Warren scrambled down the hill and out into the valley where he discovered a present had been left for him, Daniel's bike. Quickly, Warren hopped on and began the journey back into town.
Max… Max… Your name is Max!
He had to remember her name, no matter what. He couldn't afford to forget it.
Warren weaved in and around the trees as his legs pumped to meet back up with his friends. Already his breathing was becoming labored. He wasn't used to this much exercise, but had to hurry if he was going to save the town.
I hope you had a plan, Max. Because time is running out!
Minutes later, he could see he was approaching the community and he nearly sighed in relief when he saw Daniel, who was slinging a backpack over his shoulder.
"Daniel!" he shouted through labored breathing.
"Welcome back, Warren. Alyssa texted me. She's already at the school and waiting for our signal to start the evacuation message. I've got all the stuff we need for the bomb in my backpack!"
A bomb?!? Warren thought. He immediately loved the plan and loved the fact Max agreed to the idea. He was incredibly grateful that she was able to convince his friends to help him. He never would have been able to do this on his own.
Warren nodded vigorously. "Good job, Daniel. We better hurry. The comet is starting to appear on the horizon. We don't have much time left!"
"Luckily, my dad is busy trying to organize the festival. His car is still in the garage. We can take it up the road to the construction site!"
Warren nearly whooped in relief. "Why are we still talking? Let's go!"
The boys scrambled into the vehicle and took off up the road. They passed their neighborhood and uphill into the forest area. In minutes, much faster than if they arrived on bicycle, they reached the fenced off area that hid the equipment.
"We're gonna need two explosions," Warren mused aloud. "One to get the crowd going, and the other to reinforce the emergency."
Daniel looked up at his friend. "Ooh, good thinking. It's so smart; I love it. Plus, any disruption of this site is good for me."
The duo nodded and began to work. Everything seemed to come into focus for Warren. This was his element. He had tinkered with explosions and little experiments from a young age. To the point that he was able to put together his little explosive rather quickly, so that he could help with Daniel's version, where he was struggling.
Warren's nimble fingers crossed all the proverbial wires as both bombs were set. The duo planned the first bomb to explode in 10 minutes to give them time to head back to the festival and mingle with the crowd. They couldn't risk the populace to believe they were behind the "forest fire."
Once Warren finished, he headed back to the car. Daniel was already waiting in the driver's seat for Warren to dive in and take off. Daniel explained he had already texted Alyssa that "phase 1 was complete." It stirred a small smile on his face.
His thoughts were back on the girl as Daniel sped back to town. Max… Max!
He shook his head slightly. As much as needed to remember her; the task at hand was far more important. Dozens of lives were at stake, and he had to make the right choices. They only had one chance to save the town.
The duo arrived back at Daniel's house, where they stashed the car back in his garage.
"Alyssa's worried that we're going to get in trouble."
Warren fought the urge to scoff. "Trouble is the thing I'm least worried about. Honestly, I'm surprised Alyssa has the capability to feel worried!" he joked.
"I gotta admit," Daniel said slowly. "I feel weird about doing this too. We're gonna be breaking several laws…"
"It's for a good cause. I promise I'm not lying," Warren urged.
They had made their way back to the festival. The afternoon was suddenly becoming pleasant. The chilly wind was dying down. Children played in the streets. Teenagers idled around talking amongst each other. He could see Logan and Zachary throwing a football back and forth. Warren briefly thought of Brooke, but let the idea slip past. If everything goes well, she'll see the sense in evacuating like everyone else.
It makes too much sense, Warren thought. It's the calm before the storm.
Speak of the devil, the comet was peeking out over the horizon. The beginning of the end for Arcadia Bay had just arrived.
"It does feel good to spite my step dad though," Daniel said after a moment.
"Hold on, Daniel. Do you feel that?"
Daniel furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm not feeling anything. In fact, I don't think I need this jacket."
"Exactly. The wind is dying down. The temperature is changing and-"
BOOM
A fantastically loud sound ripped through the quaint small town. Every citizen immediately gazed in a mesmerized trance at the valley to the east as smoke began to funnel to the horizon. At the same time, a infinitesimal smile of satisfaction snuck out of Warren's lips. On cue, the sounds of a siren rang out and a speaker crackled to life.
Alyssa's anxious voice came out on full display. "Attention everyone! An unexpected explosion has erupted by the construction site! We expect a forest fire will develop! Please evacuate to the lighthouse and wait for further instruction!"
Brilliant! Warren thought. A feeling of relief flooded throughout Warren. His friends had thought of everything. The lighthouse was a perfect place to hunker down. It had a bunker underneath the building from way back during the Cold War days. It was the exact spot to be safe from a violent tornado.
Daniel and Warren leapt into action. "Everyone! You hear the announcement! We have to head to the lighthouse!"
The residents of Arcadia Bay gazed up in the valley and into the sky in confusion. The comet was now clearly in sight. A few members of the crowd began slowly walking to the lighthouse. Others talked in hushed tones, clearly in shock of the situation. Kids looked to their parents or older kids to see what they should do.
