Jingle All the Way (Extended Cut) - Scene #20 - Dementor & his Demon Team (2/2)

Описание: Hearing Myron threaten his son gave Howard renewed strength. He shook off the pint-size Demons like a dog shaking off fleas and raced for the edge of the float. A second wave of Demons popped up to block his path. Howard seized the closest one and hefted him overhead. Then, with a grunt, Howard threw the Demon into his comrades, knocking them all over the edge and down onto the street. The crowd cheered at Turbo Man’s triumph, and one of the Demons muttered, “We’d better be getting overtime for this,” before he passed out.

Howard stood on the edge of the float, looking for his son and his foe. The crowd rushed to his aid, pointing toward the fire escape and shouting, “Hurry, Turbo Man! Dementor’s getting away! Save the kid! Save him!”

Howard leaped off the float and raced to the fire escape. The first landing was yards above his head, impossible to reach with the ladder drawn up. Howard clenched his fists in frustration as he stared upward. Jamie saw Howard far below and shouted, “Turbo Man! Help!”

Once again, Turbo Man’s loyal fans in the crowd had the answer. “Fly, Turbo Man!” they shouted. “Use your jet pack!” Howard looked down at the suit, trying to remember which button did what. He found the most likely one, set his jaw, and jabbed it with his thumb. He muttered, “It’s Turbo Time!”

To Howard’s surprise, flames spewed forth from the jet pack, and he found himself rocketing into the air.

Liz elbowed her way through the crowd to the barricade. With one mighty yank, she hurled it aside and ran out into the parade route, her eyes on her son, who had made it to the roof of the building. “Jamie!” she cried.

She watched as Myron made it to the roof a moment later. She couldn’t hear him shout to Jamie, “Kid, just gimme the doll. You've got nowhere else to go!” But she saw her son’s reaction. Jamie started climbing up the giant artificial Christmas tree.

Suddenly, Liz’s view was blocked by a policeman intent on moving her out of the street. “Don’t worry, ma’am,” he reassured her as he took hold of her arm. “It’s all part of the show. Now, please step back onto the curb.”

“But that’s my son up there!” said Liz frantically.

The policeman looked impressed as he looked from Liz to the rooftop. “Oh, he’s quite good.”

Liz yanked her arm free and yelled at the cop, “He’s not part of the show!”

Confusion clouded the officer’s face. “He’s not?”

“No!” screamed Liz at the top of her lungs.

High above, Howard’s stomach did flip-flops as the ground spiraled away beneath his feet. A shrill screaming noise surrounded him, and he was shocked to realize he was its source. As he corkscrewed upward, he slapped at buttons on his chest, looking for a way to stop his mad flight before he disappeared into the sky forever.

He must have pushed something right, because the jet pack’s roar ceased and the flame flickered out. Howard felt a moment’s relief as his speed lessened and then stopped. And then he dropped like a stone.

Jamie had made it past the heavy bottom branches of the metal Christmas tree. Now he was aiming for the thinner, higher branches. It was his only hope because Dementor followed him whichever way he went, calling out things like, “C’mon, kid. Get back here. You’re gonna hurt yourself!” But Jamie was sure that Dementor wasn’t worried about a little boy’s safety. No, he wanted that doll no matter what. Jamie just hoped the thinner branches above would support a boy, but not a big adult. Something had to stop Dementor….

Falling to the ground from a great height sharpened Howard’s focus amazingly. It only took him two tries to find the ignition button he had originally pressed. He pressed it again. With a lurch, the jet pack reignited, and welcome flames buoyed his body and spirit. By gently playing with the controls, Howard even got an idea of how to steer the rocket. When he managed to fly a straight and level path, he exulted, “I think I’ve got the hang of this thing!” Then he set his jaw and aimed himself back at Jamie in the giant tree.

Howard could see that Jamie was about two-thirds of the way up the tree. He called out to his son, “I’ve got you, Jamie!” and stretched his hands out to make a real flying tackle. But shifting his arms changed his flight angle, and Howard missed Jamie by inches, flashing past the tree in the blink of an eye.

Howard cursed under his breath and automatically glanced back, which made his flight path curve again. He kept his eye on his son as he calculated a second pass at the tree, which is why he never saw the banner until he hit it head-on.

The Holiday Wintertainment Parade banner hung from two lampposts and stretched across the parade route. Howard struck near one end of the banner, wrenching it loose from that lamppost. In an instant, the banner wrapped itself around him, and his flight path changed once again, this time from a straight line to a tightening spiral.