Disclaimer- everything that I don't own is not mine.
Authors note- sorry it took so long for me to get this up but I've finally finished it! The next chapter is most likely the last one unless people really want me to write more. So if you want more remember to reveiw!
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-The ghost of Christmas present-
"Scrooge awoke to find himself in bed once again and the church bell chiming the hour of one in the morning. This time he was expecting a ghost and he wasn't quite so surprised when a small pearly transparent figure appeared sleeping in his armchair across the room."
"Err… Ghost? Wake up." Scrooge said getting out of bed and walking over to the armchair leaning over the ghost.
"Arg avast yea dastardly fiend!" The ghost yelled leaping to his feet and crashing straight into Scrooge and they both tumbled to the floor.
"Get off me!" Scrooge yelled pushing the ghost off of him and standing off.
"Ah… Sorry about that mate." The ghost said. He was dressed in pirate garb complete even with an eye patch and hook instead of a left hand. The only thing that threw off his pirate persona was the cowboy hat placed jauntily on his bright red hair, which was made redder by the fact that it was the only color left on him except pearl.
"So… who are you, and what have you come to say?" Scrooge asked rather tired and wanting to get this over with.
"I am the ghost of Christmas present-"
"Oh! PRESANTS!" Scrooge said happily looking around to see if the ghost had brought anything with him.
"Not presents you newt brain. Present, as in the time!"
"Oh…" Scrooge looked so disappointed that the ghost just had to laugh at him.
"What are you laughing at?" Scrooge asked defensively.
"You know there's joy in giving presents as well as receiving them." The ghost said ceasing his opportunity to work his lesson into this.
"Your nuts."
"No its true." The ghost protested. "Let me show you." And with that they left the warmth and safety of scrooge's house. Not in the same manner as the last ghost but rather just disappearing and coming back outside of a different house, a much smaller house. But there was something different about this house, something warm and welcoming. Inside a girl with blond hair tucked behind her ears wearing a floral patterned dress and a stained white apron was stirring something in a pot over a stove.
"Children! Children!" The girl called through the door into the only other room of the small house where four children had been playing. Three were boys all around eleven and one was a girl. The boys ran into the kitchen to help their mother set the table and the girl went over to the corner to help the last child. He was the smallest of them all and was a cripple. No he wasn't missing any limbs but he needed help walking because he was weak. A sickness was eating away at his strength and without the right medicines he would die soon. All this the ghost explained to scrooge as they watched. The watched the family prepare for Christmas dinner trying their best to keep up the spirit of the holiday even though one of their number was ill and their father was late. Just then the black haired boy with glasses rushed past Scrooge and the ghost into his home. He ran forward hugging his wife and children, wishing them all a Merry Christmas.
"Sorry I'm late, but I was lucky Scrooge let me go home at all!" He said to his wife before going over to his smallest son and handing him a long thin package that was wider at one end than the other.
"Here Tiny Tim. This is for you." The boy smiled at his father saying thank you before opening the package with some difficulty. Inside was a roughly carved crutch.
"Tank you daddy." The boy said putting the crutch under his arm and trying it out but he began to cough again and sat back down. The rest of the family watched worried, but they all put on smiles to make the boy feel better.
"Well its time for dinner then!" The mother announced and they all sat down around the table.
"I'm sorry I didn't get a turkey but Scrooge didn't pay me for today." The father said sadly.
"Its alright dear I made soup." The mother said spooning some watery brown stuff from the pot into everyone's bowls.
