A Christmas Carol

by Japan Boy

Here is MY version of Charles Dickens' immortal & beloved story, featuring numerous/various characters from Marvel & DC Comics, Disney, Toho & many others. In honor of the 180th anniversary of when this tale was first published/released on December 19th, 1843 & has remained in publication ever since. Kindly review if read.

For actors Seymour Hicks (1871-1949), Alastair Sim (1900-1976), Albert Finney (1936-2019), Walter Matthau (1920-

2000), Alan Young (1919-2016), George C. Scott (1927-1999), Sir Michael Caine, Sir Patrick Stewart, Jim Carrey,

Christopher Plummer, Guy Pearce & many, many others (far too many to mention) for bringing the iconic character of

Ebenezer Scrooge to life in various live-action/animated films/television series of Charles Dickens 'A Christmas Carol'.

While impossible to name each & every one, we thank them with all of our hearts for their renditions of the character.

For English writer & critic Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870), whose novella 'A Christmas Carol' became an

icon of the holiday season since its debut publication on December 19th, 1843, which is still being printed to this day &

has been translated into several languages round the world, & adopted into various stage, screen, & all other media.

We owe Charles Dickens a huge debt of gratitude: were it not for him, 'A Christmas Carol' wouldn't ever have existed.

Reader's Note:

(Stay tuned after the story for a salute to 'A Christmas Carol' in my own words)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

2023 by Anthony Ogozalek

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Ebenezer Scrooge (Lex Luthor; actor Jon Cryer)

Bob Cratchit (Clark Kent; actor Tyler Hoechlin)

Mrs. Cratchit (Lois Lane; actress Elizabeth 'Bitsie' Tulloch)

Peter Cratchit (Jordan Kent; actor Alex Garfin)

Tiny Tim Cratchit (Jonathan Kent; actor Brady Droulis)

Martha Cratchit (Alex Danvers; actress Chyler Leigh)

Belinda Cratchit (Kara Danvers; Actress Melissa Benoist)

Mary Cratchit (Nia Nal; actress Nicole Maines)

Fan (Lena Luthor; actress Katie McGrath)

Fred (ME, at age 30; anime-style)

Fred's Wife (Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon)

Mr. Tupper (Inuyasha)

Miss Flora (Kagome from 'Inuyasha')

Jacob Marley (Bruce Wayne; actor Kevin Conroy – 1955-2022)

Mrs. Dilber (Maudie from Disney/Pixar's 'Brave')

Belle (Nyxly; actress Peta Sergeant)

Old Joe (The Collector; actor Benicio Del Toro)

Mr. Stretch (DC Comics' Deadman)

Mr. Snedrig (Dr. Zaius from 'Planet of the Apes')

Mr. Groper (Guardian Ganthet)

Mr. Rosebed (Flintheart Glomgold)

Mr. Jorkin (Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin; actor Vincent D'Onofrio)

PROLOGUE

London, England, Ebenezer Scrooge's estate, 7:30 p.m., Christmas Eve, 1836:

He received the news from his employee Bob Cratchit, who first got it from Scrooge's maid Mrs. Dilber.

It was dire news Bob received.

Jacob Marley, Scrooge's longtime partner, was dying.

When Cratchit went to inform his boss about it, Scrooge wasn't all that heartbroken: he stated he was busy, & he will go see his dying partner when the office closes for the day…at seven o'clock.

As Bob relayed the news back to Mrs. Dilber, she stated she hoped that Mr. Marley can hold on until then.

Wishing Bob a Merry Christmas (in keeping with the situation), she left the office.

Once the hour did hit seven in the evening, Scrooge put on his coat, hat, scarf & gloves to head home. He was in no rush to get home: his partner was dying, & there wasn't anything he could do about it…which was exactly what he had told Bob Cratchit.

Scrooge was a businessman, not a doctor.

He reached his estate at 7:30, opening the door & removing his hat, scarf & gloves but kept his coat on.

Mrs. Dilber was waiting for him at the top of the stairs, along with a gentleman in black with a bald head & face which looked to be milk-white skin with eyes to match, no irises in them. His flesh seemed to be wrinkled, but he was as young a man as the spring rain.

When Scrooge asked if that was the doctor, Mrs. Dilber corrected him, saying it was the undertaker.

Giving off a slight chuckle, Scrooge opened the door that led to his bedroom.

Jacob Marley occupied that bed.

Despite his young-like appearance with short brown hair & blue eyes, Jacob was on the verge of death as he had hardly made any noise with his breathing as Scrooge approached the side of the bed. He stared at his partner, hoping he would at least open his eyes, which he did.

Very rarely does Scrooge smile, but he gave his friend/partner a small one before speaking.

"Hello there, Jacob. So, tell me – have they seen to you properly? Last rites & all that?", he asked.

Jacob nodded his head, albeit weakly.

"And there's nothing anyone can do about it, I take it?", Scrooge asked.

Again, Jacob nodded, surprising him.

"Oh, there is, huh? Tell me", Scrooge said.

With incredible effort, Jacob spoke as his voice was low & raspy.

"We…were wrong", he stated. "You…and I."

"We were wrong?", Scrooge asked, confused. "Wrong about what, Jacob? Can you be a bit more specific?"

"What…we did…we were wrong…"

"What we did? My dear Jacob, we were only doing business together, you know that. You shouldn't reproach yourself for it. We're no worse from the next man…or better, as the case may be."

Jacob shook his head & pointed his finger at him.

"You", he said weakly. "You…need to…save yourself…"

"Save myself?", Scrooge repeated. "Save myself from what? Hmm?"

"Before it's…too late…"

"Too late? For Heaven's sake, Jacob, will you make sen-"

Scrooge was wasting his breath…because Jacob Marley drew his last.

After exhaling a final time, Jacob's head lolled over to one side as Scrooge took his arm & felt for a pulse.

He found none. Jacob Marley, his longtime business partner, was gone.

Mrs. Dilber & the undertaker – who went by Mr. Stretch – were watching/listening at the door's entrance the whole time.

"Is he dead?", Mrs. Dilber asked.

"Yes. He just expired", Scrooge said, dropping Jacob's lifeless arm.

Mrs. Dilber & Mr. Stretch nodded before facing each other.

"Exactly as you said would happen", she says.

"Believe me, madam…I always know", he replied.

"You may now make the necessary arrangements", Scrooge says as he got up & walked out of the room without giving either one a glance.

Once he was gone, Mrs. Dilber & Mr. Stretch went inside to do exactly that.

The docks, three days later:

Jacob Marley's body was prepared for departure in the way Scrooge wished for it: the corpse was dressed in a dark suit with white undershirt as if he was attending a business meeting. A pair of gold coins were placed over each of his closed eyes as he lay in a wooden coffin. Those preparing for Marley's departure were a man at 6 feet, 6 inches who was dressed in a brown coat, pants, boots & had long blonde hair with a silver headset that was pointed at both sides. His apprentice was a woman who stood a foot shorter & was attired in the same manner as her partner. She also had a head of long blonde hair, complete with same pointed silver headset. At both their sides were a large silver hammer on a brown wooden stick with loop strap at the end.

They, along with Ebenezer Scrooge, were standing over the body of Jacob Marley, which was ready to be closed up & laid to rest.

Ebenezer Scrooge stood a good 5 feet, 9 inches tall & wore his winter coat, gloves, scarf & hat. He was bald on top but sported a well-trimmed goatee around his mouth. He's kept this look even before Jacob Marley died, & has no intention of changing it anytime soon.

His face had the same hard/stony look as when he signed the register of his burial only days ago.

It was as cold as the very frigid weather he & the two morticians stood in.

The female mortician went to get the cover to Jacob's coffin & came over to place it atop.

She was stopped by Scrooge.

"Wait just a moment!", he snapped, placing a hand on the lid, halting her progress.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!", the female snapped back.

The male & female grabbed their hammers & shoved them into Scrooge's face, missing contact by an inch or so.

"Yes, mate! What do you think you're doing?!", he barked.

Scrooge placed his hands up & gently pushed the hammers away from his face.

"Easy there, people", Scrooge says calmly before reaching out & snatching up the two coins over Jacob's eyes.

He jingled them in front of the scowling male & female.

"I merely wanted to pick up my property. 'Waste not, want not', as they say", he said.

This seemed to convince the two that Scrooge meant no harm, & they lowered their hammers before the female resumed in closing Jacob's casket, hammering the nails into place. The male held out his hand for payment as Scrooge got out his bag of money to extract two more gold coins. He was rather slow with handing the money over to him, not wanting to part with it so easily.

"Oh, for Heaven's sakes, hand it over!", the male said, snatching the money from Scrooge's hand in the blink of an eye & stuffing them in his pocket.

Straightening himself, Scrooge gave his parting words.

"I now leave the rest to you both. Excuse me", Scrooge said, turning away & walking off.

"One day, sir, it'll be you resting inside one of these things!", the female said, pointing her hammer to a coffin.

Scrooge stopped but didn't turn around, although he did allow himself a small smile.

"That day, my dear, is still a very long way off", he said before resuming his retreat. "Good afternoon, lady & gentleman."

He walked off without so much as a backward glance at either of them.

Once he was gone, the two morticians resumed their work.

CHAPTER I

(MARLEY'S GHOST)

London, England, Christmas Eve, 1843, seven years later:

No matter how one looked at or thought of it, Jacob Marley was as dead as a doornail.

The bustling life in the city of London, along with all over the world, continued without him like it always did: street carriages attached to horses taking their passengers to & from their destinations, people walking about upon the streets & sidewalks, businesses doing their usual routines & making money each day, & so forth.

At the London Exchange, people were doing extravagant business in proposing deals with domestic & foreign exchanges. It was usually at this time of year that the building did its extremely best work, what with the holidays upon Londoners & the good spirits it enhances. Christmas was a time where need & want are at its highest, clearly making it the London Exchange's most successful season – and time of year – in doing business.

Ebenezer Scrooge was busy making exchanges for his business, making quite successful transactions that stuffed even more money within his already deep pockets. Scrooge was such a professional at making business transactions, he could practically do it blindfolded: anything Ebenezer Scrooge put his hands or even his own name on the London Exchange was a piece of work that made most others feeble by comparison.

Only Jacob Marley matched him in this skill, but since he was now pushing up seaweed, Ebenezer Scrooge was arguably the indisputable champion in that field.

A select few may have been better, but Scrooge neither compared nor cared.

He was on his way towards the door when he was stopped by a quartet of other well-dressed gentlemen: one had a head of blonde hair & a pointed goatee, one had a head of black hair & regular goatee, a second man had a head of blonde hair but no goatee, & the final one had black hair & a hat on his head that was spiked on top like sharp teeth.

These gentlemen were Oliver Queen, Anthony 'Tony' Stark, Archie Andrews & Jughead Jones.

Four of his business partners.

"Ah, good afternoon, Mr. Scrooge", Mr. Stark said.

"Your servant, sir", Scrooge said bluntly but professionally.

"So…are you in the habit of keeping Christmas?"

"I have no interest in that malarky whatsoever."

"Then why leave so early?", Mr. Queen asked. "Business is still going strong this day, & will be for about another two hours."

"Because, sir, Christmas is simply an excuse to keep men such as ourselves from doing business."

"I highly doubt it, Mr. Scrooge", Mr. Andrews said. "Christmas is as much a part of our lives as birds flying free in the skies & fish swimming freely within our waters are theirs."

"Absolutely", Mr. Jones said. "We can no more ignore Christmas than we can prevent the world from turning."

"The world can turn as much as it wishes, for it still won't change the fact that birds & fish are what they are, & that Christmas is nothing except as a humbug. Good afternoon, gentlemen."

On his last three words, Scrooge began exiting the London Exchange as the quartet of men watched him go.

Seconds later, they each began to laugh at Scrooge's statement.

Ebenezer heard their guffawing, but paid no attention to it as he left the exchange.

Ignoring the frigid cold & blowing snow that's swept all across the city, Scrooge walked down towards his other place of business where he was most comfortable at.

His counting house.

Along the way, he came down a street that had a group of young children with round heads & different hairstyles: one had a head of red 'naturally curly hair', two were blonde, another two had black hair, one had very short hair, while a pair only had a few strands on top, with another one bald as Scrooge was. One of the kids was so dirty everywhere he was a natural pigsty, with another holding a blue security blanket close to him.

They were accompanied by a beagle with white fur & black patches, plus a little yellow bird.

Each of the kids were singing 'Hark, the Herald Angels Sing' to their heart's desire, wanting everybody within range to hear them sing to the season of Christmas. Those that passed by gave the young kids a smile of appreciation.

But when Ebenezer Scrooge came by, they were greeted with an attitude as cold as the weather itself.

"Go on! Be off with you!", he barked.

Each kid ceased their singing & began walking away from Scrooge, with the girls giving him a 'hmph!' remark & turning their noses to him. The white beagle simply growled at him slightly before he also left, taking his yellow bird friend with him as the little winged creature stuck its tongue at him in disgust.

Scrooge was neither impressed nor intimidated by the kids' snuffing of him or the bird/beagle's threat.

With the street cleared of Christmas carolers, Scrooge continued his way to his counting house unimpeded.

Upon 5:00, he arrived at his destination.

The sign that swung over the entrance & even on the window still read 'Scrooge & Marley', but Scrooge never bothered to have Jacob's name removed. It was a blessing & a curse: it saved him money to keep it up, but people have often mistaken Scrooge for Marley, & he had to correct them that his business partner had expired some time ago.

