Sigh ... I wish this were mine, but alas it is not. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer.
To answer a few questions in the first chapter's reviews ... this story is loosely based on Into the Storm. Granted, I made some changes to the plot, improving it as it were. Adding romance (citrus!) and finding out what happened after the tornado.
Twisters strike predominantly along Tornado Alley — a flat stretch of land from western Texas to North Dakota. This region is a hotspot for tornadoes because the dry polar air from Canada meets the warm moist tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico.
Thursday, May 27th, 2021
12:04pm
Elgin Paper Mill
Elgin, Oklahoma
"Do you have a signal?" Jane asked, shakily trying to hold her phone out to get anything.
"No. Do you?" Alec asked.
They were stuck in the offices and couldn't move from their safe haven underneath the desk. It was dark and damp in their hidey hole, not to mention hot. "I'm scared, Alec. No one knows we're here."
"My brother does," Alec said. "I told him where I was going before I left. He'll let my mom know and ..." He groaned, scrubbing his face. "I'm probably grounded for the rest of my life."
"Me, too," Jane groaned. "That's if we can get out of this mess. My ears are still ringing, Alec and it sounded like the building collapsed around us."
"I agree," Alec frowned. "Are you okay?"
"I am," Jane said. "Freaked out, but physically, I'm okay." She shifted and tears welled in her eyes. Fat tears fell down her cheeks.
"Hey, we're going to be fine, Jane," Alec said, pulling her into his arms. "Our phones are on and despite us not having any service, they can still ping our phones."
"Really?" Jane asked dubiously.
"Probably not, but I'm trying," Alec sighed. "I've lived in the world of pessimism since my dad turned out to be a douche. It's hard to turn that off. You know?"
"I do know," Jane said, snuggling closer to Alec. She'd found some solace in his arms, despite the warmth and stuffiness of the tiny space they were sharing. "It's got to be hard, Alec. Holding in that much disdain and hatred for a ghost."
"When I was younger, my dad was my hero. He was smart, funny, and he loved my mom. Loved. Then, he got this new secretary who was his soul mate. The love he had for my mom dissipated so he could fuck her," Alec sneered. "He died driving back from her apartment. My mom never knew. He made me promise to not tell her. So, I treat my mom like crap. I don't want to be the one to tell her that the man who promised her forever figured that fifteen years was enough."
"Your dad ... he was an asshole for making you keep that awful secret," Jane muttered. "He probably wasn't always an asshole, right? He must have loved your mom to be with her for as long as he was ..."
"They met on my mom's first day of college and were inseparable," Alec chuckled. "I was a product of their first time."
"No way!" Jane laughed.
"I did the math. My mom was nineteen when she had me. I was born after her spring finals. She spent the summer with me and with my dad's parents' help, she managed to graduate in time, majoring in English and getting her teaching certification. My dad was a little older," Alec explained.
"Your mom seemed like she was really young, but after your father's death she just dimmed," Jane said. "Do you think she knew?"
"I don't know," Alec shrugged. "I hope not. It would shatter her."
