Texas Twister (2024) Movie Script
Hey, hey, hey!
Thomas.
The officer has allowed you
and I to have a little time
to talk, if that's okay with you.
- Talk about what?
- Well, we know that Lee
and Rita are inside, and we
need to know if they're safe.
Are you armed, Thomas?
No one is safe from what's coming.
I understand that.
Whoa, I, hey, hey, hey.
Thomas, look we, we
just need to understand
the situation we're
walking into, all right?
- Situation?
- Okay, Thomas,
drop the weapon, drop the weapon, Thomas.
Hey, hey, hey, please,
please. Let's just talk.
I'll tell you the situation is that
there's a tornado coming, okay?
- And it's coming fast.
- Okay, fine.
- When?
- Soon.
Soon, soon. That's not a
time, it's not a place, Thomas.
Oh, so it's okay for
the big man upstairs
to not put a time or
date on his big return,
but if I do it, then I'm crazy?
Thomas, you are not well.
Or maybe I'm the only
one that understands
and can see what's coming.
Listen, okay, God,
God grants us visions.
All right, I understand that.
But, but, but this? I mean, come on.
Lee's a little girl. She's scared.
And this is not going to
get you back with Junior.
Don't you talk about my son!
Okay, okay, Thomas, Listen.
You got 30 seconds before I step in.
I will shoot if it means keeping Lee safe.
Oh? Did you keep my son safe, Evans?
Huh? Were you there for him?
- Stand down, Thomas.
- I mean it, stand down.
Thomas, listen to what he is saying.
If you get out of here at
all, you're gonna go to jail
and you're not gonna be
able to save your family
from the tornado, so listen
to the police officer,
put the gun down, or all of
this is gonna be for nothing.
No, hey, hey, hey, Thomas.
Thomas, you listen to em.
Taking your own life is a sin.
If you do that, there is no
way you are going to spend
any time with any of
your family ever again.
Do you hear me?
I just want it to end.
I understand that.
The pain will go away.
Thomas, let us help you.
Let your family help you. Don't do this.
Put the gun down and let us help you.
No, Thomas, Thomas.
Here it comes.
No!
Oh, hey.
Hey, hop on in there.
Ooh, it's getting chilly.
You all right?
Oh yeah, I'm fine.
Hmm, hmm. Did you fall asleep?
Yeah, that's it. I think that's it.
I must have dozed off
while you were inside.
Aren't you gonna ask me how it went?
Yeah. Aren't you gonna
ask her how it went?
Well, of course I am.
How'd it go, sweetheart?
I got third place, which is
actually better than second
or even first because now
I get to play the daisy
in the play, which is the part
I was hoping for all along.
A daisy?
- Yeah, like a flower.
- Wow, that's terrific.
That's fantastic. You're gonna
make a really good daisy.
- Good job, honey.
- Are you guys ready to go?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Oh. Wait, wait, wait.
Did you eat something?
I'm not hungry.
Lady bear, I know you're
excited about the sleepover,
but you know you need
to eat before you go.
I had carrot sticks when we got home.
Hmm. Really?
Because I'm pretty sure
we're out of carrot sticks.
Mom.
Mm.
All right, fine.
Give your dad a hug before you go.
Hey, have fun and
nothing with gluten in it.
Bye, mom.
Bye. Love you.
Hmm.
She's like a teenager.
All right.
Looks like dinner will be
ready in about 15 more minutes.
So are you gonna tell me why
you're acting so strange today?
- Strange?
- Yeah, in the truck with Lee.
You looked like you had seen a ghost.
I think I'm gonna go to bed early.
Bed? Right now?
But you didn't eat.
I'm not really hungry.
Oh good, you're up.
I'm volunteering at church this morning,
so I need you to pick
up Lee on your way in.
Thomas?
What?
Lee, I need you to pick her
up on your way into group.
Are you feeling all right?
You look a little sick.
I'm fine.
Ah, did you sleep all right?
Not really.
Bad dream, I think.
Okay. Well, are you up for it?
Do you need me to call Pastor Bill again?
Oh, Jesus, Rita. I
said I had a bad dream.
- Language.
- Sorry.
It's not a big deal. All right?
Okay, well, said she didn't
eat dinner last night either.
I'll make something.
Now go on, get outta here. I'll be fine.
You know, if there's something going on,
if there's something wrong, you know
you can talk to me, right?
I know that.
Okay.
I'll see you later then.
Okay.
Who would like to start?
Who wants to share?
I'll, I'll go first.
Yeah, you know, ah, for me it's different.
For me, it's like a endless
wheel turns in my head.
You know?
I tried my best to be a good father.
I did everything with him,
you know, I,
I took him fishing, I...
We went horseback riding one time,
he almost fell off the horse,
it was, it was.
I, I try to picture his face, you know?
And the only way I could see
his face is by remembering
some of the good times
that we had together.
There was one time that I hit him, and,
and I don't know if
that was the right move.
And then one day,
you know, I'm here being a good father,
and I think I'm doing everything right,
and just like that, he's gone.
I mean, you tell me, you know?
I'm sorry. I'm trying, I'm
trying my best to cope with it.
I just, but that's why I
come to meetings like this.
I come here to try to find the
best version of my dead son.
I mean, you just get tired of looking.
Who wants to live that way?
Yeah.
Sometimes I just wanna
close my eyes, you know?
Never wake up.
Enjoying him where he is at.
Hmm.
I know it's hard to believe,
but, um, sometimes just
the right Bible verse
can lift your spirits,
it can give you comfort.
Even in the darkest of times.
For example, in, in the book
of Matthew, it tells us,
"Let the little children come
to me and do not hinder them
for the kingdom of heaven
belongs to such as these."
So my hope is that this knowledge
that your children have indeed entered
into the kingdom of
heaven can be a comfort
to those who have, have
lost a child here on Earth.
Yeah. But he didn't
know what that felt like.
- Excuse me?
- Matthew.
He never had to bury a child.
Sam did. I did.
How dare anybody here to tell me how
I'm supposed to take comfort in that?
Thomas, the Bible clearly
states that children
are inherently worthy of
entering the kingdom of heaven.
You, you don't find any comfort in that?
No, I don't.
I would trade a million of
your feel-good Bible verses
every day for the rest of my life
if I could have my son
back for one day, just one.
Nobody here's gonna convince me otherwise.
Want a donut or a cookie?
Thank you, pastor.
Well, would you look
at you all grown up.
Your mama tells me you
just landed a big role
in the ballet formal.
- Daisy Number one.
- Daisy number one.
That's great.
Like a lily among thorns is
my darling among young women.
You go ahead. You take
that, that's good, huh.
I am, ah, sorry about that in there.
Oh, don't worry about it.
I mean, even Jesus got mad once.
Ah, I don't know what got into me.
I think I do.
I talked to Rita.
She's expressed some concern about you.
- Is she?
- Yeah, she did.
Listen, it's okay to be impatient,
but it's also important to remember
that other folks need their time too.
It won't happen again.
- All right.
- Hmm.
Can you say goodbye?
It's time to go, sweetheart. Come on.
- Goodbye, sweetie.
- Hmm.
Bye.
Get your coat.
I think it's your heat cartridge.
I'll pick you one up at Ronnie's.
Do you remember the night
the storm come through
and you and me and mom had to
ride it out in the basement?
Year seven.
Terrified to say the least.
I remember the rain came down sideways.
Hoppers had all flooded
and there was water
just pouring down the walls.
I remember the sound of the wind.
Scared me straight.
Made me believe in God.
Mysterious ways.
The way I saw it,
if we were gonna make
it through that night,
it was gonna have to be God to do it.
But it wasn't him.
It wasn't God that boarded
up the windows, it was you.
You built a raft.
You kept our heads above water.
Where was God that night?
I'm seeing things, pop.
At least I think I am. I don't know.
I didn't raise you to be a nut.
I'm just saying, it reminded
me of that storm is all.
- Does she know?
- Rita?
Huh, no. Last thing I need
is her worrying about me.
She knows.
Fine.
She's asleep.
Hmm.
- How was group?
- Fine.
Your dad?
Hmm. Same as always.
Did you tell Pastor Bill there
was something wrong with us?
No.
Ah. Not in those words.
You know, I really
wish you wouldn't share
our business with everybody.
Mm. He could tell there
was something on my mind.
What was I supposed to do? Lie to him.
Well?
Rita, I saw something the other day.
Well, okay.
In the truck when you
and Lee were inside,
it was a tornado.
Mm, really?
Where was it?
No, no, no. It wasn't really there.
No, it's like it was
here. It was in my mind.
And then I saw another one
last night in the backyard.
You're serious?
So you had a vision.
- Nightmare.
- Mm.
You were awake when you went
outside last night, right?
That's true.
So it was a vision.
Baby, this is a good thing.
How? How is this a good thing?
Because visions are sent to you by God.
Oh, and what is this
one supposed to mean?
That he already took
one member of my family
and now he's coming
back for the rest of us?
God didn't take
Thomas Jr. from us.
You know this.
No? Well, have you
seen him around lately?
Because I haven't.
And believe me, I look, every day.
I lost my appetite.
The Bible clearly
instructs us to be vigilant.
But it also says that
no one actually knows
whether or not we are
living in the end times.
