Chapter 3: Jetta Meets The Ghosts

(We see everyone around Jetta after she faints as she regains consciousness as she opens her eyes in her point of view, then as she wakes up with everyone surrounding her)

President Howard: Everyone stand back. She's coming to.

Jetta: (Moans and rubs her forehead) Oh, my head.

Emily Elizabeth: Are you all right, Jetta?

Jetta: I'm fine, Emily Elizabeth. I had the strangest dream. You introduced me to your grandpa and he's-

President Howard: The President of the United States? (Laughs) I'm afraid it wasn't a dream, Jetta. (Jetta gasps and jumps up)

Jetta: You're-you're-

Emily Elizabeth: (Takes her friend's hand) It's okay, Jetta.

President Howard: I never meant to give you such a fright, Jetta.

Jetta: Uh, you didn't, sir. I was just surprised.

President Howard: Ms. Carrington, would it be all right if I'd spend a few minutes with this young lady?

Ms. Carrington: Of course, Mr. President. (She and the other kids, including Emily Elizabeth, leave the area as the President sits on the trunk containing the costumes)

President Howard: So I hear you're cast as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

Jetta: Uh, yes, sir. Mr. President, why would I have to be the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come? It seems so boring.

President Howard: Well, I may not have much experience in Show Business, Jetta, but you can't always do the role you like best. You know, when I played Scrooge during a school Christmas pageant when I was a boy, even I didn't think I'd play Scrooge. I felt nervous at first, but I soon got the hang of it. (We see a flashback of President Howard as a boy when he was playing Scrooge as his present self sings in the background as he nervously reads his lines, when he is doing his play counting a large sum of coins obviously used as props with a boy around his age playing Bob Cratchit, then he is dressed in a nightgown with another boy cast as the Ghost of Jacob Marley, Emily Elizabeth's grandmother when she's a young girl is then seen as the Ghost of Christmas Past, then he is with another boy playing the Ghost of Christmas Present as they see the Cratchit family, and when he and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come see Scrooge's grave)

Old Scrooge is such a stingy man

The tightest man since time began

Oh, he's so tight

So tight, I say

He wouldn't give a bride away

It hurts him to pay 1 cent

He wouldn't pay a compliment

He uses lightning bugs at night

To save the cash he paid with light

How can anybody be so stingy?

So stingy?

So stingy?

How can anybody be so stingy?

And when his hearse goes rolling by

No man alive is gonna cry

But you can bet his ghost will curse

Because he's paying for the hearse

And when it's time for him to go

His soul will travel down below

And when he gets there, you can tell

Because you'll hear old Satan yell

He's the stingiest man in town

How can anybody be so stingy?

So stingy?

So stingy?

How can anybody be so stingy?

He's the stingiest man in town (The song ends as we cut back to him and Jetta in the present)

President Howard: Regardless, I'm sure you'll do fine during the pageant. Now, what do you say we go out there and rehearse, hmm? (Cuts to the President sitting on one of the chairs for the audience with Ms. Carrington to his right, his wife to his left, and 2 Secret Service agents behind them as Vaz, wearing a nightcap and nightgown, and Jetta wearing her black hooded cloak, with Vaz sitting on his knees looking at a large tombstone with Scrooge's name on it)

Vaz: No, no! Spirit, please, listen to me! I am not the man I was! I will not be the man I would have been, but why show me this if I'm past all hope? I beg of you, good Spirit, to assure me that I might change these shadows you've shown me by an altered life! I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year! Oh, tell me that I may sponge away the writing on this stone! (The President, First Lady, and Ms. Carrington start clapping)

President Howard: As they say in Hollywood, that's a cut! Well done, all of you kids!

Vaz: How'd I do, Mr. President?

President Howard: Vaz, my boy, you did great as Scrooge. In fact, it almost reminded me of me when I assumed the roll. In fact, I was just about your age. All right, that's enough for today, everyone. As you know, tomorrow's Christmas Eve, so we must be ready before showtime. (Everyone cheers, cuts to Clifford with Emily Elizabeth and her family on his back as he lands on a pile of snow, the humans laugh)

Emily Elizabeth: Oh, Clifford!

President Howard: (Laughs as he slides down Clifford's side, lands on the ground, and pets his chest area) You really like the snow, don't you, big fella?

Mr. Bleakman: Clifford! (Clifford whimpers)

Emily Elizabeth: Uh-oh. (Cuts to Mr. Bleakman as he climbs out of his snow-covered car muttering as his wife comes around the other side)

Mrs. Bleakman: Horace, don't be in such a mood. It is Christmas.

Emily Elizabeth: Sorry, Mr. Bleakman.

Mr. Bleakman: Emily Elizabeth, would you please explain why that big red pooch of yours always causes an avalanche?

Emily Elizabeth: Well, Clifford always loved the snow.

Mr. Bleakman: He may love the snow, but-(Looks up in surprise as Emily Elizabeth's grandfather walks over)

President Howard: Emily, what's going on here?

