My Christmas Carol
Ch.1 Dimitri's Image
Dimitri wasn't gone. Not to Began with. But he left. On to high. Higher places, I mean. I mean, well, he's gone now. That's all that matters at the moment. Any ways, his certificate was signed by his teacher, principle, and VP. Even Mark witnessed it, and any thing that the "great" Mark witnessed was upon untrifiling.
Mark, now, at his gray-stoned desk was greeted by a cold Alan.
"Uh, sir," Alan began, "it's, well, kinda too cold to be working now, and, well," he paused, choosing his words carefully, than gave up careful and said it strait out, "You haven't paid me since I began service...."
It was true Mark hadn't paid him. But for good reason. Mark thought it un-necessary to pay anyone.
"Why should I?" Mark questioned, "Like you have done perfect!"
"And if you had have done it all your self you wouldn't have been follied? Yeah, right." Said Alan.
"NO! I mean, Yes! I, mean. SHUT UP!"
In from the cold walked an old, and ex friend of Mark, Eddy.
" HEY! Buddy! Good ol' Mark!" he called, " Merry Christmas, happy... everything!"
"Bah hum bug!" muttered Mark.
"You can't mean that," cried Eddy.
" I can and I do!" retorted Mark
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Finefinefinefine! HA! I win." Gloated Mark.
"Fine! Whatever! Bye!" called Eddy. Then he muttered something about an old coot.
"And you Alan, I'll suppose you'll want the week off," coiled Mark, "Am I right?"
"Yup! I'm goin' bird watchin'!" replied Alan.
"Bah hum bug!" muttered Mark.
As Mark turned the knob to his un-decorated home, he could have sworn, the brass knob reflected the image of Dimitri.
Mark sat by the fire, for a lot of hours, hoping, but, not, thinking, though a sound creeped through the night.
"Mark!" a voice called.
"Yeah?"
"Can't we be a little more enthusiastic?"
" Fine. Wh-who's there? Who are you?"
"Ask me who I was."
Mark may not be too bright, but when some one you can't really see says he was some one, this scares you. It certainly scared Mark. A bit (very stubborn).
"Who were you, then?"
"I was you're percussion partner, or I would have been."
"Dimitri?"
"In the flesh, well, not literally...hold on... yeah..." Dimitri listened to an invisible thing for a minute and went back to his conversation.
"Sheesh. It is I and you must know something tonight. Tonight, you will be visited by three ...hmmm...ghosts, you could say." Dimitri chuckled to himself.
"Right, well," Mark said, "I'll wait, and there's the door, so you can show yourself out. BYE!"
"Ya don't believe Mark, do ya?" asked Dimitri.
"Well, your alive, you don't make a great story. YOU ARE ALIVE!"
"Am I?" said Dimitri with an evil grin. He walked through a wall, and then he came through the door.
It took Mark a few seconds to figure this out. Then he laughed.
"Yes, the real you is, this image of you is just," he paused, "Today's cafeteria food come to haunt me!" Mark laughed at his own joke.
"Is that what you think?" asked Dimitri, "NO one can tell you any thing! Can they?!?!? You are so STUBBORN! Geez."
"Bye, Dimitri," said Mark.
"Bye Mark!"
Ch.2 Spirit of the Past
A cold wind woke Mark up. He wondered if Dimitri was just a dream. The part about last night was a cool dream, if that's what it was. Which it wasn't.
"Come on!" cried a voice, "Up, up! The past waits for no one!"
Mark sighed. "I have a feeling you're the ghost of the past, or whatever!"
"'Tis I, Katty. Come on now!" cried the spirit.
"Part two of this crazy dream," Mark muttered, "Is about to began."
Mark and Katty were flying over their city, olden day style. They were making excellent time, so they stopped at Starbucks for a cup of coffee. Or, at least that's the way mark would have liked this "dream" to be going, yet, for some reason he couldn't control this. Duh.
Finally they got to their destination, Franskeri's.
" Old Franskeri! Good'ol Franskeri!" Mark cried.
There was a younger Mark below them, in Franskeri's, standing next to a bunch of girls saying, "No, I don't dance."