In fact, Jesus himself
said that no one is to know
the day or the hour of his return.
Now Peter, Peter sees it this way.
He says that the end time Christians,
we know the end time Christians
are called to do one thing
and one thing very, very well.
They are to practice holiness whenever
and wherever they are.
Now Galatians 10, it reads this.
"Therefore, as we have opportunity,
as we have opportunity,
"let us do good to all,
especially," very important word,
"especially to those who are
of the household of faith."
Are you of the household of faith?
Do you do good to all those?
Especially to those who are
of the household of faith?
I want you to grab your
hymnals, I want you to stand up,
and we are going to sing a
little praise, all right?
Doing a little praise.
There is peace in the time of trouble.
Ah, wait. Why are we leaving early?
Lee, baby, come on. Can you
go get in the truck for dad?
You saw it again, didn't you?
I don't wanna talk about it.
Well, you kind of have
to now, after all this.
Not here. Okay?
Please just, just get in the truck.
Well, you got a couple options.
You got a 10 by 10, 10
by 15 and a 20 by 20,
which comes from plumbing.
How much is that one? The 10 by 10?
Well, materials and labor,
you're looking at 15,000.
Dollars? $15,000 For a storm shelter?
Yeah. The box ships from China.
We gotta dig the hole.
Not that cheap nowadays.
You think I could build it myself?
I wouldn't recommend it.
Can't just pull out a
shovel and start digging
unless you know for sure
there's no plumbing, electrical,
piping, or gas lines buried in the yard.
You'll need to hire someone
to analyze the property.
You'll also need to determine
the chances of flooding.
I could hire you to do that.
Look, I'm gonna be frank with you.
You can't do an underground
shelter on a budget.
I mean, a seven by seven only
gets you a few hours of oxygen
and you need 14 gauge
steel sheets on the walls.
If you can't afford it,
I just recommend you
and your family hunker
down in the hallway bath
with a mattress or two.
Number's at the top.
Call me if you change your mind.
Thanks.
What was that all about?
Thinking about building
the storm shelter.
Not for $15,000, you're not.
I know, it's a lot.
I'm thinking we do it ourselves.
But I thought we were
gonna finish out the garage.
Garage can wait. This is important.
You know, I think I've been more
than patient up until now.
It's about time you start telling me
what's going on with you.
I think a tornado's coming to take us.
Take us where?
I can't explain it.
Well try.
Ever since we lost
junior, and we only had him
for three years, but it feels like
we have missed him our entire lives.
And all I'm left with now
is just anger and emptiness.
Don't hate.
You have a beautiful
daughter who loves you
and a wife who's stood
by your side, always.
I know, and I'm afraid that tornado's
gonna come and take all that away.
And you think God has
something to do with this?
- Yeah.
- What?
Ah, like he's, he's trying to punish you?
For what?
For daring him to finally do it.
I gotta say, I was kind of surprised
to get a call from you.
Well, I tried to reach
the six o'clock guy
up at the news station, but
nobody returned my phone calls.
- Ah, that's all right.
- Retirement can be lonely.
I enjoy the company. Have a seat.
What can I do for you?
Your message said you, ah,
had questions about tornadoes.
I wanna know how they work.
Hmm.
Well, I mean, it, it,
it's really pretty simple.
You see, inside a thunder
cloud, there's warm,
humid air that rises.
But there's also cool air,
which along with rain or hail falls.
These conditions cause the air currents
to start spinning inside the cloud.
Now, sometimes the spinning
currents start out horizontal.
Sometimes they spin vertical.
But either way, they drop from that cloud,
buh, got yourself a tornado.
Hmm.
Is there any way to predict
when they'll happen?
Ooh.
Not really.
I mean, we can identify the conditions
that are likely to lead to severe weather,
issue warnings and things like that.
But predicting when one of those suckers
is gonna touch down,
that's just not a reality.
If you don't mind me asking,
why the sudden interest?
No reason. Curiosity.
Actually, my daughter's
got a school project,
so this is me doing research.
Which is it, curiosity
or a school project?
You know what they call tornadoes?
The hand of God.
Bad one just recently up in Grand.
That was a bad one.
You ought a take a trip
up that way sometime
and see the kind of violence
those twisters are capable of.
Phew.
Have you discussed
your feelings with him?
Yeah, I've tried.
He just shuts me out.
You know, just the other day he,
he told me that he's been having visions
about a tornado that's
coming to take our family.
Go on.
I don't know, it's like
ever since the funeral, he's
like a different person.
Oh, he used to be so, so funny.
And he was so full of life.
And now he's just angry all the time.
And quiet, just keeps to himself.
Your family's been
through a whole lot. Right?
Yeah, I know.
- Yeah.
- And I mean,
to be honest, I don't know
how much more I can give up.
Mm, I get it. Okay?
And I'm more than happy to talk to him.
But you need to understand
that that grief,
it, it always causes, you
know, strain between couples.
But the important thing
for you to remember
is that it's gonna pass, okay?
It will pass, think of it like a, um,
you break your leg, okay?
You break your leg, it
doesn't heal properly, okay?
So it hurts, it hurts when
the weather gets cold. Ah.
So what do you do?
You learn to walk with a limp.
Yeah. Yeah, I like that.
Learn to walk with a lamp.
Mm. Thank you.
You're welcome. Hmm.
You must think I sound like
a crazy person.
Huh, no, I don't, I don't
think you're a crazy person.
Listen, in the Bible, God
uses visions all the time
to get people's attention.
But what we have to remember
is the Bible's finished.
Everything we already need
to know is already in it.
Hmm. So you think he's making it up?
No, no. I, I don't
think he's making it up.
But what I think is that
God would never give someone
a vision and not tell them
what it actually means.
Yeah, but I mean tornadoes.
What does that mean?
Ah, think about, um, weather.
They're kind of like our emotions.
The emotions of the soul.
So, ah, rain is tears and sorrow.
Thunder is, ah, fear.
Tornadoes, they're grief, they're anxiety,
all spinning out of control.
- Get it?
- It's interesting.
And I can see that with him.
Good.
Think about it that way, it's
not all that scary, right?
God doesn't want you to be scared.
God wants you to be comforted.
Get some coffee. You want some coffee?
- Sure.
- Nothing is more comforting
- than coffee.
- Thank you so much, pastor.
Absolutely. I'll be right back.
Yeah.
Okay.
Hmm.
Hey, mister.
We're taking donations for the school.
What happened at your school?
Same thing that happened here.
That's something.
- Thanks, mister.
- You're welcome.
Thanks.
God bless you, man.
Yeah, no problem.
So you guys got hit pretty good?
Yeah, we all got hit pretty bad.
But by the grace of God,
we're all still together.
Yeah. Hmm, it's just devastating.
Yeah.
I'm sorry.
I'll tell you what, man.
It's worth a couple thousand dollars.
Nah, I can't accept that.
Come on, please take it.
I would want somebody to do it for me.
Appreciate you, man.
- Thanks.
- Come on.
Sir.
- Is everything all right?
- Did you hear that?
Hear what?
A, a minute ago. Did
you not hear the siren?
No, I didn't hear it.
You didn't,
you didn't see the the cloud?
Did you feel the wind? You felt it.
You didn't hear the siren?
No, sir. I'm sorry.
He's coming back, you know.
- Who?
- Our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.
Huh.
Hmm.
Geez.
Wow.
So where'd you go today?
- Library.
- Mm.
Pick up some books?
Mm.
I saw 'em in the truck on my way in.
Just some research.
On what?
Tornadoes?
You saw it again, didn't you?
Hmm.
Huh.
Thomas,
you still think that God is coming for us?
You think he would do
that to, to us and to Lee?
He can do whatever he wants.
Huh, he's God, right?
Who are you?
Because this version of Thomas, huh,
he's not good.
And to tell you the
truth, I'm at the point
where I don't want him
under this roof anymore
unless he's gonna really start telling me
what is going on with him.
I told you what I saw. What
else do you want from me?
I want you to start
believing in things again.
I want the husband that I married,
the one who makes me feel safe.
Safe?
Thomas Jr's. Death is not
something that I can get over.
Now, I've told God more
times than I can remember
that it should have been me
in that box instead of him,
but still, every day I wake up right here
in this reminder, just drowning.
Ah. How are you supposed to
reason with someone like that?
It's a test. God's testing me.
This isn't a test, Thomas.
- Yes, it is.
- No, it's not.
Yes it is!
What, do you want me to
sit here, hands folded?
"Oh, thank you, God. Thank you."
For what? For what?
I won't spend one more
day on my knees for him.
Not one.
I couldn't save him.
Even when his body
gave out on him, I couldn't save him.
He took our son from us.
God, he took our boy from us
and you couldn't care less.
That is not fair and that's not true!
We have another child, Thomas!
Huh.
I can't do this.
Not like this.
It's too hard.
You're
in luck, you won't have to
because when that storm
comes, we'll be wiped off
this piece of dirt like we never existed.
Mm-hmm.
I love you.
I love you.
Here, this is footage
of the last F5 tornado
that came through here a few years back.
Man look at the size of that thing.
Ah, it's a baby compared
to what we saw in Joplin,
I saw two super cells collide
over Kansas one time.
