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They called it a tornado, because it was easier for them that way. Power lines down, outages across the county; buildings and roofs plucked and peeled back like an anxious giant had been fiddling nervously with his hands. No one was killed - by the good grace of God - but so many were busted, bruised and shaken. It was on the news -pudgy perma-frowned policemen wiping their brow and saying, "Like nothin we ever seen," outside of a local car dealership. "Well it was weird now, cause the sky didn't look too bad, not like that storm back in March you know, but Lord I swear you could hear a screamin'," from a skinny woman wrapped in a dressing robe. NOAA was as lost as the local PD. Some out-of-towners had had the bad luck to be driving out of town right as it hit. They were surprised and nervous, and eager to get home, so the policemen sent them on their way; theirs weren't the faces that locals wanted to see when they flipped on Channel 12, and the little kid in the back seat kept crying, and there was no point in holding them up any longer.
So the next time the family took a day trip, Amy made sure to pack some extra toys and slip her brother a small dose of children's Benadryl in his apple sauce before they left the house, like mom and dad had taught her. Just to be safe.