[eerie music]
[boy groaning]
[boy sobbing]
[sobbing]
[door creaks]
-River. -Shh.
I love you, prairie.
[instrumental music]
[eerie music]
Go.
[music continues]
[panting]
[tye] river! Forest!
[laura] forest!
[dramatic music]
River!
[music continues]
[engine revving]
[brake hissing]
[tye] in the beginning was the garden.
The streams ran clear
And the lambs of the lord played in the green grass
And were nourished and free.
Then came the serpent,
To tempt the lambs to sin.
The evils of war and strife came into the world,
Poisoning the air and the water.
[siren wailing]
But an ember of the holy fire still burns
In the spirit of the lambs.
In amos 9, the lord commands us
"you shall plant gardens and eat their fruit."
Together we can gather the lambs
And lead them back to the garden.
[instrumental music]
Who will take the spade and the grains of life
And join the army of light?
Hey, uh, you plant me some grade-a sativa, bro,
And I'll be all over that army.
[laughing]
Let's go. Come on, let's go.
[eerie music]
[laughing]
Take.
Stop it.
[grunting]
[mumbling]
"and god said unto the serpent, upon thy belly shalt thou crawl
And dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life."
Genesis 3:14, bro.
[instrumental music]
You, uh, you like christmas?
Oh. Yeah. I don't know.
Always been a fool for it.
Only time of the year
Things brighten up.
That's why the lord was born when he was.
The darkest night of winter
Is when the light comes into the world.
Let that light show you where the road goes now.
I already know. Back to where it started.
Try to glue the pieces together again,
If my family will forgive me enough
And let me through the door.
You think they need to forgive you?
Y-you have no idea the hell I put them through.
Yeah.
I'll get the first bus tomorrow before I chicken out.
Wow. You've buried it so deep, you don't even know it's there.
-Buried what? -What they did to you.
They didn't do anything to me.
I'm the one that screwed up every chance they ever gave me.
[tye] that's what they made you believe.
But I can see through the veil. That is the burden I carry.
Everybody I meet, I know what they're hiding,
Even from themselves.
Your father...
My father what?
[tye] from when you were a kid...
That didn't happen.
[tye] forgetting is how you've survived.
I see your mother knowing, closing her eyes.
She would never. That didn't happen!
Then what broke you, laura?
Your parents had to crush you. They knew what your destiny was.
You have no idea who you are, do you?
It's no accident we met.
We were called here to join together,
To lead the lambs of god back to the garden.
If you get on that bus, if we fail in our task...
Darkness.
But if you stay and sow with me and reap with me...
We can keep the holy fire alive.
[meadow] mrs. Wilson is the best teacher ever.
-[rain] are you kidding me? -[indistinct chatter]
[tye] okay, very small ladies and gentlemen,
Can anybody tell me what time it is?
It's time for hopes for the day!
Ten points to the boy with the oatmeal on his chin,
And twenty to whoever goes first.
I hope river has the best first day of school ever.
That's a lovely thing to hope for, meadow.
I hope she stays safe.
There's one way to make sure of that.
With her big brother and big sister watching over her,
No serpent will come near her to harm her
Or turn her away from god.
-River, how about you? -I hope my head stops itching.
Me, too! I hope the same thing river hopes. I want a bath.
John 10:13 says what, prairie?
It says inkitty binkitty boopitty!
Why do you always have to act like you're two years old?
It says, "he who hath bathed in spirit is clean,
And needeth not to wash."
That's my boy.
Okay, three minutes until the mom train leaves the station.
Grab your books, everybody.
River.
Hey, peanut, I gotta go to school now.
So stay out of trouble till I get back, okay?
Hi, mr. And mrs. Chen!
[school bell rings]
Hi, calli! How was your summer?
Did you go on that rafting trip in colorado?
[boys laughing]
[hissing]
-All of them? -Most of them.
♪ it's the first day of school and I'm trying to be cool ♪
♪ but I feel like a fool ♪
Like a fish outside a pool?
I'm sorry, I was just thinking,
Like, that's how I feel most of the time.
Like fish floppin' around on the beach.
Can I sit and eat lunch with you?
My name's andrea. What's yours?
Mm, silent types. I like that.
Is that your whole lunch?
Better take some of mine, you're not gonna make it
To three o'clock.
The less a person puts inside their body,
The more room there is for their spirit.
It totally works. I feel more spirit in me already.
Please? Just until dinner time?
Her mom says it's okay,
And she'll come pick her up any time you say.
I don't know, your father...
Ma-a...
Are you absolutely 1000 percent sure?
[rain] twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen...
Stop. It's mama and papa's room.
We can't go in there. We're not allowed to.
So none of you ever go in there?
-Never, ever, ever. -Which means--
It's the one place he'd never look!
River, don't go...
[andrea] giant tv.
About time to watch lords of the megaverse.
We can't. That's the devil's window.
It's how the serpent gets in.
Then why do your parents have it?
So they can learn the ways of the demons.
That's crazy. We'll keep it nice and low.
[woman on tv] and up next, something to keep us warm.
[grunting on tv]
[door opens]
What you are doing? Ah. Make it stop!
There's nothing bad about it.
[tye] kids, I'll take that.
I didn't even look, papa. It was them.
They made it go on.
It's time for your friend to go home now.
We called her mother, she's here to pick her up. Let's go.
You kids stay up here, okay?
[dramatic music]
[tye] I blame myself for forgetting that the thing
We were put on this earth for was to protect our kids.
[laura] protecting them is all I think about.
Then why are we handing them over to the enemy
Six hours a day?
They have to learn how to live in the real world.
You promised I could have that.
I did not promise you could let
The enemy come home with them.
Who knows how much damage she's done?
I am through going along with you on this.
James 4:7. What does god say?
Um, uh, "resist the devil,
And he will flee from you."
Sometimes I wonder how good at resisting you are.
Tye, you know I would never--
I know that? How do I know that? Hm?