It's the only thing that
saved the state from becoming
a hole in the middle of the country. Hmm.
The two deadliest
tornadoes of the century,
the Great Natchez tornado of 1840
and the St. Louis tornado of 1896.
200-mile an hour winds.
The aftermath, it led Americans
to rely on theological
reflection and soul searching.
Hmm.
Last time I came by, you
told me it was impossible
to predict when these things would happen.
That's right.
What about this group in Sweden?
They invented that laser beam.
- I, I don't follow.
- There's a group
of scientists in Sweden
that have developed
this kind of laser beam that
sits on top of a satellite,
and it can heat or cool
the earth's surface
from up above the atmosphere.
So if they can manipulate the temperature
of the earth's surface, then they can stop
these things from ever developing, right?
That's a long shot.
To stop a tornado from developing,
all you have to do is heat the downdraft.
How?
I mean, we're not
talking about just nuking
last night's leftovers in the microwave.
The satellites will convert
solar energy into microwaves
and they shoot it back to earth in a beam.
I'm not sure I understand
what you're saying here.
You wanna try to stop
a tornado from forming?
Yeah.
You know, I also read that
you can spread a thin layer
of oil over the ocean.
You know, if you heat or cool the ground
in front of a storm, you can
actually divert its path.
Okay. Okay.
And, and how do we do that again?
From the satellites in Sweden.
Sweden.
I wanna thank you for coming by
and keeping an old man company,
but I think I'm gonna have
to ask you to leave now.
- It's nothing personal.
- Sure it is.
It's personal because if I'm right,
then you look like a fool.
But you weren't right, Thomas.
Jeez.
Hmm.
Thomas?
Thomas.
Thomas.
- Thomas, oh!
- It's here!
It's here! I told you!
- Thomas!
- Daddy, no!
Uh! Ah!
Oh, Lee, baby.
Everything's all right. Daddy's
just having a nightmare.
Let's go back to bed.
Is she all right?
Wrists are a little sore.
And Leanne?
She won't even look at me.
Yeah, well she'll,
she'll come around, Thomas.
Give her time.
What's happening to me, Bill?
Mm.
Thomas, we're a, um, storytelling species.
Our brains have this natural proclivity
for, ah, grandiose narratives
with overreaching center points
and a very definitive ending.
What we have to know is
that we kind of require
everything to make sense,
to have a beginning,
a middle, and an end.
God gave us this brain that
is not happy with randomness.
So it has to make sense,
but that's, you know, not always easy.
So you're saying that these
visions, these tornadoes,
God sent them to me for a reason.
Well, I, I, I don't know.
Well that's what you
just said, isn't it?
No, I'm talking about your son.
Please don't talk about my son.
In the book of John, Jesus wept.
"And if I go and
prepare for you a place,
I will come back for you
and take you with me.
That you may be where I am."
Yeah, I know. I know the verse.
My problem with that,
Bill, is that my son's
already out there and I'm not.
I think it's fantastic
that you can quote
all that scripture, Thomas, I really do,
but are you honestly
telling me that you think
you're not gonna be back with your son?
You're never gonna see him again
unless this storm takes you there?
Is that what you're saying?
Sure feels like it.
Well then how come God
doesn't just come right in
and blow your house down right now?
Get it over with. Hmm?
I don't know.
The way I see it, Leanne will
never know the difference,
but Rita, she's gotta know.
Rita has to know what what I know.
And what do you know, Thomas?
I know that God wants the
three of us to be with Junior.
And when that storm comes,
that is what will be.
Look, I'm from the Midwest. Okay?
In my mind, my sleeping
mind would conjure up dreams
of tornadoes and things
to get my attention
- and to scare me.
- Hmm.
All the time.
Now, I understand that it's
also a natural phenomenon
in other parts of the world
for these things to happen.
- Mm-hmm.
- It's not that unusual,
even in places where people don't live
in fear of cyclone season.
Mm-hmm. Inner turbulence.
- Yes.
- You think I'm bracing
for impact for something
that's probably never gonna affect me.
I think it's a distinct possibility.
See, the problem is
though, with tornadoes,
you never know when they're coming.
You never know where they'll hit.
You know, you can't stop 'em.
You can't beg 'em to change their mind.
They just come and they
take whatever they want
like a thief in the night.
Sounds a lot like God to me, doesn't it?
Hmm.
You want me to go inside with you?
- No.
- You sure?
You don't have to.
I know I don't have to, I want to.
Hey, you know the other
night with your mom,
I didn't mean to do that.
I would never hurt you or your
mom. You know that, right?
Yeah.
Lee, hey little bear, look at me.
You know I would never hurt you. Right?
Just give her some time.
She thinks I'm a monster.
She's a kid. She's confused.
Let me know if you need anything else.
Thank you.
You know, she didn't even
want me to go in with her today.
Really?
Hmm.
Has it happened again? Today, I mean?
Feels like it's getting closer though.
- What is?
- The storm.
What makes you say that?
Visions are more intense.
Like the other night.
What did Pastor Bill have to say?
Same thing as
you, that I'm going crazy.
Bill said that?
More or less.
I doubt that.
And I never said you
were going crazy, honey.
You know, all this tornado talk
made me remember something.
When I was 17, I had a nightmare
that a tornado was coming.
So I hid in the basement of our home.
And I told my dad about
the dream and he said
that what it means is that
there's something that happened
in that home that I haven't
fully processed yet.
As you know, my mom died when I was 11.
- Whoa, now.
- Whoa, calm down.
Come on, come on.
- Okay, easy, I will.
- Hand it over.
- That's right.
- Please don't hurt us!
- All right.
- Whoa, calm...
Hey, you got what you wanted. Okay?
Whoa, stop!
Stop, please!
- Oh, no.
- It's okay, easy.
- No.
- Easy.
Oh, where's Lee?
She's at the neighbors. She's fine.
How are we feeling?
- Like I got my ass kicked.
- Rita told me
about what happened.
I tell you, this area used to be so safe.
Yeah, right.
We're gonna fill out a report
as soon as he's up for it.
Good, good.
Well, it doesn't look
like that punk gave you
anything major to be concerned about.
So, what's the problem?
Ah.
What do you mean, what's the problem?
Well, the results of
your scan came back.
Your blood pressure's high.
You're normally pretty healthy.
How's your sleep? Are, are
you having trouble at night?
No.
So how long have you
not been able to sleep?
A couple of weeks.
Well, Rita tells me
you've cut back on the beer,
but also on the daily exercise.
Is there just something you can give me?
Absolutely, but, um, when
you can't sleep at night,
are you having bad dreams?
Sometimes.
You still going to group?
He goes a couple times a month.
- Does it help?
- Not really.
Well, the reason I ask
is you might be showing
some signs of post-traumatic
stress disorder.
- You've heard of it?
- That's what soldiers get.
Well, no, it's actually
more common than that.
It's not fun stuff, but you
are showing some signs of it.
For now, until I can run some more tests,
I can certainly start you
on a pretty mild sedative.
It's non-habit-forming, you just take one
an hour before bed and see if it helps.
I'll get you a script.
How's Lee?
Oh, she's doing great.
Yeah, that new diet you put her on
has really helped with her
allergies, so thank you.
Good, good. I'm glad to hear that.
- Give her my love.
- I will.
- I'll get you a script.
- Just let me grab my bag.
- I'll see you out, doctor.
- Okay.
Yeah, I'll be right back.
Do you think he's gonna be all right?
Yeah. I, I think he's fine.
I've known him for 20 years.
He's always been very strong,
but I, I am a little concerned.
I mean, I've never seen him
in this condition before.
This sort of hangdog, depressed,
and his sleeping patterns
are a real concern.
- He's that way a lot.
- Yeah?
And there's something
else going on, um...
He's been having these visions.
I don't know how else to explain it,
but he's seen tornadoes.
Ah, I know - Uh-huh.
It sounds crazy, but...
This sounds psychological.
Like he needs a different kind of doctor.
- It's not my expertise, um.
- Mm.
But I can I, I know
some good therapists.
I can give you a referral.
Ooh, okay. Yeah.
But yeah, I'll give
you this reference and,
and hopefully if he talks
to someone professional
in that regard, they will
be able to help him out.
- All right.
- Yeah.
And I'm just gonna phone in
that, that, ah, prescription.
- All right?
- Okay, yeah.
- Okay.
- Sounds good.
- All right.
- Okay, thank you
- so much, doctor.
- You too, you too, Rita.
- Take care, okay, thanks.
- Drive safe, okay, bye.
I sent Lee to the neighbor's house.
She can stay there tonight
so you can get some rest.
I'm okay.
Hmm. Thomas, you were mugged.
It's okay for you to be
vulnerable with me sometimes.
I saw something else.
What was it?
Before I woke up, I saw another tornado.
Only this time, it destroyed every house
on the street except one.
- Whose house?
- It didn't look like ours,
but I think it was supposed to be.
- Are you sure?
- Huh.
I haven't been sure about anything
since this whole thing started.
Maybe you should just
try taking the pills.
Maybe it'll make it all go away.
Never know. Could help.
- We need to find shelter now!
- Shelter, why?
Come on, I'm gonna call next door
and get Lee out of there.
- It's here.
- What's here?
