Sins In Twisters

by Blonkess

When Lincoln was destined to never have success like his family, after surviving the Royal Woods' Tornado, his future takes him on the path of becoming a renowned storm chaser. But as years pass since that day, his family tries to hold together after freak disasters put a halt to the sisters' lives when Lisa discovers a past family secret that tells Lincoln's time is running out.

32. Countdown

Sins In Twisters

Chapter 32: Countdown

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Log Entry Date: January 5th, 2026

The following is to be the official ending of the documentation of investigation 201-47.7, which was started eight years ago at the request of my oldest sister, Lori. It is also to bookmark the official beginning of a new record for recent events and what is to come in the immediate and far future.

As per my previous promise, this document is written in a format that allows those reading to understand the context of the situation at hand and its effects. To begin this record, I must first reflect on the events that have led to my current family situation, which harkens back to November 10th, 2025.

The day itself was unremarkable for what was expected in all senses of prediction. The time of year was no different than what was seen before, though, as a rule of thumb, I had kept several tabs open for watching the weather as Royal Woods was primarily out of the higher risk zones for severe weather following the remains of a hurricane across the southern and mid-west regions, whoever was in charge of the forecast needed to revoke his doctorate. Conditions mostly were stable but expected to become less so throughout the day with the chance of a storm passing through the area.

What I hadn't foreseen or could imagine was that one storm was our brother appearing from nowhere on our front doorstep.

There were no signs of him remotely doing this on impulse. If it were, then the current situation and future planning wouldn't be based on why he hasn't returned home like this, despite being within the state to chase the weather.

I blame myself for not going deeper into tracking his movements, setting out a program or algorithm across the country to tell me where he could be moving. He could have slipped under our noses without any of us, aside from our father, had it not been for Lucy's announcement.

But if to be personally honest, her hesitation and Lynn's clumsiness had cost us invaluable seconds that could have resulted in us meeting him head-on or before he could return to his tank. Had either one not occurred or, more favorably, both, I estimate we had an over 80 percent chance of finally being face-to-face again.

I can't fault them entirely for their actions…

I doubt any of us wouldn't have frozen up upon seeing him outside or stampeding to get to him first.

But it cannot be understated how our combined actions cost us an opportunity I had hoped for years now.

Lynn had given me the right motivation to get into action. While her choice of running on foot after the vehicle wasn't the best of choices even for her, I knew there was still a chance for us. I had contacted my sisters with an actual means of catching up to Lincoln and directing them to a point where they could intercept him.

Lincoln had unfortunately entered an area where available street cameras were limited. However, I found the one where he was last.

The odds that our father had found him purely for the sake of getting milk are ironic to their own taste. Yet another burst of hope was that now that Lincoln had met a family member, it was possible our father could convince him to return home. Their body language suggested this might have been so until Lincoln left, and I watched our father crumble in time for my sisters to arrive….

…

…

…

…. I apologize for the break. Since that day, my emotions have been on a rollercoaster that I've attempted to quell with marginal success.

Before this event, I prepared a presentation for the family to uncover all the information I had found about Lincoln's location and what we could do moving forward. Afterward, I decided it would be best for all to be present and in a calmer state of mind before this information was disclosed.

Tracking his movements via social media, it was clear Lincoln was acting solo. At the time, what had driven him to come to Royal Woods, hand our father documents (more on this later), and travel south to intercept the developing outbreak was unknown.

This leads to what more chaos had brought upon that day…

By the turn of the hour, strange storm activity had begun to develop west of the Detroit metroplex. A new area of marginal risk was issued over the greater parts of Indiana into Michigan, with an inner area of 8 percent tornado risk. Royal Woods was outside this risk for a slight chance of seeing a tornado within 25 miles from one point.

Yet current conditions suggested a more unstable atmosphere over our area, and to prepare myself for the plan (more on that later), I made the reckless decision to storm chase essentially. Given the current age limits, my oldest sisters, Lynn and Luna, joined me and proceeded west.

By this time, the storm cell had rapidly intensified and become supercellular. A flash flood warning was in effect, and hail reports across town signified a powerful updraft. We managed to find shelter after the core had passed over and rest for a time until…

Until…

… that 'thing' was born.

There were so many videos and documentation, so many simulations of what a storm could be doing at that critical moment when the downdraft carried the tightened rotation toward the ground. I had never expected to see such an event like that take shape. To materialize from simple water vapor into a force of nature with the power of the storm channeling into one spot.

I have to admit I had lost myself at that moment. Not in the reality of what was possibly happening but the fact that it was happening. A destructive monster was on the ground, tearing a path of destruction and death towards my home…

We gave chase soon after touchdown…

We had a route, but even if we had been ahead by the best chance, we wouldn't have made it…

You could have a single road, let alone an urban grid, as an option while traveling twice as fast as the storm. Yet you had so many obstacles, twists, and turns, gaining speed only to lose it during slow traffic. The storm didn't stop because of any of that.

In attempting to keep track of the storm and our route, I had become so consumed I had failed to realize critical details in what was to come…

For the most part, we had traveled eastward on Highway 696 back towards the southern parts of Royal Woods, but we were too late. Traffic had become grid locked as the tornado shifted north and crossed the highway before we could exit. Lynn found an alternative route, and while we were stuck behind the storm, we were close to home.

Our alternative route back was instead… messy in chosen streets were cut off or blocked. We were forced to abandon our vehicle and proceed on foot until we came upon what was left of our home….

At once, I was astonished by the storm's power and how resilient our home was, yet horrified by what was to be seen.

In summary, our family home was impacted by the outer reaches of the northwest section of the funnel. At its maximum width of .6 miles, had the tornado continued northward or taken a more western left turn, as it did during its final stages, it would have been well inside the inner funnel and core. We got the area with the weakest winds. Following its change back to the east, its forward motion and friction prevented it from experiencing harsher conditions than what was already felt.

The results were initially seen as EF4, given that the whole structure was blown off the foundation in one piece. However, this was downgraded to a high-end EF2, and it was noted that what remained of Mr. Grouse's former house had impacted the building and forced it off. His home, however, was rated EF3. Seeing the home still intact by 40 percent was perplexing, but this did not last long upon our arrival.

