Chapter Two
Disclaimer: I do not own A Christmas Carol.
Scrooge jolted awake to the sound of bells. Fortunately for his sanity, this time the bells were from a neighboring church and they signified that it was one in the morning.
"Those bells go off every night and they've never woken me up before now," Scrooge groused. He wasn't sure if his hallucination had been a dream, a simple hallucination, or actually real but he might as well be prepared and so he slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, he could hardly see for the light emanating from the head of a man of indeterminate age.
"I say, that is bright! Could you put on your cap, please?" Scrooge inquired politely.
The man looked rather offended. "Would you so quickly put out the light that I give? Isn't it enough that you're one of the kinds of people who made this cap and force me to wear it for much of the year?"
Scrooge glared right back at him. "Hold it right there! Not only are you trespassing in my bedroom in the middle of the night but you're damn near blinding me! I just asked you to stop being such a bother and you don't get to turn this into a moral stand!"
Looking rather put-out, the man did so.
"Thank you," Scrooge said, satisfied. "You're the one who brought the cap in the first place, you know. Do you know how obnoxious it is to do that and then act like you're being oppressed for it? Now who the hell are you and why do you look like you're about fifteen and sixty at the same time?"
"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past," the spirit replied. "It's sort of my thing."
Scrooge stared at him for a second. "You're seriously going with that?"
"I am," the spirit confirmed.
"Alright, I'll play along," Scrooge muttered. "Long past?"
"No, your past," the spirit informed him.
"You're telling me that not only do I have an individual spirit that embodies my past but it only embodies my past on one day of the year? And not even a day that I'm particularly fond of?" Scrooge couldn't believe it.
"That about sums it up, yes," the spirit replied.
"You spirits aren't terribly practical, are you?" Scrooge criticized.
"And you overthink things," the spirit accused.
"Rubbish," Scrooge disagreed bluntly, crossing his arms. "Why are you even here?"
"I'm here to help save your soul, remember?" the spirit asked.
Scrooge sighed deeply. "Ah. That. I don't suppose there's any chance of you just going away and leaving me to my fate?"
"None whatsoever," the spirit confirmed.
Sighing again, Scrooge pulled on his cap and robe. "Well, let's get this over with. Apparently we have an hour."
"Spirits have different time than humans do," the spirit assured him. "We'll have plenty of time."
Scrooge scowled. "Damn. I was counting on this only lasting three hours in total. Well, I suppose it's a good thing I'm not actually going to work tomorrow."
"Way to think on the bright side," the spirit said encouragingly. "Now, take ahold of my arm as we leave through this second-story window."
"Not even vaguely within the realm of possibility," Scrooge said, backing up.
The spirit ignored him and took him firmly by the arm before moving towards the window. Scrooge struggled valiantly but could not free himself.
"So the ghosts of my past are driving me to suicide," he murmured, shaking. "When people told me this might happen I didn't think that it was going to be quite so literal!"
Scrooge closed his eyes tightly as he felt himself being pulled out of the window but, to his shock, he did not feel himself falling. Eventually, he found the courage to open his eyes and saw that the city had vanished and they were in a veritable winter wonderland.
"I wish I could travel by spirit all of the time," he said enviously. "Think of all the time and money I could save!"
"You really should stop thinking of that," the spirit countered. "Do you recognize this place?"
Scrooge squinted, examining the landscape closely. "I…I'm not sure. I feel like I've seen this place before but only in a vague way."
"You were a boy here. This is your old school," the spirit said in disbelief.
"Is it?" Scrooge asked puzzled. "That does sound about right."
"How can you not know this?" the spirit asked, aghast.
"Maybe it was the fact that I haven't been here in forty years," Scrooge suggested. "I'm feeling distinctly judged right now. And how do you even know? Are you some sort of a stalker?"
"I'm your past, remember?" the spirit said tiredly.
"Well then, let's see what you have to show me," Scrooge said indifferently.
"You're not…at all…I don't know, emotional about this place?" the spirit asked hesitantly.
Scrooge shrugged. "It was alright, as far as I can recall. Forty years, you know."
"This might be a little bit more difficult than I had thought," the spirit said worriedly.
"What? Everyone thinks I'm a terrible person but I'm supposed to turn into some weeping mess at a glimpse of my distant past?" Scrooge asked, stunned. "Oh, Jacob…"
They walked along towards the school itself and passed many figures as they did so.
