Michael Iken, who died in the South Tower, met Monica, his wife-to-be, on September 11, 1999. They were married a year later, but their wedding service had to pause for a moment when a jet zoomed over so loudly they couldn't hear their own vows.

 

'We're jinxed,' said Michael. His anxiety seemed to increase in September 2001. In the days before the 11th, he and Monica drove to Boston for the weekend, where they booked themselves into a hotel near the airport. But Michael's strange behaviour continued. he refused to let Monica take any photos of him and was clearly ill at ease.

 

In the end, he snapped. 'We have to get out of here right now.' They left a day early. Only later would it emerge that the hijackers were in Boston that same weekend.

 

On Monday, September 10, Monica wanted to go to New York City to visit a sick relative, but Michael became very upset. 'No,' he told her, 'don't come to New York. I don't want you in the city. I don't want to worry about you all day.'

 

Monica did speak to her husband after the first tower was hit, when everyone assumed it was some sort of freak accident, but when she called back later all she got was the busy signal.

 

That night, she fell asleep, still hoping her husband was alive. In the morning, she woke to see what she thought was Michael standing at the door. 'I'm OK; everything is fine,' he said.

 

Monica could see the light around him. 'I knew he was gone; I felt the finality of what he was saying.' To this day, she isn't sure whether this was a dream or some kind of physical manifestation, but it felt very real.