REINDEER GAMES

The ugly staffer curls his lip. Nick smiles. Rudy moves on,
taking his tray off the rail and turning--

--right into the chest of The Alamo. He looks up--

--into the most scarred and vengeful face a man could ever dread
to see. The Alamo's a lifer. Many times over.

                        THE ALAMO
           When you don't expect it.

                        RUDY
           It wasn't me, Alamo--

                        THE ALAMO
           That's when.

The Alamo strides into the cafeteria line. Rudy finally takes a
breath, as if he's dodged death. Nick's at his shoulder. They
share a grave and worried look. Trying to help:

                        NICK
           Two days.

INT. MESS HALL - TABLES - DAY

Rudy and Nick sit at a cafeteria table. Beside Rudy is a frail,
nervous, fiftyish inmate, ZOOK. Zook sits alone, talks to no one,
always has the shakes.

                        NICK
           So maybe after our week beneath the
           sheets, we'll head down to Motor
           City for New Year's. She says her
           roomnate's skipping town for a few
           days, have the place to ourselves.
           Remember how her brother's a truck
           driver down there? I'm thinking
           he might be able to help get me some
           work.

                        RUDY
           What, working security?

                        NICK
           No, I'm through with that shit.
           Ashley's right. Gotta start doing
           something I got a stake in. Get a
           business going.

                        RUDY
           I don't know, I've seen the business
           world.

                        NICK
           Hotwiring cars, Rudy, does not qualify as
           a small business. Chop shop consultant;
           doesn't work on a resume. Rudy shrugs. He
           checks across the room, on the whereabouts
           of The Alamo. The big Indian has his back
           turned.

                        NICK
           Ashley's talking about maybe we
           can start something up together...

Next to Rudy, Zook has stopped eating. He is still as stone,
staring at his tray.

                        NICK
           Whatsa matter, Zook?

They both watch Zook put down his utensils and reach into his red-
and-green jello with his bare hand.

                        RUDY
           The hell you doing, Zookerman?

Gloppy gelatin drips from his hand, as the frail man lifts a large
black cockroach out. Zook's shaking.

                        NICK
           Just a roach, Zook.

                        RUDY
           Good for you. Protein.

                        ZOOK
           Monsters-in the gelatin...

                        NICK
           It's a roach, guy--

                        ZOOK
           There are monsters ...
                 (voice rising)
           ... in the gelatin...

                        NICK
           Oh, man--

Zook stands up, holding jello aloft:

                        ZOOK
           THERE ARE MONSTERS IN THE GELATIN!

                        NICK
                 (shakes his head)
           Fuckin, Zookerman--

                        ZOOK
           THERE ARE MONSTERS! IN THE GELATIN!
           THERE ARE MONSTERS! IN THE GELATIN!

A GRUMBLING MURMUR sweeps through the cafeteria as inmates sift
through their jello, searching for--

                        DISTANT INMATE
           Sonofabitch!

He pulls something bug-like out of his dessert, holds it aloft,
and then HURLS it at the cafeteria line. A STAFFER ducks away. The
inmates LAUGH and suddenly they're all on their feet--

                        ZOOK
           THERE ARE MONSTERS! IN THE GELATIN!

--grabbing handfuls of jello and throwing it at the cafeteria
line. Inmates get errantly SPLASHED, and respond by wheeling on
their fellow inmates -- red and green globs flying to and fro!

                        GUARDS
           SIT DOWN! SIT THE FUCK BACK DOWN!

As GUARDS immediately rush in to restore order--

                        NICK
           Rudy, don't move--

                        RUDY
           Two days, we got two days! Don't
           do nothing. Don't touch nothing--

An INMATE at the end of their table picks up their table and
overturns it, sending food flying. Rudy and Nick stand back, hands
raised in surrender. Jello HITS Rudy in the face.

                        NICK
           Don't move, Rudy!

                        RUDY
           Standing right here, man!

Zook is still SHOUTING until a GUARD clubs him senseless with a
blackjack. WHISTLES are blowing. Guards SCREAM for order.

