The Heat

The Heat is the second episode of Season 1 of Amazing Stories. It premiered on March 13, 2020.

Synopsis
Tuka and Sterling are best friends whose bond transcends the physical world as they follow their dreams after tragedy strikes.

Plot
Tuka and Sterling run down the streets together as they dodge a car, jump over a spurting fire hydrant, and race the red light. They barely avoid colliding with some vehicles. They run into a building and up the steps to the roof. They compliment each other's running before looking over the edge to watch the runners. Tuka is excited for the Stokes-Pickett Invitational as they'll be running on the track, as opposed to the concrete at their school. Sterling states that 20 recruiters are coming out. She has to cut her time enough to get the scholarship. She wants to talk about the future, but Tuka thinks it will handle itself.

The girls walk the street as they come to an altar that memorializes someone. They go home, and Sterling's grandmother reprimands her for not wearing a sweater as she might get the whole house sick. She invites Tuka to stay for dinner, but the girl might already have plans. Sterling's grandmother doesn't want Sterling to go to the drag race, which the girls call a sideshow, so she can't. Tuka gives her a look, so Sterling caves to a maybe.

Tuka walks the area as everyone cheers for the cars pulling doughnuts in a circle. A moment later, Lee calls her over. He took the night off to come since she would be there. Sterling walks over to tell them her lie of a late-night practice that happens to be close to the sideshow. They promise to have her back. The trio walks the meet as they watch the cars, though Sterling wants to leave as she has to get to bed. Tuka mocks her for being square, but Sterling snaps that she has to work twice as hard to be seconds slower than her. Sterling storms off, so Tuka follows her. As she runs, she sees Sterling and tries to catch up with her.

Sterling crosses the street, so Tuka smirks before shouting to Sterling, the girl who secretly loves Taylor Swift and hates onions. The shout gets Sterling's attention as Tuka slowly walks across the street. A car begins to come round the bend as Sterling screams for her friend to move, but Tuka mishears and thinks her friend is playing. By the time she sees the car, it's too late, and she falls to the ground while Sterling screams.

Tuka wakes up on the ground and rises to her feet. She walks past black cars to find a funeral percussion at First Bethel Church. She enters the church and tries to take a pamphlet, but the man doesn't offer one. She walks the aisle as a choir sings. A woman thanks everyone for reaching out to Tuka's loved ones in their time of need. Sterling stands at the microphone. She starts her speech by saying that no one is allowed to call her Petrushka. Tuka Myrtle Hall was born in 2002 in Oakland and is survived by her cousin, Noah Terry, in Fresno, great-aunt Hazel in Modesto, and her best friend since age six, Sterling Johnson. Tuka tries to proclaim that she isn't dead as she's standing right there. No one sees her, but most wear "RIP Tuka" shirts. Sterling continues her speech. Tuka boasted the area's fastest time in woman's 400 meters and set regional records for the last two seasons. Sterling adds that people can leave or stay seated to see the remains. A woman begins to sing as Tuka runs to the casket to see her dead body. She struggles to breathe at the sight as she sees flashes of candles. She runs out of the church, down the street, and looks around wildly. She breathes heavily, unable to grasp the concept of her death.

She walks the street until she comes to the area where the car hit her. She recants the day's events, as she lasts remembers waving back at Sterling. One the corner is a memorial for her where her track cleats are hanging. She knows the only way anyone would touch them is if they wanted to die - or she did. She can't believe she's still stuck on the same block. She's supposed to ascend. Nobody can see her or hear her - she's just Tuka Hall, stuck here.

Sterling lays in her room when Lee visits to check on her. He asks to sit, which she allows. He compliments her perfect service, but she doesn't think any of it is perfect. What happened to Tuka was her fault - she should have just posted there instead of leaving. She made Tuka run after her by ignoring her. Lee puts his arm around her as he comforts her. Being tired is okay. The only person to blame is the person who hit her but then left. Sterling doesn't think it's fair that guy gets away with it. She gave her description to the police though they won't call her back. Lee offers to go to the station to make them listen. She wants to change first, so he leaves. Tuka sits on the chair in the room, listening.

Down at the station, the officer explains the description is too vague. The cops talked to everyone around the sideshow, but people won't talk to cops. The car is probably at a chop shop, with the options being nine pages long. Lee is annoyed that she won't do more, but the officer promises to do more if they bring her more. Sterling swipes something off the desk then storms off as Tuka praises her. Lee apologizes to the officer as he picks up the item, putting it back on the desk. Sterling was best friends with Tuka. The officer understands as Sterling should be upset, as there's nothing right about the situation. He thought this might help her move on, but now he isn't sure. She could be stuck on this forever. Tuka knows Lee's right as Sterling needs help. She wonders if that's why she's not in the white light. Tuka notes that no one talks to dead people either. She realizes she can use the fact people don't stop talking around her to her advantage.