Emily Elizabeth: Sorry, Grandpa, this is Mr. Bleakman. He's our neighbor.

Mr. Bleakman: (His jaw drops, then he stands at attention and salutes, the President salutes back with Emily Elizabeth and Clifford looking surprised) Retired Navy Lt. Commander Horace Bleakman, sir.

President Howard: As you were, Commander.

Mr. Bleakman: (Stammering) General Howard. Mr. President, I-I, uh-

President Howard: Didn't expect your neighbor is the granddaughter of your Commander-In-Chief, have you?

Mr. Bleakman: Uh, no, sir, she-she never mentioned-

Emily Elizabeth: Mr. Bleakman, were you a Vietnam Veteran like my grandfather?

Mr. Bleakman: Well, yes. Of course, I was in the Navy. (A young woman with red hair climbs out of another car on the street)

Courtney: Everything all right, Uncle Horace?

Mr. Bleakman: Oh, yes, Courtney. Everything's fine.

Emily Elizabeth: Courtney?

Courtney: Hello, Emily Elizabeth. Good to see you again.

First Lady Howard: Emily, you know this young woman?

Emily Elizabeth: Yes, this is Courtney Amber, she's a famous singer who visited the Island a few months ago after receiving a letter I wrote to her. By the way, what are you doing back?

Courtney: Well, I decided to take some time off from my concerts and spend Christmas with my aunt and uncle. I ran into your friends, Charley and Vaz, and they tell me that you're doing "A Christmas Carol" in a school play. I think I'd like to say that.

Emily Elizabeth: Okay. Hope we'll see you at the show. Merry Christmas!

Courtney: Merry Christmas!

Mr. and Mrs. Bleakman: (Together) Merry Christmas!

President and First Lady Howard: (Together) Merry Christmas! (Mr. Bleakman and President Howard salute to each other again as they part ways, cuts to later that night with Jetta sleeping in her bedroom and a dog that resembles Mac wearing a long chain from his collar and covering his shoulder, hind quarter, and his 4 legs jumps through her window, he then comes to Jetta's bed and nudges her with his muzzle)

Jetta: (Moans as she wakes up) Huh? Mac? What are you doing up so late?

Ghost of Niccolo: Actually, I'm not Mac.

Jetta: (Screams and jumps back) You-you can talk!

Ghost of Niccolo: Of course I can talk.

Jetta: If you're not Mac, then who are you?

Ghost of Niccolo: In life, I was Niccolo, Mac's great-grandfather.

Jetta: His great-grandfather? Yeah, right.

Ghost of Niccolo: (Howls in a haunting tone, making her jump and hide under her blanket) Now, do you believe in me?

Jetta: (Emerges from her blanket) Yes, I believe in you! Why are you here? And why are you wearing that chain from your collar?

Ghost of Niccolo: When I was alive, I was a very miserly dog, as was my human. We were mean and selfish to everybody in our community and hated Christmas. We only cared about the money my human made out of his banking business and never gave some out for donations. I even scared off those who walk by our house. That's why like my human, I have to wear this chain of greed and heartlessness I forged in life. (Begins to sing as some haunting music plays in the background) I wear a chain

A heavy chain (We see flashbacks of Niccolo and his owner as they sit on the front porch of their house, some boys come walking by and Niccolo runs over and barks at them to scare them away, he then walks back to his owner who sneers and pets the top of his head, his owner then counting a large sum of money and laughs like a crazy man throwing it in the air with Niccolo barking happily, they later walk up to some Christmas carolers until Niccolo lurches at them barking, making them stop singing and run offscreen, then goes back to the present as Jetta hides under her blanket, though we only see her head past her eyes)

Is wound around my soul

A chain of sin and vices

That I could not control

Repent your crime

Repent in time

Or you'll repent in vain

For if you wait

Until too late

You'll never break your chain

Although my chain is very strong

The one you bear is stronger

My chain of wrong is very long

But yours is even longer

You must escape

Escape my fate

Cast off the sins that bind you

Or you will find when you pass on

You'll drag your chain behind you (The song ends as Jetta wraps her arms around her knees, trembling)

Jetta: But, Niccolo, it's not right for you to be condemned. And why are you here?

Ghost of Niccolo: I'm here to warn you, Jetta, that you are about to visited by 3 more ghosts.

Jetta: (Gulps) 3 more ghosts?

Ghost of Niccolo: Be sure to expect them at 1, 2, and 3 a.m.! Merry Christmas! (Leaps up through the window and disappears as Jetta closes her eyes and opens them again, then she shakes her head and goes back to sleep, then her clock later strikes 1)

Jetta: (Wakes up with a start to see a large set of eyes outside her bedroom window) Oh, Clifford! (Walks over to open her window) What are you doing here at this time of night? (Looks outside to see 3 dogs that resemble Clifford, Cleo, and T-bone with the 2 small ones standing on the big red one's nose, but the purple Poodle is wearing a red shawl and large brown hat, and the big red Labrador Retriever is wearing a wreath on top of his head and a green robe while the yellow and orange Bulldog is dressed in a black cloak with the hood covering his eyes)

Ghost Of Christmas Present: Actually, I'm not Clifford.

