The Polar Express Page #3

Years ago, on my first Christmas Eve run, I was up on the roof making my rounds...

...when I slipped on the ice myself.

I reached out for a hand iron, but it broke off. I slid and fell.

And yet, I did not fall off this train.

Someone saved you?

Or something.

An angel.

Maybe.

Wait. Wait.

What did he look like? Did you see him?

No, sir. But sometimes seeing is believing.

And sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see.

Ah, the forsaken and the abandoned.

Mind your step, now. These poor toys have suffered enough...

...being left to rust and decay in the back alleys and vacant lots of the world.

What are they doing here?

It's a new concept the boss came up with.

Instead of being thrown away, they're collected. Refurbished.

He calls it "rebicycling." Something like that.

HERO GIRL:
Makes me wanna cry...

...seeing toys that were treated this way.

CONDUCTOR:
These hopelessly entangled...

...string puppets and marionettes...

...pose a particular problem. We found the nimble fingers of our work force...

...here at the North Pole are best for working out those knots and tangles.

Thank you. Uh-oh. Double-locked here.

You are just like me, my friend.

A scrooge! Ah!

Ebenezer Scrooge.

North Pole, Santa Claus, this train...

...it's all a bunch of humbug. A bout of indigestion.

Oh, yeah. I know what you are.

You're a doubter.

A doubter. You don't believe!

You're a doubter! You don't believe!

[KIDS LAUGHING AND CHATTERING]

Hey, you missed it. We rode down some really sharp hills.

We were on what looked like a frozen lake.

But I know it was just an optical illusion caused by moonlight.

He said the train was on ice. But I said that's impossible...

You can't put a train track... Hey, where you going now?

[INDISTINCT SINGING]

Shh.

LONELY BOY [SINGING]: I'm wishing on a star And trying to believe That even though it's far He'll find me Christmas Eve I guess that Santa's busy

'Cause he's never come around I think of him when Christmas comes to town The best time of the year When everyone comes home with all this Christmas cheer It's hard to be alone Putting up the Christmas tree with friends who come around It's so much fun when Christmas comes to town Presents for the children Wrapped in red and green All the things I've heard about But never really seen No one will be sleeping On the night of Christmas Eve Hoping Santa's on his way When Santa's sleigh bells ring I listen all around The herald angels sing I never hear a sound And all the dreams of children Once lost will all be found That's all I want when Christmas comes to town

That's all I want when Christmas comes to town

Look.

HERO BOY:
The northern lights.

CONDUCTOR:
Hey. You three.

We just crossed it.

Latitude 66◦33'. The Arctic Circle.

And do you see? Those lights in the distance.

They look like the lights of a strange ocean liner sailing on a frozen sea.

There...

...is the North Pole.

KIDS:
It's a magic carpet on a rail It never takes a rest Flying through The mountains and the snow You can ride for free and join the fun If you just say yes

'Cause that's the way things happen On the Polar Express whoo, whoo, the whistle blows That's the sound of her singing Ding, ding, the bell will ring Golly, look at her go You wonder if you'll get there soon Anybody's guess

'Cause that's the way things happen On the Polar Express When we get there We'll scream, "Yay!"

We'll arrive with A bang, bang, bang Boom, boom, boom Laughing all the way

CONDUCTOR:
We made it. With five minutes to spare.

We made it.

[LAUGHING]

[SOBS]

HERO GIRL:
There should be elves. Where are the elves?

KID:
Yeah, where are the elves?

CONDUCTOR:
They are gathering in the center of the city.

That is where Santa will give the first gift of Christmas.

Who gets the first gift of Christmas?

He will choose one of you.

Look. Elves!

[MARCHING FOOTSTEPS]

CONDUCTOR:
All right. All right, ladies and gentlemen.

Two columns, if you please.

Shorter in the front, taller in the rear.

Even-numbered birthdays on the right, odd-numbered on the left.

No pushing. No pushing. But let's not dilly-dally.

It's five minutes to midnight.

Hey, what gives? It was five minutes till midnight four minutes ago.

Exactly. Columns of two.

One, two. HERO GIRL: - Excuse me.

Question. What about him?

No one is required to see Santa.

Ladies and gentlemen, you do not have to hold hands...

Come on. ...but please remain in your columns...

...while we are in transit.

Look, you have to come with us. She's right.

Christmas just doesn't work out for me. Never has.

But Christmas is such a wonderful, beautiful time.

It's a time for giving and being thankful, for friends and family.

People hang decorations and lights. Santa leaves presents under our Christmas trees.

Christmas just...

...doesn't work out for me.

Look, I don't know if Christmas is gonna work out for you or not...

...but this is Christmas Eve. Don't stay here by yourself.

HERO GIRL:
Yes, come with us.

We'll go together.

[CREAKING]

HERO GIRL:
Oh, no. HERO BOY: Uh-oh.

HERO BOY:
We're gonna be okay.

[BUZZING]

Maybe not!

The emergency brake.

The emergency brake.

There's no brake. I can't find the brake!

HOBO:
Take a break, kid.

How about a nice, good hot cup of Joe?

[SCREAMING]

HERO GIRL:
We're gonna crash!

[GRUNTING]

We're spinning.

["WINTER WONDERLAND" PLAYS ON RECORD PLAYER]

Shh. You hear that?

The bell.

HERO BOY:
- What bell? The sleigh bell.

Sleigh bell? Don't you hear it?

It's coming from that tunnel.

That's the way we should go.

Come on.

Oh.

[SONG SKIPPING AND REPEATING]

What?

What? Come on.

["SILVER BELLS" PLAYS ON RECORD PLAYER]

Come on.

HERO BOY:
We're lost.

HERO GIRL:
Yes.

Yes. I hear it. LONELY BOY: - I hear it too.

I don't hear anything. Okay, it's down this way.

Are you sure?

Absolutely.

Why can't I hear anything? Shh.

Get down and be quiet.

[PHONE RINGING]

ELF:
Yeah. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

Okay.

Well, that was the wrapping hall, chief.

Just finished the last one. ELF GENERAL: - How's it wrapped?

ELF:
It's wrapped in candy-striped red with a number-seven holly-green bow.

ELF GENERAL:
A number-seven bow? When we're this close to liftoff?

What are they thinking down there? Are they meshuggener?

What's the routing? Going to the States.

Grand Rapids, Michigan.

[GASPS]

That's my town. I'm from Grand Rapids.

[ALARM BUZZING]

ELF GENERAL:
We got a troublemaker now. Just what we need.

Things aren't bad enough. What's his 20?

Apparently, some kid from Maplewood, New Jersey...

...stuck some gum in his sister's hair.

ELF GENERAL:
New Jersey? Is that the same kid that put the tack...

...underneath his teacher's chair last year?

No, sir. This kid's name is Steven. Steven.

So, what do we do, chief? Alert the big man?

We talking nothing for Christmas here?

STEVEN:
I didn't do it.

I didn't do it.

I didn't do it.

ELF GENERAL:
Look, it's.... It's almost Christmas, huh?

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