I told you the storm is coming
and now we're not prepared!
Hey, ow, you're hurting my arm!
There's nothing here. Look outside.
There's no tornado. There's no storm.
It's completely quiet.
- Huh.
- Look for yourself.
I heard the wind.
Oh, you only thought you heard it.
This is all in your mind.
Okay.
Treatment.
Um, sorry.
What does that mean exactly?
Your husband appears to
be suffering from delusions.
In my expert clinical opinion,
Thomas needs to be in treatment.
You mean like therapy?
That and, ah, possibly
checking into a long-term center.
There are a few places I like nearby.
This way your family can visit.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Visit?
You want Thomas to leave home?
I want your husband to get better.
Look, if I were talking
to my own son here,
my diagnosis and treatment
plan would be exactly the same.
I read your file.
You, your son's
death has taken a toll
on Thomas's psyche.
If you don't deal with this,
we can't stop the delusions.
They two are directly related.
But I already go to group.
It's your local church. Is that right?
- So?
- No offense,
but if that would be
working, it would be working.
The act of shedding
light on someone's fears
is often curative of them.
For anyone who has trouble sleeping
and have terrible dreams,
it often helps to write
them down in a journal.
Or you can try and interpret
them to make better sense.
You can try and communicate these ideas
with your friends and loved ones.
You know, understanding is
often times is most of the cure.
But it all takes time.
And treatment.
Nobody reads anymore.
I guess that's what they call a lost art.
What happened to your face?
Why'd you stop going to church?
Hey, I asked you a question.
When mom died, why did
you stop going to church?
All those years, yelling and
screaming to get your way.
And now look at you.
You know that's why he did it.
God got tired of hearing
you run your mouth.
18 years I lived with you
and never a kind word.
And now when I need you the most,
you got nothing left to say.
We can't go back, only forward.
No, we can't go back.
Trust he who forgives.
I know I'm a broken man,
but you don't have to carry
this around like some disease.
It's my cross,
not yours.
You all right?
Yeah. Fine.
Hmm. I'm gonna go
inside and check on Lee.
- You hungry?
- Sure.
I'll make us something to
eat after I pay the sitter.
Remember, seven o'clock sharp.
So no staying up late or sleeping in.
I know.
Okay.
And no TV before bed.
We know that keeps you awake
and we need you to be rested.
I know.
This recital's
a big deal, honey.
You've been practicing for months.
We don't want you to be tired on stage
or show up late, okay?
Hmm.
You're not eating?
Leanne, baby, can you take your food
and go eat in the bathroom?
- Thomas.
- Leanne, please do as I say.
What do you think you're doing?
I lost a son.
- I'm not gonna lose Lee.
- Thomas.
I was wrong. That
twister's not coming for us.
It's coming for everybody
else. We are meant to survive.
How could you possibly know that?
That's what I saw.
One house withstood the storm.
All the others were
destroyed, that's how God
was showing me the path.
Hmm.
You said you didn't know if
that was our house or not.
I know what I saw.
It just didn't make
sense until now, is all.
You were right. You are crazy.
I knew you'd be like this.
I knew you wouldn't believe
me. You said it yourself.
It was a vision from God.
What are you gonna do to us? Huh?
Protect you.
You'll see.
You are ruining us.
Don't you see that?
You have a gun, Thomas.
There's no coming back from that.
Won't matter soon. There
won't be anyone left.
And then you'll see I was right.
Huh.
Thomas.
Go get in the bathroom with Lee.
- Don't do this.
- Go get in the bathroom
with Lee.
You hurt her, you're dead.
Oh.
Mommy, I'm scared.
Oh, it's gonna be okay, sweetheart.
I'm not gonna let anything
happen to you, okay?
Don't you worry. Okay?
All right? Mommy's gonna
call for some help.
Oh.
- Bill.
- Rita.
Bill, I need your help.
Thomas, he's, he has a gun
and he made us go into the bathroom.
Hey, hey. Slow down, slow down.
Say that one more time.
Thomas, he says that
the tornado's coming
so he made us get into the bathroom.
He thinks he's protecting us or something,
but he pulled out a gun
and I, I don't know.
I'm afraid he might use it.
Yeah, I thought he
was convinced the storm
was there to take you and Lee away.
Yeah, Yeah, he was,
but he, he said that he's, I don't know.
He saw something else and
he's not listening to reason.
All right, listen, have you,
have you called the police yet?
Ah, yes. I mean, I will, I will.
I wanted to call you first because I think
if you come to the house
and you talk to him,
I think he will listen to you.
Okay, I'm headed there right now,
but I want you to call the police
and I want you to stay calm
until I get there, okay?
Okay, I will. Please
hurry, please hurry.
You stay calm until I get there.
Okay. Everything's gonna be just fine.
Everything's gonna be fine. Okay?
We're just gonna wait here.
Your move.
Rita, open the door.
- I called the police.
- They're on their way.
You what?
Just leave us alone, Thomas.
I don't need any help, Rita, come on!
The storm is coming! It's close!
Open the door!
They're gonna be here soon.
Just let 'em take you
in and they can get you
the help that you need.
- I don't need any help.
- Thomas, please just
- leave us alone.
- What are you doing?
I'm doing this for you, for your own good.
Now come on, open the door.
- Rita.
- Please.
Rita.
This is a test, Rita.
He's testing me.
He's testing me. Now come on.
The storm is coming. Open the door.
It's not a test, Thomas.
Please, just leave us alone.
Okay, fine.
You leave me no choice.
I'm gonna do what I've gotta do.
Hey, hey, hey. Come on.
Thomas.
Thomas!
Thomas.
The officer has allowed you and I
to have a little time to
talk, if that's okay with you.
- Talk about what?
- Well, we know that Lee
and Rita are inside
and we need to know if they're safe.
Are you armed, Thomas?
No one is safe from what's coming.
I understand that. Thomas,
whoa, I, hey, hey, hey.
I understand that, Thomas,
but we need to know if you
have harmed them in any way.
They're my family, Bill.
Why would I hurt them?
Thomas, look, we, we
just need to understand
the situation we're
walking into, all right?
- Situation?
- Okay, Thomas,
drop the weapon, drop the weapon, Thomas.
Hey, hey, hey. Please, please.
We, let's, let's just talk.
I'll tell you the situation
is that there's a tornado coming!
Okay? And it's coming fast!
- Okay, fine, when?
- Soon.
Soon, soon? That's not a
time, it's not a place, Thomas.
Oh, so it's okay for
the big man upstairs
to not put a time or
date on his big return,
but if I do it, then I'm crazy?
Thomas, you are not well.
Or maybe I'm the only one
that understands and
can see what's coming.
Listen, okay. God,
God grants us visions.
All right, I understand that.
But, but, but this? I mean, come on.
Lee's a little girl. She's scared.
And this is not going to
get you back with Junior.
- Don't you talk about my son!
- Okay, okay, Thomas, listen.
You got 30 seconds before I step in.
I will shoot if it means keeping Lee safe.
Oh. Did you keep my
son safe, Evans, huh?
- Were you there for him?
- Stand down, Thomas.
- I mean it, stand down.
- Thomas.
Listen to what he is saying.
You have kidnapped your family
and you are now pointing
a firearm at a police officer.
How do you think this is gonna go down?
If you get out of here at
all, you're gonna go to jail
and you're not gonna be
able to save your family
from the tornado, so listen
to the police officer,
put the gun down or all of
this is gonna be for nothing.
No, hey, hey, Thomas.
Thomas, you listen to me.
Taking your own life is a sin.
If you do that, there is no way
you are going to spend any time
with any of your family ever again.
Do you hear me?
I just want it to end.
- I understand that.
- The pain will go away.
Thomas, let us help you,
let your family help you.
Don't do this.
Put the gun down and let us help you.
No, Thomas. Thomas.
Here it comes.
No!
Stop!
You stay here.
I'll be right, I'll be right back. Baby.
Stay here. Don't leave.
- The little girl's inside.
- She's in the bathroom.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
It's all right. It's okay.
There you go. It's okay.
It's all right.
It's over, yeah.
- Come on.
- Thomas.
Thomas.
Fear not for I am with you.
I'm sorry. How is he?
Sounded good on the phone.
I've been thinking about
taking Lee to see him,
but, ah, I just don't know.
Rita, Rita, she's strong
just like her mother.
- Hmm.
- The right time
will reveal itself, it
always does, always.
I've been coming here for three weeks,
every single day since it happened.
And as good as those words sound, I,
I feel more alone than ever.
Grief takes time.
It waxes, it wanes.
But believe me when I tell you,
you will find joy again.
You know, every single night, I,
I walk outside
and I just look up at the sky
and just hope that I see something,
anything that would prove
to me that he's not crazy.
Rita, Thomas is a good
man, he's a good man,
and as his pastor,
my fervent prayer is that right now,
he's in the father's hands.
Well, the weather
report says rain's coming.
Well then, then you better
pack your umbrella, young lady.
Hmm.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Okay?
Hmm.
Ah, mm.
And, ah,
to warm things up a little bit,
I'm gonna play a tune by Cody Westheimer.
It's one of my favorites.
In breaking news tonight,
a tornado has destroyed
a small town in Texas.
We do not currently have
accurate numbers of injuries.
