Ripped by Bornholm
Got one of those satellite dishes, Dad. Put it out back of the house.
Youīll be able to watch every channel you can imagine. Yeah.
Canīt imagine too many. And movies too.
Pay stations, everything. Movies from a satellite, even? Iīll bejiggered.
And youīre gonna love the house. See, I designed it...
with three bedrooms on the second floor and one downstairs,
so you donīt have to get tired walking up and down stairs.
I donīt imagine Iīll be doinī too much of that.
Itīs sort of funny-
you takinī me to die in the cornfiields where I shouldīve died three quarters of a century ago.
Fenton! Look, Dad, you can tell those nutty stories...
to all the people at the old folksī home,
but if you tell Brian that, heīs not gonna sleep at night.
Heīs been lookinī so forward to seeinī you. Old Pa. Thatīs all he talks about night and day.
Maybe sometime soon, you can drive us all out to the spot where it happened.
Sure, but, uh, donīt have to drive. Accident siteīs on my property.
Your property?
Exactly where on your property?
Here we go.
Old Pa.
Old Pa!
Old Pa! Old Pa!
Dad?
How-How do you like the house?
I donīt like it. No, sir, not one bit!
Oh, Fenton!
Well, maybe youīll like it more once you get inside.
We just finished redecorating the downstairs.
Oh, the house! The house is fine,joleen.
Finest homestead I ever seen.
So whatīs wrong with it?
I donīt like where you put it.
Donīt make me say it again, Brian, okay?
Stop that. Put that down.
Your grandfather is 10 times older than you are,
and people that old, need 10 times as much rest.
- Be careful with this. - But I just want him to show me where the Indian fights were.
He doesnīt have to run or nothing. He can just walk slow and point.
Well, maybe tomorrow, okay?
Today youīre just gonna have to make do, by yourself.
But I never get to play with anyone ever!
- The kids at school canīt come out īcause itīs too far on their bikes. - Well, you have your toys to play with.
I hate my toys! I hate this house!
- I wish we never left Chicago! - Brian!
Donīt you ever let your father hear you say that. Do you understand?
Okay, I take it back.
- Donīt you ever say that again. - Okay, I heard you the first time!
At least not before I do.
Do you know which Indians it was?
It was right around here that the Sac chief, Keokuk,
the "watchful fox", fought off the Sioux, who were after the Sac land.
Did you ever know someone that was scalped by an Indian?
Little Brian, the Indians were the first people on this land.
It was theirs, all of it.
You ask me, they had a right to do what they had to do...
to protect their families, their land,
their way of life.
Old Pa, I found an Indian arrowhead!
Look!
Uh-uh. Afraid itīs just a rock that looks like one.
Wow! Is that an Indian arrowhead?
No, Brian, itīs a railroad spike.
A railroad spike?
You mean, a real train used to come right through here?
The Highball Express.
Came through right around here where weīre sittinī.
- Which way did it go? - Thatīs what weīre gonna find out.
Old Pa, is this something?
Yes, little Brian, thatīs something.
God! What happened here?
This is where the Highball Express ran off its tracks.
Really? When did that happen?
Back when I was your age, Brian.
Ran clear off its tracks one night. Killed everything on board.
Killed everything on board?
Did you see it?
Shh, shh!
Afraid this might not be good.
Whatīs gonna happen?
As I remember it, the old Highball...
ran straight east to west...
without veering an inch.
Thataway.
Bam! Right through our new house.
No.
Tīaint good, this.
Old Pa, what made the Highball Express go off its tracks back then?
Some little boy about your age...
was waiting for the old 407 to pick him up and take him to visit his grandpa in Sioux City.
The train was runninīlate.
So the boy laid down on the track with his ear to the rail...
so he could hear when the train was cominī
I guess he mustīve just got tired of listeninī,
īcause he fell asleep right there where he lay.
Well, when that train come around,
the whistle blew, the semaphore clanged away,
the track rumbled,
but none of it woke up that sleepy boy.
That brakeman mustīve not had the heart to run him over,
īcause he locked the wheels on old 407.
All that weight and pressure...
made the track turn up on itself.
That little boy woke up just in time to see the train roll over...
just 50 feet-
50 feet in front of him.
And he heard the screams and cries of the passengers...
who died just an instant later.
Were you that little boy, Old Pa?
I still am that little boy, Brian.
And tonight, that old 407...
is gonna do what it shouldīve done 75 years ago.
Itīs gonna take me where I should be.
How long are you gonna be gone?
Brian,
when that train comes around tonight,
Iīm never coming back.
Well, sir, the way I got it figured,
the Highball will miss your parentsīroom completely and take out only half the kitchen.
That way, if they donīt wanna get out, which I warned them they should,
the train wonīt hurt īem when it comes through the house.
But you and me, weīre right in the way.