Everyone was shocked and confused, but no one was reacting the way that Warren was hoping. "Everyone!" he shouted, "We have to move!"
"No one is evacuating, Warren," Daniel said.
He was stating the obvious, but it was true. Soon, the next explosion will ring out, will that be enough to convince the populace?
He thought of his dad. He knew that he would rush out to the emergency room at the Mayor's office to try to figure out what was happening. If he was going to prevent this tragedy, he had to convince the citizens of Arcadia Bay to evacuate before he figured out Warren was behind this, and, hopefully, before they discovered Alyssa was behind the PSA.
"Keep going," he urged his friend. "Hopefully the next explosion will convince them."
BOOM
The next explosion rang out as if the trigger was listening to him. This one was smaller than the last, but loud enough to be heard across the valley. He could almost feel his father's simmering anger as Warren was sure he was desperately scrambling to figure out what was going on.
"We have to keep telling them to evacuate to the lighthouse." Warren looked overhead. The comet was directly above him now, and the wind was beginning to swirl. Panic was building inside of him. A few more of the crowd was beginning to move out to the lighthouse, but it wasn't enough. Dozens were still going to die from this tornado.
"Nobody is moving, Warren. We're going to need firefighters or police to fully convince everyone to go. You need to convince your Dad to mobilize everyone. He's the Mayor; they'll listen."
Warren looked at his friend. Daniel was right. Warren had to go to his office and convince his father that the town had to evacuate. It was the only way.
He sighed. "Alright. You stay here and keep going. I've gotta hurry!"
*
Alyssa wished she had thought ahead to bring some water. Her nerves felt like they were shot, but she could still feel anxiety, like a fist, with an iron grip around her belly.
"Please everyone!" she shouted. "A forest fire is developing directly east of Arcadia Bay! Please evacuate to the lighthouse!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Panic rose in Alyssa. She was in deep deep shit. She heard shouting on the other end of the door, and she knew it was the police or some other authority figure.
"Just a second!" she shouted at the door, as if that would do anything.
She used her thumb to press the button on the mic to send one last message before the door was unlocked by the janitor, and she could feel cuffs slap around her wrist.
*
Daniel ran back home and retrieved some water from his fridge. He checked his phone on instinct, and saw a group message from Mrs. Grant. The message simply said that the comet assignment was canceled, and every student needed to evacuate to the lighthouse as soon as possible.
Daniel was grateful for Mrs. Grant, but that would only do so much. He had had a long enough break. He had to get back out there and alert the town.
Daniel stepped outside and he hesitated. The wind truly began to pick up, and for the first time, fear set in. Was a huge tornado really going to come? Was his 17 years of life going to end right here, and right now? He shivered, and it wasn't from the wind. He had to keep going and warn people.
Whatever part of him didn't believe in Warren was long gone now. Some more people reacted to his warning and took off for the lighthouse. Others continued to look on and around in confusion. Some others, like Logan and Zachary, merely shrugged and continued their game, oblivious to the dangerous encroaching clouds that were beginning to surround them. Not that Daniel could blame them. When was the last time a tornado hit the West Coast, let alone Arcadia Bay?
"Everyone please, you have to-!"
Suddenly, the PA system was abruptly cut off. Daniel stopped in his tracks, and glanced out to Blackwell. Immediately, worry began to grow for Alyssa. He hoped that nothing-
"Daniel!" A baritone voice rang out amongst the crowd. He instantly recognized the voice as his stepdad and he immediately groaned. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!?"
He turned to face the mustached man, who was the last person he wanted to answer to. "Someone took some equipment from my house. Do you want to explain that to me?"
His "step-douche" took him by the arm. He muttered an apology to Warren, not that the boy would hear him. It seemed his opportunity to help Arcadia Bay evacuate had passed him by.
*
"We'll figure out where that broadcast is coming from! I want it snuffed out yesterday, damnit!"
Daniel Graham slammed the wired phone on its receiver in a frantic rage. Today was supposed to be perfect. This festival was supposed to be, secretly, the biggest fundraiser of the year. Local towns in the area knew that Arcadia Bay would be the focal point of the comet. News broadcasters would be coming in after this monumental day to interview them all and their experience on this once in a lifetime opportunity.
There was no possible way that terrorists would be attacking this quaint small town. No, this "prank", as he could only assume it was, was going to ruin everything! He had a distinct feeling just who started this whole mess. And he promised that he wouldn't see the light of day for a long time…
Daniel stood at the emergency center. It was a room that only the Mayor, his advisors, and a small group of government workers had access to. It was a place where they could see all the town's cameras and organize events just like these. Daniel was at the point of pulling his own hair out when a voice cut through his raging thoughts.
"Sir, we may have found the source of the broadcast! It seems to be coming from Blackwell!"
Finally! "I want a team there to shut it down! Take the perpetrators into custody at this moment!"
"Garrett, I want you to go with them. Once you stop the broadcast, I want you to inform the citizens of Arcadia Bay, not to panic. We will go from there. Have we heard back from Officer Bran what's going on at my construction site?"
