The day trudged on for SpongeBob CratchitPants until it was just about time to go home…which was late, late in the night. He finished his last piece of parchment, then walked up to Mr. Krabs.

"Um, sir?" he asked.

"What now, Mr. CratchitPants?" Mr. Krabs asked, "Can't ya see I'm busy?"

"Um, it's just that it's close to quitting time and I was wondering something about Christmas…" SpongeBob said, timidly.

"If it's about raises, the answer's still no." Mr. Krabs repeated.

"No, it's not that. I was just wondering if I could have the day off for tomorrow…"

Mr. Krabs froze on the spot, then dropped his quill. "A whole day?" he asked, "You know what I have to say about a whole day off?"

SpongeBob nodded slowly as he prepared himself.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YER BLOOMIN' MIND!?" he roared, "A whole day without reasonable work?!"

"Can I at least have time off to spend with my family?" SpongeBob asked, with the most pathetic look on his face, "At least half the day, PLEASE?" he begged.

Mr. Krabs' expression seemed to say, 'boy, this kid's really got it out for him…' He sighed. "Alright, boy, ya get half the day off. But as a result, you get half a day's pay."

"Yes, sir." SpongeBob said, then grabbed a hat, coat, and scarf off the hat rack. "And a Merry Christmas to you, sir!"

As SpongeBob shut the door, Mr. Krabs shook his head. "Humbug…" he muttered.

French Narrator: A few hours later…

Mr. Krabs walked out of his office that belonged to him and his late partner Jacob Squidly. He scuttled through the snow, the cold not bothering him one single bit: it was bitter and cheap…just like he was.

After a more than decent walk, Krabs reached the doorstep of his home. He began to unlock the door until he realized that his knocker was looking funny. It had slowly began to slowly mold into the shape of a head with a large nose and a cloth wrapped around the head.

"Krabs…" the knocker said in a ghostly voice.

"Aah!" Mr. Krabs yelped in shock as he covered his eyes with his claws. Then he took a small peek through his claw. "Jacob Squidly?" he asked in a scared tone.

But once he summoned the urge to look, the doorknocker had gone back to normal again. He shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "Barnacles…" he groaned. "This cold's doin' me no good."

A minute later, Krabs was in his room, clad in a bathrobe, and heating some kind of food in the fireplace. Taking a seat in a large chair, he took a spoonful of the stuff and tasted it. Sticking his tongue out, he tossed it over his chair, then leaned back and took a deep, long sigh. That is…until he heard a loud bell from a clock ring and an eerie voice calling his name.

"Ebenezer Krabs…" it said in a spooky voice.

The voice said the same thing, this time accompanied by multiple clanking noises as if someone were dragging heavy chains. THIS was enough to scare the wits out of Mr. Krabs.

"Flippin' fish fossils!" Mr. Krabs shouted. "Who in blazes is there?"

Then there came an ethereal glow through the door and a ghost slowly phased through. It was a glowing green octopus with a long nose, wearing a torn waistcoat, and was clasped in chains that were attached to cashboxes, keys, padlocks, and steel boxes. Around his head was wrapped a piece of cloth…as though trying to keep his mouth shut.

"Ebenezer Krabs…" he said as he approached Krabs. "It's me…you're old business partner…Jacob Squidly."

Krabs, shocked at the sight, just stared...

Squidly stopped for a while, then gave up on his scare tactic. "You don't believe in me, do you?" he asked, dully.

"Not really." Krabs answered, keeping a good eye on his former partner.

"Well, the charade's not over yet, I guess..." Squidly stated, then returned to his ghostly charade, "I am here to give you many things."

"Why ME?" Krabs asked in mild shock, "Why couldn't it have been Mr. CratchitPants?"

"It is because you walk the same path as myself. I chose not to share with the world in life, so now I must wander it in DEATH..." Squidly said, in a haunting kind of voice, "And witness what I MIGHT have shared."

"O-kay…but what's with the chains?" Krabs asked, pointing them out.

"THESE are the chains I forged in life, link-by-link, yard-by-yard, pound-by-pound..." Squidly answered, "You yourself have been making one…"

Krabs looked mystified, then went over to a dresser, pulled open a drawer, and pulled out the chain for his watch. "How'd YOU know about this?"

Squidward's face fell flat. "Dimwit…NOW, back to what I was saying…"

"This isn't some joke that a bunch of beggars are playin' to scare me out of me loot." Mr. Krabs interrupted as he began to smile and walk up to Squidward. "You were great back then, Jacob. You robbed from the poor and swindled from needy. You were amazing!"

"You're missing the point!" Squidward shouted as he pointed at a scared Krabs. "Listen to me, Ebenezer Krabs. If you don't repent your ways, one day you'll end up like yours truly; only with chains far heavier!"

Mr. Krabs yelped in fright again and whimpered, "This has to be some kind of prank now."

"I'm afraid my time is up." Squidward said as he began to back away.

"What?" Mr. Krabs yelled over to him. "That's all ye came here to say!"

"Not really." Squidward with a smirk, "Tonight, you will be haunted by three spirits, each more terrifying than the last. Expect the first when the bell tolls one, the second on the stroke of two, and the third…well, you know. Listen to them, do what they say, and then you will be spared my fate."

"Ghosts?" Mr. Krabs asked in panic. "Why does it have to be ghosts? Why can't it be something like snowmen?"

Squidward gave Mr. Krabs a flat look, then answered, "It's for dramatic emphasis."

"Oh, well, if you say so, Squidly…Squidly?" Krabs looked around. The ghost of Jacob Squidly was gone. "Oh, barnacles."

So far, so good, wouldn't you say?