For the past four days, our small corner of the United States has shared the dread, pain and outrage that Tuesday’s terrorist attacks brought.

You may have heard enough of those stories. Hopefully, you have room for one more. It’s a story about how events with a worldwide impact also effect us. All of us.

Jay Dearborn is a local guy. He has movie-star good looks and smarts and is one of the most personable people you’re ever going to meet.

He went to Brewer High, then on to the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton School of Business.

And on Tuesday, there he was, working a job that he’d had for less than a month. His office is in a building that was attached to the World Trade Center by a walkway.

Was. Not any more.

Dearborn had just arrived at his cubicle when the first plane hit.

“It was the worst sound,” he said. “It was lower than anything you’ve heard before. It’s not like it shook the building, and it’s not like your ears could hear it.”

How close is his 38th-floor office to the nearest tower? This close:

“I could definitely hit it with a rock,” he said, before describing the distance in terms local people can understand. “What separates us is essentially like I-395 in Brewer.”

His father is Brewer attorney Joel Dearborn. Everyone calls him Jody. And people call him one of the good guys, too.

Jay called his mother after the first plane hit. But then Jody turned on the TV.

“When we saw the second plane hit, I started dialing his cell phone,” Jody said on Friday. “Over and over and over again. And I couldn’t get through.”

At first, Jay said, he and his co-workers were urged to stay put. Then the second plane hit.

“I was on the phone with my girlfriend at the time, and she was watching it happen,” Jay said. “She screamed at me to get out.”

Jay did.

He hopped on an express elevator that went directly to the ground level, and reached the street three or four minutes after the second jet hit its target. But Jay did his homework: He had looked out his window, remembered where the debris was, and planned his escape to avoid that side of the building.

Then he started running … and walking. He didn’t stop until he got to his girlfriend’s midtown office. Eventually he got home. Then, for the first time, he realized that he’d left his keys in his office.

Later, Jay reached out and touched people the new-fashioned way: He e-mailed all his friends and family.

Jon Dearborn is a freshman at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass. He has the message his big brother sent him memorized. All eight words of it.

“I’m OK. I love you guys. Love, Jay.”

Jon says that message ended six hours of gut-wrenching terror for him.

Jon is also a Brewer High grad, and was a standout athlete.

Last year, as his team battled for a league track title, Jon made his priorities clear.

Jay was graduating from college. Jon had reservations on the last plane leaving Bangor. And no matter what, he was going to be on it. Even if he had to leave the meet early.

“This is an exciting time for our family,” Jon said that day. “My brother’s graduating. My father’s opening his own practice. I’m going to Bentley.”

On Tuesday, the Dearborns were like families all over the country: They sat and waited and prayed that one of their own was safe.

Jon had to deal with the fears of losing his brother, mentor and friend. Some siblings squabble. That’s not the relationship the Dearborn boys have.

“I look up to my brother immensely, and all of my friends know that,” Jon said on Friday. “I always have. … And [Tuesday] was the most extreme emotional challenge I’ve ever had.”

Jody said that when he arrived home and found out that Jay was safe, the entire day crashed down on him.

“It’s surreal,” he said, using the word of the week. “You’re watching pictures and your mind goes back to what you’ve gone through, the roller coaster ride you’ve been through. The tears. The hugs. The relief. And all of that is superimposed with the picture of people who have lost their loved ones. You don’t know what you’re supposed to feel.”

Jay settles on the same word to describe the scene in New York.

“During the whole event, it was so surreal,” Jay said. “It wasn’t lifelike at all. And life isn’t lifelike right now, either.”

Jon doesn’t know when he’ll get to see his big brother again. He initially planned to drop everything and head to New York this weekend. Jay quickly squashed that idea.

“My brother put it best,” Jon said. “It’s not a good idea to put two eggs in one basket. There’s just no point for both of us to be in insecure areas.”

Even as he says the words, Jon admits they’re chilling. Jay is safe for now. But are the rest of us?

“That’s the problem,” Jon said softly, voicing a nation’s concerns. “We don’t know what’s gonna happen next.”

John Holyoke is a NEWS sportswriter. His e-mail address is jholyoke@bangordailynews.net