Our remaining family members, Leni, Lucy, and our mother, Rita, had taken appropriate actions to get to the basement following the sirens and warnings. However, with so much damage present, they had become injured and trapped in the basement. Lynn was able to rescue them before the debris pile caved in and brought what was left of the house crashing into the basement.

I attempted to tend to their wounds with whatever I could find. In the medical summary brought forth after being admitted to the Royal Woods General,

Leni was the least of the three, with lascuration on her upper back and neck due to her holding onto the support beam for so long. She was released a day after with the wound requiring five stickies and cleaning and has since been fully healed around Christmas.

Lucy had suffered an unknown head trauma. From what no one could figure out, including myself, she was under for the better part of four days before waking up with a mild headache. When asked what had hit her, she didn't respond and hasn't since.

Our mother had suffered the worst injury. Though quick action had saved her from bleeding out, blood transfusions were needed to stabilize her. The damage wasn't as expected, and she has naturally recovered but must now rely on a support provider to maintain balance.

We were shortly treated to the sight of an army comprising the town invading our neighborhood with heavy machinery. Our father, Lori, and the twins were among them. It was a massive relief to see them unharmed, but it was evident that the stress of that day had taken an enormous toll on our father, with Rita's injuries being the final straw.

Given our lack of medical need, we took the four of them as one, and with what was left of Vanzillia, we proceeded towards the last known location of our remaining sisters.

According to the damage survey, the strongest winds possibly achieved by the storm were within the 190 to 200 range, a high-end EF4 in a half-mile path south of our home. As the storm concluded, the vortex underwent a rope-out stage that made it lose its primary outer funnel and progress back into an unstable multi-vortex structure. At this stage, it hit Royal Woods Elementary, which had what remained of the building. It saw literal paths cut at random throughout the building by sub-vortices.

At this location, the tornado was given a preliminary rating of EF5. However, like our home, it was found that, given how much debris was in motion at the time of impact, noting how vehicles were found on the building itself, debris was the main cause, and it, too, was given a high-end EF4, its official maximum rating.

It is the third strongest tornado ever recorded in Michigan behind the 1953 Flint–Beecher and the 1956 Hudsonville–Standale F5s, respectively. Officially clocked at a high-end EF4 with winds above 195mph, peak funnel width of .62 miles with a debris field over a mile wide in some parts, and a path length of 22.11 miles for the better part of only 30 minutes, it was a strong, fast, destructive devil. The damage has been billed upwards of a billion, with over 600 injuries throughout the path.

Remarkably, there was not a single loss of life…

I cannot say the same for the many others during that day.

For the outbreak overall, spanning the 10th to the 12th, 146 tornadoes have been confirmed. The bulk occurred during the 10th, with 82 across 10 states, 49 dead, and innumerable injuries. Along with our tornado, five more were rated EF4 across Indiana to Mississippi and Virgina

And one as EF5.

The third of its kind this year and the latest out-of-season EF5 to date. A twisted irony for one of the most prolific tornado years in over a decade to end on given activity had become nonexistent after this outbreak as the trailing cold front brought the taste of winter behind it. I have already begun compiling a report on both the Royal Woods storm and the subsequent storm sequence that Lincoln had chased from the Aurther EF1, Cross Plains EF1, to the Nashville EF5 for later reviewing.

Our current situation is as stable as possible, though many options would allow it to be better.

To begin with, our home is a total loss. While the structure could survive mostly wind gusts far above what would have been needed to sufficiently destroy it, even after the updates and repairs over the last two years have been given to improve it, was too compromised to enter before complete failure and collapse into the basement. Further investigation has pointed out that the foundation itself is compromised and unusable due to such shifting.

Because of the situation at large, we and an estimated 4,000 people were displaced by the storm and have been spread out across the area. Those who could immediately repair did so, some who could stay with family or friends outside the affected area, and those who currently had neither were offered hotel space until a more permanent residence could be established.

Due to the weather conditions, we could not return home until clean-up efforts and conditions had been stabilized to allow families to comb through the debris for personal belongings. Lana and I had arrived in advance to estimate the best ways to extract anything that hadn't been blown away. Over three days, we recovered a surprising amount of objects from all family members, though the conditions they were in ranged from slightly damaged to either a loss due to water damage or physically beyond salvation.

It was enough for us to consider that we could rebuild what we had within time. We were one of the lucky families on that day, as opposed to our neighbors, who lost everything.

However, one of the most considerable losses was the gel I had spent months trying to perfect and the supplies needed to manufacture more appropriately. With my main computer destroyed, I had complete foresight and common sense to keep everything on a personal cloud and retain all data on my laptop until then. Though I have the formula and list of ingredients needed to create a new batch, one that I hope to utilize in a more portable aspect, I still lack the resources to begin producing even a small amount.

Had I kept a small amount available in reserve… many problems then and now would have been resolved…

Since our displacement, we have been relocated from a hotel to a sort of 'camp' based in the Royal Woods Mall parking lot with around 300 others. Due to our family's size, we were given a rare double-wide trailer pending the outcome of our home. Transportation is still a problem, as the loss of Luan's vehicle isn't covered by such an event, and Vanzilla is already on its last legs after the added damage; Lori's vehicle remains the only means for our family to travel.

For our home, the situation with it was similar, but we had found a silver lining. The surprise for us and the residents was unmeasurable when large portions of the 'Loud House Foundation' began to arrive and assist on the fifth day after the disaster. The irony in that a disaster relief organization started by our brother focused so much on his hometown, where we were located, felt too coincidental. Many locals and friends have since asked us how we were associated with the Foundation, and our answers all circled back to the same.

I suspect this is Lincoln's doing.

If by direct means, I am unsure. Royal Woods is but one out of over 160 towns and cities still currently being aided by the Foundation. I suspect that following the news of what had happened, Lincoln sent a larger force home to check on our safety and status.

Here lies the silver lining: if such a disaster were to befall upon our homes (the plural use of home is believed that had our older siblings moved away, they too would be covered under this plan), a dedicated trust would be distributed among those affected to cover the total costs of rebuilding. The actual amount is unknown even after extensively reviewing the details several times.

Unlike the detail mentioned above that Lincoln's actions possibly assisted the town, this trust is another one of what I have come to call an LFCP—Lincoln's Familial Contingency Plan, something prepared for in advance should anything happen to him or our family. The details of when this plan was started are only known by the original creator, but I believe this is similar to the check used earlier in the year following Lynn's incident.