His temper has gone down slightly now that he knew that the broadcast would be stopped. He could still fix this. He could still enjoy this comet, and enjoy the revenue that was sure to come in.
"It seems as if two explosives were set off at insignificant parts of the construction site. No forest fire, sir!"
"Good." Daniel Graham took a moment to catch his breath. There was still so much going on, but it seemed that they would wrangle everything together soon.
"Where is the comet?"
"Directly over our heads, Mr. Mayor!"
Daniel tilted his head up to look at the ceiling. He couldn't see it now, obviously. He was far too important to be sky gazing. But he knew deep down, that this comet, rather, this whole event, would be his legacy.
*
"Alright, you stay here and keep going. I've gotta hurry!"
Warren took off up the road and to the Mayor's office. His body was already tired from the biking, the hiking, the yelling and the screaming, but he had to keep pushing. He was not going to be responsible for the demise of Arcadia Bay's people.
He looked up in the sky and wiped the sweat that was coating his forehead. The comet was directly overhead of them now, and falling beyond them, a shimmering ball of fire that separated the heavy clouds that surrounded the town and coiled around them in a stranglehold.
The knowledge poured hot adrenaline in his veins and his legs churned faster. But he was a long way away.
"Everyone, please! You have to-"
Suddenly, the PA system was cut off. Warren stumbled a bit but caught his footing and continued to run. They must have deduced where the broadcast was coming from.
Warren hoped that Alyssa was okay, but he assumed that his dad and his cronies would figure it out sooner or later. He had hoped that it wouldn't come to that, but it couldn't be avoided.
"Citizens of Arcadia Bay! This is an official announcement from the Mayor's Office! Do not be alarmed! Please stay where you are until further notice and await further instruction."
He heard the people that he passed began to mutter to themselves and each other. They seemed even more confused than before.
Warren cursed to himself quietly as they ran. How could they not see the heavy clouds billowing into a funnel? How could they be such sheep being led to slaughter?
He supposed he shouldn't blame them. He had to go faster. He had to make it! Could he though? The office was so far away…
I have to make it! he thought. I have to make it to the Mayor's office and convince my dad to evacuate the town! I've gotta do it for everyone, and especially for… for…
He was so deep in his thoughts, that he didn't see the gnarled tree branch that jutted out onto the sidewalk before it was too late. The front of this foot hit the branch, and he came crashing down to the pavement. The speed in which he was going, caused him to roll down the sidewalk several meters before he came to a stop face down on the ground.
His body ached all over, but fortunately it seemed that nothing was broken. He lied there pathetically as he tried to regain his bearings. His eyes were closed tight and began to well up with moisture. He couldn't remember her name anymore. He couldn't remember who he just talked to just half an hour ago, or what their face looked like.
He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was his open hand. There was writing in the middle of his open palm. His hands had been sweating, and the pen had run slightly, but it was still legible.
I love you
As quickly as he could, Warren rose to his feet. He was frustrated he couldn't remember her name. How was he going to remember, when she didn't write it? It was so frustrating.
But he was filled with a new kind of energy. A new light had taken over, and he remembered a face smiling back at him. He may not remember her name, but he had to meet her eventually.
There was no time to think. He sprinted to the Mayor's office. With the comet glistening over them all, and the wind picking up, a storm was brewing, and while they couldn't stop it, he could save the town and avoid it.
He had to save Arcadia Bay.
He had to.
*
"Sir, we're picking up some very intense winds on our radar."
"The clouds are really starting to gather over here!"
"Sir, what do you want to do?"
"Damnit!" Daniel Graham muttered to himself. The words of that "other" Warren had infected his thoughts with paranoia over this "tornado" theory. Was it true? Was Arcadia Bay destined to become the victim of an unbelievable phenomenon?
He couldn't let this happen! This wasn't how it was supposed to go!
Daniel heard shouting at the other end of the room. His head twisted in that direction.
"You're not allowed back here!"
His son twisted out of the officer's grip and approached him with an intent he'd never seen before from him.
He raised his nose at the imposter and told him directly, "if you think you can-"
Once he stepped closer to Daniel, Daniel saw the fierce look in the adolescent's eyes, and he knew for certain that not only was this his son, but he was pissed.
"Dad, we need to talk."
*
The comet entered the atmosphere and fought its way through the stratosphere as close to striking the ground as it could. The warm air attacked the present cold air and the two currents wrestled back and forth for control. The clouds developed the only way they could.
A funnel was created by the swirling vortex and produced the largest tornado ever seen on the western side of the United States. The swirling twister touched down with the sky engulfed in flames of a falling star.
The tornado struck the beach of Arcadia Bay, and nothing was left standing in the might of its power. In less than an hour, the town of Arcadia Bay no longer existed.
Author's Note: Hello everyone! Tomorrow will be the epilogue to this story! I'll have a more "official" Author's Note tomorrow, but for now, this is the last chapter of the story. I hope you enjoyed! Thank you everyone for reading, and I'll see you tomorrow!
