-PART II-
“Gosh. Kind of slippery.” Marley said calmly as he got up and looked at Scrooge, apparently noticing a look of terror. Gosh
“Scrooge, don’t you recognize me?” Marley asked. “I was your partner, Jacob Marley.”
Scrooge hadn’t wanted to believe it, but looking at Marley’ face, he was forced to, and that actually helped to calm him down a little.
“Marley, it is you.” Scrooge said as his eyes widened.
“Scrooge,” Marley said as he stood straight up. “Remember when I was alive, I robbed the widows and swindled the poor?”
“Yes, and all on the same day.” Scrooge said with a smile at the memories. “Oh, you had class Jacob.”
“Yup.” Marley said with a smug look before shaking his head. “Wait, no! No! I was wrong, and so as punishment, I’m forced to carry these chains for eternity! … Maybe even longer. With no hope. I’m doomed! Doomed!”
Marley then turned his bird-like face to Scrooge.
“And the same thing will happen to you, Scrooge Scrooge.”
“No!” Scrooge gasped in fear as he recoiled from the chains that were close by his chair. “No it can’t! It mustn’t! Help me, Jacob!”
“Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits.” Marley informed Scrooge. “Listen to them, and do what they say, or your chains will be heavier than mine.”
Scrooge agreed nervously as he turned nervously around.
“Farewell Scrooge…” Marley called out as he walked back, making sure to be mindful of the rug. “Farewell . . .”
“Marley!” Scrooge called out as he remembered something about the stairway. “Watch out for that first-”
There were several loud screams and grunts as Jacob Marley’ ghost fell down the stairs.
“Step.” Scrooge finished before going off to bed.
Spooky, huh?
Chapter Two: The First of the Spirits
That night, Scrooge searched his room all over with a candle before putting it on the table.
“Spirits.” He scoffed. He’d obviously been stressed as he got into bed and blew out his candle. “Humbug!”
Scrooge then went to sleep without undressing.
()()()()()
As Scrooge slept, a little man walked up. His hair was white, and he was dressed in a red long sleeved shirt with a blue vest and jeans. He snapped his fingers, and the fire came on. He then rang the bell on the clock, which read two o’clock, but Scrooge continued sleeping.
“Oh boy.” The little man groaned. He rang the bell again, and Scrooge got up.
“Oh, what?” Scrooge asked.
“Well it’s about time.” The little man said. “Haven’t got all night, you know.”
“Who… Who are you?” Scrooge asked in surprise.
“I’m the Ghost of Christmas Past.” The little man said.
“I would think someone like you would look a little younger.” Scrooge observed.
“Well Scrooge, if men were measured by kindness, you’d be no bigger than a speck of dust.” Said the Christmas Past.
“Kindness is of little use in this world.” Scrooge said as he prepared to go back to sleep.
“You didn’t always think so.” Spirit said. “Come on, Scrooge, it’s time to go.”
“Then go.” Scrooge said agitatedly when Spirit walked to a window, and opened it.
“Spirit!” Scrooge called out in alarm. “What are you doing?”
“We’re going to visit your past.” spirit explained.
“I’m not going out there.” Scrooge countered. “I’ll fall.”
“Take my hand, and you’ll be lifted.” Spirit said, as Scrooge apprehensively took Spirit’s hand, and they were flying above London in an instant, having a wild ride.
()()()()()
They stopped at a small shop.
“I believe I know this place.” Scrooge mused. “Yes! It’s old Fezzy Wig’s! I couldn’t have worked for a kinder man.”
Inside the shop, Fezzy, alive again, was dancing with his wife and several others.
“Why it’s old Fezzy himself!” Scrooge exclaimed. “And all of my very dearest friends!”
Scrooge then turned to a shy boy who looked very much like his nephew Harry.
“And that shy boy in the corner, that’s me.” Scrooge remarked.
“Yes.” the little man said. “Before you became a miserable miser consumed by greed.”