This has brought me some curiosity about the financial aspects of our brother's work. Between the expected cost that the land his house in El Reno is worth, even by renting, the cost of both construction, maintenance, and reconstruction of Storm Shrieker, the acquisition of overhaul of a radar truck, and what are expected as massive costs in supplies, fuel, travel fees, and resources points to his storm chasing, though his primary source, not being his only one. (More on this a little later.)

Because of this trust, we got Vanzillia repaired enough for regular daily use and covered any possible expense for the next three months. The primary focus is currently the reconstruction of our family home. As much as we all loved our old house, it's indisputable that with a family the size of ours, despite the fact that we have six adult siblings/children still living together, the original design is unfit for our needs.

Thus, Lana and I have worked closely together to develop a new home. Though in the same flavor as our old to retain familiarity, this new house is expected to be nearly triple the width and doubt the depth of our previous home. Merging the garage into the structure with added bedrooms above, there would be enough space to allow every sibling to have their own dedicated living space, our parents with a complete master's, kitchen, dining, and living rooms upscaled to allow larger gatherings and recreational space with the options of having spare bedrooms for guests should we cut the closest size down for everyone.

With some input from the family, we presented the 'Loud House 2.0' as an early Christmas gift. All of them expressed excitement at the prospect of having their own spaces (our father especially loved how large the kitchen had become) and said that, before Christmas, we had submitted the plans to begin the official reconstruction.

As of the date of this recording, groundbreaking has already begun building the new foundation.

For the holidays themselves, we visited our Uncle Lance and stayed with his family for Christmas and New Year. We celebrated the twin's birthday there and were joined by our combined families from all sides of our family.

It was a much-needed time for our family. Without it, things would not have been as stable as they are now and projected to be.

In order of all members, The stress of the 10th had taken a heavy toll on our father, far greater than what was believed. The threat that he might have developed a medical condition due to the heavy taxing on his body was seen as abnormally high blood pressure and chest pains. He was kept under watch for the better part of the week in the fear that a heart attack was likely.

Our mother is still adjusting to the use of a walking cane; both times at the hospital and home, she has been by his side, acting as an anchor to keep an eye on his condition and providing comfort. They were moved to a shared room at our request, so visitor hours allowed them continuous interaction and ease of being within one place.

I hope that once I've formulated enough gel (note: I need to come up with a proper name for it), I can provide immediate relief to our mother and father. However, even if I can advance the gel further than originally made, it's a question of what its effects would be upon someone of a much more advanced age, as its properties have been based more on the more adaptable states our siblings' younger bodies are capable of sustaining.

Of siblings, everyone has been keeping a much closer eye on each other. It feels as though we have wholly circled back to how things were before in May…

It's fitting that those under watch still share rooms. Lori has taken the time to make sure Leni is evident with her thoughts—something I had brought up as the likelihood of possible PTSD developing from the storm. So far, no effects to that extent have been seen, but something… else has cropped up that has gotten my attention.

While I had hoped that the storm hadn't created any lasting effects, in my clouded vision, I had failed to see that after her accident and rehabilitation, she seemed to have 'clicked' into some phase that had devolved into a fascination (more like borderline obsession) with our brother that she has at several times expressed these thoughts out loud at home and in public.

Whenever the topic of our brother would come up, she had begun to use the pet name 'Lincy' (lord, please don't make me say that so much…) more regularly, ranging from what she believed was his name from her into somewhat more… passionate matters. This obsession seems to have begun very early on, only now that the fact she has been physically expressing it in her choice of clothing that reflects more like what our brother wore in his youth, we have avoided the topic in the hopes that it was a means of her having a means to cope.

And as if to rub salt on the wound, it seemed to start having its own effect on the others…

I've… started a new file to record these strange behaviors closely. At most, I pray that this is mainly our minds experiencing some emotional fatigue or relapse from the absence of our brother or lack of companionship (honestly, when was the last time anyone in this household was on a date) and that in some time will revert to their normal states.

Lori has been able to keep her in check. It was assuring her that what she meant was the 'passion' that siblings would have for one when absent for so long. We both agree this is a possible outcome, but I can tell that it affects our oldest sibling in its own ways.

From this, Lynn and Lori have all been cycling around the focus of both Leni and Luan. While the former wasn't as physically affected, our comedic sister has unfortunately developed some type of PTSD, and I am currently in the process of trying to help. Being rescued from the elementary school, it was found that she and Lily had both been near where one of the sub-vortices had developed and cut through the building. The kind of pressure and winds she had experienced in merely seconds was something no human could withstand, yet the worst injuries found aside from cuts and bruises were her wrist shattered from attempting to support a brick wall from collapsing.

How she had the strength to hold back that much debris from crushing herself and those below her is downright impossible. Even for our family's unnatural body strengths and the human body's ability to essentially put itself into overdrive when it comes to survival instincts, assessing the damage, there was no conceivable way she would have survived.

Luna has been like Lynn and Lori in helping to take care of the family as before, but she's hiding something. Not from fear of trauma, but she asks as though she holds a secret only she knows that we don't. I'm curious to understand where this had come from, given it materialized the day after the storm. She may have seen the article about our brother, we all have, yet she acts very differently than expected…

This does circle into our next sibling, Lucy.

While searching the debris of our home, we discovered that the book on which we had based our research into the curse had suffered water damage, to the extent that 84 percent of the pages had disintegrated. Though I had made a digital backup, the loss of the book itself meant a loss of physical clues that could have remained within.

But Lucy was not as affected by this as initially thought.

When debriefed about what had happened between my group's departure and the storm, she explained that aside from the relatively quiet time, she had… discovered something about Leni that had resulted in the situation above. She continued that the panic and ensuing pressure dropped upon the storm's arrival before darkness took over.

My theory is possibly sensory overload. Without proper instruments at the time and place, I cannot estimate what degree the pressure drop was to cause the reaction only to her. But there is still more. Something is refusing to tell any of us, like how Luan is or how she was able to keep the wall up.

I suspect when the time is right, she will tell.

And then there is our little sister… Lily…

She's... not the same anymore….

