Sins in Twisters
Chapter 15: Unstable Atmosphere
An hour south of Oklahoma City sat the town of Norman. Home to the University of Oklahoma. A research and science hub that offered dozens upon dozens of different avenues for people to come in and learn to study.
In the southern portions of the massive campus stood the five-story National Weather Center building. Opened back in 2006, the facility served as a confederation of federal, state, and academic organizations that work together to understand better events that take place in the atmosphere across the world. The site served as an extension to several other organizations run under the greater NOAA umbrella, with one being the Storm Prediction Center headquarters right inside the building.
Often abbreviated as just the SPC (not to be confused by the semi-fictional SCP), the organization's job was to monitor, forecast, and warn for any potential severe weather in the contiguous United States. 24/7, 365 days a year, watching and studying the weather patterns and how, in a few days, from just three to eight days out, it could affect human life in a given area in the near or far future.
For two decades, the place had witnessed thousands of tornadoes, hundreds of tropical storms, heatwaves, blizzards, and the oddball weather event that marks the history books. On any given day, if the next three days said everywhere would be fine they were focused on what disaster could unfold the day after that. This year especially, they had been tested again and again as each season brings on its own challenges. The events in May had practically turned the place from a weather office into something that would make Norad trying to conduct a world war look more like a fictional set piece from the movie War Games.
Like the Super Outbreak of 2011, the 2020 Easter Outbreak, and the two-day mayhem of the March 31st to April 1st Outbreak, the people in these offices knew that every second they could narrow down what could possibly happen in the next few hours meant the difference between being wrong in that the best case happens or be so off that they and the nation bare witness to dozens to thousands in the path of incoming death.
And today, the SPC, National Weather Service, and NOAA offices were all in near enough overdrive as the clock ticked closer to noon. Dozens of forecasters, meteorologists, climatologists, and more gathered around or dashed across rooms filled with an even greater number of computers with some hard set on their work in front of them or communicating with a half dozen colleges in trying to understand what was happening or to explain and get some ideas.
Among them, Erin Smith was blazing away at her own keyboard. Eyes were darting back and forth between three monitors, with the furthest most showing a live radar on a loop displaying the entirety of the country. The Right side had a much faster display, going as far as 1 a.m. It was like it was fast-forwarding through the entire day that had yet to happen. In the center, Erin smashed the enter button as lines of commands and equations took a moment before loading even more data lines as the commands were executed. Taking a quick sip from her coffee that was joined by nearly a half dozen other empty cups, she was trying to keep focused after having flown back from Denver when she was called in to help.
Looking at the other computer, the monitor briefly paused and refreshed as the radar displayed a slightly changed view. Where storms were before, they weren't, and where they were nowhere near, they were now directly on top of. With nearly a dozen other people doing the same thing, they were all trying to narrow down the best possible outcome of what today could be.
And they had a lot of ground to cover. Aside from a potential blizzard hovering over the Northwest and the Gulf Coast still dealing with coastal flooding, over 16 states east of the Mississippi River were under the gun for severe weather. A PDS, Particularly Dangerous Situation, thunderstorm watch was in effect till 10 P.m. at night, spanning from Chicago as far south as Memphis and as far east as Colombus. Mississippi, Alabama, and parts of Tennessee and Arkansas were getting covered in large swaths of flood and flash flood watches as simulations of the atmospheric conditions painted the picture that any severe storm that fired up could be utterly loaded with all the extra moisture the remains of Hurricane Olga. The jetstream was in perfect position for storms to form deep inside a rich, unstable environment and stay in it for a long time.
This was something that had put many in every weather office in some 700 miles that separated the furthest offices in the zone and everyone in between on edge. There were going to be storms. They were going to be fast, windy, and filled with rain. Some possibly merge into fronts that could generate straight-line winds over 90mph. Some had discrete supercells with high tornado potential, and others were just ready to make sure Noah had that Ark ready.
Like all scientists, their frustration was far from being stated. Even with the most powerful weather technology on the planet and decades of science built into it each day, the fact they couldn't say which storm would produce baseball hail or a tornado outbreak in of itself was what made them slave over these simulations, how just one little change in the temperature, elevation, moisture, position of the jetstream and the sun could lead to a plethora of possibilities. The more and more the simulations began to get closer, the closer they felt to knowing what today could be. There were going to be tornadoes, large hail, and heavy winds across a large area, and many were ready to pull the trigger on a PDS tornado watch.
But then there was the area of uncertainty.
Much of the focus was on western Tennessee and Kentucky, with parts of southern Indiana being the focus for the PDS watches. But what was making Erin focus on running so many models so quickly was the fact that the simulations showed discrete cellular activity much further north from Indiana into Michigan and parts of Ohio. Those areas were under an enhanced risk for severe weather, but the models told the story that whatever was going to happen wouldn't just be in the south.
Leaning back in her seat, Erin let out a low exhale as she grabbed what was now her fourth cup of coffee since 4 Am this morning. Dowing the last half of the cup in two gulps, she swiveled her seat area and pulled open her personal laptop. The screen flickered out of sleep model as she opened up a window to the Storm Spotter Network.
Hundreds of icons littered the area. Flying down highways or gathering in clumps around several towns that were in the forecasted area to be hit later. From the call she got earlier from Clyde, she zeroed in on the moving dot that displayed 'L.L.L.' on Instate 65 heading south.
It was almost 12:30 Central Standard Time; after long hours of nonstop driving over the course of 350 miles, pulling off the exit from Interstate 65, the hulking beast that was Storm Shrieker eased its way down the declining curve. Pulling through the intersection, it was able to beat the yellow turn light as it rolled into a Pilot Travel Center just 15 miles south of the Louisville metroplex.
Easing past a line of exiting semi trucks, the tank slowly rolled itself to a stop in two open parking spaces facing the side of the building that had the Subway attachment. While it was a bit mean to take up two spots, it was better than trying to fit in a regular spot and watch as the doors took out any tall vehicles right next to it. Killing the engine, the Ford groaned as it thanked this moment of rest.
Popping the driver door open, with his jacket discarded to the backseat and tossing his hat back with it after wiping away a line of sweat, Lincoln stepped out and let himself take a bit of a controlled stumble as he leaned against the front fender. Stretching a leg out like he was readjusting his furniture, he held it for a moment till he felt the stiffness fade away before a charlie horse could take him out. With a sigh, he looked up towards the still-clear blue sky above him. Feeling a small breeze that was barely moving the wind sensors on the mast, it was still a welcoming feeling after his little journey.
Covering the six-hour drive from Royal Woods in just three and a half, he knew there was a high chance he got a speeding ticket or two getting mailed his way later. Most of the trip through the countryside was spent making the tank really put its new motor to the test in handling higher highway speeds for longer. She could do 85 solid for longer but still needed some tuning to see if it could maintain 90.