"Why do you not call out to them?" the spirit asked, confused. "That seems the natural impulse."
"Well, to begin with I don't actually remember any of their names and barely recognize the faces," Scrooge replied. "And then there's also the fact that they don't appear to actually be able to see us nor would I expect them to. This is clearly just a vision and not really a part of the past. Besides, they wouldn't know me or wish to speak to an old stranger in a dressing gown anyway."
"You are really determined to suck all of the joy out of this, aren't you?" the spirit pouted.
"Hey, I'm the one being held hostage here," Scrooge pointed out.
When they reached the schoolhouse they saw a young boy reading in the windowsill.
"Tell me that you recognize him," the spirit implored.
Scrooge looked at him oddly. "Of course I do. That's me as a child."
"You're the only one that isn't going home for Christmas," the spirit remarked.
"The staff resented me for it because one of them always had to stay with me," Scrooge recalled.
"Oh, that you remember," the spirit said, annoyed. "Is this why you hate Christmas?"
"I wouldn't be so petty," Scrooge disagreed. "But it can't have helped, this lack of positive Christmas experiences."
"Why were you here alone?" the spirit pressed.
"Someone is determined to rub salt in the wound, I see," Scrooge said, narrowing his eyes. "I suppose it was because my father hated me and wanted nothing to do with me."
The spirit coughed awkwardly. "Well, let's see another Christmas, shall we?"
And as Scrooge watched, the figure slowly began to age before their eyes.
"I thought you said 'just one'," he said.
"I did. I just have to fast-forward," the spirit explained.
Suddenly the scene stopped going by at rapid speed and a door burst open. A young girl laughed as she ran into the room and kissed young Ebenezer on the cheek.
"Fanny?" Ebenezer asked, incredulously. "What are you doing here?"
"As you may be aware, I've been asking father to let you come home since before I could walk," Fanny informed him. "And literally every single day he's said no. Well he's gotten a lot nicer lately and I finally wore down his resistance and he said that you could come live with us! Granted you'll soon have to go get an apprenticeship but it's better than nothing."
"Not that I'm not thrilled here, Fanny," Ebenezer assured her. "But why didn't anybody send word that I was to be leaving? This is rather a big thing to just drop on somebody like that."
Fanny looked down and bit her lip. "Oh, I…I didn't even think. I'm sorry, I-"
"Don't even worry about it," Ebenezer said softly. "I'm coming home and it is all thanks to you and that is all that matters."
As the two of them walked off to make the necessary arrangements for Ebenezer to never ever return, the spirit remarked. "That girl was always so very delicate-looking. But she had such a large heart."
"She did," Scrooge agreed.
"So does her son," hinted the spirit.
"Perhaps," Scrooge conceded. "But Fanny was somehow far less annoying about it."
"Perhaps you were just more open to it back then," the spirit suggested.
Scrooge shook his head. "No, it was definitely her lack of annoyance. It was that ponce she married who raised the boy, I think. I never did like him even before he killed my sister. He was too cheerful. It was very suspicious."
"You blame the husband?" the spirit asked, surprised.
"Well, she did die in childbirth," Scrooge pointed out.
"The husband is not the person that most would blame for that if they chose to blame anybody," the spirit said delicately.
"Well who else am I supposed to blame?" Scrooge asked rhetorically. "Fred? Don't be ridiculous. It's not his fault he was born. No, her husband was the one who impregnated her with that lethal baby."
"Well…since Fred's father is dead I don't suppose we really need to argue about this," the spirit decided. "But why are you not more open to your sister's child if you do not blame him for her death?"
"Because he is incredibly annoying. I did say that already, did I not? I do so hate to have to repeat myself."
"You did," the spirit acknowledged. He waved his hand and the scene changed again. "Do you know this?" he asked hopefully.
"As the sign helpfully informs me, this was the place where I was apprenticed," Scrooge responded. "I'm not thick, you know."
"You were happy here, were you not?" the spirit asked knowingly.
Scrooge shrugged. "Happy? I can't say that I was. I mean, I had a kind and generous master so I was lucky in that but I hated being an apprentice because I was not allowed to go where I pleased and had no money. Sometimes I look back on those days and wonder how I ever made it through."
"It can't have been that bad," the spirit argued.
Old Fezziwig paused from where he had been pretending to work and snuck another glance at the clock. His eyes lit up. "Work's over for the day! Ebenezer! Dick! Come now, you can work later! Ebenezer!"
