The Perfect Storm Teaser

 Thursday, May 27^th, 2021

1:21pm
Elgin High School Gymnasium

“Where have you been, Mrs. Whitlock?” hissed Dr. Abraham angrily. He saw her disheveled appearance and arm strapped to her chest, but thought little of it. “We needed you!”

“And my sons needed me more,” Bella argued. “But, that’s irrelevant at the moment.  There’s a huge tornado heading this way …”

“We’d hear the sirens,” said one of the board members.

“The alarm system is down,” Edward explained. “This tornado is bigger than anything ever registered. The most intense tornado was an EF-5 with sustained winds at greater than 200 miles per hour. According to the radar returns, the winds are registering at greater than 300 miles per hour with the width of the base being over two miles wide.”

“The high school is a tornado shelter,” Dr. Abraham argued.

“Not for this,” Edward replied. “This high school is in the direct path of the destruction and will not survive this tornado. If you stay here, all these people will die. I saw buses. If we load everyone up, we can evacuate.”

“I don’t know,” Dr. Abraham frowned.

“The longer we sit in here, the more than likely everyone will die,” Bella said. “Come with me, Edward.” She tugged on his hand, running down the hallway. She used her keys to open the transportation office. She swiped the bus keys and arched a brow. “I can’t drive one of those things, but …”

“Right,” Edward nodded. He took the keys, and they ran back to the gym.

Bella grabbed the bullhorn they used for PE and held it up. “Everyone, can I have your attention please?” she said. People were milling around, still having conversations. Bella couldn’t handle their bullshit, so she shouted, “LISTEN UP!” The crowd stopped. With a smirk, she handed the bullhorn to Edward. “Explain, please.”

“I’m a scientist, not a public speaker,” he blanched. Bella gave him a look and he took the bullhorn. “There’s an extremely dangerous and deadly tornado heading in this direction with winds exceeding 300 miles per hour. The warning system is broken and if you stay here, you will die. We need to load up on the buses outside and get out of here. It’s your best option for survival.”

“If you have a commercial driver’s license, come see me for a set of keys and everyone head out the back entrance of the gym,” Bella shouted. “The bus number is on the key chain.”

“You need to head south, away from the high school and toward downtown. The tornado is traveling in the opposite direction, coming from the airport,” Edward said, looking at his tablet, tracking the storm system.

Thank you to Clo for this beautiful manip!!

 

The Perfect Storm Update

 The Perfect Storm Ch. 9 on FFn

The Perfect Storm Ch. 9 on AO3

The Perfect Storm Ch. 9 on fanfiction.online

The Perfect Storm Ch. 9 on Stars

The Perfect Storm Ch. 9 on Wattpad

Thursday, May 27^th, 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.

     

The Perfect Storm Teaser

 Thursday, May 27^th, 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.”

The Perfect Storm Update

 The Perfect Storm Chapter 6 on FFn

The Perfect Storm Chapter 6 on AO3

The Perfect Storm Chapter 6 on fanfiction.online

The Perfect Storm Update on Stars

The Perfect Storm Update on Wattpad

Thursday, May 27^th, 2021
11:30am
Elgin Paper Mill
Elgin, Oklahoma

Parking the car, Jane and Alec got out of the Beetle, looking at the abandoned paper mill. Jane shuddered. “This place is creepier with the ominous clouds surrounding it.”

“The sooner we get through this, the better. I got a text that we’re under a tornado watch,” Alec muttered, following Jane through a hole in the fence. He held up the camera, taking a slow pan of the property. “What did you do for your project? What shots did you take?”

“I walked around the main building and then I gave my ‘speech’ inside of the factory,” Jane said. “But, it was a sunny day and the light was better.”

“We can make this work,” Alec said, giving her a reassuring grin. “Come on. Let’s get the exterior shots before it starts raining.” They made their way around the building, focusing on the disrepair. Windows were broken, machinery was strewn around the grounds and it was clear that animals had taken up residence inside. When they got to the entrance, Jane frowned. “What is it?”

“New lock,” she muttered. “How can we get in there?”

The Perfect Storm Teaser

 Thursday, May 27^th, 2021
11:30am
Elgin Paper Mill
Elgin, Oklahoma

Parking the car, Jane and Alec got out of the Beetle, looking at the abandoned paper mill. Jane shuddered. “This place is creepier with the ominous clouds surrounding it.”