Now, we donīt have time to move out everything.
So if you wanted to save something in here, what would be first?
You, Old Pa.
Iīd save you first.
Mr. Globe? Iīve come to talk to you about a train.
A train called the Highball Express?
I know we donīt have time to move the house!
But if we just get some of the valuables out of the way,
itīll save time tomorrow when they file their insurance claim.
Why are you so sure itīs coming tonight?
īCause I did what I used to do all the time as a boy.
I put my ear to the track, and I heard it.
Now, donītyou think we ought to get to evacuating this place?
Well, you really think itīs gonna stop for you?
I know it is.
Iīve got a ticket.
I only hope itīll be good after all these years.
Oh, it will be, Mr. Globe. Iīm sure it will be.
Wow! It says "Highball Express" right on it.
Ouch! What was that, some damn yellow jacket?
No, Mr. Globe. just something to help you sleep before your trip.
No, I-I canīt fall asleep now!
- Iīll miss my train! - Donīt worry. Youīll be awake and alert...
by the time the roosters begin to crow.
- Itīs gonna be all right. - No, itīs gonna come before the morninī.
- I gotta be awake for it when it comes. - Well, youīll catch the next train.
No, no.! Take it out of me.! But you donīt get it!
- Fenton, youīre hurting him! - He was asleep the first time!
Thatīs why he missed the train and the train missed him!
- Thatīs why itīs coming back! - just take it easy.
Mom, Dad, you gotta do something!
Oh, God, what is happening?
Come on! Youīre killing him!
We love you, Old Pa. We love you.
No! He canīt sleep there! The train runs right through there!
- Itīll run him over! - Come here, Brian. Look at me.
Do you think your father and I, would put him where he would get hurt?
You donīt understand! Would we do that?
Iīm really sorry about this, Dr. Steele.
My fatherīs never been like this before.
Itīs nothing to be ashamed of.
Itīs just part of his time of life.
- But- - No, we wouldnīt. Now, come on, honey.
- Say we wouldnīt. - Come on. Come on, sweetie.
We wouldnīt do that. You wouldnīt.
Good. Donīt you think heīll be more comfortable in his bed clothes?
- No, uh, heīll be fine. - Thank you. You can go home now.
No, really, itīd be better for his circulation if he-
Look, would you please just go home?
You donīt actually believe any of this, do you?
No, I donīt.
Canīt miss...
my train.
I canīt miss it.
Wow!
Mom! Dad!
Itīs coming.!Mom, Dad.!
Brian, quiet! Youīre gonna wake Old Pa.
He probably already has.
I knew that story was gonna give him nightmares.
Mom, Dad, itīs coming!
Itīs coming! I saw it! Itīs coming right through this room, full steam ahead!
Iīll get up. No, Iīll get up.
Iīll get up.
Itīs the train. Itīs coming through this room.
Mom, Dad, itīs coming!
Old Pa, itīs coming!
Old Pa!
Old Pa, itīs your train!
Wake up! Old Pa!
Itīs coming through this room!
The 407?
Brian? Brian!
Brian?
Oh, no.
Oh, my God. No.
Come on, Old Pa! Come on!
Follow me!
Mom, Dad, itīs coming! We gotta run!
I wouldnīt stand there if I were you.
Oh, God! Fenton!
People. People! Oh, people.
Thereīs a train in my house. Tickets!
Tickets! Tickets! Tickets!
My ticket. I- I canīt go without my ticket.
Hereīs your ticket, Old Pa.
Can I come along with you?
Uh, you know thatīs not right, Brian.
You belong here with your mom and dad.
I belong on that there train.
I am goinīsomewhere.
But whoīs gonna tell me stories...
about where the Indians fought and all that stuff?
You remember those stories I told you already...
about the trading posts... Uh-huh.
and the war parties... Yeah.
and the pony express? Mm-hmm.
Well, as long as you remember those stories,
Iīll always be there to tell īem.
Tickets, please.
See you in a hundred years.
See you in a hundred years too.
I hope my ticketīs still good. Itīs... kind of old.
It always was good, Mr. Globe.
And weīve been waiting a long time for it.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you for taking me in, joleen.
Iīm sorry I couldnīt stay a while longer.
"Mr. Coffee."
Why, thank you, Mr. Coffee. Much obliged.
Sorry if I caused you any trouble, son.
But, Dad-
Donīt know what this is.
Sounds wet. Weīll fiigure that on board.
Weīre late as usual. Oh, uh, sorry about the house, maīam.
But you never shouldīve put it here, not when the train comes through.
Sorry.
Itīs all right.
All aboard!
Got a mind as sound as a steel bridge. Always have.
Your Christmas presentīs in your parentsī closet. Keep your hands off it.
Have a safe trip!
Bye, Old Pa!
Honey, whoīs our insurance agent?