Physically, she's healing. Despite the lack of the gel and the… extent of her injuries, she is recovering with extensive rest and medication. I've taken the liberty of focusing on trying to strike a balance between proper doses, as it seems that between periods of awakeness, there can come periods of extreme exhaustion that last several days to weeks of her in a deep sleep.

During the time she is conscious enough to be aware of where she is, the concoction of mediation and her body's natural healing has led to several instances of high fever and sickness to loss of body weight via excessive vomiting of any foods we can give. Due to this severe imbalance, we've had to keep as much fluids flowing through her as possible despite her protests for more fulfilling substances.

The expected timeframe for her physical condition to move fully past this stage is late March. I hope to have the gel recreated and any physical wounds and scars healed by then.

It's her mental state I'm apprehensive about. While I'm away tending to either the others or my work in getting my family back together, the twins, who turned 15 last month, have taken turns watching over and caring for Lily, often coming to get me when she awakens or falls ill again. During those times, Lily has expressed very odd emotions, almost as if she had developed a bipolar disorder.

There are signs of her old self, but it's like she is muted. It has become harder to discuss this matter when she's unable to speak. I've seen if Lucy could possibly make some headway on this front. Given their personal experience, sharing with someone who's been through the same might benefit. But even she's had little progress.

Indirect observation has made me look back to previous times dealing with others experiencing cases of withdrawal. This is somewhat on par with the many records I've kept, but it feels like something is still missing….

I've dedicated more of my free time to trying to understand this. I've nearly lost my family too many times last year and I'll be damned if I'm going to let my little sister suffer alone like this. I can monitor her sleep to track brain fluctuations, yet she speaks in her sleep like she's actually talking to someone.

And then there is our brother….

If the events on that Monday had taught me anything about what Lincoln experiences when storm chasing, it is that I have missed an opportunity to achieve my equivalent of a human tornado intercept. And now I was suffering my own kind of curse in attempting to track him down and find a way to get to him again.

Aside from the events in Royal Woods, updates from his and other chasers' social media had proven correct in his mission to chase the outbreak.

On a day that was unstable as it was, it was unknown as to why he chased solo. With Ronnie off his team, I suspected at least Clyde would accompany him. However, both he and the rest of his team were confirmed to still be in Oklahoma during the entire event. Photo and video had pointed to by the time the Royal Woods storm was firing to the west, he had left the scene from intercepting an EF2 tornado near Arthur, Kentucky, and accidentally crossed paths with a larger EF1 by Cross Plains, Tennessee, heading towards the Nashville area.

The events in Nashville itself warrant its own lengthy report. Still, staying focused on Lincoln, he had been a significant player in getting the warning out and participating in search and rescue efforts even though the storm was still ongoing and would produce two more tornadoes after leaving the metropolitan area. This tells of him abandoning his chase early.

Footage from all three events are available for public use, to some I have included in this for reference, but in the situation involving the EF5, it was less chasing and more outrunning. His own video speaks for itself; his refusal to get closer, let alone intercept, either speaks to me that he knew the present danger was too great, as upper wind speeds were estimated around the 270 range, far stronger than what I suspected his upgrades could handle, or that in the few interior shots we see of him shows of a deteriorating form.

Comparing every photo from before May of last year to Royal Woods and his chase, he had drastically changed physically and mentally over a long period of time.

In a sense, after Kingman with the work he's done to Storm Shrieker, he's attempting to make up for lost time yet might be ignoring his physical and mental health. Photos taken during his search and rescue showed clear signs of exhaustion. For the photo tied to an article that brought my attention to his actions in Nashville that day…

Had you shown me without context, I would have believed that he had died in his truck.

More was found of his tank sitting at two hospitals, one shortly after the storm crossed paths, and had several dozen bloody handprints covering the passenger side armor. The article detailed the dozens of people who had been rescued and transported by his hands, and the vehicle was spotted lingering around Hendersonville for some time.

Call it luck of timing, but details of Royal Woods had been released to the public when this report was written. I believe Lincoln had gotten wind of what happened via this report or secondhand information, which led to the Foundation's large-scale deployment.

This leads to my questions involving this trust fund, the paperwork given to our father, and his whereabouts.

My question regarding how our brother can provide so much funding for so many outlets had been originally based on what his career as a photographer and chaser has produced. Given one is heavily seasonal, his other can be year-round, as evident from his ever-popular volcano expeditions and the endless stream of nature and set photos. Aside from his own merchandise store, paying for personal expenses (if it's profitable enough) would be stable as is. Yet by my calculations, he's spent the better part of seven million dollars over last year.

It boggles my mind how he could afford such a life, let alone the royalty checks we continue to get, and produce something like this trust until I got my hands on something fundamental.

The documents were given to our father that day.

I discovered them by accident when trying to recover damaged documents. How they ended up in the pile is unknown, but I knew the level of importance was undeniable.

Thirty-four documents comprised this 'packet'; three pages alone confirmed my early findings of his El Reno, Oklahoma home base. However, the extent to which he had over 360 acres of farmland wasn't what I expected. Further digging in the titles and financial documents revealed that he had co-signed the land with his friend Liam Hunnicut. By law, Lincoln owns the land, yet the Hunnicut Family operates the majority for wheat and corn farming year-round, while Lincoln has full ownership of a 40-acre portion.

Details are divided. Lincoln has a very small stake in the land's profits that pays for the primary utilities for the house and outbuildings, yet should anything happen; the land is to be given complete ownership to the Hunnicut Family. (I suspect he had some dealings with their family farm here in Michigan that led to this development.) Should he pass and no one in the family claim the house and its land, Liam Hunnicutt would become the sole owner.

This opened up the floodgates to more discoveries and answers.

A portion of the documents is heavily detailed, involving 17 different investments into several significant companies currently worth 2.3 million. Half of these primarily started and currently fund the Foundation. The reason the royalty checks did not grow substantially was that large portions of each were redirected into the trust. Between everything seen, the combined net worth reaches over 11 million, not after factoring in several takeaways.

I cannot stress enough how much our brother lives up to his title of a man with a plan. Even when he's not with us, he's always ready to help. Even at the age of 20, he's effectively building the future of our family and possibly future families to come.