Reluctantly, Ebenezer set down his quill. "But sir, if I can just get this finished up tonight then I can-"
"It's Christmas Eve, boy, what's the matter with you?" Fezziwig asked light-heartedly.
"I just don't want to have extra work two days from now is all," Scrooge said, casting one last longing look at his work before he set it aside.
"That's two days from now," Dick said carelessly. "Think about it then."
"And that is the kind of thinking that landed him in the poorhouse," Scrooge said wisely.
"Him you remember," the spirit said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I make it a point to keep up on my rivals," Scrooge replied. "Undeserving of that honor though they may be."
They watched in silence as the building was slowly transformed into a magnificent party and guests filled the room.
The spirit caught Scrooge smiling a little as he watched the goings-on.
"What is this?" the spirit asked triumphantly.
"I am just awed that such a merry time could be had. It is truly inspirational," Scrooge replied.
"Is it really so great a thing? It would have cost him three or four pounds at most, a pittance really," the spirit said dismissively.
"Spirit, I think you're missing out on just why I am so awed by this," Scrooge told him. "Even more so than I was back then. Why, if everyone could be this merry this economically then Christmas might not be such a dreadful waste after all! As long as you are living within your means, I believe that you should feel free to be as merry as you wish."
"Well as long as they have your permission," the spirit said sourly.
"They do," Scrooge repeated.
"We should hurry," the spirit told him. "My time grows short."
"I thought spirits didn't go by human time," Scrooge reminded him.
"Well I'm getting rather sick of you," the spirit admitted.
"Ah," Scrooge said as if that explained everything.
The scene changed again and now and older Ebenezer – albeit one still decades younger than the current Scrooge – was sitting on a park bench with a lovely young woman.
"There's no point trying to talk me out of it," the girl said. "I have quite made up my mind."
"You can't just end our engagement without telling me why, Belle," Ebenezer protested.
Belle considered it. "Very well, I suppose you have a point even though I'm sure it is more curiosity than care that drives you to ask that question. You're just too obsessed with money."
"I don't know what you mean," Ebenezer said defensively.
"You're going over your latest figures even while you're sitting here with me and I'm ending things with you," Belle pointed out.
Flushing, Ebenezer stowed his papers away. "Well I fell behind and I really can't afford to."
"Marrying me and having a family would just cause you to fall further and further behind. Do you have any idea how much work a baby is?" Belle demanded.
"We could hire people for that," Ebenezer said dismissively.
"I wouldn't want to!" Belle exclaimed.
"Fine then you can take care of it while I'm working," Ebenezer acquiesced.
"I would want a little support!" Belle objected.
"Well you already shot down my idea to hire someone," Ebenezer reminded her.
Belle sighed. "See, this is one of the things I was talking about."
"You're the one being unreasonable here," Ebenezer said stubbornly.
Belle sighed. "I'm not but even if I was it doesn't really matter. The two of us can't come to an accord on such a basic thing and you're barely even interested in me these days."
"I'm very interested in you!" Ebenezer insisted.
"You couldn't come with me to my mother's grave the other day," Belle pointed out.
"Jacob had to impress a new investor and he was nervous so he needed me on hand," Ebenezer replied.
"And then when we were supposed to have tea with our old friends the Dickinsons the week before that you couldn't make it," Belle continued.
"Jacob was sick and couldn't just be left alone!" Ebenezer exclaimed. "Have a heart, Belle."
Belle laughed. "That's funny. And then what about before that when my sister came to town to visit and you weren't there for that?"
"Jacob and I discovered a discrepancy in our finances and had to spend the day figuring out what went wrong and fixing it," Ebenezer replied. "You know all of this, Belle."
"I do. And every time you're too busy for me you have time for Jacob and work. Frankly, I think that you either live at your office or you're in love with your partner. I'm rather hoping it's the latter, actually, because that way maybe you'll be happy," Belle said distantly.
"I…what?" Ebenezer spluttered.
"I'm not judging you!" Belle rushed to assure him. "I just can't possibly marry someone who is in love with somebody else."
"I'm really not," Ebenezer said flatly.
"I'm choosing to believe that you are as it is less sad to me than the thought that the man that I loved will grow old alone because he's too busy trying to make money," Belle said softly.
"Why does everyone always vilify the desire to make money?" Ebenezer demanded. "I just don't understand it."
"We don't," Belle replied. "Trust me, if a large pile of money were to just fall out of the sky and drop onto my lap then I would not complain."
