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