Five Miles: Chase Impacted

Rating: PG-13

Inappropriate joke in here.

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Scene 5: Another Cell

>CUT TO:

EXT. PIKEVILLE, ALABAMA- SOMETIME LATER

Jordon has finally calmed down and has got out of the ditch. It's now sunny again, increasing the heat and the instability.

JORDON: Any storms around, Pauline?

PAULINE: Good news. A stronger cell has formed and is coming towards us.

JORDON: Tornado on the ground?

PAULINE: Not yet.

Pauline scans the radar, seeing the line of storms forming hundreds of miles ahead. They are not fully mature yet. She switches to the wind velocity and direction and sees no rotation yet.

PAULINE: (still looking at her radar) We got time.

JORDON: What?

PAULINE: A line of storms has already formed.

HAYDEN: Do you think they'll last?

PAULINE: Yes. They are still maturing. It can be one cell after another.

JORDON: Are we going to head to the line of storms or stay here?

PAULINE: (shakes head a bit) No. Stay here.

Hayden is looking at Pauline's radar on her laptop from the backseat.

HAYDEN: It's still some time away.

PAULINE: We're giving it time.

HAYDEN: Should we wait here?

JORDON: No, we're getting off this road.

Jordon starts up the truck and begins to drive. Hayden lightly laughs.

HAYDEN: Finally.

>CUT TO:

Scene 6: Mother's Check In

INT. EH: LIVING ROOM- MOMENTS LATER

Esmeralda and Sassiere are watching an Earth Science documentary, trying to relax after what just happened.

SASSIERE: The world is a strange place.

Esmeralda gets a call from Mom. She answers.

ESMERALDA: Hello, Mom?

>CUT TO:

INT. MOTEL ROOM

MARIA: Hey, Es, just checking in. How are things going on at home?

>BACK TO:

INT. EH: LIVING ROOM

ESMERALDA: Going okay. We're alive. We just had to come back in due to chaos.

>BACK TO:

INT. MOTEL ROOM

MARIA: (slightly concerned) What happened outside?

>BACK TO:

INT. EH: LIVING ROOM

Esmeralda shifts in her spot, leaning forward.

ESMERALDA: Sas and I were watching the storm. Then, the hail started to fall- it broke the skylight in your room- and the winds were gusting far from comfort. I had to get us inside just before the tornado flew across the yard as if it were late for a flight.

She turns around and looks out the window. The mess from the tornado is still there.

ESMERALDA (CONT'D): The damage is not bad.

>BACK TO:

INT. MOTEL ROOM

Maria becomes a little angry.

MARIA: (scoldingly) Esmeralda, I told you to go to the basement, not outside!

Treck hears Maria yelling and walks toward her to listen to the conversation.

ESMERALDA (O.C.): (argumentive) Mom, it escalated quickly!

>BACK TO:

INT. EH: LIVING ROOM

Sassiere's leans toward Esmeralda and buds into the call.

SASSIERE: It was only a severe thunderstorm warning with wind gusts and hail. Esmeralda looked after me while outside. She dragged me inside once she noticed something was wrong.

Maria sighs and massages her eyes. A rumble of thunder can be heard in the background at the motel. It's raining there as well.

MARIA (O.C.): I'm glad you girls are okay, but stay alert. There's a chance that another one can be coming in. We can't find peace with your dad constantly checking the radar on his phone.

Esmeralda is now relaxing back on the couch. Her phone is on speaker with Sassiere close to it.

ESMERALDA: I know. I won't go outside next time, much to Sassy's dismay.

MARIA ( O.C.): Good. Don't make me even more worried.

ESMERALDA: I can't guarantee, Mom, but I can assure you, we'll be okay.

MARIA (O.C.): That's all I needed to hear.

ESMERALDA: Great.

MARIA (O.C.): Alright, bye.

ESMERALDA: Bye.

Esmeralda hangs up and places her phone back on the coffee table. She glances at Sassiere.

ESMERALDA (CONT'D): Thanks for covering me, Sas.

Sassiere shrugs.

SASSIERE: It's kinda the truth.

ESMERALDA: We were just under a warning, but the sirens went off while outside.

SASSIERE: Technically, it's still a severe thunderstorm. Plus, thanks for not ratting me out to Mom for what I said about you...or what I threw at you.

ESMERALDA: That was the least of my worries.

[Beat.]

ESMERALDA (CONT'D): You sound guilty.

SASSIERE: Kinda.

[Beat.]

SASSIERE (CONT'D): Do you?

Esmeralda glances at Sassiere.

ESMERALDA: Hm?

SASSIERE: Do you feel guilty for what you did to Elaine?

A long moments passed. Esmeralda remains quiet. She doesn't feel resentment toward Elaine, but she is questioning her life decisions.

