The Thunderstorm

Chapter 1

POW

“Good morning Vietnam,” Michael pushed through the doors to the office with his hands held high above his head. He waited for a second as the populace of the office remained silent, observing him with anxiety, or trying to ignore him completely. “You know, Vietnam because the thunder out there reminds me of the constant gunfire of that war.”

“But you weren’t in Vietnam,” Pam stated for the fifth time that week. “You were just a baby when it happened.”

“I know Pam,” Michael quickly pulled a straight face, and with pursed lips added, “And thank God that the drafting list didn’t come to that,” finishing his sentence, he retreated to his office and slammed the door behind him.

Jim sent Pam an interesting look from where he was slouched back in his chair, causing them both to erupt in laughter.

(X)

“Michael,” Jim cleared his throat as his private interview in the break room started, “Has spent the better part of this week watching old Vietnam War movies. “ His eyes grew big as he considered his next sentence, “None of us know why, but I like it that way, it adds an air of mystery for the whole thing.” A wholesome laugh escaped his throat, but stopped short, “I just hope he doesn’t end up making us do a reenactment or something like that.”

(X)

“The TV from the conference room is in his office, almost blocking the door so no one can come in and interrupt him, which is two violations already,” Pam stated as the camera panned into Michael’s office with the blinds drawn shut, “his favorites right now seem to be Apocalypse Now, Platoon and Forest Gump. He used to like Saving Private Ryan, but he found out it was the wrong war.”

(X)

“I like Vietnam War movies okay,” Michael threw up his hands in defeat as he laughed, “You caught me.” Suddenly he became very serious, “There’s something appealing to me, about a guy who can go off and fight for our country when we desperately need it and come home and run a successful shrimping business. That could be me.”

(X)

The Office was quiet that day and since Michael had a new hobby everyone could finally get some work done for a change. The only sound over the typing of keyboards was screaming and bullets from inside Michael’s office, until a low rumble from outside hit the office so strong that knickknacks fell off of desks.

Immediately Dwight shot up from his seat, “Everyone remain calm,” he shouted loudly as another rumble racked through the office, “this is not an Earthquake because Scranton is located safely out of the ring of fire.”

Phyllis swiveled away from her desk as the room shook once again, “It’s probably the storm that Chet Montgomery said we would get today. I hope Bob’s okay, he had a delivery to make out of town.”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Jim nodded as the lights flickered.

The door to the break room ripped open as Kelly ran into the room with Toby who was a few feet behind her, “Oh my God you guys,” she exclaimed from the middle of the room, “The walls shook and knocked my fluffy pencil holder off my desk and then the lights flickered and I heard on the radio that everyone was supposed to go home at lunch because there’s a severe thunderstorm warning and I don’t want to go because what if—“

“Wait,” Dwight held up a hand to silence her, “Who said that we could go home at lunch?”

“Well, it wasn’t Michael since he hasn’t been out of his office all day,” Oscar added with a scoff.

Kelly blinked once, “I don’t know it was just on the radio. Maybe the city? Or the council? Or some board? I wasn’t paying attention but I don’t want to go home because I’m afraid of the dark and what happens if the lights go out and I’m there all by myself someone could come get me and-“

“Shut up,” Dwight demanded, his hand still remained raised in the air, “there has to be a way to get this information from a more reliable source.”

Jim groaned and reached out his hand lazily to his telephone. He hit a red button that was a switch to the radio and immediately an announcer was speaking concisely, “All residents should remain where they are, an attempt to leave might result in injuries and currently emergency vehicles are out of service.”

Stanley placed down his crossword puzzle, “Great.”

“What’s going on?” Michael questioned as he exited his office in a rush, “My movie finished and on the television it said something about being arrested if we leave. It might have been the news, but I think it was a commercial for one of those new reality shows.”

(X)

Michael leaned back and cushioned his head with his hands. With a bright smile on his face he began, “Yes I did try out of a reality show over the summer, I thought that since the cameras are always here, I could do it twenty-four seven instead of nine-to-five five. The one I tried out for was called Kid Nation. Apparently I got the title wrong; I just assumed that it was making another country that would be a Kid Nation to America.”

(X)

“It’s just a thunderstorm,” Jim stated, still seated in his chair with an atmosphere of boredom around him.