From the sting of the lash cometh the strength to resist.
-[tye grunting] -[whip lashing]
[panting]
[groaning]
Mama, you have to go to a doctor.
Let them use their poisons on me?
[tye] laura, come in here.
Go upstairs and do your homework, sweetheart.
-[groans] -mom...
I'm okay. I'm okay.
It's just a practice contraction.
[tye] laura, come here.
Everything papa does is because he loves his family
More than anything in the world.
Mama made a mistake, and papa needs to make sure
That mama doesn't make that mistake again.
Does this mean we can't play with andrea anymore?
Come here, baby. Come on.
Give papa a hug. He loves you so much.
Come on, baby. Come, come to papa.
That's it. That's it. Come on. Yeah, come on.
[church bell tolling]
So there's these really cool rabbits in the classroom
Named hip and hop, and every weekend
Someone gets to bring them home, and ms. Jay says
I can bring them home first if my mom says it's okay.
-So is it okay? -I'm sorry, sweetheart.
All of you...
But you won't be going to school today.
Why?
Because I-I realize now that papa was right
And I was wrong about how careful we need to be.
Yesterday proves that all the serpent
Has to do is put on a big smile.
-And we get fooled every time. -Andrea is not the serpent.
She tempted you away from god.
She got you to open the devil's window.
Can we go to school tomorrow?
No, honey, not tomorrow or any day.
It's too dangerous.
But we're gonna make our own school, right here.
We're gonna have books and art supplies
And music and everything we need.
It-it's gonna be so-so-so much fun.
It's gonna be stupid. I wanna go to school.
-School! School! School! -Prairie, stop that.
-Okay, prairie, enough. -"okay, prairie, enough."
-Prairie, I'm telling you... -"prairie, I'm telling you..."
[prairie] school! School! School!
-Prairie, please stop that. -[rain] cut it out!
You don't think mama has enough trouble already?
Stop yelling at him! You're such a bully sometimes.
When I was his age, I respected my parents.
-Please stop! -[screeches]
-[prairie] school! -[laura panting]
[prairie] school! School! School!
School! School! School!
You know what's happened here, don't you?
The enemy has taken possession of our precious children.
-But you can drive him out. -No.
-You know how. -Oh, tye, please.
When somebody won't drive the devil
Out of the children they supposedly love,
What does that tell me?
-Is the devil in you, laura? -No.
-No. No. -From the sting of the lash.
[prairie] school. School! School!
Prairie, go upstairs to your room until you've calmed down.
-School. School! -Proverbs 23:13, laura.
-What does it say? -Tye...
It says, "do not withhold discipline from the child,
For if you strike them with the rod,
You save them from eternal death."
And who was it that spoke those words?
Prairie, go up to your room right this second!
School.
-No. -For the last time, laura.
Who spoke the words of proverbs 23:13?
God.
Then will you stand here in your house,
In front of the children you say you love,
And disobey that command?
-Do you hate your children? -No.
Do you want them swallowed by darkness?
-[sobbing] -don't!
-Ah! -[river screams]
Oh. I'm so sorry, baby.
-Ahh! -Mom, are you okay?
I think I have to go upstairs.
Okay, help your mother get to her bed.
I'll be right up. Go. Go, go, go.
[laura groaning]
Come here, sweetie. Come here.
It's okay, we're fighting a great war
Of the garden against the wasteland.
You know, it's terrible that people have to get hurt in wars,
But, but they do, and that makes them stronger for the fight.
And the most important thing is that we stand together,
Or the wasteland wins.
The baby needs all of our help now.
Will you join us?
[breathing heavily]
[grunting]
Okay. Another push, mama. You can do this.
Okay. All right. Oh, your baby wants to see the light.
[laura grunting]
-I know you can do it, jesus... -[laura screams]
[instrumental music]
[baby bawling]
Thank you. Thank you, jesus.
[baby bawling]
He is so beautiful.
[babbling]
[river] look at that, you made him smile!
God sent me a dream last night, as clear as the life of day.
An angel came to me and spoke the words
Of revelation 7:21. Rain.
"the lamb will be their shepherd.
He will guide them to the springs of living water
And keep the holy fire alive."
Beautiful, son.
And then the angel showed me who the shepherd was.
It was your new baby brother.
Forest is the shepherd?
Yes. He has a great destiny.
Which puts him in terrible danger.
From now on, nobody crosses this threshold coming in.
And only mama and me going out,
So we can work and bring home food.
When will we be able to go outside? And go to school again?
When you're as strong as we are.
-When will that be? -We'll know, my angel.
We'll know.
Come here. Come. Come. Come close.
We've been afraid to scare you, and that was a mistake.
Sometimes it's good to be scared.
Just say it, laura. The whole real truth.
They need to hear it.
The whole real truth is that
Everybody out there is a serpent.
The only lambs in the world are inside this house.
So I need to know
That all of you will protect you baby brother,
Always, with your lives.
Thank you. Now I know he'll be safe.
I'm still a little weak, so I need your help
Getting breakfast on the table.
River, will you watch forest?
-With my life. -Yeah.
[clears throat]
[dramatic music]
River?
River, papa needs you downstairs on the double.
Come on.
[tye] okay, we're all here now.
So...
Prairie's going to tell us why what he did was wrong.
-Go on, son. -You're the one who caught me.
[prairie mumbling] I can't, I can't find him.
Prairie, listen to me, not the voice of the enemy.
Summer needs her big brother to help her see the way.
[prairie laughs]
Papa.
He-he didn't mean to do anything bad, papa.
[forest] it was just hard to breathe in the room,
And he needed some air.
-[laura grunts] -[forest groans]
[sobbing]
Forest, why was it wrong
That your brother opened the window?
Because t-t-t-the devil's breath
Could have gotten in and infected all of us.
What do we have to do now?
Rain?
Cleanse him of the enemy's breath,
To keep it from putting out the fire of the holy spirit.