However, the devastation is unbelievable.
Thomas.
The officer has allowed you
and I to have a little time
to talk, if that's okay with you.
- Talk about what?
- Well, we know that Lee
and Rita are inside, and we
need to know if they're safe.
Are you armed, Thomas?
No one is safe from what's coming.
I understand that.
Whoa, I, hey, hey, hey.
Thomas, look we, we
just need to understand
the situation we're
walking into, all right?
- Situation?
- Okay, Thomas,
drop the weapon, drop the weapon, Thomas.
Hey, hey, hey, please,
please. Let's just talk.
I'll tell you the situation is that
there's a tornado coming, okay?
- And it's coming fast.
- Okay, fine.
- When?
- Soon.
Soon, soon. That's not a
time, it's not a place, Thomas.
Oh, so it's okay for
the big man upstairs
to not put a time or
date on his big return,
but if I do it, then I'm crazy?
Thomas, you are not well.
Or maybe I'm the only
one that understands
and can see what's coming.
Listen, okay, God,
God grants us visions.
All right, I understand that.
But, but, but this? I mean, come on.
Lee's a little girl. She's scared.
And this is not going to
get you back with Junior.
Don't you talk about my son!
Okay, okay, Thomas, Listen.
You got 30 seconds before I step in.
I will shoot if it means keeping Lee safe.
Oh? Did you keep my son safe, Evans?
Huh? Were you there for him?
- Stand down, Thomas.
- I mean it, stand down.
Thomas, listen to what he is saying.
If you get out of here at
all, you're gonna go to jail
and you're not gonna be
able to save your family
from the tornado, so listen
to the police officer,
put the gun down, or all of
this is gonna be for nothing.
No, hey, hey, hey, Thomas.
Thomas, you listen to em.
Taking your own life is a sin.
If you do that, there is no
way you are going to spend
any time with any of
your family ever again.
Do you hear me?
I just want it to end.
I understand that.
The pain will go away.
Thomas, let us help you.
Let your family help you. Don't do this.
Put the gun down and let us help you.
No, Thomas, Thomas.
Here it comes.
No!
Oh, hey.
Hey, hop on in there.
Ooh, it's getting chilly.
You all right?
Oh yeah, I'm fine.
Hmm, hmm. Did you fall asleep?
Yeah, that's it. I think that's it.
I must have dozed off
while you were inside.
Aren't you gonna ask me how it went?
Yeah. Aren't you gonna
ask her how it went?
Well, of course I am.
How'd it go, sweetheart?
I got third place, which is
actually better than second
or even first because now
I get to play the daisy
in the play, which is the part
I was hoping for all along.
A daisy?
- Yeah, like a flower.
- Wow, that's terrific.
That's fantastic. You're gonna
make a really good daisy.
- Good job, honey.
- Are you guys ready to go?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Oh. Wait, wait, wait.
Did you eat something?
I'm not hungry.
Lady bear, I know you're
excited about the sleepover,
but you know you need
to eat before you go.
I had carrot sticks when we got home.
Hmm. Really?
Because I'm pretty sure
we're out of carrot sticks.
Mom.
Mm.
All right, fine.
Give your dad a hug before you go.
Hey, have fun and
nothing with gluten in it.
Bye, mom.
Bye. Love you.
Hmm.
She's like a teenager.
All right.
Looks like dinner will be
ready in about 15 more minutes.
So are you gonna tell me why
you're acting so strange today?
- Strange?
- Yeah, in the truck with Lee.
You looked like you had seen a ghost.
I think I'm gonna go to bed early.
Bed? Right now?
But you didn't eat.
I'm not really hungry.
Oh good, you're up.
I'm volunteering at church this morning,
so I need you to pick
up Lee on your way in.
Thomas?
What?
Lee, I need you to pick her
up on your way into group.
Are you feeling all right?
You look a little sick.
I'm fine.
Ah, did you sleep all right?
Not really.
Bad dream, I think.
Okay. Well, are you up for it?
Do you need me to call Pastor Bill again?
Oh, Jesus, Rita. I
said I had a bad dream.
- Language.
- Sorry.
It's not a big deal. All right?
Okay, well, said she didn't
eat dinner last night either.
I'll make something.
Now go on, get outta here. I'll be fine.
You know, if there's something going on,
if there's something wrong, you know
you can talk to me, right?
I know that.
Okay.
I'll see you later then.
Okay.
Who would like to start?
Who wants to share?
I'll, I'll go first.
Yeah, you know, ah, for me it's different.
For me, it's like a endless
wheel turns in my head.
You know?
I tried my best to be a good father.
I did everything with him,
you know, I,
I took him fishing, I...
We went horseback riding one time,
he almost fell off the horse,
it was, it was.
I, I try to picture his face, you know?
And the only way I could see
his face is by remembering
some of the good times
that we had together.
There was one time that I hit him, and,
and I don't know if
that was the right move.
And then one day,
you know, I'm here being a good father,
and I think I'm doing everything right,
and just like that, he's gone.
I mean, you tell me, you know?
I'm sorry. I'm trying, I'm
trying my best to cope with it.
I just, but that's why I
come to meetings like this.
I come here to try to find the
best version of my dead son.
I mean, you just get tired of looking.
Who wants to live that way?
Yeah.
Sometimes I just wanna
close my eyes, you know?
Never wake up.
Enjoying him where he is at.
Hmm.
I know it's hard to believe,
but, um, sometimes just
the right Bible verse
can lift your spirits,
it can give you comfort.
Even in the darkest of times.
For example, in, in the book
of Matthew, it tells us,
"Let the little children come
to me and do not hinder them
for the kingdom of heaven
belongs to such as these."
So my hope is that this knowledge
that your children have indeed entered
into the kingdom of
heaven can be a comfort
to those who have, have
lost a child here on Earth.
Yeah. But he didn't
know what that felt like.
- Excuse me?
- Matthew.
He never had to bury a child.
Sam did. I did.
How dare anybody here to tell me how
I'm supposed to take comfort in that?
Thomas, the Bible clearly
states that children
are inherently worthy of
entering the kingdom of heaven.
You, you don't find any comfort in that?
No, I don't.
I would trade a million of
your feel-good Bible verses
every day for the rest of my life
if I could have my son
back for one day, just one.
Nobody here's gonna convince me otherwise.
Want a donut or a cookie?
Thank you, pastor.
Well, would you look
at you all grown up.
Your mama tells me you
just landed a big role
in the ballet formal.
- Daisy Number one.
- Daisy number one.
That's great.
Like a lily among thorns is
my darling among young women.
You go ahead. You take
that, that's good, huh.
I am, ah, sorry about that in there.
Oh, don't worry about it.
I mean, even Jesus got mad once.
Ah, I don't know what got into me.
I think I do.
I talked to Rita.
She's expressed some concern about you.
- Is she?
- Yeah, she did.
Listen, it's okay to be impatient,
but it's also important to remember
that other folks need their time too.
It won't happen again.
- All right.
- Hmm.
Can you say goodbye?
It's time to go, sweetheart. Come on.
- Goodbye, sweetie.
- Hmm.
Bye.
Get your coat.
I think it's your heat cartridge.
I'll pick you one up at Ronnie's.
Do you remember the night
the storm come through
and you and me and mom had to
ride it out in the basement?
Year seven.
Terrified to say the least.
I remember the rain came down sideways.
Hoppers had all flooded
and there was water
just pouring down the walls.
I remember the sound of the wind.
Scared me straight.
Made me believe in God.
Mysterious ways.
The way I saw it,
if we were gonna make
it through that night,
it was gonna have to be God to do it.
But it wasn't him.
It wasn't God that boarded
up the windows, it was you.
You built a raft.
You kept our heads above water.
Where was God that night?
I'm seeing things, pop.
At least I think I am. I don't know.
I didn't raise you to be a nut.
I'm just saying, it reminded
me of that storm is all.
- Does she know?
- Rita?
Huh, no. Last thing I need
is her worrying about me.
She knows.
Fine.
She's asleep.
Hmm.
- How was group?
- Fine.
Your dad?
Hmm. Same as always.
Did you tell Pastor Bill there
was something wrong with us?
No.
Ah. Not in those words.
You know, I really
wish you wouldn't share
our business with everybody.
Mm. He could tell there
was something on my mind.
What was I supposed to do? Lie to him.
Well?
Rita, I saw something the other day.
Well, okay.
In the truck when you
and Lee were inside,
it was a tornado.
Mm, really?
Where was it?
No, no, no. It wasn't really there.
No, it's like it was
here. It was in my mind.
And then I saw another one
last night in the backyard.
You're serious?
So you had a vision.
- Nightmare.
- Mm.
You were awake when you went
outside last night, right?
That's true.
So it was a vision.
Baby, this is a good thing.
How? How is this a good thing?
Because visions are sent to you by God.
Oh, and what is this
one supposed to mean?
That he already took
one member of my family
and now he's coming
back for the rest of us?
God didn't take
Thomas Jr. from us.
You know this.
No? Well, have you
seen him around lately?
Because I haven't.
And believe me, I look, every day.
I lost my appetite.
The Bible clearly
instructs us to be vigilant.
But it also says that
no one actually knows
whether or not we are
living in the end times.
