Rudolph Saves Christmas

6: Escape

No...

Oh...

"So what do we do?" Rudolph asked. He was usually much more decisive about things, but in this case, his mind was off building snowmen and having snowball fights with the younger elves. It was too confused to stick around in his head and think properly.

Building snowmen was something both of the friends loved to do and they'd often be seen, close to Christmas, creating one after another. The snowmen, once built, came to life and helped carry the presents from the factory to the sack. One the job was done, they drift off, back to being snowflakes. They didn't mind only coming to life once a year, as the rest of the time they were able to fall wherever they pleased and were able to visit so many wonderful, far off lands.

"What we do," said Flop, scurrying off the bed, "is get you out of here."

Rudolph sat up and pushed the duvet off so he could watch his friend. Flop stood facing the bars to the cell, taking deep breaths. He rocked himself in a one, a two and a three motion and then shot forward, taking a huge leap at the last moment. He flew through the air, heading for the lock...

And missed it completely. His tiny body went straight between the bars and smacked into the wall opposite. A small, squeaky "Umph!" was heard before he slid down the wall, landing in a heap at the bottom.

"Are you ok?" asked Rudolph. He walked to the bars and peered through them. "Flop?"

"Ugh."

"Are you sure?"

"Ugh."

"What were you trying to do?"

The squirrel uncrumpled himself and sat up.

"I was going to unlock the cell for you, so we could escape. We need to get you out of here."

Rudolph pushed the door and there was a click as it swung open.

"It's not locked," he said. "This is the North Pole, remember. There is no crime."

Flop stared at him.

"Not locked?? So why didn't you let yourself out ages ago?"

"Well," said Rudolph. "That would be Naughty, wouldn't it?"

The look Flop gave him needed no words. Shock mixed with disbelief and a handful of astonishment was thrown in for good measure, resulting in a dark coloured glare aimed right at Rudolph.

The reindeer shrugged his shoulders.

"What?"

"Come on," said Flop, shaking his head. "Let's get out of here. But be quiet."

"Where's Ethelbert?"

"He's in the office, but he's asleep. I can't believe he's sleeping when he's at work! What would Santa say?"

"And he accused me of being Naughty!" sighed Rudolph.

"There's a little bit of difference," Flop pointed out, "between having a nap at work and blowing up the sleigh."

"But I..."

"Didn't." Flop smiled, and this time meant it. "I know you didn't do it, but they think you did, so let's just leave and figure things out."

Rudolph nodded and the pair crept past the elf's office, keeping low to the ground so that, if he did awaken, they wouldn't be seen.

At the outer door, Flop jumped up to a window. He couldn't climb trees, but the little creature seemed to have other ways of getting around.

"It's safe," he said. "Let's go."

Slowly Rudolph pulled the door open and they sneaked outside into the cold, snowy air.

"Where are we going to go?" he asked his friend.

"Well, we could just go to your house. That'd be the last place they'd look."

Rudolph shook his head.

"Because they think we'll think that's the last place they'll look, it'll probably be the first place they'll look!"

"Yes," said Flop. "But because they'll think that we'll think that they'll think it will the last place they'll look so it'll be the first place they'll look, it'll be the last place they'll look!"

Rudolph felt dizzy.

"Can we just go to your house?"

"I live in a tree...?"

"So?"

"You're a reindeer, munchicken. Reindeer don't do trees."

Rudolph laughed and the sound sounded almost as if it was scared to be heard under the circumstances.

"You're a squirrel, Flop, and you don't do trees."

Flop frowned.

"Come on," he said, setting off in the direction of his tree house.

As they moved, hiding in shadows and keeping close to the buildings to avoid being seen, Rudolph looked down at his friend.

"Are you sure you're not actually a reindeer?"

Flop looked at his tail and then at Rudolph's. He then looked at the other's antlers and patted his own head.

"No, I don't think so."

"Oh," said Rudolph. "I just wondered."