That's exactly right.
[river sobbing]
Hold on.
[tye] meadow.
I know you know the rule about not closing your eyes.
And I know you'd only break that rule if you caught
Some of the infection yourself.
N-n-no, that's n-not...
-[laura grunting] -[prairie groaning]
[groaning]
[tye] no, no, no, no. Hydrangeas are a total knock-out.
Absolutely. But the water they gobble up?
I mean, here, check out, check out viburnum, okay?
I'm sending you a link. All right. Okay.
Yup, I will see you at the site in 20. Okay.
-Hey. I gotta go. Okay. -All right.
You be the angels that you are, angels.
Goodbye, papa.
"the lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies.
Because of the suffering, you will eat the flesh
Of the sons and daughters the lord your god has given you."
That's sick.
That's deuteronomy.
"even the most gentle among you will have no compassion
On his own brother or the wife he loves.
He will not give to one of them any of the flesh
Of his children that he is eating."
Ugh.
That's what happens if you don't obey the word of the lord.
Just like papa says.
Are we gonna have a lesson today, mama?
Yeah, um, sure. Uh...
Why don't you keep going on history with rain?
And, river, why don't you do numbers
With forest and-and summer?
Uh, mama?
Oh.
So close!
Can you just smell those pine boughs now?
Mm-mm.
"christopher columbus was the eldest son
Of domenico colombo and susanna fontanarossa.
The family moved from genoa to savona in 1470.
Then christopher's father became..."
[indistinct chatter on tv]
[rain] "three years later columbus embarked on a career
As a business manager for several wealthy families
In the district.
His interest in the sea was born when he was young.
And then it's said that by his 20s--"
Okay, time for times tables. One times seven.
-I don't know. -One times is easy.
-You know this. -I'm too hungry to know it.
I'm gonna go ask mama to make us more breakfast.
[rain] you can't disturb mama now.
She's busy learning the ways of the demons.
Come on, sum, sit down and work on your numbers.
-No. -Um, how about a song?
Would you like that?
Okay.
♪ when snakes are hissing in their lairs ♪
♪ we'll let them hiss so what who cares? ♪
♪ you're safe in here with me♪
♪ the earth may shake the rocks may fall ♪
♪ that won't scare us no not at all ♪
♪ you're safe in here with ♪
Stop! That just makes it worse.
Everything makes it worse.
You'll get used to it, summer. We all did.
W-why should she have to?
So there's more room for the fire of the spirit--
If I hear that one more time, I swear to you...
-You swear to me what? -I don't know. It's just...
Enough?
Yeah. Enough.
[dramatic music]
Hunger is for demons.
[forest] yeah.
But what if
The lambs need to eat and to get, to get strong,
So if the demons chase them...
They-they can get away?
No.
Thank you.
[dramatic music]
Laura.
[intense music]
Tye.
[dog barking]
[door thuds, creaks]
Meadow, would you please come with me?
I know this is a heavy burden to lay on you,
But we need you to tell us
Who stole the apples from the kitchen.
-What apples? -Really?
You, I can always count on for the deepest truth.
Who took the apples out of the drawer?
I don't know.
So you know the apples were taken,
You just don't know by who?
I don't know anything.
You love your brothers and sisters,
And you think you're helping them,
And we, we love you for that.
Just like we love you because we know
In your hearts you can never lie.
[tye] but here you are, lying,
And somebody in this house is stealing.
Which means what?
What does that mean, rain?
That the enemy's gotten in.
[laura] that's right.
And we need to find out who's infected,
So we can stop it from spreading,
Or it'll put out the holy fire inside us all.
Do you want that to happen?
[tye] then tell us who stole the apples.
We don't know.
Mama and I can't always both stay home.
We're gonna need help shepherding the flock.
If you can prove that you're ready to carry that flame,
We'll need to show you the ways of the enemy.
[laura] you'll need to stay in touch with us
When we're out of the house.
Once we know we can trust you, you'll each get one of these.
Who took the apples?
It's all right. Really. We're just putting you to the test.
I've already seen the truth through the veil.
I know it was the youngest and weakest of you
Who let the enemy in.
It's time to burn the devil out of summer.
-Wait! -Stop!
[dramatic music]
Don't be afraid, everybody. The danger's over.
We have found where the enemy planted his seeds of evil.
Now we can starve the infection out of the soil,
But it'll take seven days.
Seven?
You're probably right. It's not long enough.
Do you think nine days?
No. Um, no, seven is enough.
I hope so. Ahem.
It takes a fearsome demon to get a hold of the shepherd.
All right. Everybody, down for breakfast.
Let's go.
You're tenders of the flock now.
Be proud that you kept your lambs from straying.
Mama... Untie me.
Just for a minute. I have to go really, really bad.
[tye] laura!
It's okay, forest.
If you have to go, you can go.
It's okay.
[tye] they're yours, as long as you promise
You'll never let the lambs in your flock touch them.
They're too young to stand strong
Against the devil in them.
Do you promise?
I promise.
Meadow?
Take the phone.
[laura] thank you.
Now we know we can trust you.
If it should come to pass that we can't,
We'll know the enemy has taken you,
And will have to be driven out of your living flesh
With the heat and fury of fire and iron.
[prairie] captain freedom has come to set you free.
[river] prairie, no. You know what they'll do.
You have to go back to bed.
-No! No! Prairie! Prairie, no! -No!
[river] prairie!
[prairie screaming]
[tye] forgive me, my beloved son, for not fighting
Hard enough to save you.
I swear to you, on the spring that gives life to the garden,
That from this second on I will fight harder,
No matter what it takes.
[drill whirring]
[indistinct chatter on phone]
[drill whirring]
[indistinct chatter on phone]
[instrumental music on phone]
♪ we're gonna come ♪
♪ when the war is left undone♪
♪ four more days and we are free ♪
♪ one more day and it'll be three ♪
♪ after that it's only ♪
Go away. I'm never talking to you again.