Dwight’s eyes grew wide as he looked at his rival, “No,” he shouted and pointed a finger at Jim, “This is much more than a thunderstorm. The authorities have are taking responsibility for malfeasance,” He stopped talking and looked directly into the camera as he came to his final thought, “This could be the beginning of a dictatorship similar to 1984.”

Jim pursed his lips, “No Dwight, I don’t think it is.”

“Dwight,” Michael sighed and covered his eyes with his hands, “Stop being an idiot, America stopped being under a dictetatorial rule in the seventies.” Creed nodded in agreement and Jim looked puzzled.

Phyllis glanced up from where she sat in her office chair, “What should we do?”

“We’ll have to come up with a way to trick the police,” Michael announced as he jumped up onto the reception desk, completely blocking Pam out.

Dwight shook his head with disgust, “Thank God, I gave up my status as Sheriff’s Deputy—“

“Volunteer Sheriff’s Deputy,” Jim corrected as he pivoted in his chair.

“Volunteer Sheriff’s Deputy,” Dwight nodded in agreement, “But I got out of there before the whole place turned to the dark side.”

“Michael,” Toby began in his monosyllabic tone, “I think the safest and smartest thing to do right now is to stay inside.” He leaned against the wall near the doorway to the kitchen, and waited for Michael to shoot him down.

Michael clenched his teeth together, “You know what Toby? I think you’re right. I think you should go back to your corner and not come out of it no matter what happens.”

“That’s not what I meant, I just think—“

“Into the back,” Michael demanded as he pointed to the doorway. He grinned superiorly as Toby hung his head and returned to his desk.

Everyone observed Michael with agape mouths. “What? He questioned as he pushed himself away from Pam’s desk and moved into the middle of the room, “It was his idea.”

Angela, stood by accounting, her arms crossing in irritation over her chest spoke up, “Michael, what are we supposed to do? I need to go home; I have to feed my cats.”

“I thought your cat died?” Michael answered.

“I have more than one,” she answered as she straightened her back in an attempt to collect herself.

Michael looked directly at the camera filming him, “Well then I guess you should be thanking me for getting you out of the house.”

“Michael, seriously,” Kevin stood up from his seat in the corner, “I’m hungry, I can’t stay here all night. I want McDonalds.”

“Well,” his voice was drawn out as she answered, “I say we should all storm the door at once, if we do, there will be too many of us for the police to stop.”

“Yeah!” Dwight agreed as he pumped his hand into the air.

“I think you’re forgetting why the police want to keep us in here,” Pam began, hoping to clarify the situation.

“Oh, Pam,” Michael shook his head, “I thought that you would be one of the good ones, but it looks like they got to you too.”

She sent a glance to Jim, who shrugged the matter off with a smirk.

The rest of the office watched as Michael and Dwight ran down the hallway screaming a battle cry until they reached the elevator, where Dwight pressed the button and waited patiently. When the elevator arrived they began screaming again until they were inside, then Michael pressed a button and they disappeared.

“Well,” Pam exclaimed as she left her post behind reception, “We need to prepare for the worst.”

“You mean like eating people?” Kevin asked

Angela rolled her eyes and fumed, “We should have already been prepared.”

Jim’s eyes grew big and with a confidant nod, he added, “This is going to be fun.”

The Thunderstorm

Chapter 2

The Blackout

“So,” Michael began, he had a blanket draped around his shoulders, and his hair held beads of water. “Going outside in a thunderstorm is not a good idea,” he began rubbing the blanket through his hair to dry off, “It was not fun at all. They should not call it a thunderstorm because thunder sounds too much like funder and German people might think it’s a good time.” He then finished his interview by blowing his nose loudly.

(X)

“What happened out there? We were supposed to rush this G.D. storm and get out of here to where our families are waiting for us,” Michael berated as he walked around the office. The blanket was still on his back.

Jim raised his hand, when Michael pointed at him he asked, “Yeah, I don’t exactly get how we’re supposed to rush a storm.”

Pam who was leaning against his desk answered, “Run at it with Barometers.”

He grinned at her and added, “And a satellite, we need to know exactly where this is heading.”

