INT. TEMPORARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM- FEBRUARY 21, 2030
Their high school is still being rebuilt. They are in temporary classrooms on another campus.
Elaine and Esmeralda sit next to each other. They both looked at their grades on the computer. They are in a study hall, and the lights are off.
Elaine peeks at Esmeralda's screen. She smirks.
ELAINE: I see As.
ESMERALDA: Yeah... My family and I are happy with Cs and Bs.
ELAINE: Won't stop my grandma from baking you a cake for your birthday.
Esmeralda looks at Elaine, excited and shocked.
ESMERALDA: Really?
ELAINE: Yeah. Oreo type ca-
A gust of wind pushes against the classroom windows. Esmeralda instantly winces towards them. It's cloudy outside. Her breathing picks up. She keeps staring out the window, hoping not to see what she saw a year ago.
ELAINE (CONT’D): Es...
Esmeralda doesn't snap out of it. Elaine puts her head on her shoulder to do so, scaring her a bit.
ELAINE (CONT’D): Es, it's okay. We're safe.
[Beat.]
ELAINE (CONT’D): Anyway, Oreo cake with blue frosting. Triple layered.
Esmeralda relaxes a bit.
ESMERALDA: I can't wait to eat that. Mom is so amped out for me having a birthday party after years of not having one.
ELAINE: How does she think of Lilian?
ESMERALDA: Oh, she's aware of him. (pause) He's eager to meet my mom and sister. I hope she accepts him.
ELAINE: You're sister might be following around and annoying you for finally bringing home a boyfriend.
ESMERALDA: (chuckling) Oh, I know that'll happen.
ELAINE: How are Hayden and Pauline doing? I saw that they're still chasing on their Insta and livestreams. They are in Florida right now.
ESMERALDA: I give them props for continuing their job after what they faced last year. I would never. Other than that, I don't know how they are doing.
CUT TO:
INT. MOBILE MEMORIAL- A WEEK AGO
Hayden and Pauline visit Jordon at a memorial service dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Mobile tornado. There are flowers around the plaques from other lost loved ones.
PAULINE: Hey, Jordon! We're here to see you. Still chasing storms.
HAYDEN: I'm the one behind the wheel.
PAULINE: We still get close to them.
HAYDEN: I didn't like that we had a falling out. I thought we would make a good team. I wanted to 'end' this on a better note.
FADE TO:
EXT. HAYDEN'S CAR
Hayden and Pauline are traveling the plains. Hayden drives into a low-precipitation supercell.
HAYDEN (CON’TD)(V.O.): We're still traveling the United States to see the storms despite what we encountered in Mobile. I think you would not be too pleased if we didn't continue. (nervous laughter) On the other hand, I do find filming these storms up close pretty interesting. I just need to have a clear mind in all the jitters.
PAULINE (V.O.): Unfortunately, I couldn't rebuild the probes because Kai died, and I haven't found someone else to work with. Sorry, Jordon.
Hayden and Pauline pull over as a small funnel forms in the field next to them.
HAYDEN (V.O.): It's not wrong to be up close to a tornado that is outside of town and can easily be seen.
Pauline lowers her phone from watching the radar. Hayden is filming with a camera as dirt rises while the funnel clouds lower.
HAYDEN (CONT’D) (V.O.): As many storms can look menacing, they capture the beauty of nature.
They smile as the small tornado becomes more defined, moving away from them.
FADE TO BLACK.
-----
Behind The Scenes
This is not bloopers. This story was written when I was fourteen. I decided to turn it into a script while I was at a relative's during the summer. The funniest thing was that there were chances of tornadoes, and it was hot.
Here are some facts to compare the script version and the story version.
1. The story version was set in a fictional town, Cloodia Town, Missouri. It took place in summer 2025.
2. Esmeralda was never a bully in the story; she was a catty teenager. She had to babysit her younger sister, Sassolona (8). Sassolona didn't have much dialogue, but more docile and kinder than her sister.
3. Esmeralda did have a boyfriend. He was named Nishe (Niche). I think his name was a sign that I like to have odd names. I pity any future children I have.
4. Back then, I didn't do any research about storms. It was going to be the 5.0-mile-wide tornado first, followed by many violent tornadoes (EF3-EF5).
5. Sassolona was killed when the tornado ripped off the roof of the house, taking her with it. Esmeralda and her parents made it to the basement in time.
6. I believe a 5-mile-wide tornado is very, very unlikely. No need to panic. I do think it is possible to have an EF5 in the future. It is only a matter of time before an EF5 tornado returns again.
7. There were no storm chasers as characters in the book.
8. Elaine didn't exist in the book.
9. In the script, there was only going to be thunder after the tornado had passed and the characters got out of Barton Academy, but since I went for a squall line, I decided to add in some heavy rain and hail. Flooding can happen during severe storms.
10. In the outline of the script, the tornado wasn't supposed to be rain-wrapped. I tried to take a different approach to make it more climactic and scary. What makes tornadoes more dangerous are some of the following factors: rain-wrapped, night, traveling, disregarded warning (if there were many false alarms for tornadoes, people tend to brush them off or still try to go outside and watch it), or an unwarned storm (this can still happen). There is a little bit of all three of them in the script. The tornado was rain-wrapped, evening (close to night), and slightly unwarned. The previous storms knocked the sirens out, including power. People could've also lost connection to social media and couldn't see the tornado was coming. Due to past damage to their shelters, people could've left to find better shelter; they potentially put themselves back in the path of a tornado. Were the people at the storm shelter unaware of the tornado until authorities told them to evacuate, or they thought the shelter could hold up to the tornado? They could have past experiences with the storm shelter that make them believe it's reputable and can handle violent tornadoes. We've only gotten the perspectives of the Everson family and the Nadoheads. Did the people manage to escape or find a new place to endure this crazy whirlwind?
Thank you for reading my script. If you want to see more scripts, poetry, and short stories, let me know.
-Ace Melee
About the Creator
Ace Melee
-Mainly a horror and fantasy writer.
-I post stories, poetry, and scripts on Vocal. My preferred audience is older teens and adults, but I can adjust for younger teens.
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By Sidney Smith (Sid Smith)6 days ago in Fiction
Comments (1)
We've been in a few tornadoes that could not be seen for the heavy rain & debris. One was while I was in seminary in Kansas City. I lived in an apartment building (Ada Mead) right across from a park that ran up the side of the hill. We lived on the third door. I was working on one of my first year credos on the computer. Suddenly the air pressure dropped dramatically. Literally everyone on the floor ran out into the hallway to alert everyone else that there was a tornado. Nothing was ever officially declared, but the trees in the park running up the hill through the middle of the park had been twisted like corkscrews & turned into toothpicks. Another happened while I was in college. Again, nothing was ever officially confirmed, but the wind gauge at the airport broke off at 110 mph. I was staying in the apartment above the office for the UCC. I had gone to the window to watch the somewhat ominous clouds on the western horizon during a commercial break during prime time. Before the break was over, those clouds had rolled overhead, the trees next door bowed to the ground & little after that could be seen. The pastor's family was out at the Lewis & Clark Playhouse for a musical. It's essentially a large Quonset hut. People tried to leave as the storm hit (you can imagine how loud it was inside). They were told they were safer inside, but they insisted on leaving, only to find that they couldn't open the doors. They threatened to sue over the doors having been locked. They had to be reminded that those doors don't have locks. Nicely completed, Ace. I've enjoyed reading the script & then the context with your story at 14 & this.