Chapter Two: The First of the Spirits
That night, Lex searched his room all over with a candle before putting it on the table.
"Spirits." He scoffed. He'd obviously been stressed as he got into bed and blew out his candle. "Humbug!"
Lex then went to sleep without undressing.
As Lex slept, a lovely woman walked up. Her hair was blond, and she was dressed in a long white dress that exposed her shoulders. She starred at the fireplace, and the fire came on. She then rang the bell on the clock, which read two o'clock, but Lex continued sleeping.
"Oh boy." The woman groaned. She rang the bell again, and Lex got up.
"Oh, what?" Lex asked.
"Well it's about time." The woman said. "Haven't got all night, you know."
"Who... Who are you?" Lex asked in surprise.
"I'm the Ghost of Christmas Past." The woman said. "You can call me Lara for short."
"I would think someone like you would look a little older." Lex observed.
"Well Lex, if men were aged by kindness, you'd be no older than a new-born babe." Lara retorted calmly.
"Kindness is of little use in this world." Lex said as he prepared to go back to sleep.
"You didn't always think so." Lara said. "Come on, Lex, it's time to go."
"Then go." Lex said agitatedly when Lara walked to a window, and opened it.
"Lara!" Lex called out in alarm. "What are you doing?!"
"We're going to visit your past." Lara explained.
"I'm not going out there." Lex countered. "I'll fall."
"Take my hand, and you'll be lifted." Lara said, as Lex apprehensively took Lara's hand, and they were flying above Metropolis in an instant, having a wild ride.
They stopped at a small shop.
"Lara, I think I know this place." Lex mused. "Yes! It's old Lewis Lang's! I couldn't have worked for a kinder man."
Inside the shop, Lewis, alive again, was dancing with his wife and several others.
"Why it's old Lang himself!" Lex exclaimed. "And all of my very dearest friends!"
Lex then turned to a shy boy who looked very much like his nephew Alexander, though bald.
"And that shy boy in the corner, that's me." Lex remarked.
"Yes." Lara said. "Before you became a miserable miser consumed by greed."
"Well nobody's perfect." Lex defended before looking at a brown haired girl with brown eyes. "There she is. There's lovely Lana."
Lana walked up to the younger Lex.
"Lex?" Lana asked. "Lex."
"Yes, Lana?" Lex asked nervously as Lana pulled him under the mistletoe.
"My eyes are closed, my lips are puckered, and I'm standing under the mistletoe." Lana said.
"You're also standing on my foot." Lex pointed out before Lana chuckled, and they began dancing with everybody as Lex smiled. The dance ended with Lana kissing Lex's cheek, and his mind went to mush.
"Oh, I remember how much I was in love with her." Lex said nostalgically when there was a sudden wind, and the entire area became darkened.
"In ten years time, you learned to love something else." Lara said as Lex looked around and found himself in a very familiar place.
"It's my counting house!" Lex said in surprise.
"Yes." Lara said. "You had just formed your partnership with Strange. Your business was new, but your ways were set."
"Oh, please!" Lex said as he suddenly remembered the day. "Spare me the rest!"
"You have to drain the cup to the dregs for this trip to do good." Lara said. "Recall how you drove love from your heart and replaced it with the worship of money."
"Nine-thousand four-hundred and forty two." Lex said as he put a coin on top of a large pile from several foreclosures and debt payments. "Nine-thou-"
"Lex?" Lana asked from behind the pile of coins.
"Yes, what is it?" Lex asked.
"For years I've had the honeymoon cottage Lex." Lana said. "I've been waiting for you to keep your promise to marry me. Now I must know; have you made your decision?"
"I have!" Lex said finally as he pulled out the mortgage paper of the cottage. "Your last payment on the cottage was an hour late! I'm foreclosing the mortgage!"
Lex watched Lana burst into tears and walk away.
Go after her you young fool! Lex called out angrily at his past self.
"You loved your money more than that precious girl, and you lost her forever." Lara reminded him as a look of anger crossed Lana's face as she closed the door, causing the pile of gold to crash down on the table.
"Please spirit." Lex moaned. "I can no longer bare these memories. Take me home."
"Remember Lex." Lara said as the scene, and Lara, was beginning to fade away. "You fashioned these memories yourself..."
Wow. Talk about a dumb choice, huh?