Had that been all, I believed I could have rested a bit more easily that night…

Yet "The Last Will and Testament of Lincoln A. Loud" has been the reason why I've gotten less sleep in the last two months than I have since May…

While I commend Lincoln for building the future for not just himself, the details I've skimmed over in those 16 pages frighten me at the thoughts he was preparing for the inevitable. He knew something was coming and was preparing for it. The fact is that this will was made just after he became a legal adult, and the most recent update was the day before Kingman was too close to be considered coincidental.

What he does is dangerous, and he could be taken from this world at any moment. He knew the stakes at hand and was already planning before he left home.

After getting photo scans and placing the originals back, I delved a little deeper into what Lincoln had prepared. The first page explained what was to be done pending his… (I refuse to say that word in relation to him) and that ten days after confirmation, this would be enacted. (I suspect this will become outdated, given that events didn't happen.)

Within the document, instructions regarding whether one or both are alive at the time of reading are pending from our parents. Should neither parent be available, the task would fall to Richard Dylans. From there, it is oriented between family and friends, from Lori to Clyde to Leni, and so forth, until page 13. All comprising a staggering 56 beneficiaries…

Never had I thought just how much our brother was planning and preparing things in the event he fell or we did. Even in some of my stranger dreams, did I expect to one day be given the chance to look through my brother's last gift to us?

What I can say from this, given his actions since the 10th, is that he was trying to protect us.

Being so far away, planning so much for our future while he continued to chase the dangers. He was in a place where we all could live comfortably for the next decade without worry.

But he doesn't stop…

In the last months, in the lead-up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, I've uncovered details of what he and his team have been doing.

Clyde has been back up here in Michigan with family since the 17th. He had visited Royal Woods before heading for his fathers' for the holidays. As much as my drive demands it, I don't want to bother his time with his family.

Ronnie and her brother, however, have popped back up on my radar. In the days just after the Foundation's arrival, the two visited while driving Lincoln's old Tundra. (Reviewing the will, it was slated that Ronnie was to be given the vehicle, though according to Bobby's word and documents, Lincoln had given it to him before his trip to Royal Woods, adding another page of whatever his plan was.)

Lincoln himself has been quiet. Aside from the updates about his chase and future ideas, he's been radio silent. I believe that day affected him to the caliber of Kingman, and like before, he is in full preparation mode for this year; the extent of this is becoming more known as the weeks go by as details regarding what is being referred to as 'Project VORTEX 3' are well underway, with plans to launch what is to be the second of a four-year project by NOAA. Like its 1990s and 2000s predecessors and several dozen similar programs in between, Vortex 3 aims to maximize its chances in tornado research given its 'success' through the course of May and June last year.

Lincoln's SkyKnights is labeled as being a significant part of this program more this year than last. To what degree this significance overlaps with him is currently unknown, yet more details of this year's plans are steadily being released, and plans are quickly being put into motion in preparation for what is expected to be a very big year.

And this year, I am preparing myself to go big.

As of the time of this recording, there are exactly 150 days until June 5th, Lincoln's official 21st birthday. This time officially marks the start of what I am calling the 'ghost zone' as this officially marks the most prolonged period either of our ancestors has lived long enough to be.

If we hadn't been in uncharted territory before, we would have been in the middle of an unexplored nowhere now and surrounded by the kind of darkness that any tool we use to try to see what's beyond arm's reach can be seen fully in the light before it's too late.

The chance that Lincoln could perish within this timeframe, from chasing something too substantial for what he can handle to possibly breathing the wrong way in his sleep, has been driving me insanely in the last two years. Call it paranoia, or call me being delusional, but if we don't act soon, then all this research, all these hopes and prayers and time lost trying to prevent my own brother's possible untimely death, what would it have all been wasted for?!

As a scientist in many fields of study, some more well-known and others less well-known, it's my nature to theorize, hypothesize, test, and see where science could lead and sometimes how far we can challenge it. Since my youth, I've lived by this thought process from the moment of consciousness to now and until my end. This whole endeavor has been a massive test, one after another, for all of my family, and soon, the outcome will show.

But as a sister, number nine out of ten with only one big brother, the person I had known my entire life to be there was the odd one out of our group. He was there for basic needs to help me experience more of what my childhood should have been like instead of me acting like the world was already a decade ahead of me playing catch up. With his aid in my science to just being there for me to let my emotions be free… I feared the day that in the far future, there would be a time when I would have to let go when science wouldn't be enough. Before five years ago, I believed we still had much more time. Until we had to let him go…

He was gone at the same time he wasn't. I know he is out there even now, after all the hell we've been through, driven by the very motto that our family has been speaking as if it's our own prayer.

We were both knocked down several times. But we won't stay down…

I can't let him go. I still miss him around at home. Just knowing he's close by to lend a hand to assist, a voice of reason or ear to listen, the sound of his voice call… I can't let him go…

I won't let him go.

He may one day pass on like any human, but I'll damn this world and the next before I sit here for the rest of the year asking myself what I could have done while I plan for what I'm going to do. Since the beginning of this entire situation, I've begun breaking down events into 'stages' to understand better where I can move forward. Stage 1 was the original investigation into our brother's behavior change. Stage 2 reflects the discovery of the curse and leads up to events with my family, and Stage 3 focuses on locating his whereabouts.

Stage 4 comprises several plans I am working on. Some are practical in the long term, and others are a bit more bold and brash.

The first is the direct location; I would travel alone to El Reno with enough supplies to last for a long duration at Lincoln's residence. Given that this current time of year is his off-season, he should be at home or within the regions of Oklahoma City. If the latter is true, it is a setback, but I have ways to mitigate it. This plan calls on me to force myself to stay under his roof regardless if he disagrees with my decision. If he is the unstoppable force, then I'll be his immovable object.

If through reluctance to accept the fact I am to remain (this varies on the hope my parents or siblings don't react in the way of getting me back or following me), this goes into the second phase: redirection.

This will heavily involve two manipulation aspects that I must tread very carefully. As the scale of the task is massive with a decreasing time window, I must be precise about what I do and when. While I have gotten away with similar actions in the past, there is little doubt Lincoln could quickly become aware of my plan in general, and either counter or completely disrupt my attempts. This will primarily involve leveraging our family, our sibling bond, and his drive to chase danger.

