Reindeer Games Page #38

IN THE CAR:

The belt breaks! Rudy snaps his hands free! But instead of

trying to escape, he reaches under the steering column,

RIPPING its panel away and pulling wires free!

As Ashley tosses her match onto the hood, and FIRE races

over the body of the car, TONGUES racing inside, over the

dash, over the seats, lapping at Rudy --

-- who ducks his head beneath the wheel, frantic to locate

the right leads --

IN THE TRAILER:

Ashley jumps out of the way, to the snow. Nick pushes the

flaming car to the trailer's edge --

-- starting on down the ramp, the ravine ahead --

-- and as gravity starts to take the metal bonfire --

IN THE CAR:

Rudy sparks two wires together, FLAMES eating at him --

RUDY:

LIKE RIDING A BIKE, LIKE RIDING A

BIKE, LIKE RIDING A BIIIIIKE!

-- and the ENGINE IGNITES!

Rudy slams the gearshift into "Reverse", grabs the wheel and

looks over his shoulder at shocked Nick behind him --

RUDY:

RULE ONE! NEVER PUT A CAR THIEF BEHIND

THE WHEEL!

-- and SLAMS the accelerator.

ON FULL SCENE:

As the burning Nova races backwards up the ramp, and back

into the trailer --

Terrified Nick turns to run but there's nowhere to go --

-- and the car SLAMS into the trailer's back, CRUSHING Nick's

legs between metal and metal!

ASHLEY:

NOOOOOOO!!!

Then Rudy faces front, pounds the shift into "Drive."

RUDY:

RULE TWO!

Ashley stands at the bottom of the ramp, vengeance and rage.

She grabs her handgun, OPENS FIRE --

-- and Rudy SLAMS the gas again, shooting down the ramp --

-- as he flings open the car door, dives and rolls --

-- while the burning Nova COLLIDES with Ashley, throwing her

onto the hood, and sending the tandem inferno speeding off

the ridgetop --

-- arcing slowly as it PLUMMETS into the ravine, a smoking,

blazing shooting star with a woman's figure hanging on.

The shooting star hits Earth and explodes.

SLOW DISSOLVE TO:

INT. CASINO/EXT. SNOWY ROAD - MONTAGE

The same four shots that opened the film. The Santa on the

floor of the cage (Pug), the Santa on the hood of the car

(Merlin), the Santa in the hallway (Jumpy).

And the Santa lying face-down on the snowy road. Gabriel.

EXT. RAVINE'S EDGE - SAME

The last of the opening images. Rudy's motionless Santa

figure, upside-down on the snowy incline, bits of his suit

still aflame. He opens his eyes.

ANGLE ON SNOWY ROAD

Rudy staggers to his feet. Battered and dazed. Looks at

Gabriel's body. Then looks to the trailer.

Inside, Nick is still alive, bones broken from the waist

down.

He's mumbling madly, staring at the ceiling:

NICK:

...Rudy... help me... Rudy...

Rudy climbs the tire ramp. And pulls the trailer gate shut.

He climbs into the rig's cab. Starts the engine. Puts the

truck in reverse, taps the accelerator and hops out.

NICK (O.S.)

...Rudy! Rudy! HELP ME!!!

The truck rolls backwards. And into the ravine.

Rudy listens to its TUMBLING SOUNDS all the way to the bottom.

He then looks up the road one way. Then the other.

And notices the two money sacks sitting in the snow.

He stares at them.

A long time.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. RUDY'S JOURNEY - MONTAGE - NIGHT/DAY

In his burnt and battered Santa suit, Rudy's figure trudges

the snowy night. Two sacks over his shoulder. walking empty

roads and highways. And passing a roadsign that reads "Sidnaw --

35 Miles."

He passes rural roads and driveways, and every time he comes

across a mailbox... he puts a stack of cash inside. On the

soundtrack, the STRINGS and RUM-PUM-PUM-PUMS of "The Little

Drummer Boy" start to rise --

With snow falling, he passes a new sign: "Sidnaw -- 27 Miles."

With the sun rising, a PAIR OF CHILDREN huddle at a window,

seeing the man in the Santa suit at the end of their driveway.

Giving them something from his sack and ambling on.

-- and we follow Rudy's march, stuffing presents into

mailboxes. At every-stop on the way.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. A SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY

A cul-de-sac of Norman Rockwell Michigan homes. Graced with

pines and a pristine snowfall. Christmas trees in windows,

lights on inside, figures of FAMILIES in holiday gear.

No one noticing the man in the Santa suit, his sacks long

gone, walking up the road.

EXT./INT. FIFTIES-ERA HOME - DAY

At cul-de-sac's end. Where a blackened red cuff KNOCKS.

After a moment, the door opens to reveal a smiling MOTHER

and FATHER in their sixties. There's a party going on inside;

a dining table visible beyond them.

The Mother and Father's smiles disappear. Shock. Concern.

MOTHER:

Rudy...? Rudy?

FATHER:

Son? Is... is that you...?

The Santa Claus shuffles inside, right past them.

The Santa Claus sleepwalks straight for the dining room,

finding a dozen RELATIVES, laughing and eating. A table laden

with turkey and stuffing, gravy and cranberry, wassail and

wine.

The relatives stop still. The room goes silent.

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