Ghost Of Christmas Past: (Climbs down from the big Ghost's nose followed by the black-cloaked one and stand a few feet from Jetta) And we are not Cleo and T-bone, either.

Jetta: Well, if you aren't Clifford, Cleo, and T-bone, then who are you guys?

Ghost of Christmas Past: We are the Ghosts of Christmas Past...

Ghost of Christmas Present: Present...

Ghost of Christmas Future: And Future.

Jetta: But you're all dogs.

Ghost of Christmas Future: We were always dogs.

Jetta: But how come you're all together? The Ghost of Niccolo said you're supposed to come 1 at a time.

Ghost of Christmas Past: Of course, we could've been here 1 at a time, but we somehow had a bit of a busy schedule, so here we are.

Jetta: What do you guys want with me?

Ghost of Christmas Future: We are tasked with targeting certain miserly people around Christmastime and hope for them to redeem themselves at the end.

Jetta: You know, at school, we're doing a Christmas Pageant based on that story, "A Christmas Carol," that Charles Dickens wrote and-

Ghost of Christmas Past: Charles Dickens was a 2-bit hack!

Ghost of Christmas Present: (Rolls his eyes) Don't get her started.

Jetta: I take it you guys knew Charles Dickens?

Ghost of Christmas Future: (Nods) Unfortunately, yes.

Ghost of Christmas Past: Charles Dickens was a former target of ours who chose to write a book about his experiences, even though we explicitly told him not to.

Jetta: But it was a great book.

Ghost of Christmas Past: It was stupid! Like everything he did! Did you ever read "A Tale of 2 Cities," Jetta? "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Make up your mind, Mr. Dickens!

Jetta: Okay, okay. I get the point. But why me? I've always loved Christmas.

Ghost of Christmas Past: Well, you have been a bit stingy lately.

Ghost of Christmas Future: Yeah. Especially since you thought that playing me was boring. (Turns away and stifles his sobs)

Ghost of Christmas Present: He's a little sensitive.

Jetta: Uh, I didn't mean-

Ghost of Christmas Past: (Clears her throat) Now, then, Jetta, I'll go first. You and I will be taking a little trip into some other times where you acted a little selfish in the past. (She waves her left front paw and some magic dust brings them to Birdwell Island's ferry dock, Jetta then sees herself sitting on a bench)

Jetta: Hey, that's me! I wonder how I'd feel seeing myself.

Ghost of Christmas Past: I'm afraid you can't. Everyone around us can't hear or see us. These are shadows of things that have been. This is also the time when you accused your friend, Emily Elizabeth, of stealing that medal you won at a spelling contest at school. (They then hear Cleo barking and see her with Jetta in the past as she begins sniffing)

Jetta in flashback: Stop sniffing me and go away!

Jetta: I still don't know why Cleo was sniffing around like that.

Ghost of Christmas Past: She, Clifford, and T-bone were investigating to prove that Emily Elizabeth didn't take that medal you lost earlier when it turned out to be a sea bird. Emily Elizabeth's your friend, Jetta. You should have known that she's a lot of things, but not a thief. Innocent till proven guilty, you know.

Jetta: Well, I was a little hasty jumping to conclusions, but it almost looked like she did. I told her so myself.

Ghost of Christmas Past: Like I said, innocent till proven guilty. (She throws some more magic dust into the air again, cuts to them at the school earlier that day as Jetta and Mac leave)

Jetta: Huh? This is my school. There's Mac, Clifford, me and my friends.

Vaz in flashback: Boy, with the way Jetta's acting, she'll probably be a better Scrooge than me.

Jetta: Vaz said that about me?

Ghost of Christmas Past: Yep.

Jetta: But he's my friend! No friend would say things like that.

Ghost of Christmas Past: He may be your friend, but you still put all these shadows on yourself. (Her voices echoes as darkness forms)

A/N: The Ghost of Christmas Past's rant on Charles Dickens was a reference to the movie, "Chasing Christmas," which starred Tom Arnold. The "Wear A Chain" song was also from a musical based on "A Christmas Carol," playing when Scrooge encountered the Ghost of his partner, Jacob Marley, titled "The Stingiest Man In Town," which I also included its title song. There are actually 2 versions of the musical filmed as TV specials, the first from 1956 starred Basil Rathbone, who was also known for playing Sherlock Holmes, and the second was a Rankin-Bass special released in 1978 starring Walter Matthau. You might see other songs from "The Stingiest Man In Town" later in this story. If any of you remember my "Rudolph" fanfic, the "Where's Charles Dickens when you need him?" part was also a reference towards it.