The latter of the three involves me directly interacting with his work. This could be preventing him from going out (a bad situation, given the likely outcomes, which could reflect negatively) or trying to improve in places that could heavily minimize risk in some areas. Getting my hands on Storm Shrieker itself would be where this shines the most. I would implement my own safety measures and upgrades to improve the vehicle in places where Lincoln hasn't been able to expand further.

(Side Note: look into the possibility of rebuilding the nanites to develop some new composite material the tank can be layered with to increase armor protection and durability. If possible, develop it into an indistinguishable clear coating to accelerate application instead of costly rebuilding.)

The former two is to tap into my brother's love for us. Social interaction will notably be diminished given the time apart. Still, I hope that by being the only one there (and one present during our last interaction), I can provide a relatable anchor to which he can reopen himself. The evolution of our sibling bond will greatly vary given our experiences, though with his knowledge in the sciences of weather, it opens the doors for a more direct connection we never really had before.

Both of these are to try to work him back. If I don't succeed by the time he begins chasing again, I plan to remain by his side, even acting as his immediate co-pilot if need be, to watch over him and steer him both towards his goals and away from risky opportunities. If this method works until June 5th passes, then the results would be continued survival and possibly breaking the cycle.

If my methods work to at least 67.778 percent efficiency, then Lincoln won't be chasing as much, or preferably, at all. This is in the hope of pulling him closer back home. Using any and all sources I can draw from; I'll attempt to push my brother into returning home to Royal Woods, even if temporarily, by leveraging our family to act as more tethers to reel him back in. Once home, it's believed that in the sake of 'making up for lost time' would keep him busy enough to minimize his chances of going too far.

When this part of the plan is in effect, our new family home should be completed. Giving him the luxury of a bigger room and more privacy than before should be a promising aspect to sell him on the idea.

The goal would be to keep him under our watch for as long as possible until his birth date. I know we can't keep him contained forever (I've juggled the idea, should things require desperate measures, in possibly cryogenic sleep for the whole duration. But the risks it poses are too unknown to guarantee success). Still, if we can keep him safe until the time passes, then I fully believe it'll be worth it.

I could foresee the events in several ways. I could announce my return and leave out the details Lincoln is bringing me himself as a sort of surprise. I give no details and do create it as a surprise. I can get Lincoln close enough that they could travel the remaining distance and link up. Or possibly convince him to travel directly under his own accord.

This would have several benefits for not just myself but also my family. Any chance any of them could get to see him again I wouldn't doubt they'll do anything to achieve it. How some of my siblings could react (Leni…) will undoubtedly vary to some degree, but having him by our side again would be a vast improvement over the last two years…

All these routes can lead into another, but they all focus on two destinations with the same goal.

My current prediction is that once I've finished reproducing the gel, should anything occur during our travels, I'll have all my necessities prepared and on standby at a moment's notice. The cost of a one-way overnight ticket from Wayne County to Will Rogers shouldn't cause attention, let alone 'borrowing' a sum for expenses.

Should this plan be put into what is essentially Stage 4 to begin Stages 5 through 9, one denominator remains as my own sisters.

Do not take this as any ill will to any of them, but after years of analyzing their emotions, behavior, and thought processes, the events of the 10th gave me the strongest evidence possible for how my sisters would be during an event that remotely involved following what Lincoln does.

In the event her condition recovers and returns to her previous mindset, even if you counter with the facts she was Lincoln's age when he was first faced with this, Lily is by no means physically or mentally capable at this time of even going out of state. The twins are split. Lola, I foresee being unable to handle the long road travel and constant rain and heat that weather conditions often bring; I can see Lana being more willing to handle those conditions and some. Her expertise in anything mechanical aids extensively in my ideas, and if she were to be brought in, she could quickly overtake mechanical duty to Storm Shrieker.

Lucy… I cannot say with complete certainty. Having recently been so close to this project, she's undoubtedly put in more effort than anyone who knows of the situation. She can remain calm under pressure, something highly valuable during chases when every decision can be made or broken in a critical moment. But it's her emotional complex that I fear is what could be a hindrance. She had spoken to our very ancestor who had fallen to this same curse upon Lincoln. She's gotten a first-hand account of what life had become during his time, which reflects now. She's as determined as I am to see Lincoln safe. But signs are pointing to something more.

For the oldest five, it's truly a mixed bag.

Lynn, I would have expected to work well under pressure, as demonstrated countless times in her competitions. She's adapted to handling tough situations, finding a path for others, and diving into danger without thinking. But it's that latter bit that concerns me. Though she was limited in her actions on our return, it was evident the lack of action was eating away at her that hadn't gone away. To this day, she is pushing herself more than usual for an unknown purpose. I theorize it might be due to the events that happened during Lincoln's visit, as out of all of us, she was physically seconds away from reaching him. This drive might cause her clouded judgment.

I'm looping both Luan and Luna on the same point for the sake of the fact that the two operate on a similar spectrum but with different gradients. Luan, in particular, falls into the category that Lola and Leni mostly occupy but as Lily. Having survived the school and the ones mentioned above, her mental state is the key to that decision. She isn't one to move toward danger but isn't afraid to help when that danger affects others nearby.

Luna, I feel, is possibly tied for both third and second place. Her driving skills require work, and similar to Lynn's, from past experience, she can work under tension situations. Her experience with communication and computers, even if for more recreational uses, gives way to more manageable multitasking, and her time traveling in her band lends credence to being used to the travel.

Leni is a flat impossibility for several reasons. Though she's tougher than she looks, and her determination is commendable, her emotional state is far too erratic in the face of chaos. If put in the situation knowing that Lincoln was about to be harmed or they were both in danger, her flight instinct would be stalled due to fear. This was already seen just from watching the television show.

Lori, I admit, is possibly the second one closest to me who could handle this. In the past, it's clear she and Lincoln's forms of leadership can rebuff at times, yet synergies extremely well when focused on a shared goal with many moving parts. Her knowledge from experience with the family for the longest time and the natural world has hardened her mindset and skills, which could be used as a direct counter to Lincoln's own. Notably, her driving skills are some of the most refined among us, though a bit careless in her own right, and she could serve well in taking on tasks that would free Lincoln's overloaded plate. Though I don't see her willingly driving into severe weather, I see her being the first to get through to him.

