Five Miles: Monster Tornado Impact

PG:13

Death

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INT. PUBLIC STORM SHELTER

The storm shelter is empty, which makes Jordon more unnerved as he runs to a bathroom. He hides in a bathroom stall.

As soon as he enters the stall, the public shelter starts to shake from the winds, which can be heard. Jordon covers his head with his hands as he cowers down next to the toilet. The wind outside can be heard, along with things being torn.

JORDON: Here we go...

BACK TO:

INT. BARTON ACADEMY'S BASEMENT

The winds barrel down. It's hard to see for those who are sheltering here. The gusts are much stronger than at the shelter.

The Everson family and the storm chasers are now huddled together. Sassiere covers her ears. The basement windows break.

SASSIERE: This is so loud!

MARIA: How long did it take for the other tornado to pass over the house?!

[Beat.]

SASSIERE: Forever!

ESMERALDA: It was less than a couple of minutes!

MARIA: This is going to be much longer!

SASSIERE: (sarcastic) ...Great!

Another pipe bursts and water flows out.

Elaine looks up and notices the ceiling shaking. They are light-colored enough to be easily seen by them.

ELAINE: The ceiling is gonna fold at any moment.

Esmeralda looks up at the ceiling, debating.

BACK TO:

INT. PUBLIC STORM SHELTER'S MALE BATHROOM

Things are collapsing all around him. Debris is crashing in before being picked up. Jordon keeps his eyes shut. The sounds deafen him.

JORDON: God, please! Show me mercy! Let me live! Please!

One of the vortices inside the tornado hits the public shelter. After a few seconds of loud destruction and a loud roar, the shelter gets ripped up and lifted.

JORDON (CONT'D): (shrieking in fear) God, please!

He gets lifted by the tornado. He continues to scream, only to fade out.

PHONE CAMERA GLITCHES OUT.

BACK TO:

INT. BARTON ACADEMY'S BASEMENT

Esmeralda has been watching the ceiling tiles shaking worse by the second. There is dust getting into the room.

She gives in. She gets up and walks to the left. She leans down near Elaine, Pauline, and Hayden and spreads her arms out. Esmeralda grips her left hand on a sturdy white pipe against the wall.

It takes a bit for her mother to see.

MARIA: Esmeralda, sit down!

The roof and some parts of the walls gave way. Esmeralda is distant enough to avoid being killed on impact, but not far enough. Debris strikes her in the back and head. Esmeralda manages to save the three from getting hit. She grunts as she collapses on top of Elaine, Hayden, and Pauline.

ELAINE: Esmeralda!

SASSIERE: Sissy!

She gets back up, but she is trembling, blood oozing from the back of her head. She looks down at Elaine, weakly smiling.

Treck, seeing his daughter hurt, gets up and goes to the middle to shield the whole group. Maria starts to become more panicked.

MARIA: Treck!

Treck and Maria gaze at each other. Both of them are worried.

More of the basement collapses, allowing more gusts, dirt, and other particles to rummage by.

SASSIERE: This hurts!

HAYDEN: We know! Just hang on! It will soon stop!

Furniture gets dragged across the room before being lifted. Other parts are raining into the classroom, which are very hard to see. The group still holds onto the painted pipe in front of them. Most of their eyes are slammed shut.

Esmeralda is still trying to protect the people nearby while staying conscious.

ELAINE: Esmera, don't be afraid to sit down!

[Beat.]

ESMERALDA: (weakly) I'm hanging on...

ELAINE: (assertive) If you feel faint, sit the heck down! We're going to catch you, anyway.

Esmeralda only blinks while looking at Elaine. She tries to straighten her back more, but can't, only whimpering.

A couple of minutes pass. Esmeralda struggles to stay up, expressing pain and gritting her teeth. The winds die down for a bit, but the sight doesn't restore. All of them look up, still unable to see anything. The winds are still howling.

PAULINE: It's not finished! We are getting the back of it.

MARIA: Treck and Esmeralda, you better get down now!

Treck glances at Esmeralda.

TRECK: You join the others. I'll shield you all.

MARIA: (angrily) No, you sit too, Treck!

TRECK: There's no roof and the walls are weak to protect us. Let me shield, Maria.

Esmeralda folds as soon as the winds start back again. Pauline and Hayden catch her body and guide her next to Elaine. Elaine puts a hand on her shoulder, moving behind her. Esmeralda rests her head on the pipe.