Just then the past Mark saw Cassi, a young beautiful girl with long hair.
"But for you," Mark said, "I'll make an exeption."
He danced with Cassi for a very long time.
"Oh!" his present self cried, "how I loved her!"
The scene around him dissolved and a new scene was appearing. Cassi was standing there, her long hair cut short.
"You're not the man I knew!" cried Cassi.
"Cassi!" Mark stumbled over the words. "I'm not who you think!"
"Take the ring! Wouldn't you rather be a free man any ways?" Cassi tears were overflown. In sadness and anger.
"Well..." Mark debated.
"If you hesitate," said Cassi, "you can't love me any more than your money! How could you? I thought I knew you! Oh ,wait, I knew you loved money! I thought you knew me then! You know only money!"
"Cassi! I-I-I- I'm so sorry!"
"You wish," scoffed Cassi "you may be rich, but you are beneath me."
"Noooo!" cried Mark, his past and present self.
"Spirit!" his present self said, "why do you torture me?!?!"
"Remember," Katty said, "this are images of the past, not my fault!"
Ch.3 Spirit of Now
A scent of....stuff, filled the air of Marks' room. 2:30! What was with this dream? It was so weird-
"HAHAHAHA!"
A sudden laugh filled the halls, And a knew thought crossed Marks mind. What if this was real? It seemed awfully real, still...how likely could that be?
"Har now! Come child!" cried a voice.
"Second spirit." Mark mumbled.
"Child! Let's go!"
"Child?" Mark mused, "You may be old, but can't you see my child years are long gone! My money and maturity have set my people younger than I!"
"Young or not, your `people' suffer, this eve. And I'm as old as you are! And they do suffer."
Mark was amused.
"Really? Now who would this be?" Mark was not moved.
* * * *
"Is Alan being attacked by birds?" asked Mark.
" Well, um, yes," said Carol, the second spirit, "it may seem weird, but it's, uh, true."
"Is this what you call suffering?" Mark cried.
"No, that is what I call suffering."
Unfolding was a terrifying scene. A guy, about, twelve, was being surrounded by a group of sixteen year olds. A gang called, " Fired Gun", supposedly. One hit, two, three. Mark had to turn his head.
"On Christmas?"
Carol just nodded.
Mark turned back to the scene.
"TOLD YOU!" screamed a voice, from the scene.
"SHOULDN"T HAVE EH?" screamed another.
"IF I DIDN"T KNOW BETTER...OH WAIT, I DON'T!!!!" shouted another.
Mark tried to turn his head. The spirit shook her head. He looked back. The gang was gone, the poor guy lying on his back, bleeding was still there though.
"WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE? COME ON! HE'S HURT! DUH! COME ON!" Mark shrieked.
Carol just stood there. "Is it real?" she whispered.
"What?" Marked wailed. "Who cares? COME ON!"
"It's not," said Carol.
"Not what?" asked Mark, trying to calm down.
"Real. It is, but not in the way you'd think, or I'd think, or, anyone would think. It's kinda weird...."
"What?" catechized Mark, "What does this have to do with me though?"
The spirit turned her head back to the pre-teen.
Alan had seen it all and was headed toward the guy.
"Dameon!" he screamed, " Oh, oh! It's ok! IT"S OK!"
He turned to some gawking on-lookers. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE" he yelled, "GET HELP! PLEASE!"
He turned back to Dameon. "If only STUPID, mark had given me a raise last time I asked! Then you could have stayed with me tonight! Or overnight!"
He broke down into tears, into sobs. " I hate him!"
Mark turned to Carol. The puzzled expression told her to explain.
"You see," she said, " well, run-away-cousin. But you have to go now. Say bye."
"but wait, I want to know how he is-"
Ch.4 Holidays yet to Come
Mark lay in the shadows of his room for not long before the third specter arrived. But, in that time he realized that the third spirit would probably be the one to fear most. In a way, he was right. The third spirit changed him for sure. And change is scary.
Mark saw a shadow and knew it was the last spirit. He also knew he was wrong. About life. About people. And about himself. The spirit saw that Mark knew, and that she didn't really need to do her job, but hey, what harm could it do. Any ways, he was expecting her.