But the main reason he had stopped was to get out of the vehicle. To stretch his sore muscles that had been in the same position for most of the last 16 hours. Usually, a three-hour drive wouldn't be much of a bother at all. With a full gas tank and some water, he could have kept driving through Kentucky and finished the last two hours easily with only one bathroom break, but he didn't know if it was the lack of food or sleep that was making his body feel out of line. He was a bit peeved at how he still felt so out of it, but compared to a month ago, he was ten times better.
Reaching back, Lincoln pulled the driver's door shut. The slam was loud enough to get several eyes looking in his direction as he headed towards the entrance. Walking under an awning, his skin could instantly feel the difference between standing out in the sun with the wind blowing and being under the shade. Trying to find some distraction in his little walk, passing several cars and empty spots, he was a bit surprised to see a few fellow chasers were there. Parked a bit closer to the building, most of them were typical SUVs and sedans, but a few of them had extra antennas and parts of a weather station sitting on their roofs. Two Chevys actually had full-on, though makeshift with PVC piping, mobile mesonets on them.
It felt a bit reassuring to Lincoln that fellow chasers were out here with him. It told him that where he was going had the attention of others in the region and that while he was chasing by himself, he wasn't alone out there.
Pulling the door open, he was greeted with the sight of a crowd walking out. The lead man originally tried to open the door before he did and sent a small apology as he ushered the others out with him. Some 20 people came out as Lincoln held the door like a hotel worker. With a few nods to those who saw him, he stood there unmoving, watching them filter between the vehicles that he finally understood who the cars belonged to.
Once the last man exited the building, Lincoln slipped around just in time, catching a brief conversation that someone had recognized something before the door closed behind him. Inside the store, a few more people were milling about. There is a small line at the checkout and the sounds of drink machines going off. Swiftly, he went to the coolers; he knew what he wanted and where to find it roughly. He needed to get back on the road and rolling if he was going to get down south to his target zone.
Yanking open the furthest door, he pulled out two-gallon jugs of water. As much as he wanted to load up on Subway for a missed breakfast and lunch, he couldn't risk it. Eating just a light snack would trigger his hunger for more and get to the point where he'd be too tired to drive anywhere. Sure, the feeling of just water sloshing around in his gut wasn't a feeling that anyone would like on a long drive, but for Lincoln, it was just one of those little sacrifices that could be rectified later. He'd probably get a motel in Nashville or somewhere tonight and find the closest restaurant to order from. If it meant even driving a bit and crashing for the night in his truck to cover some ground on the return trip home, so be it.
Coming up to the end of the line, his attention was taken when a 'huge' family started pouring into the store. He counted two adults among some 26 kids of varying ages of practically adult to a pair of infants suddenly invading the establishment. The two parents, guardians or chauffeurs, Lincoln didn't know, but he could see that they were just as glad as him to be off the road. But he couldn't imagine being in a single van dealing with that many at once. It was a mobile war at times with just his sisters when they were only going across the town. Wherever these folks were going, he could only guess that they were still far from it.
Upon them, one of the only boys he could see dressed in a purple shirt with some really creamy colored hair tried to talk to them about trying to stay together, but his words fell on deaf ears. With a defeated sigh, his blue eyes briefly looked up at Lincoln's before he moved to grab whatever snacks he wanted.
With some actual amusement for the first time all day, Lincoln couldn't resist letting out a little laugh as he shook his head. "I know your pain, kid…" With half the line to go, Lincoln looked around for something to keep himself occupied until he saw a TV on the back wall.
Stepping just a little over to avoid a sign from blocking his view, he saw it was turned to the WLKY new stations. Running their noon newscast, he saw he was just in time as they went into another weather segment.
["Well, all eyes are on the sky right now as we go into the afternoon hours today. In just the last hour, we have started to see some small storms attempting to develop across the viewing area, with a few isolated thunderstorms trying to develop. But right now, what we have is what's called a Cap in place. Now a Cap is a layer of warm air a couple of thousand feet in the air; we're talking to the point where we see commercial airliners flying. That acts as a tight lid over the region like it's part of a pressure cooker. A strong cap is good as it stops any real storm development, but as the day gets hotter and that moisture index starts to rise, that cap will get weaker until it breaks. And once it breaks, we can see substantial thunderstorm activity in the later evening hours into-"]
"-Sir!" Lincoln felt himself suddenly snap back into reality as he tore his eyes away from the TV to the clerk in front of him, trying to keep a friendly face, but he could see the frustration in his eyes building.
Shaking his head, Lincoln quickly stepped forward, "Sorry. Just this." He said, pushing the jugs onto the counter without looking away.
Methodically, the cashier scanned the items. It was just two loud beeps at the pull of the trigger, maybe five seconds worth of time, but somehow, in those five seconds, Lincoln felt a wave of exhaustion flush over him as he brought a hand up to rub his tired eyes.
"Quite a crowd outside." The clerk remarked, "Wonder what's got them all riled up."
"Huh?" Confused, the clerk pointed past some of the windows blocked by signs and merchandise. But there were the gaps Lincoln could see some movement. Stepping over to the door, he looked around the edge to see that a crowd had formed over by where he parked. "Oh boy…"
Moving fast, he ripped his wallet out of his pocket and dumped a twenty onto the counter. "Keep the change," he said, snatching the jugs and racing to the door.
Sure enough, once he was back outside, the sound of chatter was ever present as a crowd of nearly a dozen or more people was gathered around Storm Shrieker. A bulk of them were milling about in little mini groups talking while others either posed next to for pictures or walked around filming.
While it was okay for the most part, so long as they didn't try climbing on or breaking something, he enjoyed having a light social meeting with others. People that are curious about what his vehicle is, or other chasers are getting excited like a little kid meeting Santa. It was fun events to help pass the time when waiting for some action, swap stories, or coordinate with other chasers to see how their game plans were.
But Lincoln wasn't in the best mind to deal with any kind of social interaction right now. The last two, maybe three times he's had that today has resulted in frustration, heartbreak, and a few heart attacks already. Hell, it didn't help that most people nowadays probably knew his face from the show or hadn't actually seen him, his team, or his tank anywhere else except around OKC. He didn't want to be rude to anyone but felt the oncoming storm that it was was inevitable.
Stepping down the sidewalk, he brushed past a few people who were a bit taken aback by his appearance and brief 'excuse me' as he set the jugs down on the hood. Immediately, he could hear people whispering about their surprise at seeing him present.