“Well nobody’s perfect.” Scrooge defended before looking at a blond girl with blue eyes. “There she is. There’s lovely Isabelle.”
()()()()()
Isabelle walked up to the younger Scrooge.
“Ebenezer?” Isabelle asked. “Ebenezer.”
“Yes, Isabelle?” Scrooge asked nervously as Isabelle pulled him under the mistletoe.
“My eyes are closed, my lips are puckered, and I’m standing under the mistletoe.” Isabelle said.
“You’re also standing on my foot.” Scrooge pointed out before Isabelle chuckled, and they began dancing with everybody as Scrooge smiled. The dance ended with Isabelle kissing Scrooge’s cheek, and his mind went to mush.
()()()()()
“Oh, I remember how much I was in love with her.” Scrooge said nostalgically when there was a sudden wind, and the entire area became darkened.
“In ten years time, you learned to love something else.” the little man said as Scrooge looked around and found himself in a very familiar place.
“It’s my counting house!” Scrooge said in surprise.
()()()()()
“Nine-thousand four-hundred and seventy two.” Scrooge said as he put a coin on top of a large pile from several foreclosures and debt payments. “Nine-thou-”
“Scrooge?” Isabelle asked from behind the pile of coins.
“Yes, what is it?” Scrooge asked.
“For years I’ve had the honeymoon cottage Scrooge.” Isabelle said. “I’ve been waiting for you to keep your promise to marry me. Now I must know, have you made your decision?”
“I have!” Scrooge said finally as he pulled out the mortgage paper of the cottage. “Your last payment on the cottage was an hour late! I’m foreclosing the mortgage!”
()()()()()
Scrooge watched Isabelle burst into tears and walk away.
“You loved your money more than that precious creature, and you lost her forever.” the little spirit reminded him as a look of anger crossed Isabelle’s face as she closed the door, causing the pile of gold to crash down on the table.
“Please spirit.” Scrooge moaned. “I can no longer bear these memories. Take me home.”
“Remember Scrooge.” the spirit said , “You fashioned these memories yourself…”
Chapter Three: The Second of the Spirits
Back on Scrooge’s own bed, he still brooded about his mistakes.
“Why was I so foolish?” Scrooge asked himself. “Why? Why?”
Suddenly, a light shone in through his curtains, and he looked on in surprise.
“What’s this?” Scrooge asked as he looked through the curtains to see a giant in a green and blue striped shirt.
“Fee.” The giant began. “Fi, fo fum! I smell.” The giant said before shaking his head. “I mean, I smell…”
Scrooge quickly closed the curtains, and when he opened them again, an eye as big as his bedroom door appeared.
“A stingy little Englishmen.” The giant finished as he reached in and grabbed Scrooge.
“At least I think I do.” The giant said, taking a good whiff of Scrooge. “Yup, I do.”
“Please, let me go!” Scrooge called out in fear. “Don’t eat me!”
“Why would the Ghost of Christmas Present, that’s me, you can call me Flint, eat a distasteful little miser like you, especially when there are so many good things to enjoy in life.”
The giant set Scrooge down, and he then noticed that the room was full of food.
“Oh…” Scrooge said in awe. “Mince pies. Turkeys. Suckling pig.”
“And don’t forget the chocolate pot roast!” Flint said excitedly. “With pastacia- With pistasimo- With Smismishna- With yogurt.”
“But where did all this come from?” Scrooge asked.
“From the heart, Scrooge.” Flint explained. “It’s the food of generosity which you have long denied your fellow man.”
“Generosity?” Scrooge asked angrily. “Nobody’s ever shown me generosity!”
“You’ve never given them reason to.” Flint explained calmly. “And yet, there are those who still find enough warmth in their hearts even for the likes of you.”
“No acquaintance of mine.” Scrooge said coldly. “I assure you.”
“Oh, you’ll see.” Flint said as he put Scrooge in a shirt pocket, lifted up Scrooge’s roof and walked out, using a lamppost as a flash light to find the right house.
-END OF PART II-
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