"Spirit," Mark stuttered, "you're the last on my spirit list tonight, and I'm afraid of you, no, I'm afraid of myself, because what I'll see, will be wrong, and it'll be me, so, you know, any way, I,I trust you. I am in your hands."
The spirit just nodded.
"He's cool," muttered Mark.
The spirit was a she, but shan didn't say any thing.
Mark was walking nervously behind the floating phantom.
He knew where they were. They were cascading down the halls of Marks school, his old school, in the future. Outside it was turning from midnight to noon.
The floors were dirty, as were the walls.
"Where, excuse me, when are we?" Mark asked.
The spirit pointed to the wall, where a set of pictures was hanging. They read: Trips of 2thou an' 1!
"If it's only two-thousand and one, why aren't I here?"
the spirit pointed to a different set of photos that read: Private school goers, today's tomorrow kids.
"Right."
"Uh, guys?" said a voice, "why is it so dirty here?"
That voice! It was Cassi's! How Mark longed for that voice. "CASSI!" he shouted.
The spirit shook her head. She couldn't here him.
"She can't hear me, can she." Mark realized.
"So, uh, how you guys been?" Cassi asked.
"Great!" some guy replied, "Ever since we cleaned out marks locker! What a load of junk he had in there! Valuable junk, though."
"Yeah," replied another, "a ring that said Cass and me 4always. Worth a diamond!"
Cassi looked at her own hand, which still held the ring she had told him to take back. Her ring said Mark and me 4ever. They were worth a diamond. To Cassi at least.
"So," she finally said, " Made lot's of money of him?"
Everybody laughed at that. Who hadn't? Cassi had. But it hadn't meant any thing to her.
"I'm gone," Mark said, astonished, " and she won't even stick up for me! I don't expect her to though."
The scene dissolved into a rainy day, in a funeral.
"No," Mark said firmly, "I can't watch this. NO."
They were back at marks house.
"Yes," mark said, "I changed. A hundred percent. I know you won't reply to me, but I thank you. Thank you a lot! I will change! I have changed! That will not happen!"
Shan couldn't take it any more. "Finally!" she cried. "I've gone to school with you for years and this was the only way? Really!"
"Wha-" said a puzzled Mark.
The two other spirits arrived.
"We had to do something! You were such a jerk!" said Carol.
Katty nodded.
"How?" questioned Mark.
"Well, Bye!" said Katty.
The spirits disappeared.
Ch.5 The Day
Marks alarm went of at six `o clock.
"Six!" Marked screamed. He remembered yesterday, last night.
"Day!" he suddenly said, "Day! What Day?! Calendar! Calendar! Where is it! What day- oh wait. It's Christmas day. Duh."
"Raise!" he suddenly remarked, "BE BACK SOON!" Mark said, as, he raced out the door.
Mark ran at top speed, running at his fastest, he made it to Alan's in four
minutes.
"Alan! Alan!" he shrieked, banging on the door. "I'm sorry!"
"Wha?" A sleepy Alan opened the door. "WHA?
Mark realized it was six oh eight.
"Oops," he said," Here take this. And have Dameon Over!"
"Wha? Oh. Cool. Bye Mr. Scrooge, I mean Mark, I' meannnn wha?."
Mark gave Eddy his present, and ate a Christmas breakfast with him(it was only 6:56).
After Math
` When Mark saw us at school, he always looked at us funny, like, to see if we were real.. Then he greeted us nicely, or smiled or, something. I don't think he ever decided if it was I dream or not. Oh well. We know.
Being the spirit of Christmas yet to come, I sorta see Marks future. He's changed, I know it.
Dameon was fine, got help, back home, All thanks to Mark. Fired Gum (the gang) was caught, also thanks to him.
That night Mark saw Hatred, Love, and sadness. I understand him better too. I think he's human now.]
I hope Mark gets through what lies ahead. I'd hate to see such a pure heart go to waste.
Me, Katty and Carol are ok too. We've done our good deed of the year, and now we're working on next year.