Pulling his door back open, he mentally questioned for a moment whether he should have just left it open to begin with but tossed that thought away. Putting the jugs on his seat, he went to pull himself up inside until he heard someone ask out loud, "Are you Lincoln Loud?"
Lincoln froze before he even lifted his foot up, "Correct." He glanced over his right shoulder, looking for who had asked. One man in the crowd wearing a simple red t-shirt with jeans stepped forward, visibly nervous but with a smile stepped forward.
"It's… it's an honor finally getting to meet you in person." Brandon said, trying to keep his excitement down as he held his slightly shaking hand out.
Turning away from the truck, Lincoln could feel some of his negative thoughts from earlier fade away as he shook hands, "And you are…?"
"I'm Brandon!" The man exclaimed but quickly caught himself, "Sorry." He said sheepishly, "I-I'm Brandon Norton. Part of the B Storm Chasing out from St. Louis."
"B Storm Chasing?" Lincoln questioned. There were dozens to hundreds of different groups of chasers out there, all from the one-man armies to the whole 50-plus science armadas that sprung up here and there. Some lasting for decades, becoming defunct, or starting up so much in a single year that it was hard to lock down names and faces when there was so much to keep track of when you're traveling everywhere.
"It's short for Brady and Brandon. Me and my older brother." Brandon gestured to the man standing a bit further away, looking at his brother with a smirk that spoke a lot about how much the sight of his fanboying sibling amused him. "We just got into chasing a month ago and came out when everyone said this would be a big day."
Lincoln smiled and nodded, "Understandable. What got you into chasing?"
Brandon once again got a nervous blush as he tried to keep his words simple, "Well… you did." Lincoln raised a brow, "Kinda got interested back in 2022 but never really had the time and opportunity. Started hearing about you, and it kinda just… snowballed from there."
Lincoln felt a little spark of pride well up inside him. He always did his best to help others follow the paths they wanted to take or help a little in course correcting but not push or stand in their way. To be told that it was his words and actions that did help inspire someone actually to go out and do what they dreamed of doing, it did feel like his own little accomplishment. That despite being strangers to the world, all it took was a helping hand and a way to go to change people's lives.
Usually, he'd be telling that to a couple of thousand kids during the year and that it's best to stay prepared and not go running into danger like him and many others. But sometimes, it's hard to get someone devoted enough to turn away when inspiration strikes. Sometimes, it was okay to let it be; it helped reassure that when those present are one day gone, there will be someone there ready to step into their place to keep going forward in the future.
"Well, hopefully, today you'll get what you came out here looking for. SPC being said today has the potential to rival the Coby event." He heard a few 'damns' echo from the crowd, with some people quickly pulling out their phones. Either to check the forecast or google what the Coby event was. Lincoln could feel the change in the atmosphere around the parking lot become a bit more lively as some people went as far as to run back to their cars to get something.
Though for Brandon, his excitement seemed only to grow until he looked around for a second before asking, "So where's the rest of your team? Everyone figured you'd have the Dow out here and whatnot on a day like this."
Just like the Cap, Lincoln felt his good mood suddenly get shredded. "I'm… running solo for now. The rest of the crew is all back in Oklahoma, tending to stuff." He didn't feel it was important to tell strangers his big plan or what he's really been doing today, "Just got some upgrades done to Shrieker and… and I figured to give it a test before the year is out."
"Yeah? I saw some of the photos just after Kingman, and some people posted with the new changes it's gotten." Lincoln flinched a little at the mention of Kingman. He turned back to face the truck so that he could have a moment to keep his thoughts in check.
"Yeah, I've… I've been getting her ready for the big one." He said, patting the armor like he was almost exhausted. "Whenever that might be…" he closed his eyes. Taking in a deep breath to keep his mind focused.
"Strengthened the windows. Reinforced the frame. More armor around the cab. Run flat tires and more points of anchoring." He listed off as he looked back around and leaned onto the edge.
"What do you think she could handle now?" someone asked from behind the truck, crouching down by the back bumper to get a look at the new spikes.
"Safely, keeping it between 180 to 190. Pushing it… maybe 230 in the best of circumstances in the worst case scenario."
"Think about trying to intercept F5s now?"
Lincoln looked back down to the ground in thought, "Maybe… but I'd rather avoid going inside if I had the choice to-" His thoughts were cut off when he felt his phone vibrating. Holding a hand up signal to give him a moment, he pulled it free to see the icon of a photo of Erin sitting in the back of the radar truck.
"Give me a sec," His thumb slid over the answer button, Speaking in as normal voice as he could, "Hey Erin. Didn't expect to get a call from you."
"I know you're in Kentucky, so drop the act," she answered back, feeling none all caring. If he had to guess, she was already told at what he was doing or, more likely, had already seen what he was doing. He didn't precisely remember turning off his SSP when he left El Reno.
"Gee, thanks for caring, mom." Lincoln mocked back. "What's up?"
"The towers are what's up." She said sharply, "I got at least four cells already going up in the northeast corner of Arkansas, moving east to northeast."
"What…" It was taking Lincoln's brain to catch up. "What- is the cap already breaking?"
"The lines are still disorganized, but they're trying to grow. Models are showing that if the cap doesn't break in the next hour by the time they get to where you are, then a new storm front could form up on the backside and become the dominate line."
It took a moment, but Lincoln's mind had finally clicked into a setting he hadn't been in for months. His worry and exhaustion had vanished from his features as, in their place, steeled nerves that had been built for over six years returned. "Where's the best likely target?"
"What was your initial target?"
"Originally, I was going down to Elizabethtown if anything further north popped up, then head down to Nashville if something more interesting develops."
"Lincoln, these systems are going to be moving almost 30 to 40. There is no way you will be able to catch up to anything once you get behind it even if you use Interstate 65."
Rolling his eyes, Lincoln figured as much that there was some info he might have overlooked, "Great. So what's the best potential area?"
"You want my professional or personal opinion?"
"Is there a difference?" He joked.
"Bowling Green. I know it's a long shot between the cities, but you'll have a chance to get ahead of anything that does form close to Louisville and avoid having to core punch. If not, then to Mitchell, but there's right now no telling what will happen down there."
The Loud rolled the information around his head like a pioneer trying to pan for gold. He could see a few colors but not enough to tell him where the motherload could be. "Alright… Call me back when something big comes up. Or maybe I'll call you when I'm in position. I don't know."
"Alright," She tonely replied. "and Lincoln…" Right as he went to hang up, the tone in Erin's voice caught him off guard as much as if Lucy wasn't using her monotone voice out of the blue.