In fact, Jesus himself
said that no one is to know
the day or the hour of his return.
Now Peter, Peter sees it this way.
He says that the end time Christians,
we know the end time Christians
are called to do one thing
and one thing very, very well.
They are to practice holiness whenever
and wherever they are.
Now Galatians 10, it reads this.
"Therefore, as we have opportunity,
as we have opportunity,
"let us do good to all,
especially," very important word,
"especially to those who are
of the household of faith."
Are you of the household of faith?
Do you do good to all those?
Especially to those who are
of the household of faith?
I want you to grab your
hymnals, I want you to stand up,
and we are going to sing a
little praise, all right?
Doing a little praise.
There is peace in the time of trouble.
Ah, wait. Why are we leaving early?
Lee, baby, come on. Can you
go get in the truck for dad?
You saw it again, didn't you?
I don't wanna talk about it.
Well, you kind of have
to now, after all this.
Not here. Okay?
Please just, just get in the truck.
Well, you got a couple options.
You got a 10 by 10, 10
by 15 and a 20 by 20,
which comes from plumbing.
How much is that one? The 10 by 10?
Well, materials and labor,
you're looking at 15,000.
Dollars? $15,000 For a storm shelter?
Yeah. The box ships from China.
We gotta dig the hole.
Not that cheap nowadays.
You think I could build it myself?
I wouldn't recommend it.
Can't just pull out a
shovel and start digging
unless you know for sure
there's no plumbing, electrical,
piping, or gas lines buried in the yard.
You'll need to hire someone
to analyze the property.
You'll also need to determine
the chances of flooding.
I could hire you to do that.
Look, I'm gonna be frank with you.
You can't do an underground
shelter on a budget.
I mean, a seven by seven only
gets you a few hours of oxygen
and you need 14 gauge
steel sheets on the walls.
If you can't afford it,
I just recommend you
and your family hunker
down in the hallway bath
with a mattress or two.
Number's at the top.
Call me if you change your mind.
Thanks.
What was that all about?
Thinking about building
the storm shelter.
Not for $15,000, you're not.
I know, it's a lot.
I'm thinking we do it ourselves.
But I thought we were
gonna finish out the garage.
Garage can wait. This is important.
You know, I think I've been more
than patient up until now.
It's about time you start telling me
what's going on with you.
I think a tornado's coming to take us.
Take us where?
I can't explain it.
Well try.
Ever since we lost
junior, and we only had him
for three years, but it feels like
we have missed him our entire lives.
And all I'm left with now
is just anger and emptiness.
Don't hate.
You have a beautiful
daughter who loves you
and a wife who's stood
by your side, always.
I know, and I'm afraid that tornado's
gonna come and take all that away.
And you think God has
something to do with this?
- Yeah.
- What?
Ah, like he's, he's trying to punish you?
For what?
For daring him to finally do it.
I gotta say, I was kind of surprised
to get a call from you.
Well, I tried to reach
the six o'clock guy
up at the news station, but
nobody returned my phone calls.
- Ah, that's all right.
- Retirement can be lonely.
I enjoy the company. Have a seat.
What can I do for you?
Your message said you, ah,
had questions about tornadoes.
I wanna know how they work.
Hmm.
Well, I mean, it, it,
it's really pretty simple.
You see, inside a thunder
cloud, there's warm,
humid air that rises.
But there's also cool air,
which along with rain or hail falls.
These conditions cause the air currents
to start spinning inside the cloud.
Now, sometimes the spinning
currents start out horizontal.
Sometimes they spin vertical.
But either way, they drop from that cloud,
buh, got yourself a tornado.
Hmm.
Is there any way to predict
when they'll happen?
Ooh.
Not really.
I mean, we can identify the conditions
that are likely to lead to severe weather,
issue warnings and things like that.
But predicting when one of those suckers
is gonna touch down,
that's just not a reality.
If you don't mind me asking,
why the sudden interest?
No reason. Curiosity.
Actually, my daughter's
got a school project,
so this is me doing research.
Which is it, curiosity
or a school project?
You know what they call tornadoes?
The hand of God.
Bad one just recently up in Grand.
That was a bad one.
You ought a take a trip
up that way sometime
and see the kind of violence
those twisters are capable of.
Phew.
Have you discussed
your feelings with him?
Yeah, I've tried.
He just shuts me out.
You know, just the other day he,
he told me that he's been having visions
about a tornado that's
coming to take our family.
Go on.
I don't know, it's like
ever since the funeral, he's
like a different person.
Oh, he used to be so, so funny.
And he was so full of life.
And now he's just angry all the time.
And quiet, just keeps to himself.
Your family's been
through a whole lot. Right?
Yeah, I know.
- Yeah.
- And I mean,
to be honest, I don't know
how much more I can give up.
Mm, I get it. Okay?
And I'm more than happy to talk to him.
But you need to understand
that that grief,
it, it always causes, you
know, strain between couples.
But the important thing
for you to remember
is that it's gonna pass, okay?
It will pass, think of it like a, um,
you break your leg, okay?
You break your leg, it
doesn't heal properly, okay?
So it hurts, it hurts when
the weather gets cold. Ah.
So what do you do?
You learn to walk with a limp.
Yeah. Yeah, I like that.
Learn to walk with a lamp.
Mm. Thank you.
You're welcome. Hmm.
You must think I sound like
a crazy person.
Huh, no, I don't, I don't
think you're a crazy person.
Listen, in the Bible, God
uses visions all the time
to get people's attention.
But what we have to remember
is the Bible's finished.
Everything we already need
to know is already in it.
Hmm. So you think he's making it up?
No, no. I, I don't
think he's making it up.
But what I think is that
God would never give someone
a vision and not tell them
what it actually means.
Yeah, but I mean tornadoes.
What does that mean?
Ah, think about, um, weather.
They're kind of like our emotions.
The emotions of the soul.
So, ah, rain is tears and sorrow.
Thunder is, ah, fear.
Tornadoes, they're grief, they're anxiety,
all spinning out of control.
- Get it?
- It's interesting.
And I can see that with him.
Good.
Think about it that way, it's
not all that scary, right?
God doesn't want you to be scared.
God wants you to be comforted.
Get some coffee. You want some coffee?
- Sure.
- Nothing is more comforting
- than coffee.
- Thank you so much, pastor.
Absolutely. I'll be right back.
Yeah.
Okay.
Hmm.
Hey, mister.
We're taking donations for the school.
What happened at your school?
Same thing that happened here.
That's something.
- Thanks, mister.
- You're welcome.
Thanks.
God bless you, man.
Yeah, no problem.
So you guys got hit pretty good?
Yeah, we all got hit pretty bad.
But by the grace of God,
we're all still together.
Yeah. Hmm, it's just devastating.
Yeah.
I'm sorry.
I'll tell you what, man.
It's worth a couple thousand dollars.
Nah, I can't accept that.
Come on, please take it.
I would want somebody to do it for me.
Appreciate you, man.
- Thanks.
- Come on.
Sir.
- Is everything all right?
- Did you hear that?
Hear what?
A, a minute ago. Did
you not hear the siren?
No, I didn't hear it.
You didn't,
you didn't see the the cloud?
Did you feel the wind? You felt it.
You didn't hear the siren?
No, sir. I'm sorry.
He's coming back, you know.
- Who?
- Our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.
Huh.
Hmm.
Geez.
Wow.
So where'd you go today?
- Library.
- Mm.
Pick up some books?
Mm.
I saw 'em in the truck on my way in.
Just some research.
On what?
Tornadoes?
You saw it again, didn't you?
Hmm.
Huh.
Thomas,
you still think that God is coming for us?
You think he would do
that to, to us and to Lee?
He can do whatever he wants.
Huh, he's God, right?
Who are you?
Because this version of Thomas, huh,
he's not good.
And to tell you the
truth, I'm at the point
where I don't want him
under this roof anymore
unless he's gonna really start telling me
what is going on with him.
I told you what I saw. What
else do you want from me?
I want you to start
believing in things again.
I want the husband that I married,
the one who makes me feel safe.
Safe?
Thomas Jr's. Death is not
something that I can get over.
Now, I've told God more
times than I can remember
that it should have been me
in that box instead of him,
but still, every day I wake up right here
in this reminder, just drowning.
Ah. How are you supposed to
reason with someone like that?
It's a test. God's testing me.
This isn't a test, Thomas.
- Yes, it is.
- No, it's not.
Yes it is!
What, do you want me to
sit here, hands folded?
"Oh, thank you, God. Thank you."
For what? For what?
I won't spend one more
day on my knees for him.
Not one.
I couldn't save him.
Even when his body
gave out on him, I couldn't save him.
He took our son from us.
God, he took our boy from us
and you couldn't care less.
That is not fair and that's not true!
We have another child, Thomas!
Huh.
I can't do this.
Not like this.
It's too hard.
You're
in luck, you won't have to
because when that storm
comes, we'll be wiped off
this piece of dirt like we never existed.
Mm-hmm.
I love you.
I love you.
Here, this is footage
of the last F5 tornado
that came through here a few years back.
Man look at the size of that thing.
Ah, it's a baby compared
to what we saw in Joplin,
I saw two super cells collide
over Kansas one time.
It's the only thing that
saved the state from becoming
a hole in the middle of the country. Hmm.