Ch.1 Dimitri's Image
Dimitri wasn't gone. Not to Began with. But he left. On to high. Higher places, I mean. I mean, well, he's gone now. That's all that matters at the moment. Any ways, his certificate was signed by his teacher, principle, and VP. Even Mark witnessed it, and any thing that the "great" Mark witnessed was upon untrifiling.
Mark, now, at his gray-stoned desk was greeted by a cold Alan.
"Uh, sir," Alan began, "it's, well, kinda too cold to be working now, and, well," he paused, choosing his words carefully, than gave up careful and said it strait out, "You haven't paid me since I began service...."
It was true Mark hadn't paid him. But for good reason. Mark thought it un-necessary to pay anyone.
"Why should I?" Mark questioned, "Like you have done perfect!"
"And if you had have done it all your self you wouldn't have been follied? Yeah, right." Said Alan.
"NO! I mean, Yes! I, mean. SHUT UP!"
In from the cold walked an old, and ex friend of Mark, Eddy.
" HEY! Buddy! Good ol' Mark!" he called, " Merry Christmas, happy... everything!"
"Bah hum bug!" muttered Mark.
"You can't mean that," cried Eddy.
" I can and I do!" retorted Mark
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Finefinefinefine! HA! I win." Gloated Mark.
"Fine! Whatever! Bye!" called Eddy. Then he muttered something about an old coot.
"And you Alan, I'll suppose you'll want the week off," coiled Mark, "Am I right?"
"Yup! I'm goin' bird watchin'!" replied Alan.
"Bah hum bug!" muttered Mark.
As Mark turned the knob to his un-decorated home, he could have sworn, the brass knob reflected the image of Dimitri.
Mark sat by the fire, for a lot of hours, hoping, but, not, thinking, though a sound creeped through the night.
"Mark!" a voice called.
"Yeah?"
"Can't we be a little more enthusiastic?"
" Fine. Wh-who's there? Who are you?"
"Ask me who I was."
Mark may not be too bright, but when some one you can't really see says he was some one, this scares you. It certainly scared Mark. A bit (very stubborn).
"Who were you, then?"
"I was you're percussion partner, or I would have been."
"Dimitri?"
"In the flesh, well, not literally...hold on... yeah..." Dimitri listened to an invisible thing for a minute and went back to his conversation.
"Sheesh. It is I and you must know something tonight. Tonight, you will be visited by three ...hmmm...ghosts, you could say." Dimitri chuckled to himself.
"Right, well," Mark said, "I'll wait, and there's the door, so you can show yourself out. BYE!"
"Ya don't believe Mark, do ya?" asked Dimitri.
"Well, your alive, you don't make a great story. YOU ARE ALIVE!"
"Am I?" said Dimitri with an evil grin. He walked through a wall, and then he came through the door.
It took Mark a few seconds to figure this out. Then he laughed.
"Yes, the real you is, this image of you is just," he paused, "Today's cafeteria food come to haunt me!" Mark laughed at his own joke.
"Is that what you think?" asked Dimitri, "NO one can tell you any thing! Can they?!?!? You are so STUBBORN! Geez."
"Bye, Dimitri," said Mark.
"Bye Mark!"
Ch.2 Spirit of the Past
A cold wind woke Mark up. He wondered if Dimitri was just a dream. The part about last night was a cool dream, if that's what it was. Which it wasn't.
"Come on!" cried a voice, "Up, up! The past waits for no one!"
Mark sighed. "I have a feeling you're the ghost of the past, or whatever!"
"'Tis I, Katty. Come on now!" cried the spirit.
"Part two of this crazy dream," Mark muttered, "Is about to began."
Mark and Katty were flying over their city, olden day style. They were making excellent time, so they stopped at Starbucks for a cup of coffee. Or, at least that's the way mark would have liked this "dream" to be going, yet, for some reason he couldn't control this. Duh.
Finally they got to their destination, Franskeri's.
" Old Franskeri! Good'ol Franskeri!" Mark cried.
There was a younger Mark below them, in Franskeri's, standing next to a bunch of girls saying, "No, I don't dance."