ESMERALDA: Maybe.

[Beat.]

SASSIERE: It's a yes or no question.

[Beat.]

ESMERALDA: (conflicted) I...really don't know.

[Beat.]

SASSIERE: I'll take that as a no.

ESMERALDA: Don't assume, Sas. (pause) I really don't know if I feel guilty or not- (pause) I do feel bad, (raises her hands up and down) I always try to limit what I say, and it...was...still terrible, but I did it.

Sassiere tilts head.

SASSIERE: Do you like her?

ESMERALDA: (appalled) What? No! Not like that! She's taken.

SASSIERE: Is that why you don't like her? She has that rizz, and you don't? Or do you suck at pretending like you have it?

ESMERALDA: (confused) What? What does that mean? Sounds cringy.

Sassiere stands up, still looking at her sister.

SASSIERE: Stop trying to make yourself look good. You need to confront what is wrong with you. If you hated her, you would avoid her and take her down as if she were a villain. You're either masking your true feelings because of fear, envy, or whatever you feel. Es, you're seventeen, get out of the funk and open up before you really ruin your life with the status of a mean-loner girl.

Sassiere walks away, going up the stairs to her room, leaving Esmeralda alone. Esmeralda turns off the TV, sighing.

ESMERALDA: (mumbling) ...Son of a gun.

>CUT TO:

Scene 7: Larger The Second Round

EXT. OUTSIDE OF MOBILE, ALABAMA--4:45 p.m.

The storm that the Headnados were watching is now finally here. The storm cycled twice. They are chasing a wedge tornado. Hayden is trembling a bit as Jordon slows down.

JORDON: (to Pauline) Okay, Paulie, grab your probe.

Pauline opens her door.

PAULINE: On it- if you didn't destroy it.

Jordon chuckles while he exits his truck. He opens Hayden's door. Pauline hurries over to the trunk to pick up the probe. It looks like a sphere attached to a prism with little width.

JORDON: Hey, you coming out?

Hayden now looks visibly panicked. Jordon fumes and rolls his eyes.

JORDON (CONT'D): (impatiently) We're still at a safe distance. Come on out! You don't wanna get roasted by our viewers!

Hayden hesitantly gets out of the truck. Pauline has already set up her probe. She heads back to the vehicle. Hayden can't stop shaking.

HAYDEN: Th-that's massive. How big is it?

Jordon glares at him. He pats him on the back.

JORDON: Stop shaking. It's like we hired a noob off the street.

HAYDEN: I've never seen a large tornado up close, Jordon! G-give me a break!

JORDON: You get a break mostly in the winter months, Hayden. (pause) Is this still fun?

HAYDEN: (mixed) Yeah...

JORDON: Give a guess how massive that tornado is.

Hayden scans the tornado, trying to estimate.

HAYDEN: Over half a mile wide?

JORDON: About as big as my nuts.

Jordon laughs to himself while Hayden rolls his eyes. Pauline is watching the stream chat and seeing the range of reactions to Jordon's joke. She heard it too. She facepalms herself with one hand.

PAULINE: That's why our videos are not for kids.

HAYDEN: (mumbles, annoyed) My God, Jordon.

Jordon turns to Hayden.

JORDON: What was that?

Hayden shakes his head with a smile at him.

HAYDEN: Nothing.

As a minute went by, Pauline feels uncertain as the tornado approaches them. Its windfield is bigger than the actual condensation funnel. Pauline honks the horn.

PAULINE: Yo! Come back!

Hayden doesn't hesitate and runs back to the truck while Jordon walks. They enter the truck.

JORDON: Paulie, connected to your probe?

PAULINE: Yes. We'll pick it up later. Hopefully, it doesn't get destroyed.

They start driving again, getting out of the tornado's way. It starts to rain, swirling into the tornado.

HAYDEN: Uh... Is that a bad sign?

[Beat.]

JORDON: Probably changing storm mode.

Jordon starts driving away from the tornado. Hayden rolls down his window and films the tornado despite the rain falling. So far, the tornado is going to the right.

Jordon turns left onto a roaded area, but there are downed trees.

JORDON (CONT'D): Damn it. Trees.

Jordon does a U-Turn.

JORDON (CONT'D): Looks like we need to go the other way.

HAYDEN: Isn't that in the tornado's path?

JORDON: (a little aggressive) Yes.

Jordon speeds ahead of the tornado. Once he observes the tornado shifting to the right, he slows down and pulls over, getting ready to film outside again.

JORDON (CONT'D): Okay. (to Pauline) Any records on the probe?

Pauline checks the results of her probe.

PAULINE: Yes. 176 miles per hour. Pressure dropped inside of it.

