(Read the previous communication here.)
COMMUNICATION 6 (35 Dice, 4 Sweets, 2 Aces, 1 King)
ATC: Hey Santa, I have a joke for you.
SANTA: Let’s hear it, Peppermint. I’m always up for a good laugh.
ATC: What are the most common photos taken at the North Pole?
SANTA: I don’t know. What are the most common photos?
ATC: Elfies!
SANTA: Ho! Ho! Ho! That’s a good one. That reminds me of Christmas 1985. We had just upgraded the sleigh. Almost everything was replaced with state-of-the-art technology and Widget, the chief elf mechanic at the time, wanted to accompany me on the trip to see how well everything performed. That was before this whole Dracula nonsense, so it was safe enough to allow ride-alongs back then. Anyway, about half-way through the trip, Widget turned to me and asked, “Do you have any idea how much this sleigh costs?” I told him I didn’t, and he said, “Nothing. It was on the house!” Ho! Ho! Ho! I laughed so hard I almost missed my next stop.
ATC: (silence)
SANTA: Aire Traffic Control? Are you there?
ATC: Yeah, I’m here. I’m just trying to figure out what was so funny about a free sleigh.
SANTA: You’re being too literal, Peppermint. You see, I land my sleigh on the roof . . . oh, never mind. If you have to explain it, then the moments gone. Anyway, I can’t wait to return and spend the next couple of days in bed with Mrs. Claus.
ATC: I can imagine. After staying up all night and visiting every child around the world, I would be tired too. Who wouldn’t want to a nice long sleep?
SANTA: Who said anything about sleeping?
ATC: Santa! Are you trying to get on the “Naughty List”?
SANTA: This is all fun, but I’m beginning to have a serious issue with this fog. It’s so thick I can barely see. I’ll need you to help guide me through it.
ATC: No problem, JOLLY-ONE. But the weather monitor says everything should be clear. There is no indication of fog anywh . . . wait! The radar just lit up. It's indicating that Dracula is there.
SANTA: Where? I don’t see him.
ATC: Not sure! It’s not a single dot. It’s many. In front of you. Behind you. To the sides. He’s everywhere.
SANTA: I don’t know what you are talking about? I can’t see . . . Ugh! Peppermint! It’s the fog. Dracula’s taken on the shape of the mist. He’s . . . argh! Stay away!
(Peppermint can only sit there, helpless, as she listens to the sounds of Santa’s struggle and the Vampire’s hiss. After several moments, she hears a scream of rage, followed by “Vat ‘ave you done? I’ll never get this out!” The cries of frustration quickly fade away, and all the elf hears is silence.)
ATC: Santa. Are you still there? Is everything okay?
SANTA: It is now, little one. That was close. The fog closed in around me and took on human form. The monster had me in his clutches. No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t break his grasp. I thought it was over, but did manage to get one hand free and plunge it into a nearby sack. Luckily, it was full of glitter and I grabbed a handful, silver I think. I threw it in his face. It went everywhere, clinging to his clothes and cape. He glittered like a tinsel covered tree . . . and he hated it! I’ve never seen Dracula more outraged. I grabbed the reigns and urged the reindeer to speed away as fast as possible as we left the Lord of Darkness behind, trying to brush the sparkling specks from his sleeves.
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Roll Results: 3 cards
Queen Hearts: What is a joke you were told one year?
Eat a sweet (3 Left)
Nine Spades: Dracula takes on the form of the mist.
Draw from the tower (Eliminated 7; 28 Remain)
Eight Hearts: What is waiting for you when you get home?
Eat a sweet (2 Left)
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COMMUNICATION 7 (28 Dice, 2 Sweets, 2 Aces, 1 King)
ATC: I know Dasher, and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. Then there’s Comet and Cupid, Donner, and, of course, Blitzen. But, I seem to recall, there used to be another reindeer. You know, famous and all?
SANTA: You are talking about Rudolf. Sad story, is his.
ATC: Why? What happened? How come he’s no longer a part of the team.
SANTA: Rudolf’s specialty was foggy nights. You may have heard he had a red nose that shone really bright. Like the lights on top of tall towers. His was so bright it would cut through the fog and help light the way. The only problem was, he wasn’t a very strong flyer. In fact, because he had to be up front, he tended to slow the team down. Dasher and Dance got a little pissed. They could tell me, of course, but one could tell. That’s why Rudolf wasn’t a regular. Just a B-Team reindeer. I only called him in when fog was forecast and we needed him.
Four years ago was such a Christmas. One of the foggiest in ages. So we hooked Rudolf up to the front and headed out. Surprisingly, we were over half way done without any sign of Dracula. But somewhere over Africa, the fiend swooped in. Because of the fog, it was hard to get a bead on him. Luckily, the same was true for Blood Sucker. Sure, in bat form he has great sonar. However, he can’t do much to us as a bat. He needs to be in human form. But that didn’t stop him. He just honed in on Rudolf’s nose, and Rudolf knew it. When it was clear that we wouldn’t be able to outrun Dracula, Rudolf chewed through his reins and took off without us. I never saw the little guy fly so fast. He led the vampire away from us, for a while apparently, as we weren’t bothered again the rest of the night.
ATC: What happened to Rudolf?
SANTA: When I returned home later the next morning, the elves were somber. They told me to visit the stables before I went to bed. I did, and you know who I found there? Rudolf, of course. Unfortunately, he was not the same. His snout was bloody, and his nose was torn off. Well, actually, it was bitten off. You could see the fang marks. I assume Dracula was so furious at being tricked that he made sure Rudolf would never be able to mislead him with that glowing nose again.
ATC: But, if Dracula bit it off, that must mean . . .
SANTA: Yes, Peppermint. Rudolf is now a vampire. That’s why no one has seen him for the last three years. We need to keep him separated from the rest of the reindeer, or he’ll just try to suck their blood for a late night snack. Luckily, enough rats and other non-magical critters wander into his stall to keep him well-fed.
ATC: That sounds horrible!
SANTA: That’s not the worst part. Without Rudolf’s nose, we had to come up with a back-up plan. I purchased an LED headlamp should another foggy night ever arise. So far, we haven’t had to use it, but I’m concerned if we ever do. Dasher really hates having that thing strapped to his head.
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Roll Results: 1 Card
Three Hearts: One year, a friend sacrificed something to help you escape from Dracula.
Draw from the tower (Eliminated 3; 25 Remain)
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