Just then the past Mark saw Cassi, a young beautiful girl with long hair.
"But for you," Mark said, "I'll make an exeption."
He danced with Cassi for a very long time.
"Oh!" his present self cried, "how I loved her!"
The scene around him dissolved and a new scene was appearing. Cassi was standing there, her long hair cut short.
"You're not the man I knew!" cried Cassi.
"Cassi!" Mark stumbled over the words. "I'm not who you think!"
"Take the ring! Wouldn't you rather be a free man any ways?" Cassi tears were overflown. In sadness and anger.
"Well..." Mark debated.
"If you hesitate," said Cassi, "you can't love me any more than your money! How could you? I thought I knew you! Oh ,wait, I knew you loved money! I thought you knew me then! You know only money!"
"Cassi! I-I-I- I'm so sorry!"
"You wish," scoffed Cassi "you may be rich, but you are beneath me."
"Noooo!" cried Mark, his past and present self.
"Spirit!" his present self said, "why do you torture me?!?!"
"Remember," Katty said, "this are images of the past, not my fault!"
Ch.3 Spirit of Now
A scent of....stuff, filled the air of Marks' room. 2:30! What was with this dream? It was so weird-
"HAHAHAHA!"
A sudden laugh filled the halls, And a knew thought crossed Marks mind. What if this was real? It seemed awfully real, still...how likely could that be?
"Har now! Come child!" cried a voice.
"Second spirit." Mark mumbled.
"Child! Let's go!"
"Child?" Mark mused, "You may be old, but can't you see my child years are long gone! My money and maturity have set my people younger than I!"
"Young or not, your `people' suffer, this eve. And I'm as old as you are! And they do suffer."
Mark was amused.
"Really? Now who would this be?" Mark was not moved.
* * * *
"Is Alan being attacked by birds?" asked Mark.
" Well, um, yes," said Carol, the second spirit, "it may seem weird, but it's, uh, true."
"Is this what you call suffering?" Mark cried.
"No, that is what I call suffering."
Unfolding was a terrifying scene. A guy, about, twelve, was being surrounded by a group of sixteen year olds. A gang called, " Fired Gun", supposedly. One hit, two, three. Mark had to turn his head.
"On Christmas?"
Carol just nodded.
Mark turned back to the scene.
"TOLD YOU!" screamed a voice, from the scene.
"SHOULDN"T HAVE EH?" screamed another.
"IF I DIDN"T KNOW BETTER...OH WAIT, I DON'T!!!!" shouted another.
Mark tried to turn his head. The spirit shook her head. He looked back. The gang was gone, the poor guy lying on his back, bleeding was still there though.
"WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE? COME ON! HE'S HURT! DUH! COME ON!" Mark shrieked.
Carol just stood there. "Is it real?" she whispered.
"What?" Marked wailed. "Who cares? COME ON!"
"It's not," said Carol.
"Not what?" asked Mark, trying to calm down.
"Real. It is, but not in the way you'd think, or I'd think, or, anyone would think. It's kinda weird...."
"What?" catechized Mark, "What does this have to do with me though?"
The spirit turned her head back to the pre-teen.
Alan had seen it all and was headed toward the guy.
"Dameon!" he screamed, " Oh, oh! It's ok! IT"S OK!"
He turned to some gawking on-lookers. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE" he yelled, "GET HELP! PLEASE!"
He turned back to Dameon. "If only STUPID, mark had given me a raise last time I asked! Then you could have stayed with me tonight! Or overnight!"
He broke down into tears, into sobs. " I hate him!"
Mark turned to Carol. The puzzled expression told her to explain.
"You see," she said, " well, run-away-cousin. But you have to go now. Say bye."
"but wait, I want to know how he is-"
Ch.4 Holidays yet to Come
Mark lay in the shadows of his room for not long before the third specter arrived. But, in that time he realized that the third spirit would probably be the one to fear most. In a way, he was right. The third spirit changed him for sure. And change is scary.
Mark saw a shadow and knew it was the last spirit. He also knew he was wrong. About life. About people. And about himself. The spirit saw that Mark knew, and that she didn't really need to do her job, but hey, what harm could it do. Any ways, he was expecting her.