When Erin didn't hear Lincoln respond, she continued, "...they're calling for a 8 percent tornado chance between central Indiana into central Michigan. From Chicago to Detroit is under the gun. I… I figured to let you know." Her end of the call ended with no form of goodbye. Only the brief sound of her finger tapping the end button and the sigh that was heard during it. With a hand that couldn't decide to stay still or create an earthquake, Lincoln nearly dropped his phone as he spun back around to face the cab.
He knew well that the odds of a tornado anywhere close to either Great Lake or Royal Woods were slim. Twelve percent fit within the scope that any given 25 square miles would possibly have one time the sheer size of multiple states. The area where he was going had 37 percent. It was not big in the grand scheme of numbers, for it was practically a guarantee that there would be tornadoes in the area. Michigan has had its fair share of tornadoes in the last few years. But the randomness of where they spawn has been something that has been impossible to narrow down where the most likely would be.
The 2016 event was a once-in-a-lifetime event for his old home. For anything to come close, he and every weather scientist on Earth had no idea. Mother Nature did what it wanted, where and when it wanted it. It wasn't much that even if he got in the truck right now and sped back north, anything that would form would already be in progress. He knew what she implied by figuring he should know…
… but for the life of him, his mind told the heart that even if he jumped into the truck and floored it, he wouldn't make it. He was too far away that anything short of getting an airline ticket at the closest airport or teleportation would give him the needed time. At the same time, if nothing happens and the outbreak of a lifetime, does he the next day he wakes up to see the death toll because people couldn't get the warning in time? What difference could have been made to where the number was lower or nonexistent?
He was already committed to his plan this far and knew he was already past the point of no return. But that didn't mean that he couldn't try and help in any way he could.
Taking his phone, he scrolled down to the bottom of his long list of contacts to one that was among the few that were starred. A six-letter name with an S initial at the end. The last call log dated all the way back to the beginning of June. He's had this number for the better part of a decade now but, for months, didn't have the heart to dial it. He had told himself many times that this was how things are now. He said take before he wanted to talk to Bobby and when he called before that. He was crazy enough to drive a thousand miles in a night; if the time for them to meet again did come, he would do it again no matter what.
But this wasn't meant to be that kind of call. If what Bobby said was true, and he had little doubt it wasn't, Ronnie was probably keeping an eye and ear out for how today would develop.
Without thinking before he could stop himself, he hit the call button. Panic shot through his veins as he tried to come up with what he wanted to say if she answered, but to his relief, it went to voicemail.
With the brief time given by the voice explaining the call and message, Lincoln sucked in a deep breath. Waiting till the beep was heard, he slowly exhaled as he forced himself not to let his emotions be the ones driving. "Hey Ronnie…" he said as calmly as possible, "I… I know it's been a long time since I've actually tried calling… I've been a bit in and out of it recently and just… just…"
He took another breath, "I mainly wanted to call you to say for you to stay safe. I… I told Bobby earlier over the phone that there were going to be some storms around your area, but Erin called and… and said there was a twelve percent tornado probability in the area. I know you don't want to ever deal with storms ever again, but I figured to give you guys a heads up to have time to prepare. Hopefully, today, everything will be further south, away from everyone up there… and that's mainly it for now. Hopefully, you all will get a little rain, but please stay safe."
As quickly as he could, he ended his message and call. Reaching over his seat to drop it in the cup holder. Holding onto the steering wheel, he ran his hand through his hair and over his face. Coming to pinch his nose to keep frustration from bubbling over and making him do something stupid.
Had his inner voice been a person right next to him, it would be calling him a sad man for that pitiful excuse of a call. If he really wanted to talk to her, he would have stayed in Great Lake, taking up Bobby's offer to come inside their home. How that would have turned out, he could imagine but what's done is done. He told himself that just as many times, they made a miss play on storms or hoped that a disaster in motion would change direction and go somewhere else.
Today, he couldn't keep his mind stuck in the past. Today was meant to be the day that he got the future back on track. Start a new chapter like the hero coming out of forced retirement to show the world he wasn't done with it just yet.
"Hey, Brandon!" he shouted out. Standing away from the tank, he saw the man in question talking to a group of others around a laptop on a car hood, "How would you feel about joining forces today?"
Like he just fired off a shotgun, practically everyone turned towards him in surprise.
"That- That'll be great!" Brandon said, feeling like he was about to burst from excitement.
"Great. We'll cruise down 65 for a bit and see if we can't find anything." Lincoln said as he turned and hoisted himself up. "I'm on channel 10." With a grunt and some awkward moves, he got his water jugs off his seat and shut the door.
The second the door closed was like the whistle to signal for an army to advance onto the attack. The crowd quickly dispersed as they dashed to their vehicles, checking that they had what they needed and accounted for. In Shrieker, Lincoln was downing as much water as possible to rehydrate, gulping down more and more of the cold liquid than he expected to until nearly half the jug was emptied. Capping and placing it on the seat with a collection of stuff, he reached behind him and pulled out his helmet and headphones. Staring at the fading logo on the top, he made a mental note to get new ones before peeling off the headset. With a flick of the power button and adjustment to resync it to the radio, he focused on his laptop. After a quick search and confirmation, his new destination was set for Bowling Green, some hour and a half away.
With a roar, the truck came back to life from its brief nap. Giving it a second to work itself up, the tank started to roll out of its spot slowly. Several cars ahead had their reverse and brake lights flash on, but no one moved to pull out next. With the mind to take it slow, Lincoln eased the tank past the cars and pumps, past the front of the store, where he saw the giant family standing at the door, watching the beat roll by taking pictures. For a moment, he could see the young boy from earlier staring up in wonder.
Lincoln could see clear as day the awe in the kid's eyes. The chances of seeing something like this randomly one day were slim in itself. But even as Lincoln gave a little friendly wave as he rolled by from the mirror, he could see him lift his hand up and give a little wave back.
As he rolled up to the exit, a line of cars started to form up behind him quickly—bumper to bumper, ready for showtime. Pulling out onto the road, he was able to get a good look at just how many cars were following him, with two white pickups pulling out behind him and having a red and white B logo on the side. It was far from the first time they made a caravan with other chasers, usually just as a friendly idea of if you're going my way, why not go together? The odds of them staying together once stuff did start popping up were low once others started getting ideas of new places to go or storms to go after. But for Lincoln, it was a reassuring feeling.
Today was going to be big, and the game was on.
Something felt very off today, and it was starting to get on Lola's nerves. Today started like some kind of bad dream that at any moment would reveal the monster behind it, only for the mist to lift away and become all sunny and rainbows again. Once the third period rolled in, it felt like today was on track to be a boring yet semi-peaceful day.