I'm so sorry, river.
I wish it were me tied up. It should be me.
What happened to prairie?
They tied him to his bed.
With chains and locks.
But he's okay.
Ma-mama and papa gave me this.
They made me swear not to let anyone near it,
But, um, but there's this thing
Where you, like, play your song,
And it, it-it turns into, like, a movie,
A-and then other people can see it. Can I show you?
[indistinct singing on phone]
I'll let you use it the second they let you back in the room.
I'm so, so sorry.
♪ who knows how or where or why ♪
♪ lights go sailing across the sky? ♪
♪ why do dogs and children play ♪
♪ in the sunlight down the way? ♪
♪ tell me please 'cause all I know ♪
♪ is shadows on the wall ♪
♪ what is it the wind keeps whispering ♪
♪ just outside my windowpane?♪
♪ in the night a bell is ringing ♪
♪ can you tell me what it's singing? ♪
♪ is the secret woven in the shadows on the wall? ♪
Now, just tap right there,
And it sends it out into the world.
What if the enemy sees it?
Mama says nobody can hurt you through the phone,
As long as you never ever say where you live.
[cell phone chimes]
[tye] even a taste is dangerous.
But to know the ways of the enemy,
To learn to stand strong against his poison,
You need to eat his food.
Go on. Taste it.
Go on, tenders of the flock.
Dig in.
You, too.
[eerie music]
River, wake up.
Somebody saw your song. Said he wants to talk to you.
-What? -[tristan] hello, river!
I'm tristan.
Quick. Go into the closet.
I-I'll let you know if anybody's coming.
[tristan] how are you this morning?
I-I'm okay.
How did you manage to get inside my head
From so far away?
I didn't. I-I wasn't...
You must have, because I'm the same as you.
All I know is shadows on the wall.
I must have watched your song a hundred times by now.
I reluctantly confess it has made me shed
More than, uh, one tear.
When are you going to give us a new one?
I hear mama coming. Um... I-I-I have go to.
[dramatic music]
[panting]
-All good there, son? -All good, papa.
We're all doing our schoolwork.
Would you like me to check on prairie now?
That would be great.
-River... -I'm not gonna do it.
-So stop asking me. -He's sent, like, 50 message.
-It is too dangerous. -Fine.
I'll just tell him you're not interested
And he should forget about it.
Damn, I'm happy you called back.
I was afraid I got too creepy fan on you
And scared you away.
No, I just, um, I-I was, I was busy.
Putting more beauty into the world?
[chuckles] not really.
-Um, tristan? -[tristan] yes?
The other day you said you were the same as me,
Like, shadows on the wall is all you know.
[tristan] huh. Alas, yes, for I am a special boy.
One in 20 million, on all of planet earth,
With the rarest of all deficiencies to my immunity.
Immunity?
[tristan] specifically chronic recurrent
Multifocal osteomyelitis.
Kind of a song all on its own, don't you think?
Yeah.
Until there's a cure,
No stepping outside my door.
What's your story with the shadows?
Has your wicked step-mom got you locked in that closet?
No. Nothing like that. I should, I should go now.
Wait, wait, I-I'm sorry if I offended.
Will you stay if I treat you
To a musical masterpiece of my own?
♪ while it isn't designed to delight us ♪
♪ this chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis ♪
♪ who else but the sufferer has time enough-erer ♪
♪ to read wikipedia end to end? ♪
What's wikkypedica?
[tristan] you really don't know?
Of course I do. I-I-I was just joking.
Tristan, what would happen if you went outside?
Whatever germs happened to be floating by would go zhoooop,
Straight into me, like aliens invading the planet.
Like pow, pow, pwooosh, pow, pow...
-[river giggling] -[intense music]
-[river laughing] -[tristan] pow, pow, pwooosh.
River, come downstairs. I need your help with the dishes.
Go do the dishes, like mama said.
Laura.
I need to talk to you in the bedroom.
[instrumental music]
I didn't wanna cause you any pain, so I've been holding off
On showing this to you,
But it is something you have a right to know.
Your father passed away last year.
This is the, uh, death notice your brothers posted.
It's gonna hurt, laura.
I can delete it, make it go away.
Or... Would you like me to read it?
Yeah, read it.
"all of greenville mourns today the passing of paul truscott,
Beloved for his works of charity and civic leadership,
For more years than he liked to admit to.
He has gone to heaven to join his beloved wife sarah."
My mother is dead?
[tye] "both paul and sarah live on in the hearts
Of the two adoring sons
And three grandchildren they leave behind."
[sighs]
The monster died unpunished,
In honor and glory.
And your family, they've erased you, laura,
Like you never passed across the face of this earth.
In this house,
With me, with your children...
You are a treasure.
In this house there is justice.
[panting]
[groaning]
[water sloshing]
[ominous music]
Are you washing?
Without papa saying it was time to?
No.
It was hurting in my, my s-side--
Don't lie to me!
[forest groaning]
[laura] you ungrateful servant of evil!
-[laura grunting] -[forest groaning]
You'll just make it worse.
-Aah! Argh! Aah! -Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!
-[prairie screaming]
Aah! Aah! Aah!
[groaning]
[prairie groaning]
-[grunting] -[tye] come here!
[tye and prairie grunting]
Come on, come on.
[door clanks]
-Come on. -[cell phone ringing]
Come on.
Sorry, I-I-I was asleep.
How can you keep your window wide open all the time?
Aren't you afraid of serpents coming in?
Ah. Serpents don't fly.
Not in jamaica, anyway.
They can go anywhere here.
And their breath got into my house,
And two of my brothers are infected.
[sobbing] and papa and mama are burning it out of them,
Which, it hurts really a lot.
But if it spreads and we all get it,
The fire of our spirits will go out.
Wha-what kind of serpents are you talkin' about?
[sniffles] the devil kind.