“The sooner we get through this, the better. I got a text that we’re under a tornado watch,” Alec muttered, following Jane through a hole in the fence. He held up the camera, taking a slow pan of the property. “What did you do for your project? What shots did you take?”

“I walked around the main building and then I gave my ‘speech’ inside of the factory,” Jane said. “But, it was a sunny day and the light was better.”

“We can make this work,” Alec said, giving her a reassuring grin. “Come on. Let’s get the exterior shots before it starts raining.” They made their way around the building, focusing on the disrepair. Windows were broken, machinery was strewn around the grounds and it was clear that animals had taken up residence inside. When they got to the entrance, Jane frowned. “What is it?”

“New lock,” she muttered. “How can we get in there?”

The Perfect Storm Update

 The Perfect Storm on FFn

The Perfect Storm on AO3

The Perfect Storm on fanfiction.online

The Perfect Storm on Stars

The Perfect Storm on Wattpad

Alec was filming people as he walked through the hallways of his high school. Filming was the only thing that calmed him down nowadays. He hated that his father was gone.

No, scratch that … he hated his father.

Period.

He hated that his mom worked so much, ignoring Alec and his brother, Riley.

Okay, she doesn’t ignore us. That’s just the excuse you give to stay mad at her.

He knew that his mom loved him and his brother. She worked so hard to make up for the loss of their dad, Jasper, who had died suddenly in a car crash. Little did their mother know that her husband died while driving back from his mistress’s apartment during a rare snow storm. Alec found out that Jasper had been fucking around his mother for years with his much younger secretary. Alec was editing in the living room late at night when his father came in, smelling like whiskey and some overly sweet perfume. His mother only wore fresh-smelling scents. 

The One That Got Away Update

TOTGA Chapter 79 on FicPad

TOTGA Chapter 79 on Stars

TOTGA Chapter 79 on AO3

TOTGA Chapter 79 on FFn

TOTGA Chapter 79 on Wattpad

“Professor Swan?” came a timid voice. Bella looked up and saw one of her more promising students, Bree, from her creative writing course. “You wanted to see me?”

“I wanted to talk to you about your piece you submitted for the last assignment,” Bella said, pulling out the printed copy. “This is really good. I’m very impressed with the characterization and the world you created in the constraints I gave you with the assignment. It made me yearn for more. Fae, magic, a hidden darkness threatening to end the world? I’m not normally a fan of fantasy, but this has promise, Bree.”

“Really?” Bree asked.

“So much so, that I sent it to my editor and her interest is piqued as well,” Bella said, placing an email from Alice on top. “I know you’re a college student and you have your studies, but I’d like to see how this is developed. Where you take it.”

“This is only the first chapter,” Bree breathed. “I have about six written. It’s romantic, scary, sensual and filled with magic. I really like the author who wrote the Throne of Glass series and so, I kind of started writing fanfiction and then one of my readers suggested I make my own original fiction. This is what I came up with. My beta, who also happens to be my roommate, helped a lot. I’m awful at the mechanics of writing. She’s a godsend.”

“That was my only critique,” Bella chuckled, pointing to the numerous grammatical errors in the story. “It helps to have a strong editor, or beta.”

“You’re not going to lecture me about writing fanfiction. Technically, it’s plagiarism,” Bree blushed.

“It is, but when I began writing, it was through fanfiction, too. I was in love with Wuthering Heights and creating a world that was current with the characters helped me with my writing. I still have those stories saved on a flash drive somewhere,” Bella laughed. “I even dabbled in some Twilight fanfiction. I am named after one of the main characters.” Bree giggled. “You have a gift, Bree. This is my editor’s email address. If you want to continue, send her what you have and see if she wants you to continue, but do not let your studies slide.”

“Do you think I can really get this published?” Bree asked.

“Possibly. I can’t help you. Not right now, not while you’re a student on my roster. But, after the semester is over, I’m more than willing to help you. I want to read what happens to Jerehc and B’alim,” Bella smiled. “And work with your beta with those grammar things. An editor can only catch so much. It’s frustrating as a reader to mentally put in those commas and correct spellings.”

“Got it, Professor,” Bree blushed. “Thank you.” She took the short story from Bella and skipped out of the office. Bella turned back to her laptop and went back to grading the mediocre and downright bad stories written by the other students in her class. She hated tearing these kids down, but the plot development wasn’t there, nor was the characterization and don’t even get her started on the writing mechanics. They made Bree’s story, which had been covered in red pen, look like the great American novel.

Bella's Wedding Dress