ELAINE: Well done, Es! You did great! Just hang on. (raises voice because the winds are louder) We'll get you treated!

A few minutes pass by of intense winds. Treck starts to fumble due to the gusts. Maria has been watching the whole time. It's hard to see him.

MARIA: Treck! Forget it! Just get down!

Treck doesn't respond. A second later, he grips his neck, collapsing while breathing out a painful exhale. His whole body was underwater.

MARIA (CONT’D): Treck!

She crawls, not caring that the water reaches her neck. Everyone is looking at her with worry.

Maria lifts her husband's head out of the water. A glass object has impaled the side of his neck, instantly killing him. His eyes are still open, blood oozing from the neck.

MARIA (CONT’D): (quietly and tearfully) No. No-no-no. Treck, no.

Sassiere and Esmeralda are looking at their father's corpse. Esmeralda feels mournful inside, but doesn't cry.

SASSIERE: Daddy?

[Beat.]

SASSIERE (CONT’D): Dad! (pause) Why won't you wake up?

Maria and Sassiere stare at each other. She sees Mom sobbing.

SASSIERE (CONT’D): Mommy, why did Daddy fall?

Maria keeps looking at her daughter, staying quiet.

The death finally registers with Sassiere. She sees the blood and starts shaking.

SASSIERE (CONT’D): (tearful) Daaaadddd! Please, wake up! I want you to come home with us!

Elaine covers Sassiere's eyes with her arm and makes her look away.

SASSIERE (CONT’D): No! I wanna see Daddy!

ELAINE: Not right now, Sas.

SASSIERE: Nooo! Dad! Can you hear me, Dad? Please don't leave us! Daddy?! Daddddyyyy!

PAULINE: Maria, you should hang on. You can look at him when the storm has passed! Don't let your kids lose a mother too.

ELAINE: Yeah, come back here.

Maria sets her husband back into the water and crawls back over. She holds onto the pipe like everyone else.

The outer wall caves in. Silence.

[Beat.]

ELAINE (CONT'D): (dryly) I think we're all going deaf from this.

The tornado passes after what feels like long minutes, giving them relief. Their sight and hearing return. They can see the sky. They can see debris following the tornado.

Maria moves to her dead husband and picks him back up. She clutches onto him. Elaine and Hayden are helping Esmeralda up. Pauline assists Sassiere up. Sassiere trudges over to her dead father.

SASSIERE: Daddy?

MARIA: I'm afraid Daddy is not going to come home with us.

SASSIERE: He will!

MARIA: (frustatedly) He can't, Sassiere!

Maria looks away from her daughter before she slams her fist into the water.

MARIA (CONT’D): This is so stupid! Why did it have to be him? Why do those doing good have to die and get hurt?!

Sassiere tries to approach her, but Pauline stops her. Maria sobs again.

MARIA (CONT'D): I lost him! I don't want to lose my daughters!

HAYDEN: Hey! We need to leave. Your kids need medical attention.

Pauline rushes over to help Maria pick up Treck's body.

The downpour and hail start to hit. The thunder and lightning are more audible. Maria carries her husband with the help from Pauline.

PAULINE: It's going to flood.

They carefully trace back to the stairwell. It's damaged, but they can escape easily.

Elaine sees Esmeralda dragging her feet, slipping through consciousness.

ELAINE: Esmeralda, stay with us!

ESMERALDA: I will. Everything is spinning, and my ears are ringing…

MARIA: Once the adrenaline wears off, you're down on the ground.

EXT. BARTON ACADEMY

They get out of the academy. A lot of buildings are stripped clean of their foundations. Maria and Pauline place Treck's body down on the ground. There is a lot of debris raining down (many pieces of several buildings that the tornado struck).

PAULINE: We need to find a place to hide. It doesn't have to be a shelter, just something!

HAYDEN: Paulie!

Pauline and Maria look at him. Hayden is pointing to a four-story building that has some damage (right side), a bit far off. It looks like the sub-vortices didn't hit it.

HAYDEN: We'll usher your kids over there! Call 911.

PAULINE: There is going to be an overflow. Keep trying. It's them or emergency services arrive to check for survivors.

Maria sighs as she picks up her phone, which still works. She quickly dials 911, hoping someone will pick up.

SASSIERE: I wish we could take a photo of the tornado...

PAULINE: Golfball-size hail-- we need to move.

FADE OUT.