The large grandfather clock on the right hand wall chimed twelve. Barbossa awoke with a start.

"Did you hear that Mr. Twinkles?" he asked his teddy nervously. No response.

"No, no. Of course not. I'm being silly. There's no way a ghost could get in here…"

"Is that so?" inquired a young girl's voice from his bedside.

"Who's there?"

"It is I, the ghost of Christmas Past."

"Aren't you a little young? Do your parents let you out this late?"

"I had parents, yes, once upon a time. But I was called to the next world when…when…" She started sobbing.

"Sorry. I didn't mean for you to get all tetchy about it. Geez…"

"You cruel, cruel man! This must be why I was sent here…"

"Alright! What's your name?"

"It was Elizabeth…,"

"Not again…"

"But you may call me Spirit."

"Alright then, Spirit."

"Take my hand, and hold tight."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Where are we going?"

"To visit your past."

"Wha…"

The spirit grabbed his hand and away they went! As they flew above the town, Ebenezer could see lights sparkling from windows. "No doubt the holiday festivities," he thought to himself. "They'll be feeling that in the morning…"

Finally they landed in front of a small school house. It was a familiar sight to Barbossa.

"I remember this place! This was my old school!"

"No, really? Look in the window."

He used his sleeve to wipe off the fog, and took a peek. Inside was a boy, completely alone at his desk, while all the others were outside, piling into carriages.

"Why, that's me! I remember now, I used to stay behind while everyone else went home for the holidays."

"Yes, you were quite the loner…"

"Quiet you!"

"It's true…"

"That's my old teacher! Mr. Cotton! He had his tongue cut out for blasphemy so he bought a parrot and trained it to talk for him!"

"Yes, yes, nice trip down memory lane…Come on, let's get going! When I'm finished there's another two spirits coming!"

"Oh no…"

They ended up outside a tavern. In the window they could see lights, men drinking, women dancing with the drunken men, and hear music, the clinking of glasses and the repeated cry of "Fill 'er up, Fizzy!"

Ebenezer gasped.

"What a sight for sore eyes! Bless my soul it's old Fizzygibbs! I used to come here all the time!"

"Yet still you seemed to be a loner. See? That's you over there in that corner."

He looked in the window and saw his younger self sulking in a corner. At the other end of the room was a badger resembling man heatedly playing a fiddle. That was Fizzygibbs. At that moment a girl came over, grabbed young Barbossa by the arm and they began to dance.

"Oh, Ana-Maria! She was my fiancée. What ever happened to us?"

"I'll show you."

A moment later, they were inside Scrooge's office. Ana-Maria came in the door and found young Barbossa, surprise surprise, behind piles of…gold.

"Ebenezer?" the vision asked timidly.

"What is it darling?"

"I know I'm a little late on the payments on the cottage…could I have just…a little more time?"

"I'm sorry but it's already been three months. You can't hold off any longer. If you can't pay now, I guess you'll just have to have it repossessed."

Ana-Maria threw her engagement ring at him and ran out the door, sobbing. Ebenezer recommenced the counting of his…gold.

"Geez…I didn't think that I was that harsh…"

"Farewell!" called the Spirit.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

In a split-second, Ebenezer found himself sitting up in his four-poster bed, the curtains still drawn. He grabbed Mr. Twinkles and fell into a deep sleep.