Hayden slowly gets out of the truck. Jordon smirks at the result.

JORDON: Great. EF4 levels. The damage must match its wind speeds.

He leaves the door open as Hayden and him start filming the tornado. It's lightly raining now.

Hayden scans the tornado.

HAYDEN: A lot of debris.

JORDON: Yeah, it could've hit some houses.

[Beat.]

HAYDEN: Should we go check up on them?

[Beat.]

JORDON: We can check after it has passed.

Hayden checks his phone from his pocket. His phone is out of view, and he is looking down.

HAYDEN: Tornado Emergency.

JORDON: It's going to hit a town.

PAULINE: Yeah, Mobile. Again.

The siren goes off, hinting there is danger coming into Mobile.

>CUT TO:

Scene 8: Siren Ends

INT. ESMERALDA'S ROOM

Esmeralda is on her computer again. She hears the sirens and quickly stands up. She checks her windows and doesn't see a tornado coming. She can get some views of storms sneaking up on them from her window behind her computer.

The sirens abruptly end.

ESMERALDA: (puzzled) What?

She listens to the rain and thunder. She doesn't hear any tornado coming. She is still unsure. Then, Sassiere opens her door, also confused.

SASSIERE: Did you hear the siren turning off?

ESMERALDA: Yes.

SASSIERE: Why?

Esmeralda shakes her head.

ESMERALDA: I have no clue.

[Beat.]

SASSIERE: Well, the sirens go off again. We know what to do.

ESMERALDA: (wary) Yeah...

>CUT TO:

Scene 9: Chase Impacted

EXT. OUTSIDE OF MOBILE, ALABAMA

Hayden and Jordon are still filming. The tornado has multiple vortices connected to the wedge.

In the truck, Pauline starts to get on edge, hearing the siren ending. It starts to pour again, turning into a high-precipitation supercell. Pauline looks out her window and sees a satellite tornado heading towards them.

Pauline honks the truck.

PAULINE: (loudly while beeping) Check your six!

Jordon and Hayden wince around and see the tornado.

JORDON: Get back in the truck!

Both of them start running back into truck. Jordon starts driving as soon they got in before Hayden can buckle.

HAYDEN: (panting and holding ledge) How the hell did we miss that?

JORDON: It's a satellite tornado. It's not uncommon for two tornadoes to spawn.

HAYDEN: I know what it is, Jordon. Why did we miss it?

JORDON: Sometimes, it happens. With us focusing on the main tornado, it gets muted out.

The road turns into a densely wooded area. It's raining heavily, and it's hard to see the road-- not seeing the wedge coming towards them.

HAYDEN: (a little panicked) I can't see. (pause) We are in a bad spot.

JORDON: Calm down, Hayden. I'll get us out of it.

HAYDEN: Going this way puts us in the tornado's trajectory.

JORDON: (stressed) I know. That's why I'm speeding as fast as possible.

[Beat.]

HAYDEN: This is a bad idea. We should've gone in reverse.

Hayden turns his camera towards the trees. The wind is high, and the leaves are ripping off. It's a downpour, and it's hard to see anything.

Soon, a branch hits the hood of the truck, making Hayden jump. Jordon shakes his head and fumes in stress.

JORDON: I only saw that, Hay. The wind and rain are not making it easier. (pause) If there weren't a tornado after us, I would've pulled over.

They aren't aware of the tornado's position...

Jordon tries to go in reverse to break free, but the tree locks them in place.

HAYDEN: Can we work our way around it?

JORDON: I can't!

HAYDEN: (panicked and panting) We should've stayed to the left of the tornado...

JORDON: We couldn't get out that way because trees are down there!

HAYDEN: Are you stupid?! We wouldn't be in the tornado's path as much. We could've filmed from that area! (gestures) We can't see the tornado from here. We need to go in a ditch.

JORDON: The ditches are flooded!

PAULINE: Jordon, he's right! We can't see a thing out there! We need to either get in a ditch despite the water or-

JORDON: Stay out of this, Paulie!

HAYDEN: Don't cut her off! She can see the damn thing on radar!

PAULINE: (losing her cool) Radar can't be fully relied upon! We lost visuals! The only way to 'see' is by the flying crap I see in the air!

The winds rapidly escalate. They are getting smashed by branches and debris. Pauline places her laptop on the truck floor as she ducks. Jordon slams on his brakes. Pauline immediately puts her helmet on.

PAULINE (CONT'D): (serious) Everyone, get down! Cover your heads! Put your helmets on!

Jordon and Hayden followed suit, ducking down and putting their helmets on. They are getting struck by the outer edges of the tornado. The gusts take over the sound, along with Hayden screaming.

THEIR VIDEOS CUT OUT.