Papa and mama protect us from them,
That's why we never go out, but sometimes they get inside
Even when we don't eat anything,
To make sure there's room for our spirits.
And they have to burn it out of us with the belt.
Tristan, one got inside prairie, and papa took him away,
And he screamed and he screamed, and now he's quiet,
And we don't know where he is.
River, how long have you and your brothers and sisters
Been inside the house?
Oh...
Oh. Nine christmases.
-Nine years? -[river] yes.
It's not right, keeping you inside
A-and screamin', and the belt.
You have to call the police and tell them.
The police are demons. All of them.
Your brother could be quiet because he's hurt.
A-at least tell someone, so he can send for you a doctor.
Doctors are just serpents with knives instead of fangs.
[tristan] then go to a church.
Papa says churches are just
Another mask the devil puts on.
No, they're places where peope
Go to get help from god.
God says if we go against our parents,
He will punish us with rod and with fire.
God says we must treat each other with love.
River, the bell, in-in your song...
-Do you really hear it? -All the time.
[tristan] that means there's a church right nearby.
I can call them myself and have somebody come and help you.
A-all you have to do is give me your address,
And I can find the church.
You and your brothers and sisters are in terrible danger.
I need to know where you live, so I can help you.
No, you can't fool me anymore.
-I know what you want. -River, I don't--
You want my address, so you can
Tell the enemy where we're hiding.
Okay, I don't need to know where you are,
Just promise me you'll leave
The house and find a church.
You can't miss them, they have skinny pointy roofs--
Don't ever call me again!
[door bangs]
[whimpering]
[sobbing]
Come on.
[river sobbing]
[river whimpering]
[river sobbing]
[prairie] river.
[instrumental music]
You're doing beautifully, son.
I can feel the fire of your spirit coming back,
Stronger every day.
♪ don't let it go out ♪
♪ the light that you shine ♪
♪ don't let yourself down don't bother... ♪
[door opens]
[church bell tolling]
-[prairie grunting] -[groans]
[prairie] no.
[instrumental music]
Rejoice, children, it's the lord's day tomorrow,
And we're letting you out to celebrate!
[meadow] isn't it still November?
[laura] who cares what month it is?
Why shouldn't it be christmas every day if we want it to be?
♪ don we now our gay apparel ♪
A little longer for you, yeah, just to make sure you're clear.
Come on.
♪ yuletide carol ♪
♪ fa-la la-la-la la-la la-la ♪
♪ fa-la la-la-la ♪
[door shuts]
♪ la-la ♪
Okay. Everybody downstairs for the main event!
Where's prairie?
Really bad place.
[sobbing]
♪ silent night ♪
♪ holy night... ♪
Oh! Look at the beautiful, beautiful star papa made!
Summer, why don't you put it on the tippy-top of the tree?
[summer] I can't reach. I'm really sorry, mama.
-Show me where it hurts. -[laura] why, summer to the top.
♪ holy infant so tender and mild... ♪
-Papa. -Hm?
I-I think forest needs medicine. His side hurts him really bad.
♪ peace ♪
Well, what are you feeling, son?
Like, like a glass
Broke, broke inside of me.
Well, that's just the fang of serpent battling your spirit.
Ca-can you make it stop hurting?
Absolutely. Yes. Yes.
[forest groaning]
♪ holy night ♪
[forest groaning]
♪ shepherds quake ♪
[tye] ah-ha. Okay.
Hit of almond oil and lemon balm will fix you right up. Okay?
-Come on. Come. -[forest groaning]
[forest retching]
Meadow.
[forest retching]
[forest coughs]
[forest vomiting, coughing]
Get him some water.
Don't worry, forest. It's just the fang coming out.
Well, if the fang's coming out,
Why, why is it getting worse?
[instrumental music]
[meadow] here it is. Here it is.
"intense pain on the right side of the lower abdomen
Can be a sign of acute app-appendicitis.
"if the appendix should burst, immediate care is critical
Or there is increased risk of m-mort..."
What's mortality?
Death.
[laura] no, no. Wait until it's all set out, sweetheart.
Papa.
Yes, meadow?
If there's something weighing on your heart, just...
Bring it into the light.
Let all of us share in the burden.
We were really worried about forest still hurting,
And, um...
We thought he might have, um, appen...
Appen-appendicitis,
Which can be really bad, so--
Maybe we could find a doctor who's not a demon to help him.
Do you think that for a second
I would risk the life of the shepherd?
-Do you? -No.
Forgive me, lord, for failing to teach my children
That there is nobody they can trust outside these doors.
Forgive me for allowing infection into this house.
And give me the strength to starve the poison
Of the fuel that feeds it, for all of us,
For as long as it takes.
-[tye grunts] -[summer groans]
[laura gasps]
[summer groans]
I'm so sorry learning has to be so hard, angel.
[laura] I'm so, so sorry.
But it's christmas morning, and you know
What we always do before we open presents, don't you?
Meadow, what do we do now?
-Um, we sing. -That's right.
So let's all open our hearts and sing mama's favorite song.
Okay?
You heard your mama.
[tye] come on.
[piano music]
♪ the lord is come ♪
♪ let earth receive her king ♪
[groaning]
♪ prepare him room ♪
♪ and heaven and nature sing ♪
Is it helping at all?
To have more room inside you for the healing power?
No.
[church bell tolling]
[sniffling]
[church bell tolling]
Forest.
Do you think you can be very brave?
[river] braver than you've ever been in your life?
What do you mean?
What are you gonna do?
[church bell tolling]
[instrumental music]
-Rain. Everything. -What's wrong?
Just listen to me.
I need you to do something, and you have to swear on god
That you won't tell mama and papa.
How can I swear until I know what it is?
Because it's for forest.
Because he's very sick.
Do you swear on god?
Please?
Okay.
I am gonna take forest to the church, where the bells are,
And I'm gonna ask them to find him a doctor.
I've listened and I've listened, and I know that it's, um...