It was something Scrooge could endure: he & Marley were very much alike in nature, having equally cold hearts which were warm only to the one thing that made them both happy as schoolboys.

Money.

And they'll do anything to obtain it, even if it means evicting people from their homes if they were late on their payments to the mortgage for a single day or even a minute past their deadline.

From a very young age, Scrooge & Marley learned the world is a cold/cruel place, & one must steel himself for it if he is to survive.

Both gentlemen adapted quickly to that factor, making themselves as hard as nails & cold as winter.

Their stern attitudes & stone-hearted demeanors helped them through life.

Jacob Marley's journey may be at an end, but Ebenezer Scrooge still has plenty of life left in him.

Using his cane to knock the snow off the hanging sign, Scrooge went inside.

Bob Cratchit was working on his books when he was suddenly too cold to continue, so he got up from his seat & grabbed a piece of coal from the pail next to the burner. Cratchit stood at 5 feet, 11 ¾ inches, with a head of jet-black hair & wearing a pair of round-rimmed glasses. Even wearing a thick shirt, pants & shoes, he was still cold & was just about to place the coal in the burner when his boss walked in, catching him in the act.

Scrooge did not look at all pleased.

"Bob Cratchit! What the hell do you think you're doing with that coal?!", he snapped, pointing with his cane.

Caught red-handed, Cratchit confessed.

"I…I was just trying to warm the place up a little bit, sir, that's all", he says. "It's so damn cold in this room, so I only wanted to keep this place warm so we can both do our work a whole lot better…"

"You used a piece just last week! You ought to have made it last longer!", Scrooge snapped. "Now then…you put that piece of coal back exactly where you found it & resume with your work! Time is money, Bob Cratchit! You will do well to remember that!"

Defeated, Cratchit sighed & nodded.

"Yes sir", he said softly, putting the coal back in the pail & getting on with his book.

As Cratchit went on with his work, Scrooge retreated into his office to attend his own duties.

Fifteen minutes later, Scrooge gets a visitor as the door to his office swings open.

"Who is it?", Scrooge asked as he looked up.

Standing at his door was a handsome young man in a well-tailored brown coat, black pants & shoes, white shirt, black gloves & brown hat. He had a head of dark brown hair & eyes to match. In his hand was a Christmas present.

"It's only me, uncle…your nephew", he says with a smile.

It was the last thing Scrooge needed: a visit to his office by his relative Fred, a young man at thirty who sparkled a little too much for his tastes. Fred was the exact opposite of Scrooge himself, & he detested him for it.

Despite his anger, Scrooge stayed professional.

"Nephew Fred", he says. "What do you want on this day? Another loan for the mortgage, I assume?"

"Oh no, uncle, nothing of the kind. I only stopped by to give you a present and wish you a very Merry Christmas", Fred says, placing the gift on his desk & offering his hand for a shake.

"A Merry Christmas. It's nothing but a humbug!", said Scrooge, working in his books without looking up at his nephew or even bothering to shake his hand.

"You don't really mean that, uncle", Fred says.

This time, Scrooge did look up at him.

"Oh yes I do, nephew!", he said. "Merry Christmas! What reason do you have to be so 'merry' anyway? You're more than poor enough!"

"I could ask the very same of you, uncle, but in reverse", Fred says. "Why are you always so dismal all the time? You're rich enough…more than so. I figured you'd be happier with all the money you make in just a single year."

"Bah!"

"Come on, uncle, don't be cross."

"What else can I be, nephew? I live in a world filled with fools left & right! What is Christmastime but a time for paying one's bills without any money, finding yourself another year older & closer to the grave, not getting any richer than you were previously, & a bunch of human vultures just waiting to collect your belongings & sell them at the highest bidder?! If I could work my will, every goddamn idiot who goes about saying 'Merry Christmas' on his/her lips would be all but boiled alive in their own pudding and/or buried with a wooden stake speared through their hearts!"

"Uncle! That'd be horrible, even for you!"

"Not likely, nephew! Kindly keep Christmas in your own damn way, & let me keep it in mine!"

"But that's just the thing…you don't keep it."

"Then permit me to leave it alone. What good has it done you, dear nephew?"

Scrooge took & lifted the gift Fred left on his desk.

"And why waste your hard-earned money on something so useless as this, dear boy?", he says, shaking it a bit before putting it down.

"That, dear uncle, is what Christmas is all about", Fred says. "It isn't the gifts one buys or how much money they spend on them, it's the good faith & will we show & give to our fellow men & women…especially those closest to you, such a friends & family. I may never be as rich as you, granted, but I've more than enough goodness in my heart to go lend it to those in need, which is what each of our fellow man & woman should do, not just during Christmas. This is the season where showing good faith & will is at its strongest, which is why we are reminded of it in each & every year within the month of December."

Upon hearing Fred's speech, Cratchit inadvertently applauded, which earned him a strong rebuke by his boss.

"What do you think you're doing, Cratchit?!", Scrooge snapped.

"I was just…keeping my hands warm, sir", Bob replied.

"Then work faster, & they'll stay warm! If I hear another sound out of you, aside from the scribbling of your pen, you'll be spending your Christmas out on the street!"

Without another word, Cratchit went back to his work as Scrooge faced Fred again.

"As for you, dear nephew, you're quite the speaker!", Scrooge went on. "I'm rather shocked you didn't go into Parliament! And what of your marriage, dear boy? Hmm?"

"My marriage was the making of me", Fred replied.

"The ruin of you, you meant to say."

"Hardly. But you don't have to take my word for it, I can show you the indisputable proof that I've been doing all right with myself. Tell you what: come down to my place tomorrow night & dine with us & all our other guests."

"No, thank you."

"But why not, dear uncle?"

"Why did you go & get married against my wishes?"

"Simply put, because I fell in love."

Scrooge made a face & shook his head in disgust.

"You fell in love", he grumbled. "With a woman as penniless as yourself, oh, good evening to you."

Now it was Fred who shook his head, but in sorrow.

"I pity you, uncle", he said. "I come here to neither want nor ask anything of you, other than to give you a gift of good will, & you still act as if the entire world is against you. But I won't let it ruin my feelings for you in any way, so I will still wish you a very Merry Christmas, uncle!"

"Good evening!", Scrooge growled.

"And a Happy New Year!"

"Good evening!"

Undaunted by his uncle's outburst, Fred exits his office & closes the door behind him.

"Humbug! It's all humbug!", Scrooge barked.

With the door shut, Fred could have a conversation with Cratchit so Scrooge wouldn't hear it well, if at all.

"No doubt all the other members of the Cratchit family are getting ready for the Christmas season, yes?", Fred asked.

"Oh, absolutely, sir", Cratchit says. "This is the time of year they all wait eagerly for, always."

"For very good reason, I should say. And…what of the little boy who is, shall we say, handicapped? What was his name again?"

"Uh, Tim, sir…Tiny Tim."

"Ah yes, now I remember. Tell me…is he getting better?"

"In spirit, sir, most definitely."

"Excellent. Nothing like the spirit of Christmas to lift one's own: it's the time not only for families & such to be with one another, it's also the very time when miracles can & do occur. Always remember that."

"I certainly will, sir."

"I know you will, being the intelligent fellow you are. Well, I'm sure you still have an ample amount of work to do, so I'll leave you to it. Hope you & my uncle enjoy the wreath I hung on the door."

"Oh, it's wonderful, sir, thank you."

"Merry Christmas to you, Bob Cratchit", Fred says, heading for the door.

"Thank you, sir, the same to you", Bob replied.

As Fred opened the door, he saw a pair of figures dressed in green coats, brown pants & shoes. Their heads/faces were ape-like, with the female having a perm hairdo. The male had a full head of hair like his mate, but was more like a lion's & well-trimmed. Each held a metal cup with a slit on top, which was used to drop coins in.

They were Zira & Cornelius, the town's donation collectors.

"Good evening, good sir!", Cornelius says. "Would you care to make a donation this holiday season?"

"My friends, I would be delighted! Here you go!", Fred says, inserting a trio of coins in their cups.

"Oh, thank you, good sir!", Zira says happily.

"Not at all, friends! My uncle inside would also like to make a donation, so please go see him! Merry Christmas!"

"We shall, sir! And a Merry Christmas to you!"

Nodding, Fred walked off as Zira & Cornelius entered the counting house just as Scrooge opened the door to his office.

"Who's there?", he asked.

"Good evening, sir", Zira says as she closed the door. "Do we have the pleasure of addressing Mr. Scrooge or Mr. Marley?"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, my dear", Scrooge said, approaching the pair. "Mr. Marley has been dead these past seven years. In fact, it was seven years ago on this very day that he died. Now…what can I do for you?"

"Oh. Well, first off, we're very sorry to hear that Mr. Marley's no longer with us", Cornelius started. "However, we haven't any doubt that his liberality is quite represented by you, his surviving partner."

At the hearing of 'liberality', Scrooge frowned but said nothing as Cornelius went on.

"At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge, it is basically more than desirable for us to make slight provisions for the poor & destitute…those who sadly are forced to suffer at this time of year. Many hundreds of thousands who are in want & need of common necessities & comforts, sir."

"Therefore, several of us are endeavoring to raise a fund to buy the poor some food & drink, plus any means of warmth", Zira adds.

"Whatever for?", Scrooge asked.

"Because this is the time of year, above all others, where want & need is most keenly felt, & we'd like to rejoice with quite a great abundance."

Scrooge stared at both ape-faced figures for a moment or two before speaking.

"Tell me something. Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?", he asked.

"Plenty of prisons. Why do you ask?", Zira asks.

"And the Union Treadmills & Poor Law are in full vigor, then? Still in operation?"

"They certainly are", Cornelius answered. "Both very busy. We only wish we could say that they weren't."

Scrooge allowed himself a brief but big smile.

"Ahh. From what you both said at first, I was somehow afraid that something had happened to stop them in their most useful cause. I'm happy to hear that isn't the case."

"So, then…what can we put you down for, Mr. Scrooge?", Cornelius asked.

"Nothing."

"You wish to remain anonymous?", Zira asked.

"What I wish, my dear, is to be left alone. Since that is what you ask of me, that's my final answer. I for one do not make merry during Christmas, nor can I afford to do so for others. I do, however, help to support the establishments I've mentioned: they cost more than enough, & those who are very badly off should go there."

"But many can't go there", Zira says.

"They'd much rather die than do so", Cornelius puts in.

"If they would rather die, they had better do it quickly & decrease this dismal population", Scrooge said. "What's more, it's none of my business to begin with."

"Is it, sir?"

"No. It's enough for a man to understand his own business, & to not interfere with anyone else's. As you can clearly see, mine occupies me constantly. Therefore, I wish you a good afternoon, lady & gentleman. There's the door."

Seeing they wouldn't be able to convince him any further, Zira & Cornelius turn & open the door.

As they reach the bottom of the steps, Scrooge called out to them.

"I do have something you can donate!", he says.

Happy to see they would get a donation from the man, Zira & Cornelius turn around…

WHOMP!

The Christmas wreath Fred hung on the door when he entered came down over Zira's head & landed on her neck, looking like a holiday necklace. They look up in time to see Scrooge close the door shut on them.

Zira & Cornelius look to each other in surprise before moving on.

Once he closed the door, Scrooge lets out an exhausted sigh & turns to Cratchit, who immediately went to his work.

"What is this world coming to, Cratchit?", Scrooge says as Bob looked up.

"What do you mean, sir?", Bob asks.

"You work hard all your life to earn & make money…and then, once you do have it, people just simply want you to give it away. I mean, what's up with that?"

"It's really not what you think it is, sir."

"Oh? Humor me."

"Making donations is simply a way of helping your fellow man, sir. It's an occupation that happens all year long, especially during Christmastime to all those who are less fortunate than others. In other words, it's a way of displaying one's generosity, sir."

"Generosity", Scrooge says, getting closer to Cratchit & getting just inches from his face. "No one's ever shown me any 'generosity'! I had to work & slave my way to get to where I am now, & in all that time, with the one exception of my late business partner, I've never received any generosity from anyone – not once! Nothing in this hard life is free, Cratchit: one needs to steel himself & work to get what he wants! And speaking of…you still have over an hour left to complete yours for the day, so get back to it!"

"Yes sir", Cratchit says, doing exactly that.

Scrooge retreated into his office & closed the door, hoping he can get his work done without further distractions and/or interruptions.

Fortunately, Scrooge got his wish: from that moment on until closing time at 7:00, he was neither interrupted nor distracted by anything or anyone. As the clock on the wall chimed seven in the evening, Scrooge grudgingly closed his books & placed the pen next to the ink jar, which he closed to prevent it drying out.

As he exited his office, Cratchit closed his own books & blew out his candle – the only source of both light & heat he had. Putting on his hat, Bob went to help put his boss' coat on.

"We've got some eviction notices to mail tomorrow, Cratchit, don't forget", Scrooge says without facing him.

"But sir…tomorrow's Christmas Day", Bob replied.

"In that case…gift-wrap them."

"Sir, I was wondering if I could have time off tomorrow."

Scrooge let out a sigh before he spoke.

"How much time? Half a day?"

"Actually, sir, I was thinking…the whole day", Cratchit says.

Now Scrooge did face him, with a hurt look on his face.

"The whole entire day?", he says.

"Well, sir, tomorrow is Christmas Day, like I've said", Cratchit explains. "Just about everyone will be closed for the day. With everybody closed, you'll have nobody to do business with, so why bother coming in tomorrow morning? Besides, it's only once a year, sir, so it ought to be quite convenient."

