Three Little Trailers & big bad twister

Doug Glenning II

Monday, March 15, 2010

Reimagined Fairy Tale

The Three Little Trailers and the Big, Bad Twister

Page one:

         Once upon a time there were three brothers who lived with their mother at the Spring Valley Trailer Park on the Oklahoma panhandle.  One day, as they were laying about the trailer, their mother decided that it was time for them to go off on their own.  [Mother throwing them out of the trailer; tossing their belongings on the lawn: pink flamingoes, hats that hold two soda cans, etc.]  The three brothers said good-bye to their mother and went their separate ways [Three dirt roads heading off in different directions: one for each path].

Page two:

         After walking for some time the first brother came upon a diner by the side of the road.  Feeling hungry he stopped inside for two eggs over easy with loaded home fries, a side of scrapple, and a glass of tomato juice.  While eating he looked around the silver chromed diner with its oval shape and began to think about his mom's trailer; about how much he enjoyed living there.  Just then a waitress came over and asked him, "Can I get you anything else?"

         "Know where I can rent a trailer home?  I'm looking for a place to live."  Well it just so happens that the owner of the diner had a trailer out back for sale.  It was a little rusty, and was home to a few raccoons, but the first brother bought and paid for it out of pocket and moved right in.

Page three:

         By this time the second brother, who also had been walking for a while and was feeling a bit hungry, came across a boat rental shop conveniently located next to a bait and tackle shop.  Within an hour he was fishing using a [name of a style of really good freshwater fishing rod, line and tackle] and landed an [impressive fish].  He high-tailed it back to the boat rental shop hoping to be refunded his deposit.  As he came around the corner of the bait and tackle shop he spotted a vintage [type name] of trailer that looked a little worse for wear.  "I see you're eyeing Bessie."  The second brother turned and noticed the Bait and Tackle Shop owner standing behind him.  "She's the best trailer I ever owned.  It's a shame to get rid of her."  The second brother's ears perked up.

         "You're selling her?"

         "Yep.  Cheap, too.  You interested?"  With a nod of his head and the passing of an hour the second brother was the proud owner of his very own trailer home.  He hooked it up to the hitch on his pickup truck and drove away happy as a clam.

Page four:

         The third brother had searched far and wide for a new place to live, but didn't find what he was looking for.  Feeling exhausted and thirsty he stepped aside into a Tractor Supply store to use the restroom and to grab a quick drink from the water fountains near the bathroom.  As he exited the Men's room [drying hands on shirt] he noticed on the cork board that a barely used brand new trailer was being sold about four blocks up from his old high school.  Not wanting to waste another moment, the third brother hopped into his truck and raced over to the home of the people selling the trailer.  Within a matter of minutes he had his very own trailer home parked at the Twin Rivers trailer park just two towns away from his Mama and brothers.

Page five:

         Just as the first brother was finishing placing the last of his pink flamingoes into the grass outside his trailer, he heard a loud blast.  "Tornado Siren!"  Knowing he had only a matter of minutes, the first brother ran toward the trailer, grabbed his pet goldfish and headed down toward the restaurant, which was locked up tighter than a drum.  The waitress who'd told him about the trailer outback being for sale opened the storm cellar and shouted for him to get in quick. This particular tornado was an F2, not the strongest but strong enough to do some damage.  Just as the storm cellar door closed the twister turned right off the main road and slid quickly over the restaurant ripping off parts of the roof.  A large tree separated the restaurant and the first brother's trailer; the F2 tornado snapped the tree in half.  Then, with great ease, the tornado yanked the first brother's trailer into the air and dropped it several feet away.

Page six:

         Later, as the tornado moved on from the restaurant, the restaurant staff and the first brother came out of the storm cellar and surveyed the damage.  With his trailer destroyed he grabbed his few remaining positions and began walking to the second brother's new trailer home.

Page seven:

         A couple days later, as the two brothers were sitting down to enjoy their favorite lunchtime food in front of the television (just in time for their favorite show).  Suddenly, the sky turned dark and the wind picked up.  A storm warning interrupted their favorite show right at the best part to tell them that a tornado warning, F3 with winds over 160 miles an hour, was about to hit their area.  The first brother turns to the second brother and shouts, "Quick!  Which way to the storm cellar?"

         "I haven't got a storm cellar!"

         "What have you got?!"

         "A pickup truck!"  With that the two brothers were off the couch and heading out the door.  The water from the first brother's goldfish bowl sloshed onto the floor as they raced out the door.

Page eight:

         The two brothers jumped into the second brother's pickup truck and they quickly raced down the road.  Half a mile away, the tornado appeared two miles behind them and continued on a path straight for the brothers and their truck.



When it comes time to describe how the tornado is eating the various houses and knocks over the first two trailers, incorporate the destruction of high tension power lines, trees, cars being tossed like missiles, etc.  Also, use technical storm chaser/meteorologist jargon.