That way.
I just need, um...
What's called, um,
To get the, the-the-the thingies off a window.
-A screwdriver. -Yes.
And you're the only one that they trust
To go into the garage and get the toolbox.
Ah, you can say that you need to fix something. Um...
Okay. Ah...
[river grunts]
There.
Now you won't be lying.
Doctors are demons.
Okay. Great.
Forest will be safe from demons, but he'll also be dead.
How's it gonna make you feel?
[river clears throat]
[dramatic music]
Proverbs, 30:17.
"he who mocks his father and refuses to obey his mother,
The crows will peck out his eyes and the vultures will eat them."
[music continues]
[rain] mama. Papa.
[door opens]
[dramatic music]
[tye] river! Forest!
[music continues]
-River! -River! Forest!
[intense music]
-River! Forest! -Forest!
[laura] come back!
[mumbling]
Let's go.
-Right. -[forest sobbing]
W-w-which way?
-I don't know. -[mumbling]
Why aren't the bells ringing?
Skinny pointy roofs.
[river breathing heavily]
There it is.
-What? -Go! Go!
[car honking]
[tires screeching]
[instrumental music]
[tires screeching]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[forest sobbing]
-[river] it's all right. -Demons.
[forest sobbing]
-Help! Help! -Help! Help us! Please!
-Hey! -[river] please open the door!
-Hey! Hey! -[river] help us!
[kenner] there won't be anybody around the church
Until reverend taylor opens up in the morning.
Is there something we can do to help you?
[indistinct radio chatter]
You're runnin' away from somethin'?
Maybe somebody tried to hurt you?
Because if that's what's going on,
We can take you someplace where nobody can get near you
To hurt you.
[instrumental music]
The serpent god inside forest.
And mama drove it out, but it still wasn't completely gone.
So mama and papa put me and forest into the closet
To starve the demon out of us, and everybody else
Had to starve it out, too, and forest's appendix
Was still hurting really bad, and tristan in jamaica
Told me if I went to a church, they would find a doctor
That wasn't the enemy.
Could you hold on for one second while I talk to my partner?
You're safe here, I promise.
I'm calling in a psych team.
And I wanna talk to the boy separately from the girl.
Could be looking at a kidnapping.
Yeah, sure, call in psych, but, uh,
I don't know, maybe there's somethin' real under all that.
Not too many serpents in this part of portland.
Look at the way he is from this side.
What if he got whacked real hard?
-Maybe by her. -Yeah.
Well, we don't know anything till we take a look.
Listen, I just wanna take a quick look
Under your brother's shirt, just to see where he's hurting.
Okay? To see if I can help him.
-No! -No. No!
-Let him go! Let him go! -Wait. Wait.
Don't hurt my sister!
Now, I know you're scared. Did she hurt you?
-Did anybody hurt you? -No. No.
What are you doing out so late?
Uh, what kind of help did you come out here for?
Nothing. It's just a game. I wanna go home.
And where's that? Where are your parents?
Right there!
-Oh, god. -Mom!
Thank the lord you're safe. Oh!
[tye] ah, I hope they weren't making any trouble.
Well, not at all. I mean, we were just here to help them.
Officers, could we, uh...
[intense music]
Was my daughter going on about something kind of crazy?
-What kind of somethin'? -Well, I don't know.
It's, uh, it's different every time.
She, uh, she takes her little brother out
In the middle of the night on these, uh,
These missions she dreams up.
-She's done this before? -You gotten her any help?
-Of course. -What kind?
The kind she needs.
River. Come on, baby. Let's go home.
Is it true what your brother said,
That this is just a game?
Come on, baby, let's all go home...
So we can, we can heal forest
In a place where it's safe.
I'm tired. I wanna go home. I wanna sleep.
Yes, it's true.
Yeah, it was just a game.
[forest sobbing]
Oh, I'm...
Officers, we, uh...
I mean, thank you so much for your help
From the, from the bottom of our hearts.
[kenner] yeah, we're gonna need your contact information,
So we can follow up on the incident.
Driver's license would do it.
[dramatic music]
Thank you.
[engine starts]
There's no time to pack anything, just get the chains...
-And the ropes in the van. -[meadow] why?
If we leave them behind, the enemy
Can use them in the lies they'll tell about us.
-Where are we going? -Someplace deep in the desert.
Where they'll never find us.
Now, there will be no blaming of river and forest.
It's not their fault that the enemy trapped them.
As soon as mama and I've driven the infection out of them,
We'll be on our way. Fast now! They could be here any second.
Now, you wait in your room. Fangs are deeper into forest.
We'll free him first.
[rain] papa.
Is he gonna be all right?
He's in god's hands. He'll be perfect.
Now here, go get summer.
Uh, come on in the bathroom, honey.
I'm coming with you in here, okay?
Okay.
D'you think that on the way out of town, we can stop by
An emergency room? They-they don't ask any questions.
You held them too close on the way home, laura.
The infection got you, too, it is making you doubt
The lord's power to heal your own children.
Now you take care of the locks in the kitchen.
I will help river and forest.
Later, later when there is time,
I will chase away that doubt, so it never plagues you again.
For now, help the kids get us on our way.
Okay?
[forest groaning]
Baby, what happened?
[breathing heavily]
Papa was right.
The serpent took his fang out of me just now.
-It's not hurting? -Not anymore. Uh...
Just a second ago it was like the worst thing ever.
But then it-it, it was just gone.
Oh, thank god! Thank you, papa.
You can thank me in the van, okay? We have to go! Let's go.
You heard him. Fast, fast, fast, everybody.
Help me put some food together for the drive.
-On the way to our new life. -[doorbell ringing]
I-I'll get it.
-[doorbell ringing] -[groaning]
[knocking on door]
Mr. Mcgrath, I'm gloria sterling
With the office of family and child welfare.
Officer kenner and I are here
To do a welfare check on minor children.
Everybody is sleeping.