                        NICK
                 (as a GUARD eyes them)
           Ate the jello, jello was fine!

The guard leaves them alone, runs on. The melee's still out of
control. As Rudy turns--

--and suddenly sees The Alamo charging across the room, with
murderous eyes, a metal shank in his hand! Five feet away!

                        NICK
           RUDY, LOOK OUT!

Nick grabs him, trying to push him out of the way--

--and The Alamo's shank plunges deep into Nick's stompch burying
between his ribs. Blood splashes. Nick slumps.

                        RUDY
           NICK!

The Alamo pulls the blade out with a ferocious YELL, pushes Nick
to the floor and spins on Rudy! Rudy blocks with a chair,
stumbling back, cartwheeling over a table as The Alamo roars over
him for the kill--

--and two GUARDS tackle the big Indian out of nowhere! Knocking
the knife away, hammering him with blackjacks. It takes another
three guards to keep The Alamo down.

Rudy scrambles across the floor. Nick's on his back, blood pumping
freely from his gut-

                        RUDY
           GUARD! GUARD!

                        NICK
                 (in shock)
           Alamo...

                        RUDY
           GUARD!!!

No one's helping, the guards nearby all subduing The Alamo. Nick
grabs Rudy's shirt, gasping to speak-

                        NICK
           Jesus, Rudy--

                        RUDY
           Take it, man! You're all right!
           Hold it in! GUARD!

                        NICK
           Oh, fuck, Rudy ... oh Jesus ...

                        RUDY
           GUARD!!!

                        NICK
           Ash...Ashley...

                        RUDY
           No, man! No, no, no!

                        NICK
                 (choking)
           Tell her... I'll be there ...

                        RUDY
           You're GONNA be there! We're
           getting outta here! TAKE IT!

                        NICK
           Tell Ashley... I...

                        RUDY
           YOU TELL HER!

                        NICK
           ... be with her...

Blood spills out Nick's mouth. His eyes go vacant.

                        RUDY
           NO!!!

                        NICK
           ... for Christmas...

                        RUDY
           NICK!!!

And Rudy's suddenly hauled backwards. A trio of GUARDS descend,
grabbing Nick's body as his life fades away. Dragging his figure
out of the melee. WHISTLES are blowing.

                        GUARDS
           GET HIM OUT OF HERE! LOCK DOWN!

                        RUDY
           NICK!!!

Rudy struggles, enraged, and gets blackjacked across the skull for
his trouble. He hits the jello-covered floor.

And the world goes dark.

INT. PRISON CELL - NIGHT

Darkness and shadows. Rudy sits in a corner, holding his head. The
cell block silent for the first time.

Bootsteps from down the row. A SHADOW falls across Rudy's somber
figure. It's the Mean Guard. He stares at Rudy with distinct
pleasure.

                        RUDY
           The man had two days ...

                        MEAN GUARD
           Well. Least he won't be coming back.

The guard grins a gold tooth. Rudy looks at him--

--and then springs to his feet, charges the room, grabbing through
the bars. The guard takes a calm step back. Keeps the cruel smile.

                        MEAN GUARD
           You need company tonight, Rudy...
           you just give a holler.

He puckers a kiss and walks on. Starts whistling "Are You Lonesome
Tonight?" Several shadowed VOICES request that he shut the fuck
up. The bootsteps and melody drift down the row.

RUDY

turns back, starts toward his bunk. And stops. His eyes on Nick's
empty bed. And the wall behind.

THE PICTURES OF ASHLEY

Smiling, laughing, playing kissy-face. Hearts drawn on the photos.
All colors of stationery taped to the wall.

RUDY

takes a seat on Nick's bed. There's a shoebox at the foot of it.
Rudy opens it. It's filled with Ashley's letters.

He trails a finger along them, must be over a hundred pages. He
selects the one nearest the front. Surveys it.

                        NICK (v.o.)
           Rudy, man, here we go, here, what she
           wrote here: "The car's waiting. The
           motel's waiting. And I'm waiting.
           I've waited for so long. I'm burning
           for you, Nick. My whole body. My whole
           heart. I'm burning for you..."