"Spirit," Mark stuttered, "you're the last on my spirit list tonight, and I'm afraid of you, no, I'm afraid of myself, because what I'll see, will be wrong, and it'll be me, so, you know, any way, I,I trust you. I am in your hands."
The spirit just nodded.
"He's cool," muttered Mark.
The spirit was a she, but shan didn't say any thing.
Mark was walking nervously behind the floating phantom.
He knew where they were. They were cascading down the halls of Marks school, his old school, in the future. Outside it was turning from midnight to noon.
The floors were dirty, as were the walls.
"Where, excuse me, when are we?" Mark asked.
The spirit pointed to the wall, where a set of pictures was hanging. They read: Trips of 2thou an' 1!
"If it's only two-thousand and one, why aren't I here?"
the spirit pointed to a different set of photos that read: Private school goers, today's tomorrow kids.
"Right."
"Uh, guys?" said a voice, "why is it so dirty here?"
That voice! It was Cassi's! How Mark longed for that voice. "CASSI!" he shouted.
The spirit shook her head. She couldn't here him.
"She can't hear me, can she." Mark realized.
"So, uh, how you guys been?" Cassi asked.
"Great!" some guy replied, "Ever since we cleaned out marks locker! What a load of junk he had in there! Valuable junk, though."
"Yeah," replied another, "a ring that said Cass and me 4always. Worth a diamond!"
Cassi looked at her own hand, which still held the ring she had told him to take back. Her ring said Mark and me 4ever. They were worth a diamond. To Cassi at least.
"So," she finally said, " Made lot's of money of him?"
Everybody laughed at that. Who hadn't? Cassi had. But it hadn't meant any thing to her.
"I'm gone," Mark said, astonished, " and she won't even stick up for me! I don't expect her to though."
The scene dissolved into a rainy day, in a funeral.
"No," Mark said firmly, "I can't watch this. NO."
They were back at marks house.
"Yes," mark said, "I changed. A hundred percent. I know you won't reply to me, but I thank you. Thank you a lot! I will change! I have changed! That will not happen!"
Shan couldn't take it any more. "Finally!" she cried. "I've gone to school with you for years and this was the only way? Really!"
"Wha-" said a puzzled Mark.
The two other spirits arrived.
"We had to do something! You were such a jerk!" said Carol.
Katty nodded.
"How?" questioned Mark.
"Well, Bye!" said Katty.
The spirits disappeared.
Ch.5 The Day
Marks alarm went of at six `o clock.
"Six!" Marked screamed. He remembered yesterday, last night.
"Day!" he suddenly said, "Day! What Day?! Calendar! Calendar! Where is it! What day- oh wait. It's Christmas day. Duh."
"Raise!" he suddenly remarked, "BE BACK SOON!" Mark said, as, he raced out the door.
Mark ran at top speed, running at his fastest, he made it to Alan's in four
minutes.
"Alan! Alan!" he shrieked, banging on the door. "I'm sorry!"
"Wha?" A sleepy Alan opened the door. "WHA?
Mark realized it was six oh eight.
"Oops," he said," Here take this. And have Dameon Over!"
"Wha? Oh. Cool. Bye Mr. Scrooge, I mean Mark, I' meannnn wha?."
Mark gave Eddy his present, and ate a Christmas breakfast with him(it was only 6:56).
After Math
` When Mark saw us at school, he always looked at us funny, like, to see if we were real.. Then he greeted us nicely, or smiled or, something. I don't think he ever decided if it was I dream or not. Oh well. We know.
Being the spirit of Christmas yet to come, I sorta see Marks future. He's changed, I know it.
Dameon was fine, got help, back home, All thanks to Mark. Fired Gum (the gang) was caught, also thanks to him.
That night Mark saw Hatred, Love, and sadness. I understand him better too. I think he's human now.]
I hope Mark gets through what lies ahead. I'd hate to see such a pure heart go to waste.
Me, Katty and Carol are ok too. We've done our good deed of the year, and now we're working on next year.