"It's not convenient!", Scrooge growled. "And it's not fair! Would you really think of me ill-used if I paid you a day's wages for no work? Never mind that it's only once a year: it's nothing but a poor excuse for picking a man's own pockets every 25th of December…particularly mine!"

"Please forgive me if I've caused you such an inconvenience, sir, it's just, well…it's more of a family thing, sir: they all put their hearts & souls into Christmas as it were, sir."

"Oh, but of course it is…and afterwards put their hands in my pockets as it were, sir." Scrooge finished putting on his gloves, scarf & hat. "But…I wouldn't want you to think of me as too much of a curmudgeon, so I will give you the whole day off, as I suppose you ought to have it. However…you be here on time the very next day. Got it?"

"Absolutely, sir. And thank you, sir, it's more than generous of you."

"I know it is, you don't have to tell me."

"A Merry Christmas, sir."

Scrooge looked at him dubiously.

"A Merry Christmas", he says with disdain. "You with a meager salary of 15 shillings a week raising a family, talking about a Merry Christmas. I'd just as soon retire to Bedlam, or even to Japan…if they even open their borders to allow me entry within them."

That said, Scrooge exited the house but issued a final order.

"Remember to lock up when you leave here", he said.

"Yes sir", Cratchit replied.

Scrooge closed the door & used his cane to knock off more snow off the sign that hung over the door.

He looked up at the sign, allowing himself a sigh.

"You're lucky that you're no longer with us, Jacob. The world has become a much colder place than when you left it", he said to the sign & the heavens high above it.

After Bob Cratchit locked up the office, he pocketed the key & started heading home: along the way, he'd come upon a group of kids sliding down a street that was like a downhill ramp, sliding on the ice that covered it as they each laughed while descending to the bottom at a high velocity. Once they reached the bottom, several kids slammed into a bed of garbage bags that cushioned the impact, each one giggling as they got to their feet.

Bob Cratchit smiled & decided to give it a try: the kids all watched as Bob stood on his feet as he began sliding on down the ramp-like street, the kids cheering him on. Bob gave out a cry of joy as he descended, reaching the bottom in no time.

Instead of hitting the bundle of garbage bags, Bob grabbed hold of the street lamp with one hand & spun around a few times before coming to a stop, staying on his feet the whole time.

Applause & cheers came from the kids as they were hugely impressed by the man's balance abilities & acrobatic skills, handling the drop without missing a beat even at his age.

Like the kids, Bob Cratchit allowed himself a laugh of good nature.

Heading down the street he descended to, Bob saw he was walking down the avenue of the Mansion House, the castle-like structure that always holds a huge dinner feast on Christmas Eve & Day. The kids looked inside the kitchen from the windows, watching as the cooks prepare all kinds of mouth-watering foods, from well-cooked turkeys to pies that could be smelled even from a great distance away.

Seeing the kids viewing them in their labors, three of the cooks took a large piece of turkey in their hands.

"Here you go, kids! Courtesy of Her Majesty!", one of the cooks cried out as they tossed the food out the windows.

One piece fell into the hands of one boy, but the other two went to Bob Cratchit, who caught them with ease.

Seeing the kids staring at him with pleading eyes, Bob smiled & knelt to the level of the kids.

"Here – you kids were meant to have these, not me", Bob said, handing out the pieces of turkey. "Just remember to share these among yourselves. It's Christmas Eve, after all."

"We will", the kids say as a boy & girl took the offered food & began tearing off pieces & handing them out to the others.

One girl thanked Bob for catching the food & offering it to them.

Nodding with a smile, Bob Cratchit resumed his trek towards home.

His heart was filled with Christmas cheer, especially having helped out those kids.

With the day done, Scrooge headed away from his workplace to his favorite eatery for a nice meal after a hard day's work. He walked down the street where his restaurant was located at, with pedestrians getting out of his way as he approached. Men, women & even children parted his way as he strolled down, including their pets, not wanting to incur his wrath which was known to be as cold & frigid as the winter weather itself.

Scrooge had a reputation that stretched to just about every inch of the city of London, making him as infamous as any known dictator from Xerxes on up.

People were frightened of Scrooge, even if they would never admit it.

It was something Scrooge enjoyed & took great pleasure in.

Just one block away from his destination, Scrooge came upon a man 5 feet, 11 inches tall wearing a crimson coat, brown pants, white shoes & having a head of well-trimmed red/brown hair. His eyes were covered by a pair of darkened spectacles, & in his hand was a metal cup for putting coins in. A sign that read 'blind' hung around his neck, & a cane was held in his free hand.

Scrooge stopped in front of the man & stared hard at him.

Sensing the man was still there, the blind man turned to him without a hint of fear.

"Can I help you, sir?", he asked.

Both men stared at each other for several moments before one of them gave in & walked away.

It was Scrooge, departing after seeing he wasn't intimidating the blind man…one of the very few people who had dared to stand up to the curmudgeon of a man.

"Merry Christmas", the blind man said as he passed by.

Scrooge grumbled something under his breath, making the blind man smile with joy.

Taking his seat in an area where he would be assured absolute privacy, Scrooge began reading the daily paper as he waited for his food to arrive: a plate of steak with vegetables & some bread on the side & a glass of wine to wash it down. As he ate, he stared in front of him, paying the other patrons no mind as they enjoyed their meals with utmost joy, being surrounded by family/friends – the exact opposite of Scrooge.

A waiter came near as Scrooge called to him.

"Waiter…more bread if you please", he says.

"Bread will be an extra shilling, sir", the waiter replied.

After a few moments, he looked up at the man.

"Never mind then, no more bread", Scrooge said.

"Very well, sir", the waiter answered as he walked away while Scrooge finished his meal after a hard day at the office.

Having paid his tab, Scrooge exited the eatery, passing people as he went by, avoiding his body and his gaze.

On the way home, he came across a man with a head of jet-black hair & a thick broom of a mustache across his upper lip. Dressed in a warm coat, he operates a stand that sells miniature hamburgers made over a miniature hot grill built in. An umbrella opened overhead that read 'Bob's Mini-Burgers' around it.

The man's full name is Bob Belcher.

And his next customer was Ebenezer Scrooge.

When Bob gave Scrooge a handful of his miniature burgers, Scrooge paid him in something Bob never expected.

In his hands, he was given a half-dozen matchbooks.

"Hey, come on! I have a wife & three kids to feed!", Bob cried out, making no effort to hide his anger.

Scrooge walked away without a word, leaving the vendor to his disappointment & rage.

Appearing upon his street, Scrooge came to his mansion-like house which he once shared with his now-deceased partner. It was a three-story domicile with a metal fence surrounding it on all sides, the tops pointed to dissuade anyone from trying to climb over.

Nobody ever dared to so much as go near the place where Scrooge dwelled, fence or no fence.

Upon reaching the gate, Scrooge's eyes caught the silhouettes of two figures completely concealed in a dark robe, showing no signs of their faces or even their hands. Accompanying them were a pair of large Dobermans that growled at the sight of the bald man. Their leashes were each swallowed into the sleeves of their owners, making them look as if they could release the dogs on him at any time.

Their growling became louder as Scrooge made his way up the stone walkway to the mansion's entrance quickly as he could. Digging into his pocket for the key, he pulled it out & prepared to insert it into the lock.

At that moment, a face as white as the snow abruptly appeared on the door's knocker.

It was the face of Jacob Marley.

"Scrooge!", the face snapped soon as it appeared.

Yelling out in surprise & fear, Scrooge was thrown back & landed on his back against the hard stone & ice, which gave him a bit of a bruise. Gathering his wits, he picked himself up & searched for his key.

Luckily, he found it almost immediately, its gleaming metal shining from the full moon above.

When next he saw the door knocker, it was as normal as could be: no face of Marley on it anywhere – as if he'd never appeared to begin with. He looked towards the spot where he saw the two cloaked figures with their dogs.

They were gone as well, leaving no trace of their existence.

Scrooge shook his head in disbelief.

Damn, my senses must be playing tricks on me!, he thought, unlocking the door & going inside.

The mansion was as dark inside as it was outside, plunging it into near-total darkness.

Scrooge always enjoyed the dark: it suited his nature like fish to water, reflecting his personality like he looked in a mirror.

Plus, the darkness never cost him anything, which is what he liked best about it.

Fortunately, Scrooge always keeps a candle nearby with matches to light them, which he did. The light gave him enough illumination to make certain he didn't hit a wall or knock down furniture. Reaching into his coat pocket, he took out the Christmas present his nephew Fred gave him & stared at it. Upon closing the counting house, Scrooge must've absentmindedly placed it in his coat without realizing it.

Believing it to be a waste, he tossed it into the trash basket next to the door.

Immediately after he did so, that eerie voice called out again.

'Scrooooooge!", it echoed.

The sound of multiple bats flapping & screeching also echoed everywhere, giving Scrooge the jitters as he raced up the stairs, his shadow & the noises of the bats all following him.

"Humbug!", he bellowed as if to show the noise of bats who's boss.

It became silent as a tomb once he reached the second floor where his bedroom resided.

"Ah, hum…bug!", Scrooge growled, hanging up his hat, coat, gloves & scarf on the wall's hooks.

He entered the room without another word.

After getting into his nightgown, robe & slippers, Scrooge prepared himself a small bowl of stew with pieces of cheese, beef, carrots & other ingredients over a fire which cooked from a fireplace that was roaring with warm flames.

Filling his bowl, he blew on it to cool it off some before enjoying its aroma & flavor.

So hungry was he that Scrooge finished the entire bowl without him knowing it.

With a satisfying smile, he prepared to make himself another helping of his late meal.

"Scrooooooge! Ebenezer Scrooge!", came the creepy voice again, wiping the grin off his face.

It was followed immediately by the sounds of not only flying/screeching bats, but also bells ringing which began softly before their volume rose. Scrooge looked at the bells hanging from his walls & found that none of them had been moving in the slightest to be making any noise. There wasn't even a breeze inside the room to make them jingle.

Getting up from his seat, Scrooge twirled around the room to see what was causing the boisterous racket that has invaded his sanctuary: the calling of his name in that deep/dark voice, the flying/screeching of bats, the ringing of the bells, & now the clock was chiming even though the hands haven't reached the top of the hour yet.

Placing his hands over his ears, Scrooge willed for it all to stop.

When that didn't work, he cried out, his demands getting louder with each attempt.

"Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!", he bellowed.

Much to his pleasure & surprise, the noises had ceased.

But Scrooge would get no rest over it: the cacophony of noise was replaced by that of footsteps getting closer to his room, accompanied by the sounds of rattling chains & the thumping of numerous objects. Scrooge indicated that these new sounds were originating from outside the very room he was standing in, & he backed away from the door.

Once the sounds of footsteps & chains rattling/objects thumping ceased, the door swung open to reveal…

Nothing.

Even Scrooge couldn't believe it: there was no one on the other side of the door, no one at the entrance.

Relieved, Scrooge exhaled & turned around…

And was face-to-face with a glowing figure who was cloaked in a hooded robe with chains surrounding him all over & what appeared to be cash boxes attached to each.

Like a frightened child, Scrooge cried out in horror & fell on the floor as the door closed by itself & he crawled backwards until he came upon the wall, his heart racing. Working to get himself under control, Scrooge slowly rose from the floor, using the wall as guidance until he came to his full height.

The glowing figure surrounded by chains just stood there, staring at him.

"Who the hell are you?!", Scrooge barked once his courage returned.

"Ask me who I was', said the figure.

"Oh, very well, who were you, then?!"

"Why Scrooge, I'm surprised you don't recognize my voice! But then again…it has been seven years to this day when you last heard it! Don't you remember your old partner?!"

The figure's words rang a bell in Scrooge's mind: seven years on Christmas Eve was when he heard the final words spoken to him by someone close to him, & his eyes widened.

"No!", Scrooge says. "I can't be! I refuse to believe it! It can't be!"

"Oh, but it is!", the figure stated, pulling his hood down to reveal a face with a crop of hair on top & a goatee that was much like Scrooge's, but thicker. His eyes were stronger than steel, even in his deceased state. Underneath his robe, he still wore the business suit he always wore to work – and the one he was buried in.

It took Scrooge a moment to find his voice.

"Jacob Marley?", he says.

"The same!", Jacob replied.

"What in hell do you want with me?!"

Marley's ghost came forward towards Scrooge, his chains & cashboxes clanging/rattling as he did so whenever he moved. He was now inches from Scrooge's face.

"Much!", Jacob says.

"Well, in that case…are you able to sit down?!", Scrooge asked.

Without a word, Marley's ghost went over to one of the chairs in the room that were separated by a table. Scrooge wasn't sure if a ghost was capable of such a feat, what with spirits being transparent & all. But to his amazement, he saw Marley's ghost sitting down in a chair like he was flesh & blood again.

"Does this answer your question?", Marley's ghost asked, staring at him.

"Yes, I…suppose it does", Scrooge says awkwardly, walking in the same manner towards the other chair.

Sitting down, he stared away from Marley's ghost.

"I take it you don't believe in me", Marley's ghost says.

"You any reason as to why I should?", Scrooge countered.

"You would doubt your very own senses?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

This time, Scrooge turned to face his deceased partner as he answered.

"Simply because the very smallest of things can affect them! I could be all but hallucinating you, for all I know! Probably caused by pieces of undigested food that makes the stomach queasy from a slight disorder! It's no doubt what I'm experiencing right now, as I did scarf down my evening meal a bit too fast, making it quite slow to digest! It could be the beef, the pieces of cheese, blot of mustard or even the fragment of a potato that's causing you to appear before my eyes! There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever the hell you are!"