Once fourth period started, she could feel that idea was going up in flames. Accident or not, she was still one of the Queens in the school, and the feeling in the air spoke to her enough that whatever was happening involved her. The brief moments she got to speak to Lana between classes confirmed that even she felt it. When she went to check on her sisters through the group chat, it took nearly two hours before Luna was the only one to respond that 'something came up' and refused to elaborate any further. No one else responded, even when she tagged everyone.
But that was only half of the stuff that was getting on her nerves. For the better part of the later morning, she could feel her phone suddenly blowing up with comments and tags with so little to no context that she gave up on trying to see what all the buzz was about till she could sit down in peace.
Now that lunchtime had rolled in and grabbing a tray before making it to an empty table, she didn't sit in her normal spot. Instead, it was closer to the windows and away from where most of the designated tables were that while it would be a moment before her friends could get here, she had that moment of peace.
Grabbing what was labeled by kitchen staff as a ham and turkey sandwich with provolone cheese, though she rolled the thought it was whatever was still servable, Lola took a bite as she leaned on her left arm, holding up her phone. Scrolling through the dozens to hundreds of tags that went as far as people even outside her friend's circle and school, even further than Royal Woods, she swiped away any that just had her tagged or repeated the same message. Each time she saw the ones that had the hashtags 'LOLALOUD,' 'TORNADO', and 'TANK' confused her.
Until she finally came across a post that looked more like it belonged in a Resident Evil game. Filter or not it was a short video clip, maybe 20 seconds long, of someone walking down the foggy streets and feeling the need to record their journey. They were coming up to an intersection when, out of nowhere, a six-wheeled tank came through, nearly getting into a wreck when a tanker truck almost ran the red light.
Under the street light, Lola felt her jaw become slackened mid-bite when she almost instantly recognized what truck it was. And then, just as soon as the other truck's horn went off, she saw the driver's door of the tank get shoved open, and out stepped the driver. And between her experience with Leni and years of knowing style, it was less like looking at a blur and more like looking through a clear window.
The half-chewed food in her mouth was suddenly and violently vacated as she grabbed her phone with both hands so tightly one would think she was seconds away from snapping it in half.
"LINCOLN?!" she shouted so loudly that anyone in her half of the lunchroom paused to look in her direction.
"You saw it too, huh?" Lola nearly did crush her phone when she heard her sister come around and sit across from her. Her mouth sputtered open and closed like a fish, not knowing if it was in water or not. Gesturing to Lana and her phone, turning to show her the paused video of Lincoln stepping out and still not being able to comprehend it.
"I'll take that as you just did," Lana said as she went to pick up a fork for her food. Ready to dig in till she felt her grip become lost and let it fall into the mush. Sighing like it was the biggest inconvenience she's had today, she sharply snatched her hat onto the table and combed her fingers through her hair.
Living the better part of 15 years, Lola could see the frustration radiating off her twin like a burning mound of hot metal ready to pop. Turning her phone back, it took her a moment to get her mind straightened out and focus.
On accident, her finger swiped the screen. Cursing herself for it, she felt her mind lock up again when she saw that now it was a picture of the tank parked at the fuel station in front of Philip's. With more sunlight and less fog, the tank was even more visible, with a man standing near the back with a hat obstructing most of his long white hair.
Then she swiped again and again and soon started to pass through several pages. "There's more…"
Dozens more and a couple of short videos, some with her name even tagged, others with her brother's, appeared before her newsfeed. Showing photos of the tank on the highway, passing the Detroit metro, and even one further into a more rural place, it suddenly showed the tank losing control and disappearing into a dust cloud as the camera kept going. Only to show it later at a gas station with their brother standing by the road like he was looking for something.
The last one especially got her attention. Letting it replay until the camera was at its closest to him and pausing the motion blur was a pain to look at, but the detail was still there. Lola could see clear as day her brother's face, eyes widening in confusion as he was turning back to run to the station.
The phone slipped from her fingers and thunked onto the table between them. Lana glanced at the screen to see what her sister was looking at but sighed and hung her head. "They knew…" she muttered. "Luna, Lynn, Lori… all of them knew and didn't bother to tell us."
"He… he was here?" Lola quietly said, feeling like she had missed the opportunity of a lifetime.
"Like four hours ago. Irene was late coming to her class and needed her dad to bring her." Lana said as she reached down, pulling out her phone. She swiped through the apps until she brought up a text message from nearly 8:12 Am that showed Irene sitting in the passenger seat with her dad leaning back in his seat. Out his window stood Lincoln's truck with the dark silhouette of the man behind the wheel.
Placing it down beside Lola's phone, with the two images side by side, both sisters stared at their respective devices like at any second; they would combine to reveal something to ease their minds. But between them was the same storm on opposite sides of the front.
Lana felt it within to spam call everyone to demand what the hell had happened that involved Lincoln being home for the first time in years and no one telling them. She might only have a driver's permit with no car yet, but that wouldn't have stopped her from running out the wood shop door and high-tailing it through town. Lola wanted to be angry. Usually, she was the one that would be boiling rage so much she would have made the Heat Miser look like Jack Frost. But some of that anger was a bit nullified as she thought back to the countless messages that she had gotten from followers and friends. Had she looked deeper, she could have seen them right as they were being posted, and some sliver of hope said there could have been the chance to find someone to follow her brother and either stall or turn him around.
But the fact of the matter was shared between them. Everyone else was keeping quiet about what had happened, and it was sending them bad signals. The only one they could imagine not knowing was Lily for being in school, but if Lola believed in any stories, there was the chance Lincoln had either visited home or her school without her knowing. The reason their older sisters were staying quiet painted another piece of the picture that ranged from him only visiting them or something else coming up on top of that.
It didn't help that glancing into each other's eyes, they both could see the same dark thoughts brewing between them, thinking about the odds that their sisters would have told them anything when it happened or when they got home. And as if the world had felt their thoughts, the light from the window began to darken out so quickly the two of them became confused until they looked up out the window. Watching as the sunlight faded in and out in what was once a clear blue sky, becoming populated by thick, puffy white clouds slowly merging together and growing bigger and darker.
Across the United States, spanning a square mile distance almost the size of Texas, stretched out across ten states from the Mississippi River to the bordering edges of the Appalachian Mountains, from the northern rim of Dixie Alley and the southern reaches of the Great Lakes, the hundreds of men and woman in 17 offices, representing a large portion of the area covered in the Midwest by the National Weather Service, had their eyes, ears and instruments all pointed to the sky.
Across those sectors, dozens, hundreds of TV and radio stations, at first speaking of the daily news and events, began to silence as the skies above their cities and towns darkened earlier than when the sun would set in November. From talk of sports and politics to the growing mass that was like a war marching its way from the shadows.
But on this day, thousands, millions, would witness nature prove to everyone why it was the dominant force on this planet that it was its power that decided what would stand and what would fall, who would survive, and who would pass.