“You think this is so funny,” Michael spoke with a hint of disgust in his voice, “It’s always funny until someone dies because a storm threw them, or shot them with electricity. Have you ever been shocked? I have and it didn’t feel good. It made me make a tape for my nonexistent son."

He took a deep inhalation and continued his frantic pacing, “You know and the only one of you man enough to come out with me was Dwight. Dwight risked his life for me, he’s a war hero.”

Dwight, who was soaking in rain water sat at his desk with an arrogant grin. Others exchanged looks of bafflement.

(X)

Dwight’s back was straight against the wall as streaks of water still rolled down the side of his face. “I would carry Michael on my back through an active minefield even if I had just recently lost both of my arms and my legs,” he paused for a moment, giving the idea more thought, “I would carry him if I was just a torso.”

“You should all be ashamed of yourselves,” Michael chided with his arms crossed, “unless you can think of a way to get out of here.”

“I have one,” Stanley looked up from his crossword, “How about if you'd let us go at lunch like you should have. We’d be fine now.”

Michael sniffled and nodded to the camera, “We’re still going to be fine.”

“I meant be fine and at home,” Stanley replied in irritation and flipped his crossword book over to the next page.

“I think the first thing we should do is phone home,” Pam suggested.

“Ha, E.T.” Michael laughed.

Pam sent him a sideways glance and then continued, “If you have anyone at home who’s expecting you, you should probably call them in case the phones—“ before Pam could finish her sentence, the lights flickered weakly and then the building became completely dark.

“Oh, way to go Pam,” Kevin muttered in the darkness as other people began to over react.

“Oh my God,” Kelly screamed, “I can’t see.”

“This is very creepy,” Michael groaned as he bent over to sit on the ground, “This is creepy,” he repeated. “Someone get a flashlight!”

“Alright,” Dwight called as he shoved his hands out before his body, “Everyone just stay where you are. There is no need to move, try not to breathe if you can. I always keep a flashlight and a mini flashlight in the bottom drawer of my desk.” He pulled the handle on his desk but the drawer wouldn’t budge, “I also always lock that draw.”

“Dwight,” Michael moaned, “you’re such a nerd.”

(X)

Dwight looked straight into the camera, and with a completely deadpanned face stated, “That’s the drawer Jim would always stick my personal effects in after they were incased in Jello.”

(X)

“The phones are out,” Phyllis called through the dark, “That means I can’t call Bob, he’ll wonder.”

“Ugh, Phyllis, I think that’s the least of our problems right now,” Michael was now lying on his stomach on the floor in the space between reception and Jim’s desk.

“Yeah, like I’m hungry. I skipped lunch,” Kevin announced from the accounting corner.

Pam sat perched on Jim’s desk beside him. She swore in the dark she could almost make out his face. A smile grew on her lips as they watched everyone start to freak out just because the lights were off. It was almost embarrassing.

Still in the darkness when she inched her hand towards his, she was relieved when he squeezed it in return.

Dwight could still be heard fighting with his drawer to get it open. The bobble heads on his desk clattered against each other, “Damn it, I still can’t get it open.”

“Did you try pulling on the handle?” Jim questioned as he absentmindedly drew his thumb across the back of Pam’s hand.

The shuffling stopped and it was assumed that Dwight was standing akimbo, “Yes, Jim. I did,” his words were paused.

Jim blew a raspberry, “I’m just trying to help.”

A few seconds passed with no sound, except Michael’s heavy panting. Then a large bang ripped through the room, “Do not be alarmed, I just roundhouse kicked the desk drawer.”

Kevin sighed as he slowly moved backwards to find his seat at accounting, “We’re definitely going to starve now.”

“Yeah right,” Michael mumbled.

(X)

“Being stuck in a blackout,” Michael pursed his lips and shook his head, “It’s probably one of the worse things in the world.” He stopped fidgeting and became very still as he looked right into the camera, “Being stuck with Phyllis and Kevin, it’s scary. You don’t know when they’re going to get hungry, or how much they’re going to eat.”

A moment passed as he bit his bottom lip in thought, “Although if it came to eating people, we could sure get a lot more out of Phyllis than Pam.”

(X)

Dwight chortled with pride, “I have just saved us all,” he announced as rattling could be heard ringing through the darkness over Kelly’s screams and Michael’s groans. “Michael and subordinates, I have found my keys.”