Scrooge fought to keep his fear from showing with every piece of willpower that he had by speaking, fearing he would go into uncontrollable hysteria if he stopped. Reaching for the nearest object on the table, he grabbed & showed it to his dead partner.

"Do you see this fork?", he asked.

"I do", Marley's ghost said.

Scrooge moved the fork around in various directions, seeing that the ghost wasn't following where it went.

"You're not looking at it!", Scrooge observed.

"But I see it, nevertheless", Marley's ghost says.

"Then perhaps I should just use this to stab myself with & wake up from this horrid hallucination that appears before me instead of be haunted by a legion of ghosts & hobgoblins! It's all rubbish, I tell you! All humbug!"

At the word of 'humbug', Scrooge threw the fork onto the floor, which bounced once & then stood still.

Marley's ghost watched him throw it down & then back at Scrooge again.

In the blink of an eye, the ghost morphed himself into that of a large humanoid man-bat, standing a staggering 8 feet tall with a wingspan of over 20 feet. The head had long ears, red eyes & a mouth filled with sharp teeth. It let out a boisterous screech that caused Scrooge to cry out in fear as he stumbled backwards & off his chair, cowering behind it as he got on his knees & grabbed his hands in prayer.

"Mercy!", Scrooge pleaded. "Grant mercy to me, spirit!"

The man-bat monster converted back into Marley's ghost.

"Man of the worldly mind! Do you believe in me, or not?!", the ghost growled.

"Yes, I do, I do, I must!", Scrooge wept. "But why do you walk the Earth, Jacob? And why come to me, of all people?"

"Because, old friend, it is required of every man that his spirit within him should walk abroad his fellowmen, to travel far & wide around the globe. Should that spirit not go forward in life, he is then condemned to do so after death. Thus, it is doomed to wander throughout the world & helplessly witness what it cannot share, but might have shared in life & turned it to happiness! Oh, woe is me!"

"Seven years dead, & you've been traveling all this time?"

"The entire time, without rest, peace and/or remorse. The torture is incessant!"

"Do you…travel fast, Jacob?"

"On the wings of the wind."

Scrooge dared to let out a slight chuckle.

"I must say, in all that time, you've certainly covered a lot of ground", he says with a weak smile, attempting to bring humor into the conversation.

This only enraged Marley's ghost, & he bellowed again, his body briefly expanding into that of a bodybuilder with thick muscles everywhere before he shrunk back down.

It told Scrooge to not make any jokes about his predicament, so he didn't from this moment on.

"You're fettered with chains. Why?", Scrooge asked.

"These are the very chains in which I've forged in life", Marley's ghost resumed. "I made it link by link, yard by yard. I girded it of my own free will, and of my own free will…I wore them."

"You definitely have my sympathies, Jacob."

"That's actually funny, coming from you, Ebenezer! You have no idea of the chains in which you bear yourself! It is quite a ponderous chain that you began forging seven Christmas Eves ago, & you've labored on since! From what I can see, they look to be longer & heavier than the ones I now wear!"

Scrooge was beyond scared now by the presence of his partner's ghost, he looked to see if there was anything he could do to end this & head for bed.

He found none.

"Jacob, old friend, haunt me no more. Please speak comfort to me, for old time's sake", he pleaded.

"I no longer have any to give!", Marley's ghost said, dashing Scrooge's hopes for ending this farce. "Mark me! My spirit never walked, moved or roved on beyond the limits of our money-changing hole – our dear counting house! Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused! Now the only thing I have to look forward to are weary journeys that all but lie before me!"

"But Jacob…we were just merely doing business together! You know that!"

"Business?! The only 'business' that we should've been involved in was mankind – and their common welfare! That's what we should've concentrated on, but no: we were too busy swindling the poor & unfortunate every chance we got, kicking them out of their homes just because they were only a few days late on their mortgage payments! And we couldn't help but admit that we took great pleasure in doing so! That's why I suffer the most at this time of the rolling year!"

Scrooge was so filled with terror, he felt it might overtake him at any given moment.

With barely enough willpower & great effort, he kept himself calm.

"Hear me!", Marley's ghost resumed. "My time is nearly up, & although there is no light part for my penance, I came here tonight to tell you that you have yet a chance & hope of escaping my terrible fate – a chance & hope of my procuring, Ebenezer!"

Scrooge felt some relief from the words his dead partner's ghost relayed.

"Thank you, Jacob. You always were such a good friend to me", he says.

"On this night, you will be visited by three groups of spirits", Marley's ghost says.

"What? Is that the 'chance & hope' that you mentioned, Jacob?"

"Indeed."

"In that case, I think I'd much rather pass on it. I…I don't know if I can handle any more visits from specters! I've had more than enough of that from you already!"

"But you must! Without their visits, or if you should choose to refuse them, you cannot hope to shun this horrible path which I now trend! Expect the first group when the bell tolls one!"

"Couldn't I just meet them all at once & get it over with?"

Marley's ghost ignored his question as he turned & headed for the window.

"Look to see me…no more!", he said, opening the window with but a pointing of his hand. "But look here…and remember, for your own sake, exactly what's passed between us!"

Rising from the floor, Scrooge went over to the open window & looked out.

What he saw were even more spirits – those who were once wealthy in life, & now were attempting to throw their hard-earned money at a woman & her infant child, both of whom were out on the street in the freezing cold. No matter how much money these apparitions throw at them, the mother & her child couldn't collect a single coin.

They don't even know that these spirits were surrounding them, trying to give them comfort.

"What are they doing?", Scrooge asked.

"They're lamenting", Marley's ghost explains.

"But why?"

"Having done wrong themselves as we did, they seek to interfere in human values for good, to try & compensate for the error of their ways. But alas, each one has lost their power to do so…forever."

As Scrooge watched these spirits attempt to do good, Jacob's ghost vanished from his partner's side & reappeared next to the woman & her child, throwing his own money to them. Scrooge looked to his left to find Marley gone, but turned back to the open window to see Jacob & the other spirits rise into the air & turned to face…him!

Scrooge was frozen with fear, as if his whole body was made of ice. His eyes widened.

"Repent, Ebenezer Scrooge!", they all said as one before morphing into a bunch of winged gargoyles in different shapes & sizes, their eyes glowing a bright crimson. "Repent!"

As one, they charged at him, giving him the moment to act: shutting the window & closing the blinds, Scrooge ran as fast as he could to his bedroom. Upon entering, he immediately locked the door & practically dove into bed as he closed the bed curtains & got himself under the covers, pulling them over his head as he shook in fear all over.

In no time at all, he was asleep.

CHAPTER II

(THE FIRST GROUP OF CHRISTMAS SPIRITS)

Scrooge's mansion, 1:00 a.m.:

Like a baby, Ebenezer Scrooge was sound asleep in his bed, the bed curtains making it dark to enable a better sleep than without. The memory of Jacob Marley's visit was barely on his mind, hoping that it was nothing more than just a bad dream or a hallucination, exactly as he surmised. If it was, he'll have no trouble sleeping past Christmas Day like he always did each year it arrived.

If it wasn't, & he could expect a first group of spirits to pay him a visit on this night…

The clock ticked away normally, displaying the time as it was built to.

When it struck one o'clock in the early morning, Scrooge was stricken not only by a loud bong, but also a bright light that made him squint. Along with the bong, the light stirred Scrooge awake as he opened his eyes to see the bed curtains pulled away as the light above him dissipated. From the entrance of the room, another light started to shine as it got brighter & brighter, causing Scrooge to shield his eyes.

Once this light faded, Scrooge was greeted with a trio of newcomers, two of which were human: the first human was 6 feet, 2 inches tall & attired in a medium blue suit, shoes, cape & hat. He also had a white undershirt & gloves, & a golden medallion hanging from a golden choker that held his cape up. His white eyes had no irises, & were shrouded in shadow. The second human also stood 6 feet, 2 inches tall & was attired in a blue robe-like top, darker blue pants & boots, red cape with golden outline, golden satchel around his waist & golden gloves with black spots that covered his hands & forearms. His eyes were gray, & his hair was mostly black but had white temple strips on each side.

The third spirit stood on two legs, but was anything but human: it stood a good 8 feet tall & had webbed feet & hands that ended in sharp claws, with an extra claw on each elbow. A large shell covered the back of its body, with a tail that dragged behind. Its head was arrow-shaped & had a mouth filled with sharp teeth, having a pair of larger fangs which extended from its lower jaw on each side that were visible even with the mouth closed. It had a hue of dark olive green all around, its eyes reptilian.

A giant two-legged turtle spirit accompanied the two male spirits.

"Are you the first group of spirits whose coming was foretold to me?", Scrooge asked.

"That we are", the one with the blue cape, the first spirit, said.

"Who & what are you three?"

"We are the Ghosts of Christmas Past", the one with the red cape, the second spirit, said.

"Long past?"

"No. Just your past."

"And…what is your business here with me this evening?"

"Your welfare. Or to be more precise, your reclamation & salvation", said the first spirit.

Scrooge stared at the three spirits intently, having never seen anything like them in all his life.

To him, they were just like phantoms – and very strange ones at that.

"Is there something wrong?", asked the first spirit, the Phantom Spirit.

"No, nothing. I just thought you all would be a lot shorter than I imagined", Scrooge said, half-joking.

"You know, Ebenezer, if men were measured by kindness, you'd be no bigger than a speck of dust", the second spirit said, the Strange Spirit.

"Kindness has very little use in this world."

"You didn't always think so, let alone believed that", the Phantom Spirit said. "Now…take heed, rise & walk with us. It's time to go."

"Well then, go already!", Scrooge snapped as he turned away from them.

As if by magic, the covers Scrooge were under were ripped away, revealing the man in his sleepwear & robe.

The Turtle Spirit came at him, as if to rip him apart, forcing Scrooge out of bed & into his slippers; he saw these spirits weren't going to take 'no' for an answer, so Scrooge relented & did as instructed.

Now part of the caravan, Scrooge followed the trio of spirits over to the window & opened it up with ease as if it had a mind of its own. Scrooge stopped several feet from the open window.

"Wait a minute…we're going out the window?", he asked as the spirits faced him.

"Are you afraid?", the Strange Spirit asked.

"But…unlike you three, I'm a mere mortal. Should I take a step outside, I'll fall & be killed. Surely you don't want that, do you?"

"You need not worry. With but a touch of either of our capes, & you will be upheld in more than this."

"Or maybe perhaps, you would rather prefer if he were to go & take you", said the Phantom Spirit.

Before Scrooge could reply, the Turtle Spirit lunged right at him like an angry bear, causing Scrooge to cry out & cover himself with his arms before things went dark briefly. When Scrooge removed his arms from his face, he found himself outside his home as wind was breezing past his face. Taking a quick survey of his surroundings, he saw that he was on the Turtle Spirit's shell, its arms now in the form of wings & was propelled through the air by jets where its legs once were.

Scrooge suddenly realizes he was flying, with the city of London many feet below him!

Letting out a startled cry, he went to the Turtle Spirit's head & wrapped his arms around its neck.

The Turtle Spirit ushered a growl, telling him to let go.

Not wanting to incur its wrath, Scrooge took hold of the rim of its shell & held tight as he lay down upon it.

The other two spirits were flying alongside their chelonian champion, rising to see Scrooge holding on for life.

"Why, what's wrong, Ebenezer?", the Strange Spirit asked.

"We always believed you enjoyed looking down on the world", the Phantom Spirit joked.

Both cloaked spirits shared a heartfelt laugh as they continued flying throughout the city in the evening sky.

"Where are we going?!", Scrooge cried out over the wind.

"To visit your past, Ebenezer Scrooge", said the Strange Spirit.

The two cloaked spirits placed a hand in front of them as they flew, creating a distortion in the air that started to light up in the center. As they got closer, the light got brighter, & Scrooge was forced to shield his eyes once more.

The quartet entered the distortion in less than twenty seconds, bathing them in bright light.

Fifteen seconds later, the light was still present but Scrooge no longer needed to cover them: he saw himself in a small little town with a bridge over a river, which horseback riders took as they galloped across & into the woods. The entire area was covered in snow, & yet Scrooge wasn't cold in the slightest, even though attired only in his sleepwear, robe & slippers.

Descending from the skies, the Turtle Spirit regained its legs as its wings morphed into arms again.

Scrooge was let down by the cloaked spirits' levitation magic, putting him down gently.

He looked around the area, sensing he recognized it.

"Does this area look familiar to you?", the Strange Spirit asked.

"It certainly does", Scrooge says. "I was but a young boy here. Even now, I still remember every nook & cranny of this place, I could practically walk through it blindfolded." Scrooge looked at the spirits, seeing them out of place in a small town. "Shouldn't you three look a little bit more…incognito? You all stick out like sore thumbs."

"You need not worry, Ebenezer", the Phantom Spirit says. "These are but shadows of the things that have been. Nobody knows we are here, & they can neither hear nor see us."

Scrooge looked past the bridge & people to see a place he hadn't since his childhood.

"Look…right over there", he says, pointing. "There's my old school. How lonely & deserted it seems."

"Not quite deserted", said the Strange Spirit. "Shall we venture in for a closer look?"