It was a day that countless had been preparing for. Some are close to home; others are from across the nation. The air, while warm and beautiful to so many who spoke of a day that would be seen as just a fond time of the year, silently screamed for the hell that was soon to come. People rushed to stock up on supplies; families called friends and loved ones to warn that there was danger approaching. Those who had lived through the worst in the past decade braced themselves for history to repeat once more.
And across every television and radio turned on, to every computer and phone in use, from those weather offices just after the turn of the hour, a signal would go out to the masses. With three loud beeps, a long whine, and three short bursts, an automated voice would be heard by millions.
"The National Weather Service in Detroit... has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for North Central Lenawee County, North Monroe County, Central and Eastern Washtenaw County, South East Oakland County, Southwestern Macomb County, and West to Central Wayne County until 2:30 pm Central Daylight Time."
"At 12:45 pm Central Daylight Time, a line of severe thunderstorms were located between Mason and Jonesville, moving East at 40 miles per hour."
"Hazard: Golf ball to Tennis ball-sized hail and damaging winds up to 70 miles per hour. Heavy rain may result in flash flooding in low-lying areas. Source: doppler radar and trained weather spotters. Impact: People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect wind and hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, vehicles and trees."
"Prepare immediately for large hail, deadly clouds to ground lightning, and flying debris. Seek shelter in a well-built structure away from windows and avoid going outside. Severe thunderstorms can and often do produce tornadoes."
Lisa watched silently as the EAS warning played three loud, slow beeps at the end of its message before going silent on her computer. All her previous actions had been interrupted by the national alert system going off on one of her smaller screens before she directed it to the main.
The warning spoke of severe weather fast approaching the area. She knew this well before that warning was even written: the chances for severe weather in the afternoon were possible, and yet she was with the radars and data flow from several outlets watching over the surrounding 400 miles. She had watched as storms had popped up near Chicago and Great Lake some two hours earlier but were mostly disorganized clusters of rain. Further south, near the Missiour-Arkansas border, there was more active development from having more heat and moisture to rapidly feed off of. Warning for those had been sent out just around 11 Am until they they started dying off and a new wave started forming behind it.
This was the wave that mainly forecasters had been concerned about. A volatile atmosphere is further mixed with daytime heating and increased moisture from the remains of the previous storms. An hour from now, she had little doubt that several storms would latch onto this fuel and explode into growing and maturing supercells.
Lincoln seemed to agree.
On one screen that showed the beehive of activity that the spotter network was offering, Lincoln's L.L.L. was at the head of a convoy of some 20 others heading south of Elizabethtown. Where he was going or leading them, she couldn't know but guess. Models showed that he was practically in the heart of where most of the activity would be located. If he was trying to hunt for more isolated storm cells, he might have been going further south where there would be potential for more significant conditions.
He was on the move, doing what he loved to do. Anyone of them would normally be encouraging their family member in a situation where they had lost the drive to continue what they love until they got that one spark of motivation to try and get the ball rolling again. But it didn't hurt any less that every mile he gained as another that was behind him and between them…
It did take Lisa a good minute to get her bearings again. From how soaked her pillow became, she had to guess she had made herself pass out from crying. Combined with the previous exhaustion, she wasn't at all surprised that once the caffeine finally started kicking in, it was just before 10 Am when she woke up—glasses on the nightstand, labcoat on the bedpost, blanket over with even Bun-Bun beside her.
She asked who had done this for her, and Lori had confessed just moments before leaving to go back to the restaurant. The talk was brief, but the hug they shared was one that Lisa honestly felt she really could use more of from her oldest sibling in these times. Talking about the stress of missing something so close and what she could have done, though the source of this often being personal matters, was something that Lisa thanked her for.
When she got something to settle in her stomach, coming back to her room and fetching a new keyboard, she went to work. Today had already started out more eventful than ever, and it wasn't halfway done with the world just yet.
She shelved her presentation for later. Once everyone got home, it would be another show to explain to the others (if from what images she found posted recently of Storm Shrieker passing through Detroit, they, maybe Lola first, would come storming in the house demanding an explanation) and wait for the house to cool down and mentally collective itself.
Her focus was on the weather, and for the last two hours, it had only been that. But now, the storms that everyone had been predicting were on their way. Down south, she could see there was supercellular activity, and tornado warnings were already going up ahead of the front. Lincoln's beacon had just left the city limits of Lousiville when a storm 80 miles to his southwest had a tornado watch issued.
Around here reports of a colossal storm were already making its way to the news networks. If she had to estimate, the storm would be over Royal Woods around 1 P.m., but the significant portion of the core is not until closer to 2, given the unstable nature that it could die out and a new one form behind it. It didn't look all impressive from a meteorological standpoint, but something didn't sit right.
Every model she played with in what she could get from the offices or quickly ran herself told different versions of the same story. She saw the risk potential for the mentioned disasters, but it was the tornadic element that didn't make any sense. Even by putting the values at what was expected in southern Indiana, she didn't get similar results until she did the inputs from around Nashville. She felt her heart pick up a knot of speed as several models, playing simultaneously on all her screens, showed different yet strikingly similar conclusions.
The data wasn't matching up. The moisture had a VERY thin corridor to reach this far north in an environment like today, but it was reaching the points that it could be cut off and isolated. Usable as a second staging area for storms to fire off from. But like the issues that with the function of a straight radar beam to a curved world, despite the cover from several stations, she couldn't see the picture below where everyone was looking. A dark area that was why people like Lincoln invested in mobile radars to get a clearer picture.
Part of her wanted to turn off the computer and go back and curl up on the bed. Maybe wait for the storm to come and wake her up. Part of her wanted to stay focused on tracking her brother. Five hundred miles away, there wasn't much she could directly do. Maybe, at best, send him messages and updates, but from what the network was showing, he had information coming in from dozens of outlets. What she saw on her screen could be vastly different than what he saw on the ground. But part of her was worried yet more for the curse.
This was shaping up to be the perfect day for it to be enacted. Fast-moving, hard-to-see twisters without the backup of his team, even with all those chasers following him, he was alone out there. It sat like a clump of coal and mucus in her stomach. She didn't know if Lucy was in the same position as she was, but the goth had disappeared from the house. Where she was hiding, if still on the property, Lisa didn't know.
Yet, out of all this, a third option came to mind. Like when electricity made contact with the wire and the first lightbulb was turned on, she started looking away from the now and to the then.
With his location found, she was ready to pack up a travel bag and leave on the earliest plane to Oklahoma, regardless of whether her family tried to stop her. The sooner she could get to him, the faster she could start putting contingency plans in place. While that wouldn't stop her efforts, it was what her family would do.
