Jin looked over at the younger, “North, north west.” He said, “Seventy-five miles.”
A whine escaped Tomohisa’s lips before he could stop it, “An EF1?” he asked looking at Jin with a ‘are you kidding me?’ look, “Really? That’s what they gave us?”
Jin shrugged, turning back to the computer, “Just drive. The sooner this is over with, the happier they are.”
-
The EF1 turned out to be no more than a funnel cloud that had touched down and uprooted a few trees; knocked a roof or two off of a farmhouse and ruined a crop of wheat. All in all, it was something normal, so neither of them questioned when the cloud suddenly shot back up into the sky.
Jin stretched out in the back of the truck, yawning loudly as he stared up at dark skies. They weren’t too dark, but they weren’t too light either, they were unsettling, really. “Something doesn’t seem right.” He said, loud enough for Tomohisa to hear him from inside the truck.
Looking away from the screen of the laptop, Tomohisa looked out the back window, “What? Those tacos we had at lunch?”
Jin shook his head, sitting up, “No. Something about the sky.” He said. “It’s too quiet.”
“Well, Jin. It’s a sky of course its quiet.”
“No, I mean, after twisters, usually there’s either sun or rain, right?”
Jumping from the bed of the truck, Jin went around to the passenger side and tugged the door open, grabbing Tomohisa’s hand, “Come here.” He said, pulling him from the truck. “There.” He pointed down a dirt road, the clouds in the sky having a green tint to them.
“How long have they been like that?”
Jin pursed his lips, “Since the tornado disappeared.” He said, “You don’t think it’s down there now, do you?”
Tomohisa shrugged, “Maybe, maybe not.”
A loud beeping from inside the cab caught their attention, as the wind started picking up. The once peaceful skies, getting darker as the clouds moved in.
Grabbing Tomohisa’s wrist, Jin ran back towards the truck and jerked the passenger side door open, climbing in and over the stick shift. Sitting in the seat, he pulled his seatbelt on and started the Ranger, ignoring Tomohisa’s protests, he stepped on the gas; swerving back onto the road.
Tomohisa glared at him from the passenger seat, “What in the fuck are you doing?” he asked, “Driving my truck?”
“Relax, alright?” Jin said as the rain started falling, eyes squinting as the drops pooled on the windshield. “What readings do we have?” he asked turning the windshield wipers and headlights on.
“We’re driving straight into it.” He said, eyes shooting between the computer screen and the road, “The winds are picking up, and it’s already an EF3.”
Jin swore, his foot pressing the gas petal harder as he peeled off of the main highway and onto a dirt road, “How far are we from the action?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the road as the four-wheel drive kicked.
“Three miles.” Tomohisa supplied, holding tightly to the laptop as they bumped along. “We need to get as close as possible.” He said, “None of this five hundred feet, bullshit, either.”
A grin split across Jin’s face as he spotted the funnel cloud ahead of them; “I see it.” He said, his voice taking on an excited lilt. “The director’s going to have our asses if we screw the equipment up.” He said, “You know that, right?”
Tomohisa shrugged, “I could care less. This is what we live for, remember?” he looked over at Jin. “The excitement; and being more than five hundred feet from a twister isn’t exciting at all.”
Jin looked over at Tomohisa briefly, the challenge in his eyes making them darker, “Then you better hold on tight,” he said, “Because it’s going to get bumpier.”
And it did get bumpier, Jin turned off the road, in favor of mowing down stalks of corn, to shorten the three miles between their truck and the large tornado.
“It’s picked up speed; an EF4 now.” Tomohisa said, his excitement showing openly now that the large swirling vortex of wind was getting closer to them.
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branchandroot
Long Way Down 2
Date: 2010-04-10 09:55 am (UTC)Jin looked over at the younger, “North, north west.” He said, “Seventy-five miles.”
A whine escaped Tomohisa’s lips before he could stop it, “An EF1?” he asked looking at Jin with a ‘are you kidding me?’ look, “Really? That’s what they gave us?”
Jin shrugged, turning back to the computer, “Just drive. The sooner this is over with, the happier they are.”
-
The EF1 turned out to be no more than a funnel cloud that had touched down and uprooted a few trees; knocked a roof or two off of a farmhouse and ruined a crop of wheat. All in all, it was something normal, so neither of them questioned when the cloud suddenly shot back up into the sky.
Jin stretched out in the back of the truck, yawning loudly as he stared up at dark skies. They weren’t too dark, but they weren’t too light either, they were unsettling, really. “Something doesn’t seem right.” He said, loud enough for Tomohisa to hear him from inside the truck.
Looking away from the screen of the laptop, Tomohisa looked out the back window, “What? Those tacos we had at lunch?”
Jin shook his head, sitting up, “No. Something about the sky.” He said. “It’s too quiet.”
“Well, Jin. It’s a sky of course its quiet.”
“No, I mean, after twisters, usually there’s either sun or rain, right?”
“Or clouds.” Tomohisa deadpanned. “There’s clouds.”
“Not green clouds.” Jin shot back.
A few moments of silence, “Where?”
Jumping from the bed of the truck, Jin went around to the passenger side and tugged the door open, grabbing Tomohisa’s hand, “Come here.” He said, pulling him from the truck. “There.” He pointed down a dirt road, the clouds in the sky having a green tint to them.
“How long have they been like that?”
Jin pursed his lips, “Since the tornado disappeared.” He said, “You don’t think it’s down there now, do you?”
Tomohisa shrugged, “Maybe, maybe not.”
A loud beeping from inside the cab caught their attention, as the wind started picking up. The once peaceful skies, getting darker as the clouds moved in.
Grabbing Tomohisa’s wrist, Jin ran back towards the truck and jerked the passenger side door open, climbing in and over the stick shift. Sitting in the seat, he pulled his seatbelt on and started the Ranger, ignoring Tomohisa’s protests, he stepped on the gas; swerving back onto the road.
Tomohisa glared at him from the passenger seat, “What in the fuck are you doing?” he asked, “Driving my truck?”
“Relax, alright?” Jin said as the rain started falling, eyes squinting as the drops pooled on the windshield. “What readings do we have?” he asked turning the windshield wipers and headlights on.
“We’re driving straight into it.” He said, eyes shooting between the computer screen and the road, “The winds are picking up, and it’s already an EF3.”
Jin swore, his foot pressing the gas petal harder as he peeled off of the main highway and onto a dirt road, “How far are we from the action?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the road as the four-wheel drive kicked.
“Three miles.” Tomohisa supplied, holding tightly to the laptop as they bumped along. “We need to get as close as possible.” He said, “None of this five hundred feet, bullshit, either.”
A grin split across Jin’s face as he spotted the funnel cloud ahead of them; “I see it.” He said, his voice taking on an excited lilt. “The director’s going to have our asses if we screw the equipment up.” He said, “You know that, right?”
Tomohisa shrugged, “I could care less. This is what we live for, remember?” he looked over at Jin. “The excitement; and being more than five hundred feet from a twister isn’t exciting at all.”
Jin looked over at Tomohisa briefly, the challenge in his eyes making them darker, “Then you better hold on tight,” he said, “Because it’s going to get bumpier.”
And it did get bumpier, Jin turned off the road, in favor of mowing down stalks of corn, to shorten the three miles between their truck and the large tornado.
“It’s picked up speed; an EF4 now.” Tomohisa said, his excitement showing openly now that the large swirling vortex of wind was getting closer to them.