Chapter 2: Old days, hidden memories

Martin was still sleeping, when the same cold breeze appeared again. He shivered again.

"The same cold again...what shall it be?" he asked as he looked at the window, and there was a young girl, with tanned skin, brown hair and brown eyes, dressed in a red gown with puffy white borders (like a Santa Claus outfit, but for women!) and a red Santa hat. Fortunately, she wasn't as scary as Adam was.

"Danielle?" he said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Yep-yep, Marty-kins!" she said cheerfully.

"But...you died three years ago!" Martin said, surprised. Danielle was Martin's older cousin, who had died at the age of 18

"Yeah, but even being a ghost, I still have my beauty!" she snickered, and Martin rolled his eyes.

"You SURELY are my cousin" he said, remembering how cocky his cousin was, when she was alive. "So you're a ghost"

"Yes, I'm supposed to be the Past Christmas ghost, the first of the three Christmas ghosts" she said "Remember? Adam told you about us"

"Yeah, he did...and why are you here?" he asked.

"I'm here to show you the past Christmas days...when you were a child" she answered "C'mon, take my hand. I don't have all night!" she said impatiently, and Martin took her hand.

Danielle opened the window, and jumped from it, with Martin screaming, holding himself to her waist. But they began to float in the air.

"Wait...Isn't this dangerous?" Martin asked "What if I fall?"

"Don't worry, Marty" she said "You won't fall down as long as you hold my hand" she smiled.

"Okay..."

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They flew across the city, and stopped near a school: it had yard with a slide, a climbing rope and all sort of plays for children. In the entrance, there was a big sign saying 'Haddonfield Pre-school'

"Remember this place?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I studied here when I was a kid" Martin answered.

A bunch of children ran to the yard, passing them by. Martin almost fell down to the floor.

"What are we doing here?" Martin asked her.

"You'll see" she answered, as she took him near a bunch of kids.

"But they..."

"Don't worry, they can neither see nor hear us" she smiled, and he sighed in relief.

As far as they could see, the kids (all boys) were bugging a little boy, with brown hair and brown eyes, who was eating his lunch in a low chair. Martin gasped, as he saw his 7-year-old self being harassed and jeered by the older kids. As they left him there, crying, a girl (a year or two older than them), with pale skin, long blond hair and green eyes, approached him.

"Marty, are you okay?" she asked, with a concerned look on her face. He nodded, sniffling a little "Those guys are jerks" she added, and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Little Martin smiled at her.

"Thank you, Bonnie" he said.

"Don't worry, you'll be all right" she smiled, as she hugged him tighter, the little boy all cuddled up against her.

Older Martin watched this completely silent.

"Wanna know what happened to Bonnie?" Danielle's voice broke the silence around them.

"Well...yes" he answered, and with a move of her hand, the school disappeared and a desert garden appeared in front of them.

"Come on" she said, and they walked through the grass.

They stopped near a piece of stone, and Danielle brushed away the leaves. Martin approached and read the grave marker...

Bonnie Clarisse Anderson (2009-2028)

Gone at the age of 18

"She had cancer when she became 15" Danielle explained "The 3-year-chemotherapy was long and painful, but she couldn't make it, and she died one day before her 19th birthday, and-" she interrupted herself when she saw Martin's teary eyes.

"I couldn't even say goodbye to her" he said, sadly.

"Feeling sad, aren't you?" she asked, but Martin changed his expression.

"L-let's keep going"

"As you wish" she said, and they flew again.

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This time, they stopped at a big house, and they passed through the window, entering to a huge living room, with a lit up fireplace. A rocking chair was in front of it, and an old woman was knitting a sweater. Suddenly, a 9-year-old boy ran into the room.

"Grandma!" the boy cried.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked.

"Billy Cage tried to hit me and he said I was a loser" he said, crying on her lap. She comforted him, caressing his brown hair.

"Oh, Marty...don't care about that. You're NOT a loser, you're a great boy" she smiled "Here, I have something for you" she added, as she handled him the red sweater she had just finished knitting. "Merry Christmas, honey"

"Oh, Grandma! It's great!" he said, trying it on.

"I will always be with you, sweetie. You can count on me"

"Thank you, Grandma" the boy said, hugging his beloved Grandma "Merry Christmas"

Danielle smiled at the scene.

"She was always there for you, Marty" she finally said.

"But she left me" Martin said.

"I know" Danielle said, and moved her hand again, making the house disappear, and a cemetery appeared instead.

There was a bunch of people, dressed in black, around a coffin about to be buried. The priest prayed, and Monica, Henry and 10-year-old Martin were crying.

"Why did she have to go?" Monica cried. 

"Y'know mom was sick" Henry said "I don't like to say this, but she had lo leave us, sooner or later"

"She said she wouldn't leave me" the young Martin said, between sobs, as the coffin made its way through the dark hole dug on the floor...with all the happy memories Martin and his Grandma had...

"Stop this" Older Martin said.

"I beg your pardon?" Danielle asked.

"I can't stand this anymore" he said "Stop...please" he begged.

"But we still have so much to see and-"

"I SAID STOP!!" he yelled this time "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO ME?! WHY ME?! WHY?!"

"Look, Marty, you're overreacting here-"

"OVERREACTING?! You come from God knows where to show me these things and you say I'm OVERREACTING?!" he shouted, now really angry.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that-" she tried to speak, but he stopped her.

"GO! GO AWAY! I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS!! I DIDN'T WANT TO!!! GO THE F*CK AWAY!!" he demanded, and everything disappeared...Martin closed his eyes, full of tears...

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When Martin opened his eyes, and he was in his bed, still at his bedroom.

"What happened? Where's Danielle?" he asked himself "Oh, well...let's go to bed, tomorrow will be another day" he added, and he fell asleep.

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Author's Note: Who will be the present Christmas ghost? Wanna find out? Read chapter 3!