In summary, if I were to pick who to come with me directly, it'd be Lori, Lucy, and Lana. The four of us could cover the main bases and keep watch while working from multiple angles to work Lincoln back towards home.

Though this can't be said without saying the others don't bring their own skills to the table, I hope that… that…

Her words become frozen. Disconnected from her train of thought as it kept chugging down the track, she was left behind, slowly coasting to a stop.

With a shaky hand, she reached for her glasses, carefully peeling them off and gently setting them down on her computer's keyboard with barely a sound as her eyes closed. Hands to either side, she braced herself, trying to decide whether to sit or stand as she tried to check her breath.

"How much have you heard…" she asked out loud, barely above what could have been a whisper.

"..."

Lisa turned slightly to the right to present her ear more to the silent body.

"... Familial Contingency." They answered like they were barely awake. "You were so focused I'm surprised you didn't notice sooner…"

Hearing them approach, Lisa looked turned away. Looking back at the screen, she skimmed over what had been recorded.

"So I was…" she answered herself, not looking away until the body slowly appeared by her side, half illuminated by the blue glow that was the only real light source. "... and I'd figure you would still be asleep, little sister." Glancing at her sister, Lisa felt she was staring at the image she had worked on for the better part of two years, never to see it again, staring right back like a walking corpse.

Lily looked like she had quickly aged a decade. For an 11-year-old, someone who was always so vibrant and full of energy was replaced by the face of someone who had gone through a midlife crisis that, no matter how hard they tried, couldn't awake completely from the darkness of slumber. Blonde hair cut shorter than it would be, with a larger patch on her right side above her ear where the scabs and scars of a nasty cut slowly fade away, wrapped down and around. Whatever freckles that had salted her checks were accompanied by a third more in small scars that left red trails all over, tampering down her side.

Dressed in a gray tank top and light purple pajama pants, with BonBon tucked under her right arm, showing the patchwork down to half the stuffed toy, the young Loud slowly pulled her way up to where her older sister was sitting. Relief flooded her eyes as she was off her feet, but she didn't look away from Lisa as the scientist placed her glasses back on.

"You knew…" she said, emotionless, yet Lisa could see anger and betrayal building like a storm. "You knew where he was this whole time… and didn't tell any of us…"

"It isn't like what you are thinking." Lisa cut in, not wanting the narrative to be seen in the light Lily was in, "This whole time, yes, I had been searching for him. Digging for every clue and lead, I could find to lead a trail back to him. I had worked through the night of the 10th after making a breakthrough that bore the needed results."

"Then why haven't you told us yet," Lily said more as a statement than a question.

"My plan was once all parties had returned home and I had time to organize my findings properly; I would have presented this to everyone. But I hadn't anticipated all of what was to come on that day…" she sighed, sliding a hand between her glasses to rub her eyes and fend off her own approaching headache, "... before the storm, with how emotionally stressed we had become, I had debated if it was a good idea to reveal such information at the time. Once the storm had passed… my priority shifted to what was immediately in front of me."

The room fell silent, only the sound of the two's soft breathing and sounds from further in the building echoing from the chatter and actions of the family.

Was Lily mad? She would have to confess it was a yes and a no. She could easily say how much trouble Lisa was inadvertently causing them without saying anything of this importance in the last two months. She didn't know how to compare it, maybe discovering that your family member in the military was at first lost, but back home, no one in the family knew just how close they were—left stewing about, unable to figure out if the only person who knew where they were was hiding something from the rest of the family.

But she understood. She was an example of it. So was Lisa, Lynn, Leni, and everyone else. Things before the storm had returned to a sense of normality the house hadn't felt like all year. Sure, the show gave them some knowledge and insight into what Lincoln had been up to and left them wondering what he was doing between then and there, but afterward, it had tempered down. On that Monday, she didn't expect to experience what it was like at the same ground zero spot as he was so used to.

She felt everyone was a bit off that day. She thought it was digging at her at school and saw Luan affected by it. In the periods she was up and about like this, she could see how emotionally charged everyone was. Like a mountain of dry leaves just waiting for the tiniest of sparks to set off, not in a fiery explosion but an unstoppable consuming inferno, they kept going to keep themselves focused away from those thoughts.

She knew Lisa had her own means of coping with this, but this wasn't what she expected.

Hearing what she had, thinking over how Lucy was possibly the only one to have any knowledge about this, she knew the goth was able to hide many things. The two of them had been slowly getting closer over the years, but Lily didn't know exactly why. The mention of a curse would be something to tie those together, but with how she heard it, she knew there was so much more she was missing.

She wanted to know right here and now. Everyone had their secrets, and she had hers just like the next person, but this was years in the making and could be the question and answer to so many things.

"They need to know everything," she muttered, thinking their sisters deserved the same explanation.

"I know…" Lisa admitted, " As I've said and you have possibly heard, things right now are still too unstable. From your recovery to rebuilding our home, I haven't seen when the best time would be to reveal all this."

"I think now would be a great time." Lynn's voice from behind made the scientist leap to her feet.

Shifting around, praying that what was present wasn't what she thought was there, she was greeted by Lynn at her door and the entire crowd of her sisters gathered around.

---

(Note: These AN notes are written before, during, and afterhand to convey my thinking. Not based on what's changed, reviews, etc., and is borderline me ranting out loud my way of thinking.)

(This was originally suppose to be posted Sunday Night into the 14th, but got things with work had impacted my schedule on many things.)

32 chapters behind, and yet still a long road to go.

This chapter officially marks the new starting point for the story. If there was to be a 'Book 2' setup, this is where it would begin. In someway its meant to be a more present version of the first 3 chapters of the story with some insight as to what has come upon everyone.

With how big this story has gotten in just those 32, I was tempted to think of possibly splitting the story itself up into more 'books' and 'parts' with how this chapter basically circles back to how the very first chapter started. A year ago, I had planned Chapter 20 to be well into the story with the sisters in Oklahoma and the chaos it would involve, yet looking back to my Chapter 1 notes, can't say it didn't change a lot from what I set out to do.

This chapter might seem like Expedition City, but like the first several Lisa's Lodges, it helps describe some past and current events in detail without having to write out what is past context and actual downtime. It also helps flesh out some elements of the story that's going on in the background without the characters themselves having to talk about it directly, as Lisa is often the one who would dig through every little detail possible.