Floating just a few inches off the ground, the spirits & Scrooge floated towards said building & entered it through a wall like it wasn't there, planting their feet again on the floor. The quartet entered a classroom with many empty desks, sans for one lone student, with a head of well-groomed black hair in a blue suit. He was currently engaged with reading a book, enjoying the peace & quiet the empty room provided for him.

Scrooge recognized the young lad, & he became weak in the legs briefly.

"That young fellow", he says softly. "It's me."

He suddenly heard other boys & girls entering the classroom, all gathering around young Scrooge.

"Why are you still hanging around here for, Ebenezer?", asked a girl. "It's Christmas: you should be out having fun with us, not reading books!"

"Yeah, Ebenezer", said a boy. "On Christmas, you need to put work down for a day or two & enjoy yourself – while we're all still young!"

"I'm sorry, everyone", young Ebenezer said. "But I've still so much to catch up on. I really can't spare the time, not even at Christmas."

"But Ebenezer…", one girl started to say.

"Aw, forget it, Lana", said another boy. "Ebenezer's far too much of a bookworm to pay any attention to anything else…even his own friends!"

"I'll say!", said another boy. "Let him work his life away, for all we care! Come on…let's get out of here & have some fun in the snow! Hey…let's build a snowman!"

Most of the kids cheered & ran for the door, but Lana stopped short & faced young Scrooge with sorrow in her eyes. The boy stared back at Lana, unsure of what to say.

When Lana's friends called for her, she exited the room, leaving young Scrooge alone again.

The adult Scrooge rubbed a finger at his eye, turning away.

"Is something the matter?", asked the Phantom Spirit.

"No, just something in my eye…that's all", Scrooge says.

"Shall we go & visit another Christmas?"

"Why bother? My Christmases during my school years were pretty much all the same as this one."

"Not quite the same", said the Strange Spirit. "I do believe there was a Christmas in your youth that stood above all the others. Let's go & pay that one a visit."

Both cloaked figures waved their hands to create another distortion, but this time they didn't fly to reach it: they all stood where they were as the spirits took them to another Christmas Eve. This time, the classroom looked a little worse for wear, receiving no maintenance in a couple of years. In this scenario, Ebenezer Scrooge was now a fine young man, dressed in a tailor suit & looking quite the gentleman in his early 20s.

Like before, he was reading a book as he sat on a bench, the window behind him giving a clear view of the yard.

He was interrupted by the sound of a wheelchair being pushed by a woman 5 feet, 10 inches tall wearing a white skirt & shoes, with a head of ash blond hair, blue eyes & pink lips. The man she was pushing in the wheelchair was 6 feet in height (if he were standing), & also had blue eyes. His head was as bald as Scrooge's would be in his later years, & was dressed in a black suit & shoes.

Both young & old Scrooge turned to see the newcomers.

"Headmaster Xavier! Miss Frost!", they said in unison.

Miss Frost wheeled Xavier over to young Ebenezer.

"You know, Ebenezer, I can never understand why a young man such as yourself would keep his nose in books at all times when he really ought to be out playing with his friends", Xavier says.

"You know me, Headmaster", young Scrooge said. "Just wanting to prepare myself for the world when my time comes to graduate…which will be right at the end of this semester, if I'm not mistaken. Whether or not anyone cares to admit it, the world is a harsh, cruel place…and one must be all but poised & ready to face it when their time finally comes. You understand what I'm saying, yes?"

"Quite so, Ebenezer. The world beyond the classroom can be a most dangerous place, & it has been on more than one occasion, not only here in England. But…while we should prepare ourselves to face the world you'll soon embark on, one must also learn to enjoy the precious life they've been gifted with…especially during Christmastime. And on that particular note, Emma & myself have a gift for you this holiday season."

"What kind of gift, Headmaster?"

"You'll see", Xavier says, looking up at Miss Frost. "Emma?"

Emma nodded.

"You can come in now, my dear!", she cried out.

From across the room, a door opened to reveal a young woman at 5 feet, 5 ½ inches tall dressed in a beautiful blue outfit & shoes, with a head of long jet-black hair fixed in a bun. She had dark eyelashes, & her lips were as red as any rose.

Both Scrooges – young and old – recognized her, & their hearts went aflutter.

"My god! Fan!", the adult Scrooge says, extending his arms.

"Dear brother!", Fan called out & started running towards him.

Fan approached the adult Scrooge & passed right on through him like he wasn't even there, heading straight for his younger self. They embraced for several moments as Xavier & Emma shared a smile.

"Hello, my dear brother!", Fan says.

"Fan! Dear little sister!", Ebenezer says. "Look at you…you certainly aren't so 'little' anymore, now that you've become quite a fine-looking lady! I didn't recognize you at first! But, pleasantries aside…what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to bring you home, dear brother! Father's been so much kinder than he used to be, & living with him nowadays is like being in absolute heaven! One night, as he was putting me to bed, I wasn't afraid to ask if you should come back home to us…and he said yes!"

"He actually said that, Fan?"

"Absolutely, brother!"

"Miss Frost & I took the liberty of helping to arrange for your departure this Christmas, Ebenezer…with your sister & father's consent, of course", Headmaster Xavier says. "With such vast improvements made both at your home and with your father, it's the perfect time for you to spend your holidays at your humble abode once more. That, my dear boy, is our Christmas gift to you."

"I guess I should be grateful to you & Miss Frost, Headmaster", Ebenezer says. "It'll be difficult at first, due to all the abuse I suffered at his hands many years ago, but…"

"But you must forget the past & look forward to the future, dear brother", Fan says. "It's one of the reasons as to why we arranged this for you."

"Fan is right, Ebenezer", Xavier says. "In this world, not only should you work hard & learn to have fun, one must also learn to put the past behind them & allow bygones be bygones. It's never healthy to hold a grudge, believe me. Now then…head on home to have yourself and your family the very merriest of Christmases, & we'll see you in the brand-new year. And a word of advice: all work & no play will make anyone a dull girl or boy."

"I shall do my best to remember", Ebenezer said. "Thank you, Headmaster, Miss Frost. And Merry Christmas to you both."

Headmaster Xavier & Miss Emma Frost nodded with warm smiles.

"Come, brother: let's go home & enjoy Christmas as a family once more – to never be alone again, just like old times!", Fan said excitedly.

Happier than he's ever felt previously, Ebenezer nodded & exited the room, but both waved happily to Xavier & Frost before disappearing from sight, who returned the favor & watched through the large window as a coach appeared to take both Fan & her brother away for the Christmas season.

The three spirits & adult Scrooge also watched.

"Your sister Fan was always such a most delicate creature, who's very own breath might've withered easily", said the Phantom Spirit.

"But she had an extremely large, loving & caring heart…one she proudly displayed anytime/anywhere without regret", the Strange Spirit said.

"That she did, I'll certainly grant you spirits that", said Scrooge.

"She died a married woman, & I do believe she became a mother."

"She had just one child."

"That's true. Your nephew Fred", said the Phantom Spirit.

"She lost her life, giving it to him!"

"And how is that any different from when your mother lost hers, giving it to you?"

Scrooge wanted to say something, but was cut off by the Strange Spirit.

"You father had never forgiven you for it…as if you were to blame for her death", he said.

Beaten, Scrooge said nothing.

Leaving the school behind, the spirits took Scrooge through another distortion & ended up inside a building which had young Ebenezer working at a desk, accompanied by three others doing the same. They were set in a square, each one having a well-lit candle for illumination as they worked in their books, scribbling away. From a distance within the shadows sat a large man, also working his books. He stayed in the shadows even with a candlelight enabling him to see his work clearly. They all worked in silence, their concentration solely on their chores.

When the clock on the wall chimed five, that all changed: the large man in shadows placed his pen back in the ink as he closed his book shut with a sound that echoed the room. Rising from his seat, he marched on over to the others as he came into full view: he was a good 8 feet tall, with an orange-rocky hide as his flesh & blue eyes. He was attired in a grey business suit & shoes, plus had a white Welsh wig on his head.

Upon seeing this man, Scrooge smiled.

"Bless my soul, it's old FezziThing!", he says. "I was his apprentice here!"

As FezziThing appeared before his young apprentices, he gave out a hearty laugh.

"Ebenezer Scrooge, Dick Wilkins, Scott Summers, Reed Richards…put all those books & pens away, my lads!", he says cheerfully. "We're through with our work for the day & all of tomorrow, for tonight is Christmas Eve! Quickly now…get this place cleared away & make plenty of room for the multitude of guests we'll be having this evening! Put those tables over to the sides, decorate & place the food on them! We've got one hour to turn this place into a Christmas extravaganza – the likes of which we've never seen! In other words, gentlemen…"

FezziThing spread out his arms at their widest, his face grinning from rocky ear to rocky ear.

"IT'S PARTYING TIME!", he gleefully bellowed.

The four men all cheered themselves, happy to be off work for the next 36 or so hours as they immediately got busy in setting up the workplace to transform it into a Yuletide sensation – exactly as they do every Christmas season.

A slight distortion of the scenery meant it was time for another time at Christmas, only this time it was that very same day, with the room now fully decorated & filled to the brim with party guests. FezziThing had the music cued up, & fast-paced Celtic music was being played from fiddles as everyone danced with their spouses/partners before briefly changing partners, skipping/dancing as they did so. Big smiles were on everybody's faces, & hand claps mixed in with the music splendidly. Even FezziThing & his darling wife joined in with the dancing/switching partners – sometimes it was done with grace, other times it was awkward which got laughs from all around.

But even when things went wrong, there were no sour/angry faces anywhere.

It was Christmas Eve, after all!

Scrooge soaked it all in as he watched the moment gets displayed exactly as he remembered it.

"We take it you recall this moment?", asked the Strange Spirit.

"As if it was only yesterday!", Scrooge replied with a grin. "FezziThing & his wife always went all-out when it came to Christmastime, & it was his good nature that made him a legend to everyone who knew him, & then some! Oh, my goodness, was there ever a kinder man to work for?"

"And yet, in your mortal money, this party costs about three or four pounds, maximum", said the Phantom Spirit. "Is that the reason why he deserves all this praise?"

"Oh no, far from it: FezziThing knew how to make even the most stubborn hearts dance with joy, & while he might have been strict at times, he would always let his employees know that he never meant to be grumpy whenever something might have gone wrong! He loved his employees like they were his very own children! The happiness he gave to us all was quite priceless, as if it had cost a…fortune."

"What's the matter, Scrooge?", the Strange Spirit asked.

"It's nothing."

"No, I do believe something is amiss. What is it that you're not telling us?"

"Oh, just that I should like to have a quick word or two with my own clerk Cratchit, that's all."

"Now watch yourself as you get engaged in love, Ebenezer."

Scrooge looked up to see his younger self get accidentally bumped into by a young lady 5 feet, 5 inches tall with long brown hair that was styled in a ponytail, with eyes to match. Ebenezer stared at her as if he was hypnotized by her beauty, & she by his handsomeness.

It was the woman who broke the spell first.

"Oh, do forgive me, sir", she said. "I'm all but new here at FezziThing's establishment, & don't know my way much around the place, so…"

"No need for apologies, my dear", Ebenezer says. "I was rather lost in thought myself at the moment, so please forgive me."

The two shared a happy giggle.

"Well, now that we've run into one another…I'm Belle", she introduced.

"Ebenezer Scrooge. Shall we dance?", he offered.

Accepting his offer, she took his hands & got onto the dance floor, moving & swaying to the music playing as each one took lead during the upbeat & slow tempos, mingling with all the other pairs: Reed & Susan Richards, Scott Summers & his beau Jean Grey, & the rest. They danced for nearly an hour's time, clapping hands in utmost joy at the precise moments & giving cheers of good will & happiness.

Later that evening, Ebenezer & Belle headed out into the street only moments before FezziThing's Christmas party was winding down, & patrons were saying their thankful goodbyes to the man & his wife. They stood several feet away as they stared at each other in bliss beneath the streetlight, lit up by a candle within.

Both were filled with so much joy, they felt like they could burst at any moment.

"This was such a wonderful night, Ebenezer!", Belle said, smiling.

"Naturally. It is Christmas Eve, after all", he said, also grinning. "FezziThing's holiday parties are always worth waiting a whole year for…both he & his wife never disappoints whenever they throw them, & tonight was clearly no exception to that very fact!"

"Yes! Tonight was most spectacular…and special, having met you this night! I guess miracles really do happen at Christmastime! If only a night like this could last forever – then it would really be Christmas all year long!"

"Christmas all year, huh? Maybe perhaps I can make that happen for you, my darling Belle."

"Really, Ebenezer? Honest & truly?"

"Absolutely. Up until tonight, I had no one to share my plans with what I intend for the future…that was until you came along, of course. With you by my side, there won't be a single thing which I can't accomplish."

"So, I've become your rock, as it were?"

"That, & more. Listen, Belle: I'm planning on making a fortune for our lives together, & once I do, I'll happily offer you the entire world at your very fingertips. Whatever your loving heart desires, you can be certain that I'll spare no expense in making it happen."

"Like what, Ebenezer?"

"Picture this: how about a three-story mansion right here in the city of London, with a spectacular & beautiful view of England's capital from your very bedroom? It'll be the perfect home for the two us and, if you're all but willing, our children to grow up in."

"My word, Ebenezer – that's truly something of a future you plan to bring to life."

"With you in my life, dear Belle, it'll happen almost in the very blink of an eye."

"Then…I shall accept your proposal!"

"Excellent!"

Ebenezer pulled Belle in closer & delivered her a passionate kiss, which she gracefully returned & held it for a good solid minute before breaking it up.