Um, can you give us a minute, please?
Sure.
This is the greatest danger we have ever faced.
But if you do everything we talked about, it will be fine,
And we'll find our garden, okay?
-[forest groans] -[laura] come in. Come in.
-We're all in the living room. -Is it hurting again?
[door opens]
[tye] everybody, this is ms. Sterling and officer kenner.
What do we all say, children?
[all] hello, ms. Sterling and officer kenner.
Well, hello to all of you.
Oh. Early start on christmas?
It's all so pretty.
[clears throat]
Are there bathing facilities in the house?
We had a plumbing problem,
So we couldn't take showers for a while.
-But it's being fixed. -Well, that's good.
[gloria] and where do the children attend school?
Well, right here in our licensed and permitted home academy.
May we take a look in the kitchen area?
Absolutely, yes. Of course.
Mama.
May I please use the bathroom, please?
Of course.
[groaning]
-I thought you were all better. -[groans]
Feel his skin. It's like he's on fire.
May we have a look around upstairs?
Uh, we're actually doing some, some renovations up there.
Yeah, you'd need a flashlight and a search warrant
To get through that mess.
Do you happen to have either of those on hand?
Not right now, but we can come back with both.
[intense music]
I-I have to grab some school things from the garage, so I...
I'll help you, mom.
Well, are there any other questions I can help you with?
No, we're good for now.
Then I'll, I'll walk you out.
You have to drink it, forest. You have to drink it.
-[groaning] -[knocking on door]
Who is it?
[laura] mama. [rain] and me.
[forest groaning]
-The pain came back? -Yeah.
Worse than before.
Mama, you have to look up on your phone
What someone's supposed to do when this happens.
-And papa says we need to leave. -[river] feel his forehead.
My phone's in the van. Rain, do you have yours?
-I-it's okay if I do it? -Yes.
Oh, my...
[forest sobbing]
[indistinct chatter]
[rain] it says when the appendix bursts, the pressure stops,
Which means the pain goes away, but it can also lead to...
What's, uh, sepsis?
[laura] poison spreading through his body.
Um, because it burst. Which means...
Wha-what was that word from the book?
-Mortality. -[laura] rain.
Press the phone thing and then touch 911
And they'll send somebody to help.
[forest sobbing]
-I'll do it. -[door opens]
[forest sobbing]
[tye] the serpent made me let this instrument of lies
And trickery into our house.
Yeah, we will take forest in the van
And god will heal him in the desert.
He's burning up. He's getting worse--
He was perfect before we were invaded!
That is why they came here, to bring their poison. We go now!
We have to cool him off before we go.
-Mama... -[laura] just an ice bath.
For a little while. Please. Feel his skin.
-Tye. -[forest sobbing]
All right. Three minutes, and then we leave.
[forest sobbing]
Mama.
-[grunts] -[tye] all right. Come here.
[forest sobbing]
Every second we wait, they get closer.
-We're going out the back. -[forest sobbing]
[river] papa, please call somebody to help forest.
Now he's as cool as a mountain stream now.
What if that's just from the ice?
Do you have zero faith?
We need to get help for forest.
Lamb thinks he's grown the horns of a ram, does he?
-Give me my phone. -No.
[tye grunts]
Oh!
[grunting]
[rain groans]
I think I've driven the enemy out of him.
But if we don't get away fast, we'll all be lost.
So let's get into the van now.
[prairie grunting]
I think you heard what I said!
Laura, will you lead the flock into the van?
I won't.
-I'm getting help. -[tye] stop!
-[laura] no! -Come on. Come on.
-Tye, put the knife down. -[tye] rain.
What was god's final command to abraham?
[tye] genesis 22.
What did god command abraham to do?
Sacrifice his son.
-Let him go. -Abraham failed the test.
He disobeyed.
But I will not let this family
Fall into the hands of the enemy.
So we're getting into the van now!
[grunting]
-Get the phone! Get the phone! -Ahh!
-No! -[laura] prairie!
-Prairie, no! No! -[tye] stop!
-[meadow grunting] -[tye grunting]
-[tye] no! -[meadow breathing heavily]
-It's ringing, mom! -River, there's no time.
-Run! Go get help! Go! -[meadow] run!
[intense music]
[sobbing]
Help!
[indistinct chatter on tv]
[man on tv] we're learning more about this harrowing tale
Of children held prisoner in their own home
For more than a decade in appalling conditions.
Police are reporting evidence of chains and restraints.
One dangerously sick child denied medical care
Is now in hospital in critical condition.
Neighbors report that the parents were quiet and kept
To themselves, some were unaware
That there were children in the house...
[remote clicks]
Your brother's alive.
But he's gone into a coma
That the doctors haven't been able to get him out of.
Coma?
It's like, um, being asleep,
But deeper and...
And you don't wake up?
No, no. Uh, sometimes you do.
But sometimes you don't?
Sometimes.
Which is it gonna be this time?
The doctors don't know.
I wanna see him.
Uh, no, you can't. You can't.
[prairie grunting]
[glass shatters]
Hey! Just relax! It's okay. It's okay.
-[prairie grunting] -[kenner] it's okay.
These children are in a profound state of fear and confusion.
I'm sorry, detective cortez, there's no way
They're ready to be interrogated.
Without statements, we can only hold
The parents for another 60 hours.
With the state these kids are in?
We can make a case for neglect.
But false imprisonment? Torture?
Well, you should hear the defense revving up.
The windows weren't barred, the kids
Could have gotten out at any time.
Yeah, and the ones that did get out, ah...
I mean, the boy jumped into his mother's arms
Like he couldn't wait to get home.
I'd have to attest to that at a deposition.
You have no idea what shape these kids are in.
All they'll eat is the stuff that was in the van
'cause they're afraid the food in the hospital
Will infect them with the devil's poison.
Jesus!
They're fragile. This could shatter them.
