~ prologue ~
(a book cracks open in the dark)
Kids gather around a lunch room table, dealer dealing blackjack.
(based on a true conversation, we played for milk and lunch tickets, big
stakes on Tiger Electronics hand-helds and game watches)
~ "That's just too insane. There's no way they could all be in on it."
~ "It's too crazy ! Who'd make it up ?"
~ "And every single one of them lying about it ?"
~ "Nope ! Too big."
____
Two bullies hold a kid surrounded in the snow, a snowball hits him in the face, they laugh ...
____
~ "I'm just saying I heard he's not real."
~ "Fuck that. He's real."
____
Another snowball on the face.
____
~ "I don't know ... I heard that too. What is he supposed to be ... like a burglar ? He just breaks in people's houses ?"
~ "Like Robin Hood. He breaks in to give you stuff."
~ "Gonna go to jail for that."
~ "My dad might shoot him."
____
The thrower packs an ice ball in his evil mittens ...
Kid being held - "You know what !?" He spits looking at the kid getting ready to throw ...
Snapshot snarl ~
~ Santa Claus is Gonna Kick Yer Ass ~
('What You Give is What You Get' by DJ Hurricane of Beastie Boys)
He smacks the two holding his arms against each other and leaps for the
third. Kids rise from behind the drifts, bombarding the bullies
surrounding their fighting prey as he leaps.
____
~ "So where's he get the stuff ? Are all those elves like ... bootlegging all those toys ?"
~ "Gonna get sued for that."
~ "No ! No one sues him ! Or shoots him."
~ "Hard time."
~ "No ! Not even. He's like a saint."
____
The bully poofs into the drift under the kid, a glove flying off.
____
~ "Saint of what ? Stealing toys from the mall ?"
____
Kids in slow motion snow battle, leaping through the air, slow faces splatted.
____
~ "Saint of nothing. I heard he wasn't real."
~ "Mm hm. I Heard that too."
____
A slow screaming teacher sighting the playground mayhem as though it were horror ...
____
~ "He's a saint. That's almost like Jesus. So maybe your dad eats those cookies, and maybe he doesn't. But he still could be real."
They all look at him.
~ "What ... are you talking about ?"
...
~ "... my dad eats the cookies ... ?"
____
The screaming teacher falls to his knees in slow as the snow combat view spins around him, red furious faces ... a child weakly makes a snow angel ...
____
~ "I'm just saying whether he's real or not it's better to believe in case you're wrong. Might go to hell."
...
~ "And better presents if you play along either way."
Agreement.
________
The principal lectures the father, the father looks at his watch, the kid looks out the window, imagining distant battles.
____
Around a poker table, players grown up glance and each other at the hand face down on the table.
____
The father looks at his watch.
Dad - The principal staring ... "Hm ? Oh yeah. That's all very terrible. He's definitely grounded."
Principal - "Suspended. Actually."
Dad - "Oh ! So ... we're all done here then ?"
The kid snickers while the principal furrows his brow.
________
In the car ...
Dad - "God damn it. God Damn it ! They just folded me. I can feel it. They just folded me out."
He starts lecturing into the song on the radio, more annoyed at the game than the kid, while the kid looks out the window in full imagination.
____
~ "So where's he get the stuff ? Are all those elves like ... bootlegging all those toys ?"
~ "Gonna get sued for that."
~ "No ! No one sues him ! Or shoots him."
~ "Hard time."
~ "No ! Not even. He's like a saint."
____
The bully poofs into the drift under the kid, a glove flying off.
____
~ "Saint of what ? Stealing toys from the mall ?"
____
Kids in slow motion snow battle, leaping through the air, slow faces splatted.
____
~ "Saint of nothing. I heard he wasn't real."
~ "Mm hm. I Heard that too."
____
A slow screaming teacher sighting the playground mayhem as though it were horror ...
____
~ "He's a saint. That's almost like Jesus. So maybe your dad eats those cookies, and maybe he doesn't. But he still could be real."
They all look at him.
~ "What ... are you talking about ?"
...
~ "... my dad eats the cookies ... ?"
____
The screaming teacher falls to his knees in slow as the snow combat view spins around him, red furious faces ... a child weakly makes a snow angel ...
____
~ "I'm just saying whether he's real or not it's better to believe in case you're wrong. Might go to hell."
...
~ "And better presents if you play along either way."
Agreement.
________
The principal lectures the father, the father looks at his watch, the kid looks out the window, imagining distant battles.
____
Around a poker table, players grown up glance and each other at the hand face down on the table.
____
The father looks at his watch.
Dad - The principal staring ... "Hm ? Oh yeah. That's all very terrible. He's definitely grounded."
Principal - "Suspended. Actually."
Dad - "Oh ! So ... we're all done here then ?"
The kid snickers while the principal furrows his brow.
________
In the car ...
Dad - "God damn it. God Damn it ! They just folded me. I can feel it. They just folded me out."
He starts lecturing into the song on the radio, more annoyed at the game than the kid, while the kid looks out the window in full imagination.
('Gin and Juice' by Snoop Dogg)
They
drive down the road while the Profane Wars rage around them unseen. The
kid imagines as the unseen fades to his cartoon versions of it,
soldiers armored like a game, beasts like dragons ...
~ The poker players play on around the empty chair ...
The father curses at the traffic and bangs the wheel, while a beast walks over the traffic, turning back to the attacking airship then fleeing.
Light turns green.
~ A hand slapped on the table, all the cards thrown in with a noise.
The battles distant behind them, they pull into their drive, the dad jumps out running for the door. The kid sloughs in behind, drags ups the stairs while the dad rejoins the game cursing.
The kid flops in bed and pulls out a comic book.
~ The poker players play on around the empty chair ...
The father curses at the traffic and bangs the wheel, while a beast walks over the traffic, turning back to the attacking airship then fleeing.
Light turns green.
~ A hand slapped on the table, all the cards thrown in with a noise.
The battles distant behind them, they pull into their drive, the dad jumps out running for the door. The kid sloughs in behind, drags ups the stairs while the dad rejoins the game cursing.
The kid flops in bed and pulls out a comic book.