Tuka walks the city as she takes in different people, walks through walls, and eavesdrops on conversations. She walks through a barbershop then through an alley. She sees two men playing basketball and talking about a green Caprice at Lex Custom Auto. It becomes clear they are speaking of the car that hit Tuka, though neither one of them is the driver. Tuka smiles triumphantly as she walks away.

Sterling returns to practice where the coach is surprised she's up for it. She wants intensity and control. Tuka runs up to Sterling, trying to get her to hear her, but Sterling's focused on running. The coach blows the whistle, and the two girls sprint off. Tuka screams to Sterling that the car is at Lex Custom Auto, and as she does, the area around her body seems to shake as Sterling hears her. She comes to a stop but believes she's hallucinating the voice. Another runner arrives to ask if Sterling is okay, and then two bicker. Coach Riley asks Sterling what's wrong with her, and Sterling quits track.

Sterling walks home as she refuses to go crazy. She walks past Lex Custom Auto and stops. Tuka tries to encourage her, but Sterling can't hear her. She does, however, walk into the shop to look around. Sterling sees a plethora of cars under flickering lights. She searches for a green caprice with black-out rims. Sterling and Tuka sneak past a welder to get to the next room. Sterling begins to think she might have been wrong. However, they walk into a tented room where they find a car fitting the right make and model, though it's not the same color. She lifts some tarp to see the green paint. A man suddenly asks what Sterling is doing there. Sterling asks whose car it is, but he tells her it's confidential. Sterling presses that the vehicle was involved in a hit and run. Tuka tries to convince her to leave. Sterling picks up a crowbar and threatens to bash the car if he doesn't tell her. She begins to smash the car as she doesn't care. The driver killed her friend then road off like it was nothing. Another man runs it with a gun, pointing it at her. Sterling holds her hands up then hears a loud bang. She runs out of the building with Tuka running behind her. Tuka tells her to wait up, and Sterling hears her. She screams to be left alone then runs off.

Tuka tries to follow but runs into a boy on a skateboard who apologizes for bumping into her. Tuka realizes he can see her and runs after him. He apologizes again, but she doesn't care as she needs his help. He introduces himself as DJ Williams. He recognizes her from the new altar, calling her the girl with the quick feet. He asks about her afterlife, but she's happy not being alone anymore. DJ explains that things are weird as he spent a whole year alone. He doesn't know why he's stuck here either. His neighbor died at 100 and was stuck for a couple of days. When she found her dog a new home, she disappeared, just sucked away. Tuka deduces they're in limbo. DJ tried a bunch of stuff to get out - help his family keep the house, helped some strangers, but nothing happened. He didn't do much before he died, so maybe he has to change somebody's life. He thinks she should do the same to get out. However, she didn't even live before she died. They walk through a couple as they talk.

Sterling goes to the track as she calls for Tuka to stop playing. Tuka knew she'd come back. Sterling admits she heard her a few times when she was running, so she's going to run now. She sets herself then begins to jog, with Tuka beside her. Tuka tries to get through, and she does a bit. Sterling tries to run harder and hear her friend stronger. She's surprised she can hear her. Tuka explains how she met another dead person so far, but she doesn't know why she's still there. Sterling can only hear her when they're running, so Sterling thinks that's why she's here - to run. Tuka thinks sterling is supposed to run in the invitational. She'll get Sterling into college while she gets her into the next life. SHe's happy to hear Tuka's voice, while she's happy to be heard.

The pair train together intensely, though Coach Riley only sees Sterling talking to herself. She smiles at the sight then walks off. The duo trains for days as Tua learns she can run through cars now. They reach the top of their roof, but Sterling can't give her their handshake anymore. They sit together for a moment before running off again.

Sterling stops on the track as she has her time just under 55 seconds. Coach Riley remarks that Sterling is talking to herself again, so she lies that it just helps her train. Riley wants her to keep taking those seconds off. Tuka watches for a moment, then slowly walks away. Sterling softly calls for her friend, who keeps walking away.

Tuka goes to her memorial, where she can't touch her cleats. She calls up to whoever is up there as she has one person in the whole universe who saw her for her and liked her anyway. They had plans but she never even got to hug her and tell her that everything would be okay. That's okay because she got her ready. Sterling will live a beautiful life with Lee, track, prom, and ice cream. Tuka emotionally says that she's been invisible both alive and dead, and it's tearing her up inside. She did what they wanted so she begs whoever is out there not to make her stay and watch. She cries at the intersection of her death, nothing happening.

Sterling walks home when a car squeals to a stop. The men from the auto shop confront her as she bashed his vehicle. They surround her as she is close to the overpass rail. She admits she hit one that looks similar to the one that killed her friend. She asks if he knows it. He remarks her friend died in a tragic accident but thinks Sterling needs more motivation to know that. One of the men hits Sterling with a baseball bat in the leg. Sterling falls to the ground and sobs as she clutches her shin. Tuka shouts for help, but no one can hear her. Tuka tries to comfort her friend.