The two deadliest
tornadoes of the century,
the Great Natchez tornado of 1840
and the St. Louis tornado of 1896.
200-mile an hour winds.
The aftermath, it led Americans
to rely on theological
reflection and soul searching.
Hmm.
Last time I came by, you
told me it was impossible
to predict when these things would happen.
That's right.
What about this group in Sweden?
They invented that laser beam.
- I, I don't follow.
- There's a group
of scientists in Sweden
that have developed
this kind of laser beam that
sits on top of a satellite,
and it can heat or cool
the earth's surface
from up above the atmosphere.
So if they can manipulate the temperature
of the earth's surface, then they can stop
these things from ever developing, right?
That's a long shot.
To stop a tornado from developing,
all you have to do is heat the downdraft.
How?
I mean, we're not
talking about just nuking
last night's leftovers in the microwave.
The satellites will convert
solar energy into microwaves
and they shoot it back to earth in a beam.
I'm not sure I understand
what you're saying here.
You wanna try to stop
a tornado from forming?
Yeah.
You know, I also read that
you can spread a thin layer
of oil over the ocean.
You know, if you heat or cool the ground
in front of a storm, you can
actually divert its path.
Okay. Okay.
And, and how do we do that again?
From the satellites in Sweden.
Sweden.
I wanna thank you for coming by
and keeping an old man company,
but I think I'm gonna have
to ask you to leave now.
- It's nothing personal.
- Sure it is.
It's personal because if I'm right,
then you look like a fool.
But you weren't right, Thomas.
Jeez.
Hmm.
Thomas?
Thomas.
Thomas.
- Thomas, oh!
- It's here!
It's here! I told you!
- Thomas!
- Daddy, no!
Uh! Ah!
Oh, Lee, baby.
Everything's all right. Daddy's
just having a nightmare.
Let's go back to bed.
Is she all right?
Wrists are a little sore.
And Leanne?
She won't even look at me.
Yeah, well she'll,
she'll come around, Thomas.
Give her time.
What's happening to me, Bill?
Mm.
Thomas, we're a, um, storytelling species.
Our brains have this natural proclivity
for, ah, grandiose narratives
with overreaching center points
and a very definitive ending.
What we have to know is
that we kind of require
everything to make sense,
to have a beginning,
a middle, and an end.
God gave us this brain that
is not happy with randomness.
So it has to make sense,
but that's, you know, not always easy.
So you're saying that these
visions, these tornadoes,
God sent them to me for a reason.
Well, I, I, I don't know.
Well that's what you
just said, isn't it?
No, I'm talking about your son.
Please don't talk about my son.
In the book of John, Jesus wept.
"And if I go and
prepare for you a place,
I will come back for you
and take you with me.
That you may be where I am."
Yeah, I know. I know the verse.
My problem with that,
Bill, is that my son's
already out there and I'm not.
I think it's fantastic
that you can quote
all that scripture, Thomas, I really do,
but are you honestly
telling me that you think
you're not gonna be back with your son?
You're never gonna see him again
unless this storm takes you there?
Is that what you're saying?
Sure feels like it.
Well then how come God
doesn't just come right in
and blow your house down right now?
Get it over with. Hmm?
I don't know.
The way I see it, Leanne will
never know the difference,
but Rita, she's gotta know.
Rita has to know what what I know.
And what do you know, Thomas?
I know that God wants the
three of us to be with Junior.
And when that storm comes,
that is what will be.
Look, I'm from the Midwest. Okay?
In my mind, my sleeping
mind would conjure up dreams
of tornadoes and things
to get my attention
- and to scare me.
- Hmm.
All the time.
Now, I understand that it's
also a natural phenomenon
in other parts of the world
for these things to happen.
- Mm-hmm.
- It's not that unusual,
even in places where people don't live
in fear of cyclone season.
Mm-hmm. Inner turbulence.
- Yes.
- You think I'm bracing
for impact for something
that's probably never gonna affect me.
I think it's a distinct possibility.
See, the problem is
though, with tornadoes,
you never know when they're coming.
You never know where they'll hit.
You know, you can't stop 'em.
You can't beg 'em to change their mind.
They just come and they
take whatever they want
like a thief in the night.
Sounds a lot like God to me, doesn't it?
Hmm.
You want me to go inside with you?
- No.
- You sure?
You don't have to.
I know I don't have to, I want to.
Hey, you know the other
night with your mom,
I didn't mean to do that.
I would never hurt you or your
mom. You know that, right?
Yeah.
Lee, hey little bear, look at me.
You know I would never hurt you. Right?
Just give her some time.
She thinks I'm a monster.
She's a kid. She's confused.
Let me know if you need anything else.
Thank you.
You know, she didn't even
want me to go in with her today.
Really?
Hmm.
Has it happened again? Today, I mean?
Feels like it's getting closer though.
- What is?
- The storm.
What makes you say that?
Visions are more intense.
Like the other night.
What did Pastor Bill have to say?
Same thing as
you, that I'm going crazy.
Bill said that?
More or less.
I doubt that.
And I never said you
were going crazy, honey.
You know, all this tornado talk
made me remember something.
When I was 17, I had a nightmare
that a tornado was coming.
So I hid in the basement of our home.
And I told my dad about
the dream and he said
that what it means is that
there's something that happened
in that home that I haven't
fully processed yet.
As you know, my mom died when I was 11.
- Whoa, now.
- Whoa, calm down.
Come on, come on.
- Okay, easy, I will.
- Hand it over.
- That's right.
- Please don't hurt us!
- All right.
- Whoa, calm...
Hey, you got what you wanted. Okay?
Whoa, stop!
Stop, please!
- Oh, no.
- It's okay, easy.
- No.
- Easy.
Oh, where's Lee?
She's at the neighbors. She's fine.
How are we feeling?
- Like I got my ass kicked.
- Rita told me
about what happened.
I tell you, this area used to be so safe.
Yeah, right.
We're gonna fill out a report
as soon as he's up for it.
Good, good.
Well, it doesn't look
like that punk gave you
anything major to be concerned about.
So, what's the problem?
Ah.
What do you mean, what's the problem?
Well, the results of
your scan came back.
Your blood pressure's high.
You're normally pretty healthy.
How's your sleep? Are, are
you having trouble at night?
No.
So how long have you
not been able to sleep?
A couple of weeks.
Well, Rita tells me
you've cut back on the beer,
but also on the daily exercise.
Is there just something you can give me?
Absolutely, but, um, when
you can't sleep at night,
are you having bad dreams?
Sometimes.
You still going to group?
He goes a couple times a month.
- Does it help?
- Not really.
Well, the reason I ask
is you might be showing
some signs of post-traumatic
stress disorder.
- You've heard of it?
- That's what soldiers get.
Well, no, it's actually
more common than that.
It's not fun stuff, but you
are showing some signs of it.
For now, until I can run some more tests,
I can certainly start you
on a pretty mild sedative.
It's non-habit-forming, you just take one
an hour before bed and see if it helps.
I'll get you a script.
How's Lee?
Oh, she's doing great.
Yeah, that new diet you put her on
has really helped with her
allergies, so thank you.
Good, good. I'm glad to hear that.
- Give her my love.
- I will.
- I'll get you a script.
- Just let me grab my bag.
- I'll see you out, doctor.
- Okay.
Yeah, I'll be right back.
Do you think he's gonna be all right?
Yeah. I, I think he's fine.
I've known him for 20 years.
He's always been very strong,
but I, I am a little concerned.
I mean, I've never seen him
in this condition before.
This sort of hangdog, depressed,
and his sleeping patterns
are a real concern.
- He's that way a lot.
- Yeah?
And there's something
else going on, um...
He's been having these visions.
I don't know how else to explain it,
but he's seen tornadoes.
Ah, I know - Uh-huh.
It sounds crazy, but...
This sounds psychological.
Like he needs a different kind of doctor.
- It's not my expertise, um.
- Mm.
But I can I, I know
some good therapists.
I can give you a referral.
Ooh, okay. Yeah.
But yeah, I'll give
you this reference and,
and hopefully if he talks
to someone professional
in that regard, they will
be able to help him out.
- All right.
- Yeah.
And I'm just gonna phone in
that, that, ah, prescription.
- All right?
- Okay, yeah.
- Okay.
- Sounds good.
- All right.
- Okay, thank you
- so much, doctor.
- You too, you too, Rita.
- Take care, okay, thanks.
- Drive safe, okay, bye.
I sent Lee to the neighbor's house.
She can stay there tonight
so you can get some rest.
I'm okay.
Hmm. Thomas, you were mugged.
It's okay for you to be
vulnerable with me sometimes.
I saw something else.
What was it?
Before I woke up, I saw another tornado.
Only this time, it destroyed every house
on the street except one.
- Whose house?
- It didn't look like ours,
but I think it was supposed to be.
- Are you sure?
- Huh.
I haven't been sure about anything
since this whole thing started.
Maybe you should just
try taking the pills.
Maybe it'll make it all go away.
Never know. Could help.
- We need to find shelter now!
- Shelter, why?
Come on, I'm gonna call next door
and get Lee out of there.
- It's here.
- What's here?
I told you the storm is coming
and now we're not prepared!