"You can't just expect money to happen to you! You have to work for it!" Scrooge argued, scowling.
"Which is why I will never expect to be rich," Belle told him. "I have not the dowry to marry someone already wealthy and the kind of work that a poor man must put in to become wealthy would leave no time for me. You can't work to the exclusion of all else, Ebenezer. That's no way to live and I'm so very afraid that you will discover that one day but it will be too late."
"Well don't bother," Ebenezer snapped, standing up. "I can see that you're quite clearly judging me. If you no longer want anything to do with me then don't have anything to do with me. I reject your pity. And who ends a relationship on Christmas Eve anyway?"
"Forgive me but I didn't think you'd mind given that you have a bizarre aversion to Christmas," Belle said, taken aback. "In fact, I thought you might even welcome this since now you have an excuse to dislike the holiday."
"I do not dislike it I am merely indifferent to it. What I dislike is everyone trying to force it on me," Ebenezer said tiredly, standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to the office."
Belle sighed as she watched him go. "I was really expecting some sort of token protest…"
"Ah, Belle," Scrooge said fondly as he watched her. "We never would have worked out, of course, she's quite right about that but she was quite a girl. I'm sure she's happy in whatever she did with her life."
"You don't know?" the spirit asked, surprised.
Scrooge shrugged. "Why should I? She was quite keen to escape from my life so I'm just respecting her wishes, really."
"It's remarkable," the spirit marveled.
"What is?" Scrooge asked.
"I thought that by taking you to see your past I'd get some sort of a reaction out of you and find that you were once a good person who time and circumstances have warped into the selfish bastard I see before me but I was wrong. You always were a miserable little blighter, weren't you?" the spirit asked rhetorically.
"I'm feeling judged again," Scrooge complained. "Look are we done here or do I have to watch the other thirty Christmases of my life?"
"Let's try just one more," the spirit said but without much hope.
The scene changed again to what at first glanced appeared to be Scrooge's bedroom but the presence of Scrooge in the corner doing paperwork and another man lying in the bed quickly proved otherwise.
"Are you sure you can afford to take the time from the office to sit here while I'm dying?" Marley asked weakly.
"Don't worry, I brought a great deal of it with me and Cratchit is going to send over regular updates," Ebenezer assured him.
"Good. I wouldn't want the business to suffer because of my failing health," Marley replied. Most people would have said that sarcastically but not Jacob Marley.
Ebenezer nodded, pleased. "And that is why you are the perfect business partner."
"Except for the part where I'm dying," Marley pointed out.
"It happens to the best of us," Ebenezer replied.
They sat there in companionable silence for awhile.
"I can't believe you brought work to your best friend's deathbed," the spirit said, shaking his head.
"Regardless of what some people would have you think, I am not completely heartless and we had been working together for too many years for me to just ignore this like I would most people dying," Scrooge sniffed. "This was the first deathbed I'd been to since Fanny's."
"You shouldn't have brought work at all!" the spirit corrected him.
"But…that would have been really boring and a waste of time and Jacob wouldn't have approved," Scrooge said, confused. "And isn't the important thing in a situation like that to keep the dying person happy?"
"Ebenezer," Marley said suddenly, his eyes wild.
Ebenezer looked up from his work. "Yes, Jacob?"
"We were wrong. We were so wrong," he said desperately.
"About what?" Ebenezer asked, clearly just humoring him.
"There's an afterlife! I can see it! And they judge you for being a terrible person!" Marley warned.
"It's a good thing we're not terrible people or anything, then," Ebenezer replied.
"But…we are!" Marley cried out, sounding terrified.
"I don't believe it," Ebenezer said. "After all, we don't go around killing people or mutilating them or raping them or kidnapping them or stealing from them or anything like that. We're just businessmen. Successful businessmen but it seems pretty harmless."
"Oh, but it's not!" Marley insisted.
"You just rest now, Jacob. I know that you must be scared of what is to come but you'll be fine," Ebenezer assured him.
"But he wasn't," the spirit said ominously.
"He looked fine," Scrooge disagreed.
"He was eternally damned," the spirit reminded him.
"He really didn't seem to mind and he as good as admitted that if I 'change' or whatever he'll get out of it after only seven years," Scrooge countered.
"He was eternally damned," the spirit said again.
Scrooge rolled his eyes. "You know what, if you're not even going to have faith in this then can I just go home?"
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