Chapter 2: The Ghost of Christmas Past
"Three spirits? Yeah, right!" Keith thought to himself. He pulled the covers over his head and drifted back to sleep.
Soon, the clock struck twelve just like the spirit of Christmas said. However, Keith was fast asleep. Soon, another light began to form in front of him.
"Keith Clay…" said a voice.
"Go away!" Keith said sleepily.
"Keith Clay!" boomed the voice. Keith shot up when he heard this. He turned around and saw a young girl with long black hair and dark brown eyes. She was wearing a white gown with a halo.
"E…Eugene? What're you doing playing dress up in my castle?" Keith asked.
"I am not Eugene, Keith Clay. I am the Ghost of Christmas Past, and I've come to show you what your past was like!" said the ghost girl.
"Eugene, I know it's you," said Keith.
"Yes! I am Eugene, but I'm the ghost of Christmas past, ok?" the girl snapped.
"Whoa, easy," said Keith.
Eugene smacked her head and sighed.
"Any who, I'm going to take you on a little journey to what the past was like for you. You see, the Christmas spirit was very specific." said Eugene.
Keith just rolled his eyes and pulled the covers over his head.
"Nah-ah! Get up, Mr. Lazy Bones!" Eugene threw the covers off of him, which made Keith get up. Eugene saw the clothes he was wearing.
"Really? Royal pajamas?" she asked.
"I have to look my best when I'm sleeping," Spectra snapped.
"Enough of this! You need to see what your past was like," said Eugene.
"Why?" Keith asked.
"To teach you a lesson on kindness," said Eugene.
Keith sighed and got up. Eugene took his hand and lead him to the closet. Before Keith could say anything, Eugene waved her hand and the closet doors opened, revealing light to what seemed to be a portal. They both walked in and the closet doors closed.
Suddenly, the whole scenery changed from a darkened bedroom to a field where snow was falling.
"Where are…wait. I know this place. Even after Mira was born, my mom would take me here every single day," said Keith.
"This is when you were little, Keith. You see, this was the Christmas Eve before Mira was born. I took you here for a special reason. Watch," said Eugene.
A beautiful woman which looked just like Mira came walking out with a young boy, who was Keith. The young boy was playing with his father, who was Professor Clay.
"Daddy! Catch!" little Keith said as he threw snowballs at him.
"AGH!" Professor Clay groaned. He and Keith laughed.
"Oh, Keith!" called Keith's mother, Annabelle.
"Yes, mommy?" Keith asked.
"I've got some special news that you might like," said Annabelle.
"What is it?" Keith asked.
"Keith…I'm planning on having another baby." Annabelle said.
"What?" little Keith's eyes widened in shock.
"You might have a little brother or sister! Isn't that exciting?" Professor Clay asked.
"No, no! It's not exciting! It's awful!" said Keith. Professor Clay and Keith gasped.
"No! Stop! That's not what I said!" Keith said.
"They cannot hear you because we are not visible to them, Keith. You did say this before," said Eugene.
"But I was only a little kid!" said Keith. He never thought he had said those words before.
"But Keith! Aren't you happy?" Annabelle asked.
"No! I know that you're gonna pay more attention to this baby than you are me! I wish you were never in my life! I want to be an only child! I hate you all! I hate you, I hate you! I wish dad would've married someone else! I hate you as my mommy!" little Keith snapped as he ran off, crying.
"Keith, wait!" Professor Clay said. Annabelle started crying as he tried to comfort her.
"I said that…to my own mother?" asked Keith.
Eugene nodded.
"I know you were only mad, but a young kid would've been excited to have a sibling, and you were always telling your mother how you wanted a little brother and sister. But instead, you became selfish," she said.
Keith thought about this.
"Come. We have much more to see," said Eugene. Both of them disappeared and another scene came up.
They came up to another scene, where Annabelle was in the hospital
"Well, well, well! It's a healthy baby girl!" said the nurse.
"Is she…ok?" Annabelle asked tiredly.
"She is! She's fully healthy!" said the nurse.
"Mom, did you hear that? She's healthy! Isn't that great?" a then 7-year-old Keith asked.
"It is great!" said Annabelle. The nurse brought a newborn Mira to her bedside, where the newborn cried.
"Oh my little Mira, you're in safe hands. I assure you very well!" said Annabelle.
"You sure are!" said 7-year-old Keith. Professor Clay just stared with a joyful smile on his face.
This made Keith cheer up a little bit.
"You see? This was the day when Mira was born. Just look at your face. It shows a big difference to me," said Eugene.
"I remember this day greatly. I saw my mother was smiling, and that made me regret my words after. I was very thankful to have Mira come into my life," said Keith.
"I have another scene to show you. Follow me," said Eugene. She waved her hand again and the scenery changed.
It showed Keith's family around a Christmas tree, with a 6-year-old Mira and a then 11-year-old Keith, and Professor Clay, who was with another woman.
"Wait a minute! I know this scene. Father had a new girlfriend after mother had passed away after she got sick. I always kept that thought he was trying to replace her," said Keith with a glare.
Eugene remained silent and stared.
"Merry Christmas, one and all!" said the woman.
"Aren't you happy, Keith?" asked Professor Clay. Keith had a glare on his face the whole time, and his family wondered what was wrong with him.
"Big brother?" little Mira asked.
Keith shot up.
"It would be better if mom was here!" Keith snapped. The woman gasped.
"Keith, how dare you!" Professor Clay said.
"Enough! Dad, just stop! You're always saying that your family's complete, how you have the two greatest kids and the love of your life! That's not true! Mom was your first love! The one I come to know, not some cheap replacement! You don't see it, do you? All of my life I've been grieving over mom's loss, and you're trying to hide it by bringing another into this world! You loved mom with all your heart and you said you'd never replace her! Why are you destroying this family?" Keith explained sobbing.
Professor Clay and the rest of the group remained silent. Eleven-year-old Keith ran off, his whole life changed forever after that very Christmas Eve.
"If dad really cared, then he would've never replaced mom," said Keith.
"Wrong. Your dad was just like you, grieving over your mother's loss. He was only doing the right thing by trying to find a mother for you," said Eugene.
"I know my mom unlike you! All you've done is bring me sad memories! Well I've had enough! Be gone with you!" Keith snapped.
"Beware, Keith! For this is only the beginning of your journey!" Eugene said as she disappeared.
Suddenly, Keith woke up. He was very hot, sweating heavily.
"Man, what a dream!" he thought. He went back to sleep, but unknown to him, this was the beginning of his journey.
To be continued
I just wanted to put an intense moment in. But it will get happier, I promise! Review and goodnight! :D