On the day of the track meet, Sterling's grandmother can't believe she wants to run. Tuka sides with Sterling on this matter. Coach Riley remarks that with one wrong tweak, she could ruin her ACL. The medic thinks she needs two or three weeks. Sterling can't miss the recruiters, plus, Tuka wouldn't want her to quit. Lee thinks Tuka wouldn't want her to mess up her knee either. Sterling rebuffs that he doesn't understand - she and Tuka had a vision. She couldn't get out of bed three weeks ago, so the only thing keeping her sane is running this race. She's running whether they clear her or not.

Sterling takes her place on the podium, ultimately unwrapping her bruised knee. She practices jumping off the mount as she shakes out her legs. She slowly uncovers her eyes with her hands. She jumps up and down as she preps. The announcer sets the race, and with a shot, the runners are off. Tuka cheers for Sterling from the sidelines. Sterling is in the lead as she sprints, though the girls are gaining on her. As Sterling runs, she feels a twinge in her leg that slows her down. She falls to the track, unable to get back up. Lee and Coach Riley cheer her to get back up, and she crawls across the finish line as she cries in pain. Tuka watches in tears.

Sterling hobbles up the steps to the roof. Tuka is already there, somber from the day's events. She knows Tuka is there as she can feel it. She's pissed they can't talk. Tuka can't believe she was left to train her to lose. Sterling screams out in anguish before sobbing that she shouldn't have left the sideshow early. She should have just for once told her something real. She had a chance once but couldn't. Tuka recalls how she made Sterling wait until after the race. Sterling sniffles that they can't talk now that her knee is busted. Everything she touches is wrong, but she has to tell her. Tuka turns to look at her friend, trying to encourage her. They turn to face the track together. Sterling admits it's something she feels or felt and something she wanted to say for a while now. It's like their friends but also something else. She tried to make herself not feel it. To not hear her, or need her, to not care. But it just doesn't go away. But then Tuka went away. Tuka reamrks she never left. Sterling sobs as saying this shouldn't be this hard. Tuka smiles and states she loves Sterling, too. Sterling struggles as she admits her love for Tuka. Suddenly, a bright light encompasses Tuka and Sterling looks over to see Tuka. The girls grip hands, finally able to feel one another again. Tuka misses this - them. The two are about to kiss when Tuka feels a lot bright as she can't stay anymore. Sterling begs Tuka to hold on, but Tuka can't. She tells Sterling to remember how much Tuka cares for her. To remind herself of that every day. A light engulfs her, and Tuka is gone.

Tuka lays on the street with Sterling looking over her, begging her friend to come back. Tuka takes in a breath and opens her eyes to see Sterling bent over Tuka's body. Tuka tells Sterling to kiss her right now. Sterling slowly leans down and kisses her. Tuka smiles up at her as Sterling helps her up. They need to get ice for her forehead.

The girls walk down the street to DJ's altar. Sterling doesn't understand why Tuka spent all her money on shoes for a dead guy. Tuka chuckles that his name was DJ, and he changed lives, mostly hers. Sterling remarks she's crazy since DJ died years ago. Tuka knocks on the skateboard as it's a pretty good story. If Sterling's nice, she'll tell her about it sometime. DJ watches from the sidewalk, bobbing his head to the music from a car. He is then engulfed in light and fades away.

Tuka and Sterling train in the rain on the track, with Tuka teasing that just because Sterling is faster than her, she shouldn't get juiced. Sterling remarks that just because they kiss sometimes doesn't mean she's going easy on her. The girls laugh and then sprint off down the track together.

Starring

 * Hailey Kilgore as Tuka Myrtle Hall
 * E'myri Crutchfield as Sterling Johnson
 * Shane Paul McGhie as Lee Easton

Guest Starring

 * Yvette Freeman as Sterling's Grandma
 * Cherise Boothe as Coach Riley
 * Ezana Alem as DJ Williams

Co-Starring

 * Dred Carpenter as Woman at Sideshow
 * Deja Dee as Officer McPherson
 * Erica Marie Sanchez as Girl on Phone
 * Jeffrey Crightney as Bruh #1
 * Johnathan Davis as Brush #2
 * Kailyn Gainer as Ramos
 * Paul Flanagan as Jenkins - Auto Body
 * Travon McEntyre as Worker with Gun
 * Floyd Banks as Drive of Caprice
 * Telvin Griffin as Team Medic
 * Joan Q. Scott as Pastor Turrentine
 * Corrie Richardson as Diceman
 * Myles Evan as Slacker
 * Jasun Jabbar as Teenager
 * Maura Gale as Black American Woman
 * Netta Brielle as Soloist Singer
 * Denice Rivera as Customer
 * Jacqueline Collins as Announcer with Pistol
 * Renell Gibbs as Barber
 * Chukwudi Hodge as Rapper