Something I had debated regarding this is its Loudest element. It's still happening in raw nature, regardless. But how it gets there is something I've been tinkering with more now after reading up several stories to build some inspiration.

The one idea I've come up with (original or not) is the 'Stranger in the Family' method. Someone who once before was so close for so many years, like a brother you knew so much of, becoming so different just a few years later that they feel more like an outsider than one with shared blood. They look, act, and think the same as you remember, but now it's something of its own remade image that has the familiar bond, yet the gap within that feels open to anything. I guess in an overthinking way of how to actually make it 'work in reality' because the ending will be heavily involved with it. Throughout the story so far, I've dropped hints here and there about some characters' thought processes, and they tie back to what was stated above. How this will play out, particularly for the next ten chapters, is to be seen.

Therein lies another thing that's got me thinking: the context of this story itself.

Really it could be summed up in 4, maybe 5 parts; The Foundation (which is what the first 30 chapters covered) the Build Up (what this chapter starts and covers probably the largest part of this story involving the Louds building relationships), The Progression (acceptance and life of those relationships), The Storm (the drama surrounding the fact it's Loudcest and the disasters all around) and possibly The Continuation, the part after the main story has been told. Sometimes being summed up itself as a epilogue or small(or large) sequel.

Every story varies on where and how far it gets these points. Some are heavily focused on just the 'Build Up' part (and unfortunately don't reach or get far onto The Progression) , some focus only into the Foundation or go straight into The Storm. Sometimes The Storm is time skipped, sometimes the story skims over all four and goes straight onto Continuation (often more focus on the Sin Kids themselves.) Though in here, with the details about the Loud House itself being rebuilt bigger, elements are being placed for the future.

Given a previous comment I made that if this story could get a third genre it'd be supernatural (given the context of the past, spirits, and curse) but I'm more focused on keeping this as grounded as possible. As such, The Storm part of this story would be where a lot of all this really determines what I've made so far. Depending on how it goes, I already have an idea of a sequel, but it goes down the road of losing that grounded function of this story (though possibly gaining more into the realm of the cartoon works more.)

Yet part of me asks "Should I stop this story after The Storm, or should I just keep going?" It could go much further than just what would originally be 'Sins in Twisters', maybe a decade further watching the kids go and the family evolve. Maybe just cap it off with an epilogue or leave the door open for a future story. This is something probably better asked at the very end of a story, but with several stories at the time going on permanent hiatus or haven't been touched in years, I figure to ask that now then never to.

And looping back to topic, this chapter got a bit shifted during production. Initially it was estimated at 12k with Lisa's section taking up two-thirds bulk and the last leading into the next chapter. Though when the last part broke 2.5k words and the count was coming towards 9k, I figured to just sort that into next time.

As for the previous chapter:

What I called 'The Lake Meet' was another one of those story elements I had building up for a while to do. Originally, as with the last three chapters, this was supposed to be on one page and it ended with Lincoln's ancestor's ghost greeting him and leaving the interaction up to interpretation. But like many things, I felt more story could be told.

The beginning part is in direct relation to Chapter 30s own endnote, though like Kingman and many other events, its true story has yet to be told in full. The timeline for how long he was with Sam is left vague for a reason. Afterwards, it snowing was a later idea, given some extreme weather events can often have things that don't make sense afterwards. Some tornadic events even had snowfall within a day of a significant tornado occurring in the same spot getting inches of snow dumped.

For the interaction with his ancestors, I went a bit deeper into digging around cultural history than meteorological. Mostly in the point of keeping things like the description of clothing style and ways of speaking a bit more historically accurate (as using Scots version of Old English and what clothing was like in the 1600s) to build something more from the simplistic style of the show while still retaining it with the realistic details this story is built with.

From there, everything became new to me when Chapter 30 was in early stages. I pictured the boat attack scene happening in a later dream sequence but felt it actually worked better with the history it built up to. The show and wiki says after the events of Loch Louds, the Royals went on to Woods, Michigan in the 1600s. Literally impossible as it was owned by Indian tribes until the French claimed it in the 17th century and then Britain (and later the USA) after the French and Indian War of 1762. Even then, Michigan wasn't called that when it was part of the Northwest Territory by 1800.

See the conflict in history lining up?

I can imagine the Louds being part of its history, but for an earlier time while in North America they were mostly displaced settlers until future generations could build the land into what would become present day Royal Woods.

Now for 'Lindon', it was a chore trying to find historical names that weren't just a repeat of Lincoln, as it's a surname that dates back further than the 1600s and I again imagined the names of the Royals having different variations. The choice of Lindon was because it's what Roman occupiers and original inhabitants called the settlement that's known today as Lincoln, England. Given the MASSIVE time gap between when the English town was called Lindon to Lincoln and when all of Scotland was founded and when the Loud in Old English was called hlūd. So in a way Lincoln's ancestral name would be somewhat close to Lindon Hlūd, Lindon being referred as "black pool" (like loch) and Hlūd as literally meaning Loud.

So the timeline would basically start from the Romans inhabiting/conquering Lindon/Lincoln, England, the early 'Loud' family eventually migrating to the newly formed Scotland from where the dukedom of Loch Loud was formed after some time the Royal Ancestors were born with Lindon Loud being the last Duke before the family is driven away and migrates to America.

Is all this world building necessary? Maybe, possibly not, perhaps, but it's here to give an idea of just how much history is behind everything the present day is built from, to give something a point where it can all be traced back.

And speaking of Europe, Season 8 of the show is set to release soon with Season 9 being split from its second half. What's gotten me curious is that there is another 'Road Trip' story arc that has the family going around Europe. Two listed episodes, A Knight to Remember and Greece Is the Word, are so far the two big ones I'm keeping an eye on, as the former involves the family going back to Great Britain (see the connection there?) and the other possibly involving time travel.

Still some time until those see the light of day, but to any degree it is, I still got two and a half months left in the year and 20 chapters to write not counting that Chapter 33 is up to 13k words as of the time of this chapter going live and has another about 5k to go with Chapter 36 shaping up to be another 20k beast.

(Note: These AN notes are written before, during, and afterhand to convey my thinking. Not based on what's changed, reviews, etc., and is borderline me ranting out loud my way of thinking.)