Stave IV: The Present Score

Vlad

"Desiree forgive me," I sobbed as I woke with a start, "I am back home it was all a dream." I laughed knowing all along there was no such thing as ghosts and curled up in bed. "Too much cheese," I muttered as I closed my eyes and went to sleep. I am not sure how long I slept until a noise outside my room woke me up. "What's that?" I asked slowly getting up. Before I could reach the door a horde of football players rushed into my room and grabbed me. "Let go of me!" I shouted but they did not heed me.

"VLAD! VLAD! VLAD!" they chanted moving out of my room and down the steps into my living room but it had completely changed. It was filled with various foods including kielbasa, hot dogs, hamburgers and steaks. Kegs of beer and barrels of whiskey were overflowing like waterfalls. The crowd threw me into the pile of food and left. I brushed myself off and looked around at all this food. A booming voice laughed as I looked up and beheld a dark skinned man in a gold, purple, and white colored poncho. Attached to the poncho was a rusty scabbard but no sword. A pair of glasses rested lazily on his nose and a football helmet covered in holly surrounded his head.

"Ah, come in Vlad and know me better man," he boomed as I slowly walked towards him. "What do you call that Vlad a new dance?" he asked as I got a better a look at him, it was Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Mike Singletary. I asked the former 49ners coach what he was doing in the room. "Single who? I am the ghost of Christmas Present," he boomed. The ghost asked if I had ever seen the likes of him before, "Have you walked forth with any of my predecessors," he asked I shook my head and asked him if there many coaches before him, "there have been over two thousand former assistant coaches," he laughed before jumping down and ordering me to touch his poncho.

Clockwork

"A bright light enveloped Vlad and the ghost and were magically transported outside," I read as Aeon gave out a yawn. "Maybe I should wait until Christmas morning to continue this tale," I said yawning but Aeon pleaded with me to continue. "All right," I acquiesced as Aeon took a pillow from a chair to get comfortable. "They were outside and it was Christmas Morning," I read as I watched the head Observant phase into the room. "I trust you are feeling better oh wise one," I said as the ghost looked at me and sat in the corner.

"Uncle Clockwork, what happened next?" Aeon asked while kept my eye on my other guest. I went on to explain that ghost showed him all the wonders the day held, "That had to affect him, I mean no one is immune from the wonders of Christmas," he said as I shook my head telling all that Vlad could see was the money being exchanged. "What a crazed up Fruit Loop," he spat as I laughed before continuing.

Vlad

"Is that all you can see Vlad? Money?" the ghost asked as I nodded, "if I were the commissioner I would kick you out of the league. You wouldn't play professional football in this life or the next," I shrank back. "You're lucky Goddell has taken a shine to you and thinks you can be reformed," he said walking over to where a poor man was eating a piece of bread. He took out a bottle of Gatorade and sprinkled some on the bread. I asked him that sports drink had some blessing to it. "it does, my own," he explained and asked him if it was given to any meal given this day. He nodded saying it was to any meal given kindly but especially to a poor one. I inquired as to why the poor, "because it is most needed," he explained.

"Spirit, I was wondering something," I muttered as the ghost looked at me, "why do you seek to close down the shops on Sunday?" the specter looked at me indignantly, "Well it is done in your team's name." He told that there are some in this world who think they know his coaching style but are foreign to him as a streaker running on the field. He warned me to judge them on their deeds not his, "sorry spirit," I mumbled walking down the street until we came to small shack, "who in the name of Bret Favre lives here," I asked looking in and saw a woman with red hair sitting with two kids by her side.

Maddie

"Everything smells delicious," Danny said running up to the table and looking at the food on the table. His hand reached up towards the food but Jazz grabbed his hand explaining that we had to wait for Jack and Danielle to come home from church. "Aw man!" he cried out as looked out the window and got all excited, "they're coming! They're coming! Come on Jazz hide," Danny said pushing his older sister in the cupboard as the door opened revealing Jack carrying Danielle on his shoulders.