"It's settled then", Ebenezer says. "I'll work myself as hard as I can to build our future together. That'll be a gift which will last all year long for us both." Ebenezer kisses her once more. "Goodnight, my dear Belle. And a very Merry Christmas to you!"

"Goodnight, Ebenezer. And Merry Christmas to you, my love!", Belle replied.

Having said their farewells, Ebenezer went off on his way home, happy as a schoolboy.

The adult Scrooge watched the display, & was displeased by the events he witnessed.

"No! Go back to her, you young fool!", he cried to his younger self. "That little idiot left her behind!"

Seeing it was useless, Scrooge addressed the spirits.

"I've seen more than enough already! Take me back home this instant!", he demanded.

"Yet more awaits", said the Phantom Spirit.

"I won't look!"

"Oh yes you shall", said the Strange Spirit.

Without consulting with Scrooge, the two caped spirits waved their hands to create another distortion & took him over to another place & time. In this scenario, Scrooge saw his very sister Fan lying in a healthcare bed with her brother by her side on her left. The doctor & Fan's husband stood a few feet away, wanting to give brother & sister as much time together as possible.

Unlike last time, Fan looked terrible & incredible weak.

It was a memory that Scrooge dreaded & shook him even now.

"Oh no, spirits! Please! Not here!", Scrooge pleaded.

"Yes. Here", said the Strange Spirit, unmoved by his pleas.

Helplessly, Scrooge watched his younger self comfort his younger sister.

"Fan? It's me, your brother", Ebenezer says softly. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes…I can hear you", Fan replied weakly, her voice as fragile as glass. "Ebenezer…I don't think…I have…a lot of…time left…"

"Don't say that, Fan! Listen to me: you're going to get better, do you hear? You going to get better! For mine & Father's sake! You will get better, Fan! I swear it!"

Ebenezer got up & walked over to the doctor, ignoring Fan's husband.

"Doctor, isn't there anything you can do to make her get well again?", he pleaded.

"I've done all that I can, Mr. Scrooge", the doc said. "So have the other doctors & nurses in this building. All we can do now is to help make her as comfortable as possible, and that her baby remains in good health."

The doctor mentioning a baby put Ebenezer on alert.

"Baby? What baby? What are you…?", he started to say.

From within the next room, Ebenezer could hear a newborn baby crying as nurses tend to it.

It was then that Ebenezer took notice of Fan's husband for the first time.

He turned to him with a cold stare, his rage rising as it burned within him.

"You!", he growled, his voice rising as he pointed at him. "You did this to her!"

"Come again?", Fan's husband asked, confused.

Like a striking snake, Ebenezer reached out & grabbed Fan's hubby by the lapels of his suit.

"You did this to my sister! You placed her on what's sure to be her deathbed!", Ebenezer bellowed as the doctor fought to separate them.

When he couldn't, he called for a pair of orderlies to assist.

Both men entered the room & grabbed Ebenezer, forcing him to release his would-be victim.

"You killed my sister!", Ebenezer shouted as the orderlies removed him from the room, opposite to where Fan's newborn child was. "I'll never forgive you for this! You hear me?! NEVER!"

When Ebenezer was taken out, the newborn baby was crying due to the noise as nurses worked to quiet the infant down as quickly as possible.

The adult Scrooge looked on with a feature of shock & hurt on his face.

"Oh my god!", he says, turning to the spirits. "How could you spirits have brought me here? Have you no mercy, no compassion, no pity?!"

The trio of spirits moved in on him, causing Scrooge to cringe.

"How many people have you heard that question from?", asked the Phantom Spirit. "Especially when you evict them from their homes just because they were a tad late on their payments?"

"Furthermore, Ebenezer, that is more or less the very question in which you should ask yourself", said the Strange Spirit. The Turtle Spirit growled softly & nodded its head.

Scrooge turned to face his sister again when Fan called out his name, the doctor & her husband by her side.

"Ebenezer. Brother", Fan said softly, her strength waning. "Please take good care…of my little boy. Promise me that…you will…take care of…"

Fan took in one last breath, exhaled it, & expired.

The doctor shook his head, confirming her passing.

Fan's husband dropped his head into her chest & sobbed.

"You heard her", the Strange & Phantom Spirits said to Scrooge, who nodded.

"Loud & clear", he said, staring at his now late sister. "I'm sorry, Fan. I'm so sorry, my dear sister: I should've done more to ensure you got better! Please forgive me, Fan! I beg you, please forgive me! Forgive me!"

On his last two words, Scrooge nearly choked on them as a lump in his throat built up, on the verge of crying.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Scrooge placed his hands to his face & cried his heart out.

The three spirits stood & watched as Scrooge sobbed heavily, holding nothing back.

When Scrooge was done unleashing his sorrows, the three spirits took him over to another place – one he was quite familiar with.

An office that would later become his very own counting house.

At present time, the place was in its infancy.

"And now see yourself in business, Ebenezer", said the Strange Spirit as the place was occupied by a single young man at the same height as Scrooge's younger self.

He works intently on his work within his office as a trio of figures approach & enter the place.

Two of them were Ebenezer & Mr. FezziThing.

Another man joined the duo: he was about the same height as FezziThing, wearing a very stylish business suit & holds a black cane with a diamond on its handle. A burly figure of a man, his eyes were blue & his head was bald as an egg with not a single strand of hair on it anywhere. He had a strong nose for business & an eye for making money with a high grade of intelligence behind them.

"So…this is where you'll be getting your hard-earned cash from this moment on, huh?", FezziThing asks.

"That I shall, Mr. FezziThing", Ebenezer says. "Mr. Jorkin here gave me an offer that was absolutely too good to turn down, much less refuse. It was the chance I was looking for: I plan on creating the best kind of life for myself & someone quite dear to me, so when Mr. Jorkin presented me with the opportunity to get twice the salary I was getting from you, well…I really hope there's no hard feelings upon the matter, sir, & that you understand as to why I've left you. Don't get me wrong, sir: I've all but enjoyed being one of your clerks for a good number of years, plus the others were great doing business with & all. It's just that…"

FezziThing placed a large but gentle hand on Ebenezer's shoulder.

"Ebenezer Scrooge", he says kindly. "Listen, son: although I'll miss you terribly down at the office, you're a grown man now, able to make decisions for yourself. You say you're planning on starting a life of your own with that very special someone? I say you should go for it, lad: just remember everything you learned from me, & you'll reach your goal with little to no opposition. In short, I wish you the very best of luck on your new endeavors."

"Thank you so much, Mr. FezziThing", Ebenezer said. "I shall keep it in mind."

"So…no hard feelings & starting off with a clean slate, are we? That's good. Very good", Mr. Jorkin said.

"Much as it pains me to see him go, Mr. Jorkin, a man has to choose his own path in life: no one can choose it for him", FezziThing says, turning to his former clerk. "I'm very sorry to hear about what happened to your sister Fan, Ebenezer. From what you've told me, she was a wonderful girl."

"Thank you, Mr. FezziThing", Ebenezer said. "It'll be hard, going on without her, but I know she would want me to stay strong & pursue my future – which is just what I intend to do."

"That's the spirit, son. And please don't worry about Fan's husband or her little bundle of joy: I'll personally see to it that they're well-financed, getting all the essentials they need until they can get back on their feet."

"Again, I am in your debt, Mr. FezziThing."

"Well, I guess that settles it, then", Mr. Jorkin says. "Here's where you'll start, Mr. Scrooge…and you can work your way to the heavens, if you've half a mind to do so. But before you begin…"

The big man turns his attention to the lone man working in his office.

"Mr. Marley, just a moment if you please, sir…", Jorkin called to him.

Upon hearing his name being called, Marley turned to the trio & got up from his seat, approaching the men.

"Mr. Marley, I'd like for you to meet Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, the new clerk", Jorkin says. "Ebenezer Scrooge, meet Jacob Marley."

The two men shook hands as they greeted each other.

"Your servant, Mr. Marley", Ebenezer said.

"Your servant, Mr. Scrooge", Jacob Marley.

"A terrific first meeting, if I do say so myself!", FezziThing says with a chuckle.

"Yes, I have a very strong feeling these two will get along quite famously", Jorkin says. "Well, my young bucks, Mr. FezziThing & myself have some business of our own to attend to, therefore…we shall now leave you to your task. A good day to you both, gentlemen."

Both 8-foot businessmen exit the office & onto the street as Ebenezer & Jacob watch them through the window.

"Those two look like they have a great future ahead of them, Mr. Jorkin", FezziThing says.

"Indeed they do, Mr. FezziThing", Jorkin says. "What about you? Still won't reconsider by turning to the age of the machine? The world is changing, & people need to adapt to the changes, lest they become as extinct as the dinosaurs themselves. Are you really intent on going down that path as they did?"

Stopping by their coach, FezziThing turned & faced his longtime partner & friend.

"If it's to help try to preserve a life one spent a lifetime building, then yes…I am", he said. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Jorkin, but I just can't see myself associated with the machines they're using nowadays."

"You do know what they say about time & tide, Mr. FezziThing…they don't wait for anyone, not even powerful men such as us", Jorkin says. "Why not give it a shot, just once? You'll never get a better deal or offer, I assure you. Don't forget, Mr. FezziThing: money makes the world go round."

"There's a lot more to life than money, Mr. Jorkin: should one get too attached or even obsessed with money, it changes them into something they were never meant to be. Should that happen, they lose sight of what's really important in life, like friends, family & such. That's what I've always told my fellow clerks: make your money, but never allow it to make you obsessed with it."

Jorkin allowed himself a chuckle at his partner's explanation.

"Guess the old saying is true: you really can't teach an old dog new tricks", he says.

"Don't worry: this 'old dog' knows plenty of tricks to help him get through in life", FezziThing says.

"Of that, I have no doubt. Tell you what, Mr. FezziThing: since we are good friends as much as we are business partners, why don't I treat you to dinner this evening – just to show that I have no hard feelings in your decision, for old time's sake?"

"Now that's a business proposal I can get behind! Hop in – we'll share my coach!"

Smiling, Mr. Jorkin gets into FezziThing's coach as he instructs the driver to head for their favorite eatery in the city. From the office window, Scrooge & Marley watch them depart, turning away once they were gone from sight.

Both men headed for their workstations.

"True companionship if ever I've seen it, Mr. Marley", Ebenezer said.

"Each with their own perspectives in life, yet they stay the best of friends through it all", Jacob replied. "That, Mr. Scrooge, is loyalty that can't be bought, no matter how much money gets tossed or even offered."

"Both have their own ideas which differentiate from each other, & they weren't wrong in their assumptions. It's kind of hard to decide who was in the right, when they put it like that."

"Well, you made the correct decision in taking Mr. Jorkin's offer, Mr. Scrooge", Jacob says, pointing to where his new partner can hang his hat as they take their seats. "The world is looking forward to some great changes, & it's people like us who'll pave the way to make certain those changes become real. Wouldn't you agree?"

"For the most part, yes", Ebenezer said. "I also agree that the world has become much colder & harsh than the one we remembered as young lads. In order to survive such a world, one needs to steel himself & become as tough as his surroundings so he can keep on thriving. When he does, he won't be crushed underfoot like the inferior, but to loom over themas if they were kings or rulers."

"My very sentiments exactly: there are those out in the world who would relish in stepping on the weak & helpless, which is why a man must stay on his own feet & become better than what he is. That's how one survives in the world, but it seems to me that you already knew that, Mr. Scrooge."

"You catch on quickly, Mr. Marley. It seems we already have a lot in common, but I suppose we'll know in good time, will we not?"

Nodding, Jacob Marley gets busy with his work as Ebenezer Scrooge did the same.

The scenery gets distorted once more by the hands of the two Caped Spirits, going a couple years forward onto another Christmas Eve in what appeared to be Scrooge's counting house: it was at a time when Bob Cratchit was not yet hired, & Jacob Marley was still his partner although he was absent in this scenario. Scrooge was older than he used to be, but still looked every bit a young man as his hair thinned but still covered his head.

He was going over his books & counting his money when he gets an unexpected visitor on this Christmas Eve.

It was a woman dressed in white with a large royal hat on her head & an umbrella in her hand.

The woman was a familiar face to Scrooge despite the fact she aged as he has.

"Belle…", he says.

"The very same Belle you wanted to start a new life with years ago", said the Phantom Spirit.

"She has not been changed by the harshness of the world…unlike you", said the Strange Spirit.

The adult Scrooge watched as Belle approached his still-younger self, who noticed her presence once she came into his office.

"Belle?", he says, looking up from his work. "Why are you here?"

"I came to see you, Ebenezer", Belle said. "It's Christmas Eve, after all. I thought maybe we could spend it over at your favorite eatery for a gourmet feast to celebrate the season together, just as we did when we were younger."

"Tempting, my dear. But I'm afraid I can't do that as of yet: it's still 5:00 in the evening, & the office doesn't close yet for another two hours."

"Can't you make an exception, Ebenezer? Just for tonight?"

"No can do, my darling…my work needs to come first." He stares at the book in front of him, where he makes a startling discovery. "Hmm, Dick Wilkins is two weeks behind on his mortgage payment. It seems Jacob & I will have to evict him, come tomorrow morning."

Hearing his statement, Belle was stunned & tried to intervene.

"But Ebenezer…Dick Wilkins is one of your longtime friends!", she says. "You wouldn't do such a horrible thing as to evict him from his own premises, much less on Christmas Day, of all days!"

"I'm sorry, Belle, but this is business. It's nothing personal."