They would follow. Either by sneaking aboard, getting a ticket themselves, or driving a thousand miles no matter what they dropped to do it. While that in and of itself meant she would actually gain 'resources' to help her plans, the fact of the matter was none of them were mentally or physically ready to go down there. Look up any amateur storm chaser video on the internet, the kind where the people just get in their cars the moment they hear a tornado is somewhere close by and drive to see it, only to run for their lives or wind up dead. The family had been through a lot in the past years, but something like that without building into it would literally get them killed. Lincoln had the advantage of easing into it for years; the most they got was back in 2016.
Though that aided in her resolve for today, the weather was expected to be wrong. The kind where, while they had big storms, hail, high winds, and even the occasional derecho in recent years, mainly involved them staying in the living room or basement. Moving towards the danger was a different matter. It's like getting on an extreme amusement ride for the first time.
Plus, it would help her get data of her own. While she lacked the instruments needed to record everything properly, what she had would serve well enough. Switching control to her laptop, she packed a small bag of supplies from her assortment before heading out of her room…
… Colliding once again straight into Lynn for the second time that day.
"*Oomphf!" Lynn fell back, falling against the Twin's door.
"Ugh!" Lisa had enough time to avoid falling backward to the floor as she caught herself on the door frame. "Really, Lynn?" She asked, annoyed that this happened again.
"Sorry…" Lynn muttered like she resisted the urge to scoff or grit her teeth. Trying to avoid looking at her sister, upon a second glance, she noticed that Lisa was more prepared than normal, "Where are you going?"
"I could ask you the same question, sibling." Lisa countered, straightening herself out.
"I was just-" Lynn quickly said before instantly silencing herself. She tried resisting from looking to her left, but a split second too much was all that was enough for Lisa to catch her glance at Lincoln's bedroom door. It clicked in her mind as instantly as to pieces made from the same block were merged together as a whole again.
After today, Lisa couldn't blame her. If she had to be honest, had she not passed out in her bed, she would have gone to his for the sake of just feeling the connection again.
But, like today, the feeling in that room had lost its touch. Five years of him gone, empty walls, and lack of color made it more and more depressing than assuring. It was still a place any of them could go to help think back to better times.
"...why did he do it…" Lynn asked as she slumped against the door, feeling exhaustion consume her again as she fell to the carpet. "Why did I do it…" Lisa said nothing. She didn't need to ask the question of what Lynn was talking about to know the story.
She was thinking back to how this all came to be, how events led up to this time of their lives after everything shone and dark they had gone through. One day, they had a brother; a day after, they didn't, after they desperately wanted him back, but he refused. Sometime after that, he left and then came back. But who returned wasn't who they remembered. They had all changed him. Their words and actions, ten voices versus one that for years they didn't leave, could change so much like this.
She could see why Lynn was asking this again and felt herself snorting at the realization. Today had been a repeat of history. A family built around ten, for years, relying on the one separate from them and driven away from conflict and actions, only to return for the briefest times when they realize what has been done. Only to leave and one-day come back as something different than they remember.
It took them months to realize what they had done. Two years to experience what the hell is like without him and no way of reaching him. Today, like that day back in 2016, in a time when they all faced disaster, he turned away from them when it wasn't right. But this time, instead of just waiting overnight to get picked up, he came here by himself from far away but didn't enter.
If the curse weren't such a massive issue she was fighting with right now, Lisa would honestly see that all of them were cursed in a way that made sure their family would never be whole again. Maybe not today, but there was still some hope for the future, however microscopic it was.
"Stand up and follow me," Lisa said as she readjusted her pack and headed for the stairs. Using the kind of voice that spoke of 'Follow me and listen to what I got to say.' With a sigh, Lynn steadily got to her feet to follow.
"If I may inquire, where are the others?" Lisa asked as she started down the stairs.
"Last I checked, Leni was crying in her room. Mom's still in their room, Luna's going around trying to keep herself distracted, and Lucy is probably still in the attic."
"And of our eldest sibling and male parent?"
"Last I heard, they went back to work. Lori and Mom were worried about Dad and said for him to stay home to help clear his mind, but he said he just wanted to get through the day before anything else."
Lisa paused when she was just at the threshold of the stairs, revealing the living room. A new whirlwind of thought filled her mind as she looked back to how this day had done so much in terms of physical and mental exhaustion. This morning felt so much like a bad omen they had missed when they tried to get themselves going, but all day lacked that. Lincoln's departure only intensified it, and for hours, it was left to all of them to fester.
Two years of experience had shown her what the family was like when something hard would fall upon them one after the other. This arguably put it on another level by happening all at once. Though their father was undoubtedly in a worse mental state than he had been in years, tied to her and everyone's reactions, Lisa made the mental note that before the week was out, she would need to evaluate everyone's mentality.
Stress was running hot as hell in this house. They needed to start finding ways to get it down to manageable levels again like it was this summer.
'And to figure out what their father had been given by their brother that had caused this…'
"So you have a place in mind?" Lynn asked behind her, shaking Lisa away from her thoughts.
"I'll need a moment to pinpoint exactly where, but I have a general idea. Do we have any means of transportation left?" Lisa asked as she climbed the rest of the way down.
"We can take Lori's car?" Lynn suggested with a shrug, "I'm pretty sure she and Dad took Vanzilla back to the restaurant."
"Where are you two going?" both turned to see Luna lying on the couch. She had her feet propped up on the armrest, stretched out to where she had her head bent at an odd angle with an earbud in one ear and her phone resting on her chest. Looking up at the ceiling, one of them would have asked how she could have known, but the stairs weren't at all quiet, and their banter was probably audible through most of the house.
When neither of the two answered her, Luna tilted her head down to look at them with a somewhat depressed but curious look. "Well?"
Lisa raised a hand to explain, "Lisa wants to go storm chasing." Lynn blurted out. Lisa sent her an unamused look at her blunt choice of words.
"...h'wat?" Luna asked, pulling out the earbud and flicking at her ears like she had something still in them. "You want to go-"
"It is not what you think it is. I'll admit, to some degree, it is, but for the grand situation, it's more of a distraction for me right now." Lisa explained. "Part of me is still in turmoil from this morning, but my scientific mind has been taking back control after my… outburst earlier. As such, I've found myself a bit curious about what is happening with the current weather patterns forecasted for our area in the next two hours. I was preparing to go and do some field research to gather much more in-depth information."
"Wait, so why do you want me to come?" Lynn asked.
Looking up at the athlete, Lisa jabbed a finger to her side, "Quite frankly, because you need a distraction other than attempting to work out to the point of forced exhaustion." Lynn raised a finger to object, "Or just linger in our brother's former room." Prepared to rebuff and found she had nothing, Lynn lowered her finger and crossed her arms, mumbling incoherently under her breath.