If a judge makes us let them go,
Even on the shortest possible leash,
How confident are you that they won't be smoke?
You want these kids living in fear that their parents
Could pop out from behind a wall
And grab them at any time?
My parents made mistakes,
But everything they did was to protect us.
Didn't your father pull a knife on you?
Didn't even your mother try to stop him?
Papa was mad because I wanted forest to go to the doctor.
But look what happened when the doctors got their hands on him.
Who was right, me and mama...
Or papa?
[cortez] how often were you allowed
To take baths?
Tell me about the food your parents gave you to eat.
She's protecting herself from the breath of the enemy
That made her brother sick.
[prairie] papa was the worst
Even though he didn't do most of the hitting,
Because he's the one who made mama do it.
Sometimes they kept us in the closet for so long,
We could barely walk.
They kept telling us the world was either serpent-demon
Or innocent lamb.
But can I tell you a secret?
Something nobody else knows in the whole world.
Absolutely.
There's also the goat with the red eyes
And the black-and-gold horns.
That's who had told me to use the knife on papa.
I know this is hard, meadow.
But can you tell me what your parents used the ropes for?
[sobbing]
Did they tie you up with them?
[sobbing]
Whatever river says, that's what I say.
[sobbing]
We're counting on you, river.
Without a statement from you,
Your parents' attorneys can compel the court
To release them.
You want them out there, free,
Where they can keep hurting you and your brothers and sisters?
I've been in the outside world for two days now.
What if I've already breathed the poison?
What if whatever I say to you is what the devil wants me to say?
It's no use asking me questions. I don't know anything.
Can I go now?
[dramatic music]
[instrumental music]
You're up with the sun.
More like never went to sleep.
Hm. I get that.
Well, somebody's been trying
To get a hold of you real hard.
-Me? -Name's tristan.
Out of kingston, jamaica.
-I don't wanna talk to him. -Okay, then.
[music continues]
-Gloria. -Hm?
-There you are. -Here I am.
I-I saw about your brother on the news.
I'm praying for him.
You should be.
If forest dies, maybe it'll be because I did what you said.
Or maybe because I didn't do it soon enough.
Either way, I messed everything up.
[tristan] it's not your fault.
You're a great hero. You're-you're moses.
You led your people out of egypt.
You know that story.
And then they wandered in the desert for 40 years.
They had to fight terrible enemies,
And a lot of people died.
-Did you know that? -Yes.
How do you know pharaoh wasn't protecting
The children of god because he loved them?
They want me to go to court and say bad things about my parents.
Are you going to?
Proverbs 20.
"if someone curses their father or mother,
Their lamp will be snuffed out in darkness."
So you're gonna let them go free?
I don't know.
I don't even know how to know.
They said your father was bad to your mother, too,
That she helped you escape.
Yeah, well, maybe the devil tricked her into doing that,
Because he wanted forest to die.
Your mother risked her life to help your brother.
No matter what, she's still your mother.
Do you think, maybe, I-if you talk to her,
She can help you know how to know?
I wish you could be here.
[instrumental music]
How many days is it to christmas?
Uh, just under three weeks, I think.
Why are you asking?
Nothing. It's-it's just this thing mama and I used to...
Sweetheart, wh-what-what is it?
Do you think if I asked,
They would let me see her in jail?
Well, they'd probably ask me if I thought it was a good idea.
Do you want to see her?
What's it like being here?
[laura] it's all right.
Noisy sometimes.
Papa's in a different jail, right?
Why do you wanna see me?
[river] because we needed to talk to you.
They want us to say that you and papa were bad,
So they can keep you in jail forever.
And we don't know what we should...
[laura] you're asking me?
'cause-'cause papa turned out to be right about the doctors.
And if what you and papa said all along was true,
About how the police and everybody were all demons...
[meadow] a-and you only changed your mind at the very end
'cause the devil got hold of you.
And, and we should tell them to let you go.
[rain] and we can hide in the desert
And keep the holy fire alive.
Is that something you want?
Revelations seven.
"the lamb on the throne will be their shepherd
And he will lead them to springs of living water."
And god will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Oh, the things we did to you...
Proverbs 12.
No, um, 13.
"he who spares his rod
Hates his child,
But he who loves him, punishes him diligently."
What about ezekiel 18:20? Do you know that one?
-No. -Of course not.
We made sure not to teach it to you.
[rain] I know what it says.
"do not follow the rules of your parents or their judgments,
Or defile yourselves with their idols."
I always thought the devil snuck that in.
No.
The rest is the devil.
That's the holy word.
It can't be.
What if what we said all along was a lie?
What if me and papa were the serpents?
-Why are you being like this? -I know why.
I know what she's trying to do.
I'm just answering the question you asked.
Mama, is that true?
[hissing]
Take me back now.
All right, let's go.
[door shutting]
[instrumental music]
"your honor, I would like to begin by thanking you
For hearing me out today.
Even with the difficult days of the trial behind us,
Even with my parents found guilty,
Even with the freedom we have now,
My brothers and sisters and I know that it is still early
In our story, and that there will be rough water ahead.
But we are doing well."
[instrumental music]
[river] there is a whole scary new world for us to discover,
And we are learning new things about it every day.
People have been wonderful to us, in the hospital
And everywhere, and we send all of them our thanks.
They are helping us figure out what our dreams are,
So we can work to make them come true.
[music continues]
I know that now you have to sentence my parents.
And it doesn't make all the things that my mom did okay.
But I'm beginning to realize that she was
My father's first victim.
I'm learning that my father...
If I can even call him that...
Had parents who loved him
And tried to help him.
So he has no excuse.
Still, I wanna thank him for one thing.
For teaching us about the fire of the spirit within,
Because I know it's real.
And even if he did his best to put it out in all of us...
We all feel it growing strong in us every day.
[cheering]
That fire is burning bright,
And no matter what happens to any of us...
I know it will never go out.
[music continues]
[instrumental music]
[music continues]