"Can't you give him just a little more time? He has a family to care for & feed!"

"He's been given more than enough time to make his payments, Belle: he should've come up with it sooner. As much as it might pain me to, Jacob & I will have no choice but to kick him out of his home."

"On Christmas Day?"

"Afraid so. Besides…do you realize how much money we tend to lose if Dick Wilkins doesn't pay up?"

"But it's the holiday season, Ebenezer!"

"Christmas has even less to do with it, my dear: either Wilkins pays up in the next two hours, or else we will all but foreclose on his mortgage."

Hearing Ebenezer's final ultimatum, Belle has had enough.

"Then you no longer love me", she said, causing Ebenezer to look up to her in stunned surprise.

"What? When have I ever said that?!", he says, rising from his seat.

"In words…never."

"In what, then?"

"In the way you've changed, Ebenezer – you've become somebody I hardly even know anymore, somebody I have no desire to know. You've become cold, harsh, unforgiving – a far cry from the man I once fell in love with. I can see that another idol has all but replaced me in your heart, one that can cheer you more easily than I ever will."

"What kind, might I inquire?"

"A golden one…one which now clutters your desk in nice, neat stacks."

"Listen, Belle: this is just the even-handed dealings of the world. Nothing's worse or so hard on a man than a life of absolute poverty – a condition I've vowed to never ever find myself in."

"You're too afraid of the world out there."

"I have very good reason to be: it's a world that will eat up those less fortunate, or simply become crushed like he was no more than a beetle underfoot. But I've not changed towards you, my dear Belle: I'm still the same man you met & fell in love with years ago. I made a vow to keep my promise to give you the world at your fingertips once I've gone & made my fortune. All I ask is that you grant me more time & wait a little bit longer."

"Actually, Ebenezer…I've waited long enough. All your other hopes have merged into the tunnel-vision path in life you've made for yourself – a life I cannot be involved in. That's why I release you."

Before Ebenezer could say anything, Belle continued.

"Tell me something: if this was our first meeting, would you seek me out & try to win me over now as you did back then?"

"Of course I would! What kind of a question is that?!"

"No, you wouldn't. We were both children at the time, just two carefree kids with silly dreams in our heads that never came to fruition. Today, if you were to choose between being with a poor, dowerless girl or the enormous profits of your current business, you wouldn't hesitate to choose the latter."

After a moment of silence from Ebenezer, Belle proved her point.

"You know I'm right then, don't you?", she says.

"I suppose I must bow to your conviction that you are", Ebenezer said.

"That is why I must release you, Ebenezer", Belle says, facing him. "May you be happy in the life you've chosen for yourself."

"Thank you, I shall."

Unable to stand seeing him any longer, Belle turned & left his office, heading for the exit of his counting house.

Once she closed the door, Belle waked away from Ebenezer's place of business, crying.

Indifferent to her sobbing, Ebenezer sat back down & resumed his work like nothing ever happened.

The adult Scrooge watched & grabbed his chest with his hand over his heart, squeezing it.

"Spirits, show me no more!", Scrooge demands. "Conduct me home right this instant! I can no longer bear any more of these horrible/painful memories!"

"Don't forget, Scrooge: it's you who fashioned these 'horrible & painful memories' yourself", said the Strange Spirit.

"Correct", adds the Phantom Spirit. "Because of your selfish nature, you loved your gold even more than that precious creature…and you lost her forever. Now we go to another shadow."

"No! No more shadows, no more of these hurtful memories! Why do you spirits take delight in torturing me?!"

Ignoring his pleas & protests, the Three Spirits take Scrooge over to another part of his past, this time located at what appeared to be a room with a large table inside the center of a room, with a podium over on the far corner with a lone man sitting at a desk, taking notes. Seated around this large wooden table were Jacob Marley & Ebenezer Scrooge on one side, with Mr. Jorkin sitting at the far end. They were addressed by three figures, each sitting opposite Scrooge & Marley: one was a duck dressed in a dark purple business suit, a light-colored kilt, green shoes, hat, & sported a full beard with sideburns on his face, with a pair of rounded spectacles placed at the end of his beak. The second was a blue-skinned figure with a head of white hair that was styled with points on his sides & top, wearing black pants & shoes, white undershirt, red suit & green tie with the insignia of a ring on the end. The third was an ape-like figure, dressed in a light tan outfit, dark brown boots & undershirt, with dark brown stripes on his sleeves. He was an orangutan figure, holding a cane in one hand, & his hair was a golden yellow.

These gentlemen were Mr. Rosebud, Mr. Groper & Mr. Snedrig.

In this scenario, Mr. Jorkin still looked the same as when he first introduced Scrooge to Marley, dressed in his black business suit & shoes, holding his cane with the diamond embedded at one end. Scrooge & Marley became fine young men, each one dressed in their best business suits & sporting a well-trimmed goatee around their mouths. Most of Ebenezer's hair was gone from the top, but still had a frizzle of it on the sides. Jacob, however, still had his, which was neatly styled.

As events unfold in this new shadow from Scrooge's past, the Strange Spirit spoke.

"And as your business prospered, a golden idol has taken possession of your heart, just as Belle said it would."

Mr. Groper began as he spoke first.

"May we hear those figures as your pleasure, Mr. Rosebud?"

"Certainly, Mr. Groper", said Mr. Rosebud in his Irish accent. "Gentlemen, for 17 years since its business began, the Amalgamated Mercantile Society's books reveal startling figures of the following amount: 3,500 pounds, 8 temples & rings, completer with a total asset of 100 pounds & 8 rings."

"Exactly how much of these earnings is the company's capital in general, Mr. Rosebud?", Mr. Snedrig asks.

"All of it, Mr. Snedrig – every last cent!"

Mr. Rosebud & Snedrig consult with each other briefly before Mr. Groper faced Mr. Jorkin directly.

"To put in simplest terms, Mr. Jorkin, not only are you bankrupt, you're also a sneaky embezzler of the company's precious funds! How do you plead in light of this newfound evidence filed against you?"

"My dear fellow, I also beat my wife & drown innocent children in my spare time", Mr. Jorkin joked, grinning with a slight chuckle.

"Mr. Jorkin!", Mr. Snedrig snapped. "We suggest that you cease & desist with your humorous responses!"

"I'd take his advice if I were you, Mr. Jorkin!", Mr. Rosebud adds. "The situation unfolding before you now is anything but!"

"And what of Mr. Scrooge & Mr. Marley here?", Mr. Jorkin asked.

"Neither of them are facing prosecution for a capital offense!", said Mr. Groper. "Only you!"

"Oh, come now, gentlemen. Truth be told, it could've been any one of us, not just myself. Deep down underneath our 'gentlemanly posture', we're all just a bunch of bloodthirsty cutthroats – pirates, if you will."

"Mr. Jorkin!", Mr. Snedrig snapped. "We must ask that you speak only for yourself! Understand?!"

Mr. Snedrig's two companions nodded firmly.

"Do you really think you'd be gaining a fortune if you were to prosecute me?", Mr. Jorkin dared. "At the most, all you'd receive is about a grand sum of 11 to 20 pounds, & not a red cent more."

Mr. Jorkin paused to allow his words to sink in before he resumed.

"Not only that, gentlemen, but to pack me off to Botany Bay would be no compensation whatsoever for the mass panic that will ensue among the roster of shareholders if this 'juicy little tidbit' were to be made public."

"Panic? What do you mean by that, Mr. Jorkin?", Mr. Groper asked.

"Only this: should this piece of news be made available to the public, the annual shareholders would not only stumble, but crash & burn which will result in bankruptcy all around for every member of the party, no matter who was directly responsible. Furthermore, with no concrete evidence upon who the perpetrator really is…it'd be a disaster for everybody involved."

"Strike that speech out of the minutes!", Mr. Rosebud told the clerk.

"Yes sir!", he replied.

Until now, both Ebenezer & Jacob have been silent until the latter sat up & spoke.

"Mr. Jorkin here doesn't exaggerate upon the seriousness of this situation, gentlemen", Marley began. "Neither does he wish for this little incident to be made into public knowledge."

"Are you implying that you sympathize with Mr. Jorkin's methods, Mr. Marley?", Mr. Snedrig asked.

"Not at all. However, Mr. Scrooge & myself do have something of a solution that could help solve some of the problems the company is currently struggling with, so that we may all put this matter behind us, with no one being none the wiser."

"Intriguing, I must say", Mr. Jorkin says amusingly. "These two are phenomenal in their work, gentlemen: they'd skin a fox & rabbit for the butcher shop & nobody would ever know they did it."

"May we hear this proposition, Mr. Marley?", asked Mr. Groper.

By now, Ebenezer sat up & spoke to his partner.

"If you'll kindly allow me, Mr. Marley…", Ebenezer says.

"Please…be my guest", Marley says.

"Our proposition is this", Ebenezer stated, facing the group. "We're both able to make good on saving the good name of the company by using our private/personal resources – with some payments provided by Mr. Jorkin."

Said businessman chuckled, knowing that good fortune was on his side.

"Reprieved! An exoneration if ever I've heard it!", he cheered.

"Order in this here court if you please, Mr. Jorkin!", Mr. Snedrig says firmly.

Ebenezer went on with his proposal.

"In conclusion, we'd like the opportunity to be able to purchase further shares in the company – up to a maximum of a full 55 percent, & not a percentage less."

"What Mr. Scrooge & Mr. Marley are saying is…should you gentlemen want to help save the good name of the company, these two men become the very thing you're trying to rescue!", Mr. Jorkin added/concluded.

Ebenezer & Jacob's proposal sparked an outrage among the three men, saying it was 'out of order', 'out of the question', & other fiery rhetoric replies. The situation struck Mr. Jorkin as so funny, he let out a heartfelt laugh, knowing he, Scrooge & Marley have won their argument & will be taking over the company without punishment being inflicted on any of them.

Ebenezer & Jacob stare at each other victoriously, knowing they've gotten away with murder – metaphorically.

Both men sit back down, basking in the fruits of their current victory.

As the scenario ended, the two Caped Spirits took Scrooge over to his counting house on another Christmas Eve – one that was most memorable to Scrooge, for this was the holiday season that he would lose his longtime partner.

The scene was at the moment the clock chimed seven, meaning it was the end of the day. Dimming the lights, he got up from his seat as Bob Cratchit did the same with his work station as he got his coat & put it on before helping his boss get into his. Cratchit got the news first from Scrooge's maid Mrs. Dilber, but as he informed his boss, Scrooge had said that he would see Mr. Marley at seven in the evening – when the day was done.

Relaying the news back to Mrs. Dilber, she prayed that Marley could hold on until then.

The thought of Jacob Marley was weighing more on Cratchit's mind than that of his boss'.

"I sincerely do hope that you'll find Mr. Marley well, sir", Cratchit says, helping his boss get his coat on.

Ebenezer simply smiled, mildly amused.

"Your compassion for others is admirable, Bob Cratchit", Scrooge said. "But in all honesty, however, I should think that's highly unlikely."

"Yes, I suppose so, but…it's rather odd to think of the place without him…"

"And why would it be any more odd than it was with him? We've all got to die, Cratchit…it's inevitable. You'll be wanting the whole day off tomorrow, if I'm not mistaken?"

"If it's quite convenient, sir."

Scrooge allowed himself a slight laugh.

"Every single Christmas you say the very same thing…and every Christmas it becomes just as inconvenient as it was the Christmas before. Good night!"

"Good night, sir", Cratchit says as his boss left the workhouse.

As Cratchit locked up, Ebenezer made his way home to where he found Mrs. Dilber & the undertaker Mr. Stretch waiting for him at the top of the stairs that led to his bedroom. Wondering if Jacob Marley was dead, Ebenezer entered & found his partner literally on his death bed as he approached.

With a weak voice, Jacob tried to tell his partner that they were wrong & to save himself, but before he could go further into detail, Jacob gave his last breath & expired. From the room's entrance, Mrs. Dilber asked if Marley expired, which Ebenezer confirmed.

He exited the room to allow Mrs. Dilber & Mr. Stretch to tend to Jacob's corpse.

Scrooge viewed Marley's final moments with the three spirits with utmost disdain & disgust.

"Spirits, remove me from this place – now!", Scrooge demanded.

"But I've told you", the Phantom Spirit says. "These are all but shadows of the things that have been, & that they are what they are, do not blame us."

"Take me away! I cannot bear it anymore!"

"Very well. But we are still not done."

The Spirits punctuated their companion's statement by sending Scrooge to a funeral service inside of a church, where he was joined by two other men who had signed the register at his burial before it was Ebenezer's turn.

"For over two-&-a-half decades, Jacob Marley worked by your side", the Strange Spirit said. "He was the one & only friend that you ever had. And yet, when you signed your name at the register of his burial, did you feel anything for him, especially when you took his money, his house, & few pieces of furniture within? No, you did not!"

"Your face showed no remorse or sympathy, Ebenezer", the Phantom Spirit said. "It only showed that you were a hungry vulture, who was eager to get your hands on what your late partner had left behind."

Feeling weighed down by the spirits' words along with his own guilt, Scrooge reached the limits of how much he would tolerate from these three apparitions that have taken him on this journey into his past, showing him wrongs he committed & forgotten about until these spirits brought up all these ugly memories.

Scrooge had enough of strolling down memory lane, & he was about to make that factor very clear to them.

"Stop it! Leave me! Take me back! Haunt me no longer, goddammit!", he cried out.