"And you," Lisa turned to Luna, "Are coming with us."
"...Why?" She honestly asked. She was more content just staying here on the couch, letting her thoughts try to drift away from today and drown out in the flood of music. Listening to classics and even some of her band's older records. It helped remind her of simpler, better days…
"As I have said to our fifth sibling, collectively, we could all use a means of getting our minds off today. I won't deny that it's been… stressful these past few hours. I can say for certainty that doing this isn't that great of an idea even in my thought process, given we've seen what our brother does with it, but to be frank, its a lot better than just sitting here letting ourselves become wasted husks of homo sapiens."
"...Alright, I'm game." Luna shrugged, "Maybe I can get some inspiration for something." Satisfied that her plan had at least locked two in, the scientist grabbed her coat off from the wall rack before she headed out the door to wait by the car.
As the two older sisters watched their younger sister walk out, they both shared a look that spoke to the volumes of 'what exactly did we just agree to?' before Lynn sighed and went to grab Lori's car keys. But as her hand made contact, Luna came down onto the other half, with both going to pull it away.
"What are you doing?" They both suddenly asked each other as they instinctively tried worming their fingers between the other for the keys.
"I'm gonna drive," Lynn remarked, getting Luna's thumb loose.
"No, I'm older. I'm the one that's driving." Luna countered, getting her middle finger into the key ring.
"Like hell you are." Lynn held up a fist between them. At first, Luna saw it as Lynn trying to threaten her, but the gesture and look in her eyes told the rocker that it was meant for a different fight.
With a determined fire in her eyes, Luna held up her right hand in the same manner before both shook them back and forth three times before changing between Luna's flat palm and Lynn's fist.
Luna smirked at the apparent victory, "Best two out of three!" Lynn quickly countered as they both made the gesture again. This time, Lynn made scissors, but Luna smashed it with her rock.
"Dammit," Lynn muttered disgruntedly as she grabbed her coat off the hook and stormed out the door. Leaving Luna to smirk at her back-to-back victory as she snatched the keys and tossed them in the air. Catching them midway, she grabbed her purple and white jacket before closing the door behind her.
Stepping outside, the two oldest paused in their steps as they glanced up to the sky. Feeling the lack of sunlight and warmth that had been around for most of the morning. Now, there was a literal growing darkness, mass amounts of clouds moving across the sky at speeds that innerly surprised them. There was a bit of a slight wind that, on any typical day, a piece of paper might show it was there with it fluttering, but with the warmth fading, the feeling of specks of wet and cold tickled at their skin gave them enough sense to know that a big storm was well on its way.
Making haste to Lori's car, Luna's remote unlocked and started it up as Lisa quickly jumped into the backseat behind the driver, and Lynn dashed around the front to get in the front seat. Slipping into the driver's seat and plugging the keys in, the rocker took a second to adjust and calm herself before looking back in the rearview, "Alright, where to, captain?"
"Head south towards 696. Then proceed westward towards Northville," Lisa stated as she typed on her computer.
"Northville…" Lynn mused before turning to look back, "That's literally an hour away from here." Lisa looked away for a second, arching a brow like she didn't see what Lynn was complaining about. However, after 13 years, the athlete had experience knowing how Lisa worked.
But for the scientist, it was more or less the issue of being away from town, away from familiar sights and sounds. Observation is best done when less distracted by what is around you, like buildings blocking your sight or people wandering around asking questions or not paying attention.
"26 minutes, to be more accurate. Give or take if we maintain highway speed and do not encounter any slowdowns on the westbound." She corrected, looking back to her computer. Lynn sighed as she turned back forward, crossed her arms, and leaned back in her seat. Slowly, the car began to back down the driveway onto the street. Catching to make sure they were clear, Luna eased them back to a halt before they slowly began their trek to their destination.
As they slowly eased their way away from home, watching as their neighborhood around them disappeared behind in the mirror, the rain began to fall around them.
(Note: These AN notes are written before, during, and after hand to convey my thinking. Not based on what's changed, reviews, etc., and is borderline me ranting out loud my way of thinking.)
So this chapter was a something that took its time to cook in that I had gone through several major changes in the layout and order of events. But after coming up to finish the center of the last part, I opted to go back to my idea of making somewhat more smaller chapters that didn't have a crapload of stuff happening at once without direct build up. So instead Chapter 16 will have parts of Chapter 15 and 17 will be pushed with parts of the original 16 (depending on how big it gets) and its contents moved to 18. All this mainly to help focus on my mind not being bogged down by writing out a single chapter like this and actually feeling like I'm progressing somewhere.
It was initially started shortly there after the previous chapter went live and FFNet was falling apart with the stat and email issues. The first part focusing on Lincoln broke just under 7k that I finished within days, but I didn't touch this again until November 2nd due to my attention been elsewhere in the leadup to Halloween. This AN wasn't even started until I finally got the ball rolling again writing the twin's little section, which I had estimated at 1500 words, thought that was too much, dropped it down to 1000 and proceeded to write out 1500 in one sitting.
This chapter like all the others had undergone a significant level of changes, with this part of the AN (11/27/23) being added in the middle here mainly to address the change. To start with, the latter portion of this story was not what was originally added after the chapter was finished. Originally it was the opening part to Chapter 16. Which at this point I had just finished writing that segment and compared the two thinking how to go about this, then decided to just swap them to make it a more coherent timeline of events.
One of the bigger issues I had in writing this was in keeping it within reason (as 25k words has become my new level of reason) but with the issue that it and Chapter 16 contain so many parts that are interchangeable it became a pain trying to lock down exactly what was going to be used or not in which order. As example: there was to be more focus on the Loud Family in this chapter than shown, other than giving context of what and where, in that it focused everyone in the family, but the parents, Lucy and the two oldest are missing. I felt it would work better for the next chapter as a collective lead up to the oncoming mess for everyone. Though unlike this chapter, 16 is expected to bounce around a lot in following several POVs at once.
And with new ideas on how to round out the final portions of this 'arch' of the story, I do hope to get to Chapter 20 by Christmas or New Year and take a posting hiatus between that and March in a similar fashion I did when I first started this story.
For some that do, I also posted this story on Archive of Our Own that gets updated along with this story. Mainly in that with its format, I can include links and images to help give more context on what the characters are seeing that is based on what happened in real life.
On a side note, I'm looking for anything that would be helpful in finding aged up versions of the characters for a more solid visual reference.
(Note: These AN notes are written before, during, and after hand to convey my thinking. Not based on what's changed, reviews, etc., and is borderline me ranting out loud my way of thinking.)