"Merry Christmas Fenton Family," Jack said as he gently laid the youngest Fenton on the floor and looked around. "Where is Jazzypants?" he asked as I told him she could not make it. "not coming but its Christmas and she…," he began to say until Jasmine sneaked up and hugged him. "Jazz my princess, I was worried for a second," he said watching Danny help Danielle to the table. I asked him how she behaved in church. "Good as golden fudge and better. She says the strangest things. She told me that she hopped that people saw in her church being sick so they might remember who healed sick on this day," he explained as I looked at the frail child. There was something wrong with the cells in her body. the doctor said it was a miracle she survived but wasn't sure how long she had left.

Once everyone was seated we bowed her head and said grace, "Great creator and father of us all, we thank you for this blessed time of year and for the company of family. We also thank you for this bounty you have laid before us and may you bless us all," I said as Danni raised her eyes and said 'God Bless Us, everyone,' "Amen," I concluded as we began to eat.

"Everyone I give you Mr. Vladimir Masters, the founder of the feast," Jack said raising his glass as we looked up from their meal. I scoffed at his notion, "but Maddie it's Christmas," he explains as I tell him it should be Christmas when one should drink to the health of such a despicable, creepy, and greedy man as Vlad. "Honey it's Christmas," my husband said again as I sighed before raising my glass to him wishing him a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Everyone, with the exception of Dani, raised their glasses spitefully to the old man and said under their breath 'Merry Christmas Mr. Masters.'

Vlad

"Spirit what is wrong with that little girl?" I asked looking at my guide. He told me that Jack's DNA had been damaged from all the ectoplasm he was exposed to in his work. Danielle was conceived just after my failed Proto Portal experiment and he passed on the defective genetic material to his youngest child. She is slowly destabilizing, "why don't they seek a cure for it I am…," he explained they could only afford one dose and they ration it drop by drop. My heart sank at those words and asked if she would live. Singletary said that unless these shadows are altered by the future she would die. "NO!" I cried out as he repeated those words.

"So what if she dies, she better do it soon and decrease the surplus population!" the coach said as I swallowed hard. "Oh man if you are one take back those horrid words. Dear Goddell to hear the quarterback decry to his teammates that there are too many players on the roster," he moaned as he took out a whistle hanging on the neck and blew it loudly. He instructed me told onto his poncho as a whirlwind appeared and swept us away.

When the storm died I found myself in an old mine, "Where are we?" I asked the specter. There was something different about him. His skin was wrinkled slightly and his cloak had holes in it. He told this was a mine where men pluck out earth's treasures but even here they know him. He told me to look ahead as two beings came out from the mine signing a Christmas song.

Head Observant

I watched as Chronos explained to the youth how even these people who have a dangerous and wretched jobs still celebrated Christmas. My eye fell on the venerable time master My thoughts begin to dwell in Zeus "he has to maintain the order of the universe…," I said under my breath. Perhaps there was some wisdom in his decision- love is a fickle thing and follows no master. The child we would have conceived would have thrown the order of things out of balance and Zeus would have to kill the child. He has seen enough filicide in his age already and probably couldn't bear to commit the same act as his father did.

"The coach blew his whistle again and Vlad found himself on boat on a stormy sea," Chronos continued as I looked up at him with his cousin. "The sailors were arguing and fighting about the death of one of their mates. The ghost sprinkled him with his blessed Gatorade and they stopped fighting and began to sing a Christmas song," the master of time said with a smile.

"Zeus isn't the only one with a horrid job," I said gazing at the time master. It isn't his fault that we always fight it's in his nature. He is time in motion ever changing while we Observants are time fixed and immovable. Even his little cousin was not bad, "he is only a child and blessed with that great gift of curiosity," I said placing a hand on my head pondering the ghost. I thought I knew him better than my own soul but now the ghost of time seemed less like a bothersome poltergeist and more like a ghost with a job even I would loathe to occupy.