Sitting on the wooden floor of the studio, Ellen's eyes were transfixed on the big screen, watching the news like a hawk, trying to find out information on the storm.
Her phone was in her hand and every now and then she would dial Portia's number in the hope that her wife would answer.
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Mary and other crew had managed to phone their loved ones and tell them to keep safe.
By now, Ellen's patience was growing thin and her tears were stinging her face. She couldn't stop crying as she saw the news of the hurricane on the TV.
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"Hey Ellen... Honey... Look, why don't you go and sit in your office and I will call mamma and Vance yeah?" Mary said as she bent down to where Ellen was sitting.
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"Um.. Yeah. Gosh I didn't think about Mamma and Vance... I hope they are ok. I'm so glad they moved out of Los Angeles...At least they will be ok" Ellen said between sobs. She was so thankful that Mary and her staff were such genuine and caring people.
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"Yes and they will be wondering about you won't they. They probably haven't been able to contact you as you've been ringing Portia" Mary said as she helped Ellen up.
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"Thanks Mary, how is everybody? I know people have been talking to me and being around me but I haven't really been listening, I'm more focused on finding Portia. I'm sorry" Ellen said as she dried her eyes and they walked from the set, down to Ellen's dressing room.
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"Yeah everyone is ok. They are all worried about Portia too honey. They've all managed to call someone and tell them to keep safe. They have asked them to keep an eye out for Portia too. Don't worry." Mary said to try and reassure Ellen.
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"I just want a sign to say she's ok!"
Meanwhile, Portia sat in the car, her head rested on her arm, looking out at the heavy rain that surrounded the car.
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She kept waving her arm phone around to try and get a signal but there was no hope
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The loud tapping of water on metal was drowning out the noise of anything else, and Portia was transfixed on the front door of her brothers home.
Portia listened to the radio as it played joyful tunes but nothing would awaken her from the terror of knowing what was out there.
The car starting shaking as the wind started to get stronger. The hurricane by now was off the cost where Portia and Ellen's Monetcito home stood.
It hadn't reached Portia or the studio, but had now escalated to a category 3.
Back at the studio, Ellen has spoken to mamma on the land-line phone and told her about Portia being out in the storm.
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"She will be ok Ellen. Just keep calm and let me know when you hear from her ok"
"I will mamma. I love you"
"And I you Ellen, sweetheart. Bye bye"
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Ellen put down the phone and looked at the time.
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2.30
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She stared down at her desk and looked at the grain embedded in the wood. She absentmindedly traced the grain with her finger and sighed. She took out her cell phone and tried to use it but the battery was flat.
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Shit
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Not thinking about anything else, apart from her darling wife and what could have happened to her, she sunk her head into her hands. She didn't want to think of the worst but the thoughts of her wife not being in the world anymore, haunted Ellen.
Her hands felt like ice as they dug into her scalp, as she held her head in her hands, still looking at the desk. Elbows against the cold wooden furniture, Ellen broke down at the thought of Portia leaving behind her family and friends.
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How could she tell Michael that his baby sister had gone? How cold she tell Maggie that her daughter left this world all because of a stupid phone!
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And then it hit her
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Michael!
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She looked back at the clock
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2.49
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"Michael will be home for lunch!" She yelled out, forgetting she was alone.
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She rushed out the room to find a land-line phone and dialed Michael's number
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"M-Michael have you gone home? Are you at work? Portia is missing,"
"Hi- aahh what? No I'm still at work, can't go out today... what do you mean Portia's gone missing? Where is she- where are you?"
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"Mikey, Portia is out in the storm. She left about 2 hours ago and I can't call her. I'm so worried-"
"Wait what? There's a fucking hurricane Ellen! Why is she out there? I haven't been able to fly any helicopters today so why on earth is she out in it?"
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"She left her phone at home and she went to fetch it. She's probably on the 101 somewhere. Michael I'm so worried I thought I should let you know"
"Ok ok, where are you?"
"I'm at the studio, she's on her way back home"
"Ok I'm coming to find her."
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"Michael NO! I don't want you to go out in it, I only phoned you to let you know before the storm gets any worse and takes the power lines out. Don't go out in this-"
"She is my sister Ellen! I have to find her!"
"I know but please Michael she wouldn't want you to go out in this storm PLEASE! Let's just phone the fire department and get them to go find her"
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"Ok but I'm still going Ellen. I'm gonna ring Casey and tell her I'm going to find Portia"
"NO MICHAEL!"
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beeeeeep
Michaels phone went dead
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"NOOOOOO!"
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Then the power went out at the studio in Burbank, meaning the office was dark and both the phone she was using and her cell phone were out. Ellen was left not knowing whether Portia was alive or if Michael was going to be ok.
The sound of the crew moving around and talking filled Ellen's ears as she could sense they were trying to switch on the generators to bring up the emergency power.
Thinking about where the hurricane must be, she realised that if the power was out in Burbank, then the hurricane must on its way to them soon. She gathered her thoughts and carefully went out into the corridors to search for her crew and make sure they were all ok.
Back in Santa Monica, after 3 and a half hours since she left Burbank, Portia was sat in Ellen's car outside her brothers house, still. Portia sat there with her head on the steering wheel not knowing what to do.
She was safe, for now, but the wind was picking up still and little did she know that the home that she and Ellen had shared was ravaged by the hurricane in Monetcito.
She hoped that Ellen was safe and that Michael and Casey were safe also.
Portia looked down at her phone and noticed there was one bar of signal.
She dialled ellens number and brought it up to her ear in hope that she would hear her wife's voice.
There was a long beep and she realised that she couldn't get a signal. She tried the studio but nothing.
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Just then she saw a flash of light.
It came closer and she strained to see what it was through the thunderous weather outside.
It was a car.
Casey had dropped off the kids at a friends house as Michael and her were planning on having a nice evening in tonight. She had seen the awful weather but didn't realise it was leading up to a hurricane.
As she drove and parked next to the silver sports car, Portia got out of the car and approached Casey's 4x4.
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"Oh my god Casey I am so glad to see you! Quick lets get inside!"
"Uh Portia hey what's up, why are you crying?" Casey said as she got out the car.
"Let's get in... Where's the girls?" Said Portia.
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Portia followed Casey in the house and once inside she ran towards the living room for Casey's landline phone.
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"I've just dropped them off at Clara's... What's happening?"
"Don't you listen to the news? There's a fucking hurricane coming and I've been stranded on the highway for an hour and a half, and I've been sitting outside your house waiting for you to come home!"
"Oh my god? Where's Ellen? And Michael?"
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Portia waved her hands as she was trying to reach the studio on the phone.
"Shhhh... Fuck there's no answer at the studio... Let me try Ellens phone..."
"Portia why were you on the highway-"
"Shhh- oh no her phone is off too!... Damn what am I going to do Casey? Ellen will be so worried."
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Portia slumped down on the sofa next to the phone and replaced the receiver.
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"I don't know honey. I don't even know where Michael is either, he was supposed to be home for lunch. Oh god I hope nothing has happened to him!"
"Oh no this is terrible! Ellen will think I'm lost, or worse, and now Michael is missing!"
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