Hey, ow, you're hurting my arm!
There's nothing here. Look outside.
There's no tornado. There's no storm.
It's completely quiet.
- Huh.
- Look for yourself.
I heard the wind.
Oh, you only thought you heard it.
This is all in your mind.
Okay.
Treatment.
Um, sorry.
What does that mean exactly?
Your husband appears to
be suffering from delusions.
In my expert clinical opinion,
Thomas needs to be in treatment.
You mean like therapy?
That and, ah, possibly
checking into a long-term center.
There are a few places I like nearby.
This way your family can visit.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Visit?
You want Thomas to leave home?
I want your husband to get better.
Look, if I were talking
to my own son here,
my diagnosis and treatment
plan would be exactly the same.
I read your file.
You, your son's
death has taken a toll
on Thomas's psyche.
If you don't deal with this,
we can't stop the delusions.
They two are directly related.
But I already go to group.
It's your local church. Is that right?
- So?
- No offense,
but if that would be
working, it would be working.
The act of shedding
light on someone's fears
is often curative of them.
For anyone who has trouble sleeping
and have terrible dreams,
it often helps to write
them down in a journal.
Or you can try and interpret
them to make better sense.
You can try and communicate these ideas
with your friends and loved ones.
You know, understanding is
often times is most of the cure.
But it all takes time.
And treatment.
Nobody reads anymore.
I guess that's what they call a lost art.
What happened to your face?
Why'd you stop going to church?
Hey, I asked you a question.
When mom died, why did
you stop going to church?
All those years, yelling and
screaming to get your way.
And now look at you.
You know that's why he did it.
God got tired of hearing
you run your mouth.
18 years I lived with you
and never a kind word.
And now when I need you the most,
you got nothing left to say.
We can't go back, only forward.
No, we can't go back.
Trust he who forgives.
I know I'm a broken man,
but you don't have to carry
this around like some disease.
It's my cross,
not yours.
You all right?
Yeah. Fine.
Hmm. I'm gonna go
inside and check on Lee.
- You hungry?
- Sure.
I'll make us something to
eat after I pay the sitter.
Remember, seven o'clock sharp.
So no staying up late or sleeping in.
I know.
Okay.
And no TV before bed.
We know that keeps you awake
and we need you to be rested.
I know.
This recital's
a big deal, honey.
You've been practicing for months.
We don't want you to be tired on stage
or show up late, okay?
Hmm.
You're not eating?
Leanne, baby, can you take your food
and go eat in the bathroom?
- Thomas.
- Leanne, please do as I say.
What do you think you're doing?
I lost a son.
- I'm not gonna lose Lee.
- Thomas.
I was wrong. That
twister's not coming for us.
It's coming for everybody
else. We are meant to survive.
How could you possibly know that?
That's what I saw.
One house withstood the storm.
All the others were
destroyed, that's how God
was showing me the path.
Hmm.
You said you didn't know if
that was our house or not.
I know what I saw.
It just didn't make
sense until now, is all.
You were right. You are crazy.
I knew you'd be like this.
I knew you wouldn't believe
me. You said it yourself.
It was a vision from God.
What are you gonna do to us? Huh?
Protect you.
You'll see.
You are ruining us.
Don't you see that?
You have a gun, Thomas.
There's no coming back from that.
Won't matter soon. There
won't be anyone left.
And then you'll see I was right.
Huh.
Thomas.
Go get in the bathroom with Lee.
- Don't do this.
- Go get in the bathroom
with Lee.
You hurt her, you're dead.
Oh.
Mommy, I'm scared.
Oh, it's gonna be okay, sweetheart.
I'm not gonna let anything
happen to you, okay?
Don't you worry. Okay?
All right? Mommy's gonna
call for some help.
Oh.
- Bill.
- Rita.
Bill, I need your help.
Thomas, he's, he has a gun
and he made us go into the bathroom.
Hey, hey. Slow down, slow down.
Say that one more time.
Thomas, he says that
the tornado's coming
so he made us get into the bathroom.
He thinks he's protecting us or something,
but he pulled out a gun
and I, I don't know.
I'm afraid he might use it.
Yeah, I thought he
was convinced the storm
was there to take you and Lee away.
Yeah, Yeah, he was,
but he, he said that he's, I don't know.
He saw something else and
he's not listening to reason.
All right, listen, have you,
have you called the police yet?
Ah, yes. I mean, I will, I will.
I wanted to call you first because I think
if you come to the house
and you talk to him,
I think he will listen to you.
Okay, I'm headed there right now,
but I want you to call the police
and I want you to stay calm
until I get there, okay?
Okay, I will. Please
hurry, please hurry.
You stay calm until I get there.
Okay. Everything's gonna be just fine.
Everything's gonna be fine. Okay?
We're just gonna wait here.
Your move.
Rita, open the door.
- I called the police.
- They're on their way.
You what?
Just leave us alone, Thomas.
I don't need any help, Rita, come on!
The storm is coming! It's close!
Open the door!
They're gonna be here soon.
Just let 'em take you
in and they can get you
the help that you need.
- I don't need any help.
- Thomas, please just
- leave us alone.
- What are you doing?
I'm doing this for you, for your own good.
Now come on, open the door.
- Rita.
- Please.
Rita.
This is a test, Rita.
He's testing me.
He's testing me. Now come on.
The storm is coming. Open the door.
It's not a test, Thomas.
Please, just leave us alone.
Okay, fine.
You leave me no choice.
I'm gonna do what I've gotta do.
Hey, hey, hey. Come on.
Thomas.
Thomas!
Thomas.
The officer has allowed you and I
to have a little time to
talk, if that's okay with you.
- Talk about what?
- Well, we know that Lee
and Rita are inside
and we need to know if they're safe.
Are you armed, Thomas?
No one is safe from what's coming.
I understand that. Thomas,
whoa, I, hey, hey, hey.
I understand that, Thomas,
but we need to know if you
have harmed them in any way.
They're my family, Bill.
Why would I hurt them?
Thomas, look, we, we
just need to understand
the situation we're
walking into, all right?
- Situation?
- Okay, Thomas,
drop the weapon, drop the weapon, Thomas.
Hey, hey, hey. Please, please.
We, let's, let's just talk.
I'll tell you the situation
is that there's a tornado coming!
Okay? And it's coming fast!
- Okay, fine, when?
- Soon.
Soon, soon? That's not a
time, it's not a place, Thomas.
Oh, so it's okay for
the big man upstairs
to not put a time or
date on his big return,
but if I do it, then I'm crazy?
Thomas, you are not well.
Or maybe I'm the only one
that understands and
can see what's coming.
Listen, okay. God,
God grants us visions.
All right, I understand that.
But, but, but this? I mean, come on.
Lee's a little girl. She's scared.
And this is not going to
get you back with Junior.
- Don't you talk about my son!
- Okay, okay, Thomas, listen.
You got 30 seconds before I step in.
I will shoot if it means keeping Lee safe.
Oh. Did you keep my
son safe, Evans, huh?
- Were you there for him?
- Stand down, Thomas.
- I mean it, stand down.
- Thomas.
Listen to what he is saying.
You have kidnapped your family
and you are now pointing
a firearm at a police officer.
How do you think this is gonna go down?
If you get out of here at
all, you're gonna go to jail
and you're not gonna be
able to save your family
from the tornado, so listen
to the police officer,
put the gun down or all of
this is gonna be for nothing.
No, hey, hey, Thomas.
Thomas, you listen to me.
Taking your own life is a sin.
If you do that, there is no way
you are going to spend any time
with any of your family ever again.
Do you hear me?
I just want it to end.
- I understand that.
- The pain will go away.
Thomas, let us help you,
let your family help you.
Don't do this.
Put the gun down and let us help you.
No, Thomas. Thomas.
Here it comes.
No!
Stop!
You stay here.
I'll be right, I'll be right back. Baby.
Stay here. Don't leave.
- The little girl's inside.
- She's in the bathroom.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
It's all right. It's okay.
There you go. It's okay.
It's all right.
It's over, yeah.
- Come on.
- Thomas.
Thomas.
Fear not for I am with you.
I'm sorry. How is he?
Sounded good on the phone.
I've been thinking about
taking Lee to see him,
but, ah, I just don't know.
Rita, Rita, she's strong
just like her mother.
- Hmm.
- The right time
will reveal itself, it
always does, always.
I've been coming here for three weeks,
every single day since it happened.
And as good as those words sound, I,
I feel more alone than ever.
Grief takes time.
It waxes, it wanes.
But believe me when I tell you,
you will find joy again.
You know, every single night, I,
I walk outside
and I just look up at the sky
and just hope that I see something,
anything that would prove
to me that he's not crazy.
Rita, Thomas is a good
man, he's a good man,
and as his pastor,
my fervent prayer is that right now,
he's in the father's hands.
Well, the weather
report says rain's coming.
Well then, then you better
pack your umbrella, young lady.
Hmm.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Okay?
Hmm.
Ah, mm.
And, ah,
to warm things up a little bit,
I'm gonna play a tune by Cody Westheimer.
It's one of my favorites.
In breaking news tonight,
a tornado has destroyed
a small town in Texas.
We do not currently have
accurate numbers of injuries.
However, the devastation is unbelievable.