DEATH WISH - Twisters

Destruction

TYLER WAS sat in between Phoenix and Kate as they watched the rodeo. "You ever see anything like this, city girl?" Tyler asked as his hand found Phoenix's, their fingers intertwining. "You keep calling me that. You know I grew up on a farm? Yeah. Sapulpa. Couple hours from here. This ain't my first rodeo" Kate smiled.

"Look at that. I learned something about you" Tyler chuckled. "So tell me this. What was your first tornado?" Tyler asked and Kate looked at him.

"Tell me yours" Kate replied.

"I was eight. Driving with my aunt. Sirens are going. All of a sudden, this vortex just lowers right down in the center of the road. I was just mesmerized. Then I looked at my aunt, and she's got this look on her face, and I realized in that moment I was supposed to be scared" Tyler explained.

"Were you scared?" Kate asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I was" Tyler nodded.

"What about you?" Kate asked ad Phoenix inhaled deeply.

"I was a kid when the first tornadoes hit but I didn't really experience them. Only saw 'em from afar. The first tornado I ever saw up close was in 2015. I was twenty, riding my bike down the road when this tornado just touched down right in front of me. I crashed, broke both my arms and my leg, got pinned under my bike. Could've sworn that was my last day on earth but then this idiot showed up. Him and Boone got me out, and Lily helped get me to a hospital" Phoenix explained.

One of the riders did the signal and pointed at Tyler, who did the signal right back. "Do you know him?" Kate asked. "I used to compete" Tyler sighed. "Got my head stomped on by one too many bulls. Thought college might be better for my brain" Tyler continued. "You're scared of tornadoes but not of riding bulls?" Kate asked, a smile on her face.

"Well, tornadoes, bulls, same thing. Fear's the reason you do it. You don't face your fears, you ride 'em" Tyler smiled before looking to Phoenix, who leaned into him. They continued watching the rodeo before Phoenix sat up straight, a scent carrying on the wind.

"You smell that?" she asked and Tyler frowned, inhaling deeply. The wind picked up and leaves blew into the stand. "Tornado" Phoenix whispered, looking around at the clouds surrounding them. "Air feels heavy. This isn't good" Kate shook her head. The sirens sounded and Phoenix felt her entire body go cold. As lightning flashed through the sky, it illuminated a tornado.

A tornado that was roughly the same size as the one that had almost claimed her life a year prior. "Oh my god" she breathed. A man made an announcement to evacuate the arena but Phoenix was frozen, her eyes trained on the tornado.

"Let's go, come on" Kate and Tyler stood up next to Phoenix and Tyler started to move with Kate but stopped when Phoenix didn't move. "Phoenix, come on!" he pulled her arm but she remained frozen. "Nix, hey! Look at me! We gotta go" Tyler got in her eyeline and she focused on him. "I've got you, come on" he said softly and she nodded, gripping his hand tightly.

They took off running, helping a woman up before crossing the road, almost getting hit by two different cars. They made it to a motel and Phoenix saw a mother and daughter getting into a car. "Ma'am! Ma'am don't get in the car! Come with us!" Phoenix called and the two followed after her.

They made it inside, where a man was ringing the reception bell incessantly. Everyone started talking over each other and Phoenix was struggling to keep her breathing steady. Kate ran through a door to try and find shelter and Tyler did his best to keep Phoenix and the mother and daughter somewhat calm. "Everybody, come with me!" Kate came back into the room.

"Alright, follow her, follow her" Tyler pushed the mother and daughter towards Kate. Tyler grabbed onto the other woman in the building just as a speaker system crashed through the window, causing Phoenix to scream. "There's a tornado! There's a tornado!" the woman cried and the other man grabbed onto her, dragging her out of the room.