Rudy turns to the wall. To the lakeside picture of Ashley, a
swimsuit siren. Rudy stares sadly.

                        RUDY
           He was burning for you too ...

And puts the letter away.

CLOSE ON RUDY'S CALENDAR - NIGHT

As his hand slashes through December 21st. Prison's over.

                                                           CUT TO:

EXT. IRON MOUNTAIN PRISON - DAY

Snow swirls. Near blizzard conditions. A heavy steel door BANGS
open, held by an EXIT GUARD. And FIFTEEN CONVICTS, make that EX-
CONVICTS, trudge onto a fenced drive, covered in snow.

                        EXIT GUARD
           Your world and welcome to it, dumbfucks!
           Don't be a stranger now! We'll keep the
           lights on for ya!

Rudy stumbles out with the group, shivering in a Goodwill handme-
down coat. Thin canvas, wouldn't keep him warm in summer.
Secondhand shoes. No possessions.

He clutches his sides with his hands, hunched over. All fifteen
huddle and herd toward the gate at the end of the fenceway.

BEYOND THE GATE

There are a dozen FRIENDS and RELATIVES waiting. A few MEN,
several WOMEN, a couple KIDS. Bundled in winter coats, hats and
hoods. A prison shuttle bus is parked behind them.

The released cons reach the gate, where a GATE GUARD unlocks the
fence to the outside world. Fifteen men are free.

The ex-cons and relatives scan each other's faces. Wives rush over
to embrace their men. Pals nod to ex-cons and trade slaps on
backs. Reunion time.

The snow batters them, wind whipping. Rudy keeps his head down,
leaning forward, keeps walking. Toward the bus. But he can't help
himself -- he glances up--

TO SEE A YOUNG WOMAN

bundled in a silver ski jacket, pink wool hat with a poof-ball on
top, scarf and mittens. Scanning the released prisoners.

RUDY

drops his head, looks away. Climbs onto the shuttle bus.

INT. BUS - CONTINUOUS

Rudy shakes his arms, basking in the vehicle's warmth. Takes a
seat at the back. A couple other lone ex-cons climb aboard. Then
the cons with relatives start to pile in.

Rudy's window is steamed against the cold. He stares into his lap,
then reaches for his coat pocket. Takes out the picture of Ashley,
in her bikini by the lake. Stares at it.

He rubs his window with his sleeve.

Outside, the woman in the silver coat turns this way and that,
troubled. She's watching the other ex-cons climbing onto the bus
with their loved ones.

The woman looks back to the prison. The guard closing the gate.
The steel door has been shut. No one else is coming.

Rudy watches her sadly.

Aboard the bus, the seats fill up. Ex-cons are feeling up their
wives, kids are climbing on their absent daddies, buddies are
jawing loudly 'bout how the neighborhood's changed.

The woman outside is now alone. Silver coat, pink poofball.

Rudy looks at the bikini picture again.

Then at the shivering bundle.

                        RUDY
           Don't do it, Rudy...

The bus ENGINE starts up. In the seat beside Rudy, an EX-CON makes
out with his WIFE while his bratty KID punches his leg.

Out the window, the young woman is scanning the bus windows. Then
the prison again. She turns in a worried circle. Rudy looks
swiftly away. Closes his eyes.

                        RUDY
           Don't do it ...

The bus door closes. It REVS and starts forward. Rudy sighs with
relief. The photo of Ashley falls to the floor.

EXT. PRISON RELEASE GATE - CONTINUOUS

The young woman watches the bus pull away, down the snowy road.
But it doesn't get fifty feet before it suddenly stops.

The door opens. And Rudy steps out.

The bus REVS up again and GROANS OFF into the winter.

The young woman pushes her poofball hat out of her eyes. We get a
look at her face for the first time. Skin pale, lips turning blue,
but it's the girl from the pictures. It's Ashley.

She watches Rudy's figure trudge back toward her. Snow obscuring
him until he's right in front of her. Both of them shivering. Both
of them standing there.

And finally: