Chapter 9: Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer

A few months after Kris and Mary Kringle’s wedding, the little sister of the new Mrs. Claus went for a stroll through the woods to find some adventure. She imagined herself as an explorer or sorts, looking through trees and bushes in search her next great discovery. Behind a bush, she noticed a faint glowing red light and laid eyes on something unexpected: a baby reindeer, all alone and terrified. She took him home and showed her older sister and brother in law. 

“His name is Rudolph,” said the little Elf, her heart filled with glee. “And he’s my new best friend.” Over the years, Rudolph followed Noelle every where she went. They learned together in Mary’s classroom, went on adventures of their own and she even taught him how to sing the Christmas carols. The little reindeer fell in love with Christmas and dreamed of one day working alongside Santa Claus.

Because of his small frame, Rudolph never really fit in with the other Reindeer. They felt he got special treatment and they weren’t entirely wrong, either; rather than bunking in the Reindeer quarters, Rudolph slept in Noelle’s room. As the years passed, Rudolph got older but he didn’t get grow much bigger. In fact, he was the same size as Noelle, who in her twenties had taken on the job of Santa’s assistant. 

With Noelle busier than ever with work, Rudolph would hang around the workshop and bond with the Elves. Sometimes, he would accompany Kris while he worked with the other Reindeer, which rubbed them the wrong way. They felt his presence at their training sessions was annoying, complaining that he always wanted to be a part of the group and never put in any work.

“He’s like a toy,” quipped Prancer. “He lights up like one, too.” Despite the teasing, Rudolph never let it get to him. He always had a bright, cheery attitude and that seemed to only make the target on his back grow bigger.

The Reindeer used to sing a song that would get under his skin. “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer had a very shiny nose, and if you ever saw it you would even say it glows.” They used to laugh and call him names — like “flashlight” or “lightbulb” — and whenever Rudy wanted to hang out, they would scoff and ignore him. 

“You’ll never be one of us, kid,” said Donner, the de-facto leader of the Reindeer. They would torment the small reindeer to the point of tears, getting a kick out of every time they got him emotional enough to see his nose glow. However, whenever the teasing would go too far, they’d get an earful from Noelle, and worse, from Santa himself. 

“Why are they so mean to me,” Rudy would cry to Mary and Noelle in the living room at Candy Cane Lane. “I just want them to like me, but they don’t! They just make fun of my nose!” 

“Don’t listen to them,” said Noelle, her maternal instincts kicking in when she would see him hurt. “They’re just jealous.” 

“You’re a special Reindeer,” said Mary, rubbing his hair back. “Not because of the way you look, but because of the love you have in your heart. Your day will come, Rudy... I promise.” 

Mary would have a talk with her husband about Rudy quite often. She was worried that the bullying might have long term effects on him and he agreed. He would whip those Reindeer into shape every day after, but it just made them resent Rudy more. There had to be another way to get them to see that Rudy belonged... 

**********

The news from Christmas Town was not great. Apparently, a snow storm was heading it’s way in from the East and was going cover the entire city on Christmas Eve. The snow was thick and coming down so hard that city officials had to cancel any plans for the day and night. Some feared that Christmas itself would be cancelled, too. 

At the North Pole that night, Santa and his team tried to map out a course for a safe Christmas Eve drop. Noelle voiced her concerns about the weather conditions, seeing as how the Reindeer had to fly it and wouldn’t be able to see, however they didn’t seem to care. They liked a little danger. 

“It’s too dangerous,” responded Santa with just a bit of frustration. “I can’t in good faith let you all fly in the dark. It can’t happen.” 

“I can do it,” said Rudy, running over with a pep in his step. “I can keep you out of the dark.” 

“Yeah,” laughed Cupid. “Let’s let Blinky over here fly the sleigh. That’ll work.” 

“I’m serious, I can do it! Sure, it’s just my nose, but it’s something.” Santa rubbed his chin as the other Reindeer rolled their eyes. 

“I don’t know, Rudy,” said Noelle with some concern. “It’s not exactly safe.” 

“We can’t let the people down,” said Rudy, confident as ever. “That’s not what we do. It’s our job to give them a great Christmas and I’m ready to do my part. That is, if you’ll have me, sir.” 

“Kringle, you can’t seriously be considering this,” asked Donner. “He’s just a kid.”

“He might be a kid, but he makes a good point,” said Kringle, standing up from his chair. “And he might be the only option we have.” 

“Are you kidding me right now!” All of the Reindeer threw their hands up in the air, shaking their heads with disgust. 

“So what do you say, Rudolph,” said Kringle, sticking his hand out. “Will you guide my sleigh tonight?” The giddy teenaged Reindeer put his little hoof in Santa’s big hand and made it official. As the other Reindeer took their positions in line, they muttered horrible things to him as he took his spot in the front. He could barely contain his excitement, his nose at an all time bright. 

“Rudolph,” said Noelle, patting his cheeks. “You’re about to go down in history.” With his nose glowing and his feet ready to go, Santa yelled out his signature roll call. 

“On Dasher! On Dancer! On Prancer! On Vixen! On Comet! On Cupid! On Donner! On Blitzen!” Blitzen took a quick sip from a metal flask and put it back in his suit. “Light ‘em up, Rudolph! And away we go!” Rudy ran as fast as he had ever run before, leaping into the windy midnight sky. The snow was coming down hard, but he never looked back and led the way throughout the night. 

The Great Night, as the city now remembers it, was the first time Rudy felt like one of the other Reindeer. After successfully completing the drop, the others actually cheered him on and saluted him for a job well done. His nose stayed lit the entire night, even while he slept in his bed. The next morning, Santa Claus gave him a very special gift: he had joined the ranks as an official member of Santa’s Reindeer. 

Rudy quickly became the stuff of legend, as word began to spread around town about the odd looking Reindeer. When Santa would make appearances, the Elves would flock over to Rudy to see if his nose really did glow. All of the Elves loved it and Rudy was always very happy to take pictures with them and their families. He wasn’t as big and hulking as the others, but rather friendly and small just like them. 

“Look at him,” scoffed Vixen. “He thinks he’s a superstar because he had one good night.” The other Reindeer never made headline news the way that Rudy did. Sometimes, it was hard to tell them all apart. They didn’t have something like a glowing red nose to really stand out and leave an impression the way he did. 

When Santa would parade through the town on Christmas Day, Rudy was there with him and Mrs. Claus. In a way, he had become just as famous as them. He even got his own Christmas song that was partly inspired by the song the other Reindeer would tease him with. When he heard it for the first time, he was a little upset. 

“Look on the bright side,” Kringle would say with a laugh, “nobody wrote a song about them.” Kringle always knew how to cheer up Rudy when he was down. He knew his story was that of an underdog, the long shot that you root for and learn from. “You give these Elves some inspiration.” 

“I guess,” said Rudy, not sure of himself. “But what if they’re right? What if they only like me because I’m weird?”

“You’re not weird,” said Kringle, matter of factly. “You’re different, sure, but sometimes being different can be a gift. You just gotta show them you don’t care, that you’re happy with who you are. You’ve got the magic, kid. The Elves see it, and so can I.” 

“Well, I’ll be sure not to let you down,” said Rudy with a smile. 

For the next ten years, he was Santa’s Other Little Helper. One year, he was asked to help Santa light the Great Tree. However, on that particular day, Rudy got a call from Noelle in the control room that would change Christmas Town forever.

“Look at him,” joked Comet. “He’s such a star now he can’t get off the phone.” The other Reindeer snickered quietly as Rudy’s eyes began to well up with tears.

“Wait, guys,” said Prancer, concerned. “I think something’s up.” 

“Flashlight,” whispered Vixen to Rudy. “What’s going on?”

Rudy didn’t answer. He waited at the bottom of the ladder as Kringle put the star up on the tree. As Kringle made his way down, Rudy whispered the news into his ear. The kids in the audience laughed as their favorite Reindeer’s nose began to light up, unaware of the reason why. 

“Uh, well,” stammered Santa to the confused audience. “It seems I have to go. Merry Christmas.” He didn’t give a wave or a holly jolly Ho Ho Ho... instead, Rudy and the others rushed the sleigh back to the North Pole. It was too late. Mary Kringle had passed away just minutes before. 

Rudy sat outside in the snow, crying his little eyes out, while the others struggled to process the reality of the situation. Christmas could never be the same without Mrs. Claus... he just didn’t know how different it would be. 

*********

“I’ve decided to retire,” said Kris Kringle, his eyes a slight red from crying the night before. “I need time to grieve. I need time to live. I don’t know how long that will take, so I have decided to sell the factory, in its entirety, to Amazing Co., effective immediately.” 

Everyone stood quietly in the workshop, stunned by the sudden news. It was true, the last two weeks had been very hard to get through, especially with the Christmas time rush. Kringle wasn’t the same cheerful guy he was a year before and it rubbed off on all of the Elves. 

“Sir,” asked one Elf from the toy line. “What about all of us? Are we still going to have jobs?” 

“Yes, absolutely. All of you will be transferring over to Amazing Co. and nothing will change as far as work goes. After all, we still have Christmas coming up in a year.” 

“There’s no Christmas without Santa!” All of the other Elves shared this sentiment and let their boss know how they feel. 

“I know some of you are not going to take this news lightly,” he said, looking at Noelle and Rudy in the crowd. “I promise you that I thought about this long and hard, and it is in the best interest of Christmas — and myself — that I take the next step in my life. My door will always be open, and you are always welcome to come drop by for some milk and cookies—“ he choked up a little thinking about Mary’s sugar cookies. “But after today, you will no longer work at the North Pole.” 

Rudy shook his head and walked out of the workshop crying. Noelle hung back, still in shock. She watched Kris’ hands shake as he held a piece of paper that he prepared his statement on. When they made eye contact, a tear fell from his eye. He adjourned the crowd and walked back into his office, closing the door behind him. 

The Reindeer had also been included in the package, and they were gifted with security jobs. That is, everyone but Rudy. The Amazing Co. executives wanted to use him as more of a spokesperson for their company. They needed a friendly face, one everyone could remember and would resonate with on Christmas. 

“The people of Christmas Town need someone they can believe in,” said one Elf Executive. “Santa gave you a glowing recommendation, no pun intended.” The other Elves laugh. 

“Kinda feels like it was, but OK—“

“Rudy, bubby, your nose is a star! We want to play up on that, really drive home the importance of someone with disabilities.”

“It’s not a disability,” said Rudy, quite defensively. “It’s just a birth defect.” 

“Same thing. The point is, it’s unique, and we want it to be the face of Christmas going forward... what do you say?” It wasn’t what he had in mind, but he accepted the job. After all, he promised to never let Santa down and he wasn’t about to now.

Whenever there was a major function in town, Rudy was always front and center, signing autographs and taking pictures with kids. A TV special was even made about his legendary story, of course with a little bit of leeway and some fabrications of events. For example, the Reindeer never accepted him in real life the way they did in the cartoon version. 

The rest of the Reindeer went on to live normal lives outside of the North Pole and relished in their authority over their respective departments at the Amazing Co. Headquarters. They would crack jokes and prank the Elves into messing up other Reindeer departments, but they would balance it out by telling the Elves secret stories about Santa and, of course, Rudolph, their favorite punching bag. 

“One time,” said Dancer, “He pissed himself all over someone’s roof because he was afraid of a dog barking.”

“There was this one time we told him that Santa needed a rock-n-roll electric guitar back at the North Pole,” laughed Comet. “and this dumbass ran all the way back there looking for it. Santa was pissed, but it was hilarious.”

“Yeah, and another time, I caught him jerkin’ it to Vixen in the shower.”

“Blitzen, bro, why do you always gotta take it too far?” 

“I’m just saying, I saw it, and he got a little pee pee. And, you can tell when he’s about to finish by how bright his nose gets.” 

        The Reindeer fell over themselves with laughter every time they reminisced about Rudy and all of his flaws. They’d see him from time to time — every year they’d all meet up at the North Pole for a Reindeer Christmas Party at Candy Cane Lane — but it’s not like they enjoyed seeing him. 

Every Christmas, Rudy would get really excited to see his old buddy Kris Kringle and tell him about all of the cool things he got to do in the city. The former Santa always loved catching up with his friend, but he still missed his wife. No matter how hard Rudy tried, he couldn’t seem to get Kringle to get up and come visit him in Christmas Town. 

“Maybe next year,” he would say, drinking his spiked egg nog on the couch. Year after year, it was the same response. It almost made Rudy feel like he had done something wrong, that maybe his persistent asking was what was keeping it from happening. Kind of like his relationship with the Reindeer. Every time he would ask to hang out, it made them want to hang out less. 

“You guys tryin’ to hit up the bar,” asked Blitzen one night as the Reindeer were getting ready to leave for Christmas Town. 

“Did you get a job there,” joked Donner. “You’re always at the bar!”

“For the next three weeks I will be! It’s vacation time, baby! Let’s get shitty!” The other reindeer laughed and gave him a goodbye hug. “Ah, come on! What happened to leave no Reindeer behind!” 

“Take the Magic Mutt,” said Dancer with a laugh. “I’m sure you two will have a blast.” As the rest of the Reindeer took off into the night, Rudy walked out from the house and put on his coat. 

“Hey, Flashlight. You wanna go grab a drink?” 

“Really,” asked Rudy, suspiciously. “You wanna hang out? With me?” 

“I wanna drink, but I don’t wanna do it alone. Come on, before I change my mind.” Blitzen jumped in the air and swerved around a little as he hovered. “Actually I may need you to guide the way. I pregamed a little during dinner.” 

Blitzen and Rudy sat at the bar in the not so crowded venue, with two special egg nogs in front of Blitzen and a hot chocolate in front of Rudy. Blitzen slammed one of the drinks back and went for the other. 

“Dude, where’s your drink,” he asked taking a big sip of the egg nog. Rudy showed him the hot chocolate. “That? Psh! It’s chocolate water! You can’t get drunk off that!” 

“I’m not trying to get drunk,” said Rudy, looking around at some of the Elves enjoying themselves a little too much. 

“Have you ever been drunk?”

“Well, I mean, no but—“ 

        Blitzen slapped the bar and nearly fell out of his chair. He motioned for the bartender to come to their side. 

“My man, can you get us a Christmas shot? Actually, make it four and put it on my tab. Flashlight, I’m buying you your first drink. You can thank me later.” The bartender comes back with four shot glasses.

Blitzen picked up his shot glass and gave a salute. Rudy nervously picked his up and gave a sheepish smile. Blitzen threw his back and let out a growl. Rudy tried to swallow the whole shot but choked some up, grimacing as it burned in his throat. 

       “That’ll put some hair on your chest.” 

“I already have hair on my chest,” said Rudy, clutching his chest. 

“And you have one more shot to take, so let’s do it buddy!” Rudy had never heard one of the Reindeer refer to him as a buddy before. “Come on! Don’t leave a Reindeer behind, man!” They took the shot. Then another, and another. 

“You know,” said Rudy, a little drunk at this point, “It’s a warmness, or something. And I don’t even care that they’re playing that dumb song right now, I actually kind of like it.” 

“They’re playing it for you,” said Blitzen, pointing over to two drunk female Elves at the jukebox, who keep giving them flirtatious glances. “They wanna see your Yule log, homie.” 

“I don’t think that’s it—“

“Hey! Ladies! You wanna meet a celebrity?” He waves the two Elves over to the bar and leans in to Rudy. “Go on, do the light thing.” 

“I’m not a parlor trick, Blitzen.” 

“Trust me, dude. That nose is gonna come in handy.” The Elves sit down at the bar next to Blitzen. They smell of candy canes and lust. The more experienced Reindeer takes the reigns of the conversation and picks his the girl of his choosing, leaving Rudy with the friend. They girls are enamored with them. 

“Is it true what they say about Reindeer,” one of the Elves asked Rudy, glancing down. “You know... that rumor?”

“Um, I mean, I don’t know—“ 

“Oh yeah,” said Blitzen, confidently. “It’s one hundred percent true.” 

“Wow,” said one of the Elves, her eyes wide with curiosity. “I’ve never been with a Reindeer before. It’s always been a fantasy of mine.” 

“Well tonight is your lucky night. And this one? You make his nose glow and he’ll make your head spin.” Blitzen and his elf start making out at the bar. Rudy’s Elf corners him against the bar in the throes of passion. 

“I can’t wait to see you light up between my legs,” she said as she kissed him. Rudy had no idea what that meant, but he would find out later that night. He had guided Santa on many Christmas Eve drops, but this was one journey he had no experience in. 

To help him navigate through the uncharted territory of the dating world, Rudy spent a lot of time at the bar with Blitzen, who seemed to know what he was doing. Then again, the mystique of being a Reindeer was more than enough to attract Elves looking to experiment out of their normal comfort zones. He didn’t understand much of it, but he liked the idea that he had found a friend. 

Blitzen didn’t always drink with Rudy, though... especially if any of the other Reindeer were around. They would tease him at work, often calling him Rudy’s “babysitter”. If the others were going for a drink, Blitzen would lie to Rudy and tell him he was working late, but that was hardly ever the case because Blitzen hated working. 

Rudy liked going out and drinking with the Elves. He had developed a strong friendship with them, finally able to break out of his shell and be himself. He let the good times roll for as long as they could, until the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes, he’d have such a good time the night before that he would forget to show up for meetings at Amazing Co., frustrating many of the Elves that wanted him to set a better example. 

One of the Elves Rudy would hang out with at the bar, Sparky, had the perfect solution to his sluggish mornings. All he had to do was sprinkle a little bit of “Christmas Spirit” in his coffee and he would get that pep back in his step. Sparky, however, liked to take it straight to the head through his nose. It worked faster that way. 

When Rudy took his first hit of the Spirit, his nose glowed and he suddenly felt much better. He felt like he could deliver all of the presents in one night, just like Santa Claus. He could party all night, then do a little Christmas Spirit during the day and make everyone happy all the time. Everyone, that is, except the Reindeer. 

*********

One Christmas Eve a couple of years ago, Rudy showed up to a party that the other Reindeer were attending and threw a fit that he wasn’t invited. He turned most of his frustration to Blitzen, who acted as if he didn’t know him. 

“You were supposed to be my friend,” said Rudy, his nose flickering with anger. 

“I don’t know where you got that idea,” said Blitzen, having a laugh with Cupid and Donner. 

“What about never leaving a Reindeer behind? What happened to that?” 

“Blitz, are you gonna let him talk to you like that,” asked Cupid, egging his comrade on. 

“The little guy wants to get something off his chest, so let him,” said Blitzen, waving off Rudy as he took another shot. “It’s not like anyone really gives a shit.”

“Oh yeah? Is that why you were crying with me at the bar because you said you ‘couldn’t get it up’? Remember that?” The other Reindeer tried not to laugh as they looked down at their drinks. Blitzen stood up and marched towards Rudy. “Oh, OK, now you notice me—“, he tried to say as the much bigger Reindeer socked him right in the mouth. 

“I might have a limp dick, but I still got a mean right hook.” The other Reindeer laughed and point at Rudy as he stumbled on the floor. 

“Look, guys,” said Comet. “He’s drunker than Blitzen right now.” 

“Get the fuck out of here, pussy,” said Cupid as he wrapped his arms around Vixen. Rudy got back to his feet and wiped the blood trickling down from his mouth. He stuck his hands up, ready to go for another round as the other Reindeer laughed. 

“Seriously,” asked Blitzen with a grin. “You really wanna do this?” 

“If it means you’ll respect me... yes.” Blitzen snickered and waved him over. Rudy got in his stance and swung for the fences, only for Blitzen to dodge it and stick a punch right in Rudy’s gut.

“You’ll never get our respect,” said Blitzen as he held Rudy by the back of the neck before laying another shot to his chest. “And you’ll never be one of us.” He threw Rudy back into a table, knocking a bunch of drinks over. “Security, can you take out the trash please?” 

Two slightly taller Elves walked over to Rudy to help him up, but he got to his feet before they could. He looked back at the Reindeer having a blast at his expense and headed for the door. He took a big whiff of Christmas Spirit and headed off into the night. 

        He flew around Christmas Town, his nose glowing in a fiery rage, hitting speeds he had never reached before. As he zoomed his way to the outskirts of town, he didn’t even notice someone standing in the road before him. 

        It took Rudy several yards to realize he had just run over an older woman walking by herself outside of the city. He flew back to the scene to find the older Elf bleeding out on the pavement. 

“Oh shit,” he said under his breath, looking around the empty streets. His hoof made a terrible gash in the back of her head and it was clear she was not going to pull through. He dragged the woman to a nearby bridge and attempted to throw her over the side. 

“Rough night,” asked a voice from behind, causing Rudy to shoot around in a panic. A tall skinny shadow stood in the distance, coming closer. 

“Um, well, it’s not what it looks like,” stammered Rudy, his nose flickering. 

“It looks like you're about to dump someone’s grandmother in the Christmas Town river. Not really a good look for someone of your stature, but then again, we all make mistakes.” The slender man’s light blue face shined in the lone street light on the sidewalk. “Maybe I can help?” 

“How can you help,” said Rudy, reaching into his pocket to grab his bag of Christmas Spirit. 

“I see you like my product,” said the man. 

“You made this?” 

“Well, I didn’t make it, but I sell it. The name’s Jack. Jack Frost. I work at Amazing Co., too.” Jack Frost extends his skinny hand to Rudy. “And as far as I know, I’m the only one that saw what you just did.” 

“You’re not gonna tell anyone, are you?” 

“Well, that depends,” said Frost, putting his hand back to his side. “Eventually, that Elf’s family is going to ask questions. They’ll probably investigate, maybe even find her with your hoof prints on her. Maybe she wakes up, and can identify you. Or, I could say that you were with me tonight discussing business.” 

“What kind of business,” asked Rudy, curiously. 

“Oh, thanks for asking! I’m trying to become CEO of Amazing Co., and while I already have the product to do it, I need someone with enough clout to get me over the top. Someone like you.”

“I’m not exactly their favorite person at the moment.” 

“Nonsense! You’re Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!”

“You could just call me Rudolph, you don’t have to say the whole thing—“

“This could be the thing that gets you back into their good graces,” said Frost with a grin. “Or I could tell everyone what I saw, it’s really up to you.” 

        Rudy looked down at the old lady then back at the mysterious man. 

       “Fine… what do you need me to do?”     

After Rudy dropped off the lady at a hospital, Rudy took Jack Frost on his proposal and wrote him a recommendation to give to the Amazing Co. executives. He lobbied hard for a man he barely knew, convincing them that Frost and his Christmas Spirit product would revolutionize Christmas. He even went as far as saying that he was an avid user of the Spirit and that there was no other person that he would trust as CEO. It was all they needed to hear to make the change official. 

************

Not everyone was thrilled to hear the news that Jack Frost had become CEO, especially the ones that knew him back at the North Pole. The Reindeer never liked the guy and refused to work for him now that he had suddenly been promoted out of nowhere. They didn’t even put in a two weeks notice; they just never came back in to work. 

Noelle, who had been working as an executive assistant to the former CEO, had been fired by Jack and was being replaced immediately. Rudy came in to see her one day, only to find her packing up the things in her office. 

“What happened,” asked Rudy. 

“I don’t work here anymore,” she said with dismay. 

“What! No way! That’s bullshit. Let me talk to Jack Frost, I can change that—“

“I’m not working for that asshole,” she said, slamming notebooks into a box. “I’ll never work for him. Not after what happened at the North Pole.” 

“Wait, you know him?” 

“Kringle kicked him out after the original Santa died,” said Noelle. “His father. He’s blamed Jack for it ever since. He’ll be pissed when he finds out what’s happened.”

“So, he’s a bad guy,” asked Rudy, his heart sinking in his chest. 

“He’s the worst. You should get out while you still can, buddy.” Rudy didn’t. He stayed employed through Amazing Co. and mostly drank his way through the weeks. When it was time to make an appearance, he loaded up on Christmas Spirit to make the pain go away. Before long, he had stopped answering his phone and hardly left his house except to go drink at Noelle’s new bar, Sleigh Belles. 

Rudy would sit in his own spot at the bar that was reserved for him. Occasionally, the other Reindeer would show up and have drinks but they would never acknowledge him. He didn’t care this time around. He felt ashamed of himself and knew they would hate him even more if they knew he was the reason they no longer had their jobs. 

Noelle would worry about him a lot. He used to be the life of the party, the one that could light up a room the minute he walked in. Now, he was just a bar rat. She would sit with him and talk after she closed up, just to give him some company. He looked thinner, so she would try to make him eat her cooking. He looked like he just needed a friend. 

“Have you talked to him,” she asked one night. “You know he’d be there to listen.” 

“I haven’t been to the North in three years,” he said, taking back another shot. “I don’t want him to see me like this.” 

“He loves you, Rudy. I’m sure he’d be thrilled that you stopped by.” 

“What if you made a mistake, like, one that you can’t take back?”

“Like what?”

“Nothing, I’m just saying.” 

“You’re worried he’s going to get onto you about the drinking,” she said with worry. “Honey, he’ll understand. If you have a problem—“

“Who said I have a problem,” snapped Rudy in defense. 

“I’m just saying, if you feel like it’s a problem—“ 

“I don’t feel like it’s a problem! Fuck! You start working at a bar and all of the sudden you think you’re an expert on everything!” Rudy knocks over his drink as he gets to his feet. “You know what, I don’t need your fucking charity, OK? All you do is feel sorry for me!” 

Rudy clutches at his chest as he begins to cough. It gets stronger, to the point that bloody discharge splatters on his hoof. He gets lightheaded and stumbles a bit. 

“Are you OK,” asked Noelle. “Do you need me to take you to the hospital?” 

“I’m fine,” said Rudy, still coughing. “I don’t need any of you.” He slowly walked out of the bar and back to his apartment, where he stayed for two straight months. Everyday he felt weaker and weaker, coughing up more and more blood every morning. He could barely muster enough energy to go to the store to get his home essentials, but luckily he could always order from Amazing Co.

As news began to spread about Elf hospitalizations throughout Christmas Town, Rudy started seeing similar symptoms in himself. After Sparky the Elf passed away, Rudy attended the funeral where he met Sparky’s brother, Buddy. The young Elf cried to Rudy about how his brother was hooked on Christmas Spirit and said that’s what killed him. The guilt he felt was enormous. He was responsible for this. He had to do something to make it right. 

Rudy walked into the Amazing Co. Headquarters and went up to see Jack Frost in his office. Christmas was approaching, and everyone in the building was buzzing about what to do for new gifts. He waited for nearly an hour before Frost finally showed up with his usual flair. 

“Well if it isn’t the Little Reindeer That Could,” grinned Frost extending his hand. “How’s my favorite employee doing?” 

“This Christmas Spirit stuff, I know what it can do to people. It’s killing the Elves.” Rudy lets out a few whooping coughs. 

“Looks like it’s killing more than just the Elves,” said Frost with an icy tone. “You should cover your mouth though, I don’t want to catch whatever that is.” 

“What makes you think I won’t tell everyone what you’ve done?” 

“Um, I don’t know, maybe the fact that I saw you almost kill someone? Man, that spirit is messing with your head! But, unlike you, I’m a good friend, and I’m willing to help you out.” 

“Why should I trust anything you say,” asked Rudy, his nose flickering a faint red glow. 

“Who knows, maybe I have a cure for your sickness.” Frost walks over to his desk and opens up a box. He pulls out a vial containing a clear liquid. “But of course, not if you don’t do as I say.” 

“What more do you want from me,” asked Rudy, his body trembling. “I’ve done everything you asked for!” 

“I just want you to send a package to Santa for me,” said Frost, a smirk creeping across his face. “Something to mend the fences.”

“Ok,” said Rudy, a little confused. “You want me to send him a package? That’s it?” 

“That’s it. You send the package, await instructions when it arrives and then after that, you’ll get this.” Frost dangles the vial in front of Rudy before putting it back in the box. He hands him a remote instead. “When the package arrives, this will beep. Press the button. That’s it. After that, you’ll be free of the pain I have caused.” 

Rudy couldn’t sleep that night. He tossed and turned, thinking about what he would say to Kringle after not seeing him for a few years. He wondered if his old friend would notice his hurting and ask questions. He worried what Santa would think if he knew that he was dying from Christmas Spirit, something he did to himself. 

***********

When Rudy arrived at Candy Cane Lane for the annual Reindeer Party, he felt a lot different. He felt as if he wasn’t really there. Sure, his body was there in physical form but his spirit was elsewhere. He lingered outside for a moment with a big gingerbread house, afraid to go in, when he heard a booming voice from behind him. 

“Rudolph,” called Kringle with a smile. “How are you, old friend?” Kringle walked down his steps and pulled the diminutive Reindeer in for a big hug. “I’m so happy you made it! And you brought a gingerbread house! Very cool!” 

“I saw you on TV today,” said Rudy, recalling the events that led Santa to suggest the Elves go on strike against Amazing Co. “You really took it to Frost.” 

“He’ll get what he deserves, just you wait and see! Enough of that, let’s get inside and get warm! The others should be arriving soon.” Rudy watched as Kringle walked back in the house, groaning at the thought of having to spend more time with eight reindeer who hated his guts. 

Eventually, the other Reindeer showed up and the party really began. Cupid and Vixen snuggled up by the fire, Dasher and Comet argued over who was the fastest and Blitzen was doing what he did best... getting hammered. Rudy watched all of them from the kitchen as he prepared some food to be brought out, interrupted by Blitzen crashing into his homemade treat house. 

“Oh, come on, Blitzen,” he shouted as he came into the living room. “You ruined it!” After being teased by the rest of the Reindeer, Rudy stormed his way back into the kitchen and slammed a tray down on the counter, trying to catch his breath. Suddenly, a beep came from his pocket. He pulled out the remote that Frost gave him, which had a message: package arriving. He put it in his pocket and walked out the back door. 

Rudy slid open the old doors to the workshop and sat down at an old toy building station. He pulled out the beeping remote and pressed the button that Frost told him to push. He put the remote down on the conveyor and put his head in his hands. 

“You never take a break, do you?” Kringle stood at the other end of the workshop with his arms on his hips and a slight smile on his face. 

“I learned from the best,” said Rudy. Kringle sat down at the bench with him and they had a chat about the Reindeer constantly picking on him. Rudy wanted to tell him about the drinking, about how it had gotten out of hand and how he had lost sight of himself, but he couldn’t. He knew Kringle had a lot more on his plate, namely Jack Frost. 

After some reassuring words from the man he looked up to all his life, Rudy finally felt the courage to come clean about his problem, but before he could a loud explosion interrupted them. Rudy ducked under the conveyor belt as Kringle ran out of the room. He could barely catch his breath and when he did he grabbed the remote from above him and read the next message: package delivered. 

“Oh no,” cried Rudy, running out of the workshop and into the snow. “What have I done?” The house was up in flames, and pieces of the Reindeer were everywhere. His eyes grew in horror. 

        “Santa! Santa!” No one answered. He dropped to his knees in the snow, looking at the scene. The scene he caused. Then, another explosion lifted him off his feet and further back into the snow. He screamed before passing out. 

When Rudy awoke, he was being tended to by several doctors. He didn’t have any wounds, he was just in shock. Before someone else could check on him, Rudy was gone. He made a beeline towards Amazing Co., where Jack Frost was holding a press conference to announce the death of Santa Claus. Rudy’s nose could barely contain itself, a mix of anger and sadness but also regret. He knew who’s fault it was. 

“How could you,” asked Rudy in Frost’s office later that night. “You killed him.” 

“Actually, you killed him,” retorted Frost from his desk. “I just pushed you in the right direction.” 

“If I would’ve known—“

“But yet here you are, a day late and a dollar short. What a shame.” 

“You’ll never get away with this,” said Rudy, his heart filled with rage. “When they find out what you did—“

“Then they’ll find out what you did, dumbass. They’ll be able to trace the detonation back to the North Pole.” Rudy goes to charge at Frost but stops when his chest gets tight. Two Toy Soldiers surround Rudy with their pellet rifles. “Leave him, he’ll be dead soon enough anyway.” 

“Where’s the cure,” said Rudy, faintly. “You said you’d give me a cure if I did what you said.” 

“Technically, I said maybe. It wasn’t a guarantee. I mean, honestly, you weren’t supposed to make it out of there, but hey, take pride in knowing you killed nine people and got away with it.” Frost let out a laugh as he motions for the Toys to throw Rudy out of the building. As he looked up at the Amazing Co. Headquarters, he began to cry and walked back to his apartment to die alone. 

Rudy never touched Christmas Spirit again. Slowly but surely, he started to see his health come back to normal levels. He still had a mean cough, but it wasn’t bloody anymore. Maybe, he thought, he had beaten it somehow. He started hanging around other Elves who had been affected by the Spirit, either personally or through a family member. He developed close bonds with those Elves, especially Buddy, the brother of his former drinking buddy. 

“We’ve got to stop Jack Frost,” he would say to Buddy on their way home from meetings. “He’s going to destroy Christmas forever. If only Kringle were here...” 

“Who’s Kringle,” asked Buddy. 

“He was the best man I ever knew, and I miss him dearly.” 

*********

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer had finally told Kringle the truth, although not in the way he had hoped. Bound by a net, he cried as he told Kringle the story about how he got entangled with Jack Frost. The Jolly Old Elf could barely believe what he was hearing. 

“Wow,” quips Frost, holding the freeze gun to Kringle’s head. “What a story! It took forever, but at least we finally know what a fuck up you are.” 

“I’m sorry, Kris,” says Rudy, tears falling from his eyes. “I messed up. I let you down. I should’ve come to you sooner.” 

“Rudolph,” said Kringle, softly. “It’s OK. I understand—“ Frost gives Kringle a whack on the head with the butt of the gun, knocking him unconscious.

“Ok, I’ve had enough of this shit. We gotta move this thing along, folks. It’s time to get Santa ready for his big day. Take the freak down with the rest of them. ” 

“What are you gonna do to him,” asks Rudy, his eyes filled with worry. 

“You’ll see,” said Frost with a grin. “Or maybe you won’t. I haven’t decided, yet.” He whistles the Reindeer’s theme song as the guards drag him out of the office.

“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, you’ll go down in history...” 

TO BE CONTINUED....