HOLIDOME
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FADE IN: INT. SUBURBAN SHOPPING MALL - NIGHT SUPER: 7:30 PM, DECEMBER 24 Sappy holiday music through the PA system... "Jingle, jingle, ding, ding..." HOLIDAY CHOIR (over PA system) 'Tis the season for buying gifts for everyone... BIRDSEYE VIEW Through tangles of ornaments and giant nutcracker figures hanging from the ceiling... People scurrying like ants between kiosks and storefronts. GROUND LEVEL Chaos. Masses of frantic shoppers, babies crying, bumping, shouting. BRITTNEY, 14, a teenage suburban princess, storms through the crowd, yelling at her MOTHER, 45, who's loaded with the day's kill. BRITTNEY Great, now we'll never find one. Told you not to wait so long. INT. SUBURBAN SHOPPING MALL WOMEN'S RESTROOM - NIGHT Vomiting and gagging from inside a closed stall. VERA NEELY, 37, presses up against the stall door. VERA NEELY Are you okay honey? The stall door opens. CALLIE NEELY, 13, bald, sickly pale, steps out, wiping her mouth with a tissue. CALLIE NEELY Yeah, fine. VERA NEELY Maybe we should go home now. The lines are pretty long. CALLIE NEELY No mom, I want to see Santa Claus. Brittney steps from the adjacent stall, staring at Callie, gasping when she finally recognizes her. BRITTNEY Oh my God! Callie, is that you? Callie smiles. CALLIE NEELY Hey, Brittney. How's it going? Vera heads for the door. VERA NEELY I'll be outside. BRITTNEY Uh, your hair? Callie, swipes a hand across her bald head. CALLIE NEELY Chemo, radiation. Decided to shave the rest. Last minute shopping? BRITTNEY Yeah, I'm so pissed, my Mom waited... (beat) Anyway, you? CALLIE NEELY Kinda corny, but I wanted to see Santa Claus... you know. Callie, eyes welling with tears, looks to the floor. BRITTNEY Christ, have you seen the line? INT. SUBURBAN SHOPPING MALL SANTA'S VILLAGE - NIGHT A nervous SANTA ELF, 19, speaks into a microphone. SANTA ELF (filtered through speaker) I'm sorry, but Santa has to leave. He has a very busy night. He'll only be able to see those in front of the rope line. Groans, yelling, children wailing. Brittney, in line with Callie, yells... BRITTNEY You gotta be kidding, no way. Brittney grabs Callie's hand, storming toward Santa. The Elf steps in their way. SANTA ELF Excuse me, you can't... Brittney shoves the Elf out of the way. BRITTNEY Go make some toys sister. EXT. SUBURBAN SHOPPING MALL PARKING LOT - NIGHT A SECURITY GUARD escorts Brittney and Callie out of the mall. Brittney turns, snaps at the Security Guard. BRITTNEY Way to go mall cop. Don't you have some shoplifters to catch? CALLIE NEELY I better call my mom. BRITTNEY Wait! Brittney points across the parking lot. BRITTNEY Look! EXT. CAR SUBURBAN SHOPPING MALL PARKING LOT - NIGHT SANTA tosses his hat into the car, plops behind the wheel. INT. CAR SUBURBAN SHOPPING MALL PARKING LOT - NIGHT Country western music from the radio. Santa drives away, lights a cigarette and takes a swig from a brown paper bag. Someone pounds on the car, BANG, BANG, BANG. A MUFFLED VOICE from outside. MUFFLED VOICE Hey, stop, stop! Santa peers into the sideview mirror. Brittney runs alongside the car, Callie in tow. Santa stops the car. Brittney, breathless, pokes her head through the open window. BRITTNEY My friend... she needs to see you... Santa leans his head out of the window, sees Callie, hands on her knees, panting. SANTA Look, I put in twelve hours today. Been smacked, kicked, spit on. I'm goin' home. Santa rolls up the window, pulls forward. SANTA'S POV - BRITTNEY THROUGH WINDSHIELD Brittney sprints in front of the car, slamming both hands on the hood. Santa stops the car, jumps out, reaches for his cell phone. SANTA Are you crazy? I'm callin' security. Brittney runs to Callie, yanks off her knit cap, bald head gleaming under the parking lot lamps. BRITTNEY (crying) Look, she needs to see you. Okay? EXT. SANTA'S CAR - NIGHT With the trunk open, Santa sits on the back bumper, Callie on his lap. SANTA So, what can I bring you for Christmas? Brittney throws a snowball, nailing a plastic reindeer strapped to a lamppost. Callie gazes up at the falling snow. CALLIE NEELY How about another Christmas. Santa smiles. SANTA You got it. Santa turns to Brittney. SANTA How about you? Brittney hurls another snowball, her back to Santa. BRITTNEY Ditto. From a speaker... HOLIDAY CHOIR (filtered through PA system) "Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright.." FADE OUT:
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