Gran winked at me as she left the room. Shed be back later to say goodnight to meonce my dads had gone to bed. She knew Id still be reading.

Finally... I grabbed my copy of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein.

Adis eyes were closed, but just in case, I removed the dust jacket with the picture of Frankensteins monster.

Not too late, kiddo, Papa said. Early flight for me in the morning, so I wont see you. He leaned in and whispered in case Adi hadnt quite drifted off yet. Keep that goofy sister of yours out of trouble, okay?

I pressed my lips together and nodded. That was easier said than done. Adi tended to get into a lot of mischief.

Still, I said, Ill try.

Dad got up from his chair. He gently pulled one of my braids and kissed me on the forehead. Sweet dreams, Molly-Moo.

Papa leaned over and gave me a hug. He always smelled of woodsy soap, and his beard tickled my cheek when he said, Sleep tight. Love you.

I love you too.

Our dads kissed a sleeping Adi goodnight too. They were almost out the door when I asked, Waitwhere are you flying to tomorrow?

Papa turned around and came back in. He picked up my newest snow globe, the one from the World Trade Center. Wed taken Dads parents there when theyd visited from Oklahoma over the summer.

Papa shook it up. Saint Louis, Missouri.

With the big arch?

Thats the one. He looked at me with dark eyes.

Adi had them too. Our dads had used a different for each of our births. I got Dads light eyes and dusty hair. Adi got Papas beautiful darker features and curly hair, which she claimed to hate.

I sat up straighter, opening the thick book to the marked spot. Papa?

Yeah?

Dont forget... I didnt have to say exactly what he needed to remember. Papa always knew.

Never. One Saint Louis snow globe coming your way in a couple of days.

Papa put the globe back and left my room, leaving the door open a crack. I arranged my pillows to make the perfect reading nest. I had just leaned back and set my bookmark to the side when

Did you know Mary Shelley first published that book ? Gran had popped her head back into my bedroom. People assumed it was her husband who wrote it.

I read that! I shook my head. So unfair.

It was a time. Still is, but its gotten better since poor Marys age. Gran winked. She was full of random facts. I have to be at the station by seven tomorrow morning for my shift. Ill leave you a surprise in the kitchen, though.

I smiled. Grans surprises were the best. They could be anything from a piece of candy to tickets to a Broadway show.