Jim turned his chair in the general direction of Dwight, “So?”

Dwight scoffed, “So now I can open the drawer and retrieve the tools we need. I just need to feel for the hole.”

“That’s what she said,” Michael’s voice was muttered from his face being directed towards the carpet.

“Or,” Jim began a wide smile growing on his face, “You could use the mini flashlight on your keychain to find it.”

(X)

Jim squinted his eyes and rested his head against his hand, “We haven’t been kept in the dark that long since our second quarter camaraderie event where Michael told us for our clues that we would need a twelve foot ladder, ice skates, a sledgehammer and three packages of full staff writing paper but no pens.”

(X)

After Dwight had successfully retrieved his flashlights the group of eleven had three flashlights to share. Office chairs were wheeled together as everyone made a circle to discuss what their next priority should be.

Kevin laughed as he wrested the flashlight away from Oscar and held it underneath his face, he groaned in a ghostly manner, “Scary.”

Michael scoffed, “The only thing scary is your double chin.”

Kevin stopped his performance and the room became uncomfortably silent. Moments passed with the rain hitting the windows as the only sound.

“Michael, what’s our next move?” Oscar asked, he, Phyllis and Stanley were huddled around a flashlight.

“I don’t know, this storm took me totally by surprise,” Michael rolled his eyes and wrapped the blanket around himself tighter.

(X)

“This storm really surprised me,” Michael’s face was completely emotionless, “I mean, tornadoes and stuff like that? They go to the flat States with fields and poorly built houses that are ugly and displeasing to look at.” He shook his head and continued, “They don’t happen at a paper company in Pennsylvania. Dorothy didn’t live in Scranton.”

The Thunder Storm

Chapter 3

We Are Family


Pam sat in an office chair with her legs crossed, “If anyone needs to use a cell phone,” she held up a small black device, “Then you can use mine.”

Jim furrowed his eyebrows and leaned close to her, “Your cell phone is broken.”

“I know,” she grinned playfully, “But yours isn’t, and we’re dating so it’s almost like it’s mine.”

His eyes grew big as a smile spread on his lips, “Oh, really?” he questioned, “Well I guess that makes this flashlight almost mine,” he grabbed for the flashlight and tried to wrestle it away from her hands as she laughed wildly.

“Hey,” Dwight yelled as focused his flashlight on the couple, “You’re both wrong, it’s my flashlight and if you can’t use the power it welds with responsibility, then it will be taken away.” The camera panned over to Kevin who was sitting sadly without a light.

Angela scoffed, “We’re in the middle of a crisis here, you two should learn to keep it in your pants,” her voice was a little edgier than usual and an awkward silence followed her outburst.

(X)

Angela held a proper smile with her hands folded neatly in her lap, “When I was little, I was taught that thunder was just God bowling.” Her smile faded as her emotion rose, “But now that I’m older I understand it’s the product of his wraith at uncontrolled delinquents who can’t keep their public displays of affection for their private homes.”

Her mood settled but she still seemed disconcerted. With a frown and saddened eyes she added, “The raindrops are his tears.”

(X)

“Alright,” Michael threw off his blanket and stood up straight, “I’m sick and tired of us working against each other instead of as a team. We’re like a family,” he looked around the room at the faces his generally unmoved employees, “I mean sure there are some race issues, and that can be settled with adoption. And I guess Jim or Pam has to be adopted since we don’t live in Kansas, although the storm certainly thinks so,” he let out a dry laugh.

Jim puckered his lips and leaned back in his chair as Pam stared blankly.

“What we need to do right now, is to make sure that every member of this family is present,” Michael announced as the light around him grew dimmer and dimmer.

Jim raised his hand, when Michael acknowledged him he informed, “Meredith’s not here.”

“I know,” Michael sighed heavily, “I hit her with my car remember.”

“Right,” Jim nodded stiffly with a hidden smile.

“Guys, come on, this is between life and death,” Michael complained as he stretched out his arms for attention.

“No it is not,” Stanley replied slowly from where he working on a crossword puzzle by a flashlight.

“You know what? I’m still your boss,” Michael shouted.

Phyllis looked up sadly, “But office hours are over.”

“Yeah, well, we’re still in the building and it’s illegal to leave. So how about your put your flashlights on me instead of doing shadow puppets, and Pam, get me a cup of cocoa.” Michael demanded, “And Jim, really a dog? Anyone can do that.”

(X)

“Yeah I lost myself for a bit at the beginning,” Michael crossed his legs and leaned back in his office chair, “right after it hit me how big this storm was. But then I thought, “Michael Scott, these people are depending on you to lead them through this unknown territory they have to travel.” And I remembered a trick from one of my war movies, which is try to remember something to help you out in a situation like this, and I did. Thanks to Peewee Herman.”

(X)

“Alright, so is all the chillin’ present?” Michael asked, his voice adopting a strong Southern accent that Stanley rolled his eyes at. “Sorry Stanley,” Michael apologized with his head hung, “And sorry for the term, ‘blackout’.”

“What do you mean by that?” Stanley drawled out as he finished off another puzzle.

Michael shifted uncomfortably, “Well , you know—“

“Meredith still isn’t here, Michael,” Kevin muffled his giggle as he played off of Jim’s joke.

“I know Kevin,” Michael shouted clearly growing agitated at the situation, “She wasn’t here this morning so of course she isn’t here now.”

Pam jabbed a thumb towards the break room, “Toby’s not here.”

“Yeah, Toby’s in the back where I left him and that is where he’s staying. He can stay back there, all by himself in the dark, just like he did in his marriage,” Michael spat and crossed his arms childishly.

“Where’s Creed?” Oscar interrupted moving into the middle of the circle to draw attention.

(X)

The camera zooms in through the storm to the parking lot where Creed is seen stretching blue tarps out across to cars, letting them sag in the middle.

“Rain water is the most natural way to collect clean water,” he informed with a slanted smile and a nod of his head, “its how we did it in the sixties before indoor plumbing.”

(X)

“Creed is like a hundred years old, I wouldn’t be surprised if he can control this storm,” Michael sighed and fell back into his seat, apparently giving up.

“I think we need to recollect ourselves,” Jim suggested almost sarcastically and placed a finger on his lips.

“I thought that’s what we just did,” Pam tilted her head to the side with a playful smile.

Angela sighed loudly through her nose, “Could you please keep it to a minimum? At least for tonight.”

Jim and Pam exchanged brief puzzled looks, and then Jim responded, “You’re right.”

“That was inexcusable,” Pam agreed.

“Guys,” Michael moaned and threw his hands over the back of his head in frustration, “Could we stop ragging on Jim and Pam’s raging sex drives for a moment and work together to achieve our next goal?”

Phyllis glanced up with furrowed eyebrows, “What is our next goal?”

An almost evil grin began to spread across Michael’s face, his teeth glowing in the eerie light, “We’re going to have a pajama party!”

“But we don’t have any pajamas,” Phyllis reminded sadly.

Oscar arched an eyebrow, “Do you really think that we need to stay the whole night?”

Michael stomped his foot and stared at the ceiling, apparently getting control over his emotions, “Now you guys are just making this a suck party.”

"A pajama suck party," Jim added with a large smile.

“I am not participating in a pajama party,’ Angela re-crossed her arms and fumed silently.

(X)

“During my school years, my father refused to let me go to any pajama parties because of the illicit acts that occur at them,” Angela tucked a stray bang behind her ear and looked almost proud at this declaration. “He actually wouldn’t let me go to any parties. I understand why now.”

(X)

“Everyone is going to participate and we’ll all have plenty of fun,” Michael threw his blanket to the ground with newfound hope. “We can play games against each other on the internet.”

“Nope,” Jim’s answer was curt, “Power’s out.”

Michael looked a little thrown off by Jim’s response, but continued, “Well then fine, we can all watch Forest Gump because life is like—“

“Michael, the TV needs electricity,” Phyllis soft voice interrupted him.

His eyes squinted and his lips pursed, but he added, “Then we’ll just have to listen to some CDs. You guys are just lucky I brought the soundtrack to Hairspray.”

(X)

Michael shoved his hands out beside his face. While waving them around, he added, “You can’t stop the beat.”

(X)
Pam sighed and leaned in on her hand, “All those need electricity.”

“Well then this just sucks.”