As Scrooge shouted his last five words, he grabbed the cape ends of the two humanoid spirits & threw them over each one, getting into a tumble with them. The Turtle Spirit was enraged at seeing its two companions attacked, & thus it roared angrily before raising its arms & joining in the melee.

Nabbing him with its front paws, the Turtle Spirit fired its jets from where its legs once were & flew straight up into the nighttime sky, holding Scrooge by his arms as it took the man high above the city, which became a spectacle of lights the further he went up. Ebenezer was afraid that the Turtle Spirit was going to take him beyond Earth to another planet or even the moon itself.

It didn't: Scrooge was still in Earth's atmosphere when his sudden ascension stopped before finding himself in mid-air & saw he was no longer being held by the Turtle Spirit. The creature was gone, leaving him dangling.

He didn't stay suspended for long: Scrooge saw himself plummeting at a high velocity back down to Earth, letting out a frightful scream the whole way until he hit bottom.

Miraculously, Ebenezer felt nothing when he hit the end of the line.

Tangled within his own blankets, Scrooge dug himself out to find he was upon the floor of his bedroom, seeing that the three spirits were nowhere in sight: neither the two caped Strange/Phantom Spirits or even the fierce two-legged Turtle Spirit were in the vicinity. It was like they were never here to begin with.

Getting up from the floor, Scrooge placed the blankets back on the bed before he went under them.

Before he knew it, he was fast asleep in his bed again.

CHAPTER III

(THE SECOND GROUP OF CHRISTMAS SPIRITS)

Scrooge was snoring away in his bed, resting comfortably in it like never before as he slumbered on through the night, oblivious to the visit by Jacob Marley's ghost or that of the trio of spirits that followed: the two Caped Spirits or even the humanoid Turtle Spirit that he rode on over the city of London, showing him the errors that he'd made in his younger years before taking the offensive & finding himself back home.

He paid mind to none of that.

Only his restful sleep was all that mattered to him right now, & he was as warm as could be on this cold Christmas night.

Like before, a bright light abruptly shone overhead & blaring bell rung, stirring Scrooge awake as he shielded his eyes with his arm before the illumination started to dim, enabling him to see better even in darkness.

The light overhead may be gone, but Scrooge saw more on the left side of his bed, as he could see the illumination seeping through the open space right underneath the door.

He wondered who else could be inside the house, let alone up at this late hour.

Just as he was about to lay back down to cover his head with the covers, Scrooge heard a sound of something he never thought he'd hear in his own home.

It was the sound of ladies giggling, coming from the next room.

Scrooge could make out at least two ladies giggling from behind the door.

They called to him by name.

"Come in, Ebenezer Scrooge! Come in!", they said in unison with a cheerful manner. "We await you!"

"Yes, I…I'm coming! I'm coming!", Scrooge called back, getting out of bed, dressed in his sleepwear & robe.

Putting his slippers on, Scrooge headed over to the door & opened it up, the sound of the ladies still giggling.

When he entered the room, he knew it was still his own, no doubt about it.

But the room had gone through a startling metamorphosis: it had expanded to a size of 30 feet tall, 40 feet wide & 60 feet in length. The walls were decorated with many living green that consisted of holly, mistletoe, ivy, wreaths & even a large Christmas tree that was fully decorated with multiple ornaments that seemed to light up with a luminescence of their own. The fireplace was blazing with a roaring flame, & heaped up on the floor were all kinds of well-baked & delicious foods ranging/consisting of turkeys, geese, poultry, great joints of meat, sucking pig, long wreaths of sausage, mince pies, plum puddings, barrels of oysters, fish, crabs, lobsters, calamari, red-hot chestnuts, apples, oranges, pears, immense cakes & seething bowls of punch that were all shaped into some kind of throne that appeared to extend into an area of the room that was still kept in a cloud of darkness.

Even with the fireplace & the twinkling lights from the Christmas ornaments, Scrooge couldn't see within this patch of darkness no matter how hard he tried.

What he could see, however, were a pair of ladies that stood on the outer rim of the food-made throne to his left: the first one was about 6 feet tall, wearing what appeared to be Egyptian garb with golden-brown boots, bracelets, & an eagle-like headrest sits atop her cranium. Her outfit was mostly turquoise in color, with golden designs adding to the décor. Her waist sported a light tan cloth that draped down in front, & she held a golden staff with an eagle with its wings fully spread out at the top end. She had turquoise eyes with said-colored curves below them & golden earrings hung from her ear lobes.

The strangest part about her were the large pair of feathered wings that were attached to her back.

Scrooge must think this female spirit is some sort of Egyptian magician, or even a sorceress in nature: there was something of a powerful aura that surrounded her.

Her companion was even more unusual: standing at about the same height, she was red & silver in color, sporting a face that was unreadable with a steady mouth that was neither frowning nor smiling, & a pair of yellow oval eyes which shined warmly. On the sides of her head were what appeared to be pigtails that curved downward. Protrusions of red – four of them – could be seen on her head at her pigtails & at the bottom of a pointed fin on top of her head that shot forward. A blue light adorned her chest, & a bracelet of the same color was wrapped around her left forearm. A red cape with silver underside was draped over her shoulders.

An ultra-warm feeling came from this individual, like the warmth of a mother – something Ebenezer Scrooge unfairly lost the day that he was born.

Scrooge started to turn away & leave, but the two ladies urged him back.

"Don't be shy, Ebenezer Scrooge!", said the Sorceress Spirit. "Come closer & get to know the three of us better!"

"We three are the Spirits of Christmas Present!", said the Ultra Mother Spirit. "Look upon us! We're betting that you've never seen the likes of us before, yes?"

"No, not ever", Scrooge said. "And I so wish that the pleasure had been indefinitely postponed."

"So…you've still learned nothing from our previous counterparts, & that your heart is still unmoved by the events shown to you?", asked the Sorceress Spirit.

"Why are you spirits even bothering with me?! I'm too old, for God's sake! Go redeem some creature that's even younger & more promising than I, & allow me to keep Christmas in my own way!"

"You seem to misunderstand the concept, mortal", said the Ultra Mother Spirit. "We spirits do not live out just one day a year – we live out the whole entire three-hundred-&-sixty-five."

"The very same is true of the young child born in Bethlehem centuries ago", the Sorceress Spirit explains. "He does not live in man's hearts only one day a year, but in all the days. You have simply chosen not to include him within your heart, & that is just one of the reasons why we are here tonight. Is something the matter?"

The two females noticed Scrooge looking around the room, as if searching for something.

"You told me there were three of you here in this room, yet I only see the two of you", Scrooge says. "Where's your third companion?"

Both ladies share a quick look of amusement before the Sorceress Spirit used her staff to shoot a beam of light at the darkness that engulfed a portion of the room, hitting it dead center. The Ultra Mother Spirit joined her by shooting a beam from the blue light on her chest, firing it in unison with her companion's projectile. Once they struck, the thick darkness began to be eaten away as it dissolves to reveal a sight even more astonishing than the two females: sitting on top of the makeshift throne from the multitude of food in the room was a gigantic dinosaur-like creature with charcoal grey-green flesh that resembled tree bark. It stood upon two powerful legs with four toes that ended in sharp claws, as were the four fingers on its two hands on long, strong forearms. The neck had something like a cobra's frill in front, & its head was a cross between a dinosaur's & crocodile's, with a maw filled with one row of sharp teeth. Its eyes were a reptilian gaze, & its long tail was coiled around the base of the makeshift throne it sat upon. Pointed purple spines jutted out from its back, with the largest ones protruding from the center. It was dressed in a green robe that was bordered by white fur, with its dorsal spines jutting out in a perfect fit for the beast. On top of its head was a holly wreath, sparkling in various places. Within its left hand was an unlit torch which the creature remedied by lighting up its dorsal spines & the inside of its maw briefly before shooting a small stream of fire onto the torch, lighting it up as bright as day.

Scrooge deduced it was responsible for starting the flames in the fireplace.

In all, the creature – which stood about 20 feet tall – was attired exactly like a king.

Or, in this particular case, a monster king.

Laying eyes upon this Monster King Spirit caused Scrooge to literally fall on his bottom at the awe & fear of it, especially when it lit up its torch with a fire that shot forth from its own mouth.

When the Monster King Spirit stared down at Scrooge, the man nearly wet his pajamas & robe.

"Don't be afraid, Ebenezer Scrooge. He's with us", the Sorceress Spirit assured him.

Slowly but surely, Scrooge picked himself up, never taking his eyes away from the Monster King Spirit, who all but stared back.

"He's not going to burn or eat me up, will he?", Scrooge asked, facing the ladies.

"Not at all", said the Ultra Mother Spirit. "Do you know that He is the youngest member of his whole family, one which have walked among the people of Earth for a good many number of years?"

"I wasn't aware of that, no. I take it that he has quite a large family?"

"Over eighteen hundred brothers", the Sorceress Spirit said. "One thousand, eight hundred forty-two, to be exact."

Scrooge allowed himself a sheepish smile.

"I can only imagine the grocery bills to feed everyone", he joked, inciting giggles from the two females.

He looked up at the Monster King Spirit, who simply growled his displeasure & stared fire at him.

Scrooge immediately wiped the grin off his face, not wanting to face His wrath.

"Speaking of 'feeding everyone'…", Scrooge says, looking all around the room. "Where'd this multitude of food come from anyway?"

"From the heart, Scrooge", said the Ultra Mother Spirit. "This is the food of generosity…of which you've long denied your fellow man."

When next Scrooge spoke, it was with more vehemence.

"Generosity? Ha! As I've told my clerk Bob Cratchit, no one's ever shown me any 'generosity'!"

The Monster King Spirit reached out with his free right hand & snatched Scrooge from the back & lifted him in the air, leaving him with his legs dangling & scared as he stared at the human with disdain in his unforgiving eyes.

Again, Scrooge fought to keep his composure despite how much trepidation he was feeling.

Both female spirits floated up to Scrooge as their giant companion turned Scrooge to face them.

"You've never given them any reason to, Ebenezer", the Sorceress Spirit said. "But on this night, you will see that there are those with good hearts even for the likes of you."

"No acquaintances of mine, I can assure you!", Scrooge intervened.

"We shall see for ourselves, as will you", said the Ultra Mother Spirit. "Now…accompany us so that you may know that the Bethlehem child does live in the good hearts & will of the city's people."

Without another word, the Monster King Spirit placed Scrooge inside the right breast pocket of his green robe.

A flash of light erupted in the room, causing Scrooge to dive into the large pocket he was placed in.

Once the light faded, he reached up to take a peek.

He couldn't believe what he saw: it was daylight in the city of London, with many people traveling left & right to reach the homes of loved ones & pick up last-minute gifts and/or foods for their festivities. Children were playing on every street, some throwing snowballs in play wars, while others were busy making as fanciful of a snowman as they could. Some were ever sliding across areas that were frozen solid on the streets/sidewalks, with many falling on their rumps & inciting laughs from all, including those that fell.

Like every Christmas in London, the snow fell in a blissful stream, making the people below happy as can be.

Ebenezer watched all this from his vantage point in the breast pocket of the Monster King Spirit, who traipsed on the city by taking large wide steps on his feet. The Ultra Mother & Sorceress Spirits traveled alongside their companion, who was now a staggering 55-60 meters tall. It reminded Scrooge of when he rode on the back of the two-legged Turtle Spirit, with its rear legs becoming fiery propellors that enabled it to fly.

It was almost funny to Ebenezer Scrooge: he was in the pocket of a giant dinosaur-like monster that was traipsing around the city of London on Christmas Day…and nobody could see him!

Nobody could even so much as hear the Monster King Spirit's footsteps, which thundered with every step.

He resisted the urge to burst out laughing at the very irony of it all.

"Where are we going?", he asked instead.

"The lower levels", said the Ultra Mother Spirit. "The ones who labor & slave to provide for the city each day."

"And yet, they still find time to enjoy the Christmas holiday in honor of their labors", said the Sorceress Spirit.

Despite going in a rather slow pace, the Monster King Spirit made its destination in good time: Scrooge & the Christmas Present Spirits were suddenly standing inside one of the coal mines as the three spirits (now human-sized) showed Scrooge the multitude of mine workers – male & female – enjoying Christmas Day by having a small tree that was decorated as gifts were exchanged among the crowd before getting together & singing 'Hark, the Herald Angels Sing' loudly & proudly, despite their faces & clothing being patched with filth from the coal they were digging for.

The crowd sounded like they belonged in a church choir.

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing

Glory to the Newborn King

Peace on Earth & Mercy Mild

God & Sinners Reconciled

Joyful, all ye nations rise

Join then triumph of the skies

With the angelic host proclaim

Christ is born in Bethlehem

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing

Glory to the Newborn King

As the crowd of laborers continue to sing, The Sorceress Spirit spoke.

"These people may have been largely ignored by the city's upper class such as yourself, but their work is no less important to London than your own, Ebenezer", she says.

"And yet, it still doesn't dampen their holiday spirits, as you can see", said the Ultra Mother Spirit. "That alone earns these people more respect than they've received through the years."

Scrooge looked at the caroling laborers again, seeing/hearing them singing their hearts out in utter joy.

Working for minimum wage & forgotten by most does nothing to dampen their joyous occasion.

They remind him of Bob Cratchit, who works for a mere 15 shillings a week to support his family.

Ebenezer was really beginning to wonder.

Before he could give the matter any more thought, the inside of the labor house disappeared, & once again he was traveling in the Monster King Spirit's pocket as they were strolling/soaring to another part of London. This time, it was in a well-known neighborhood that had chimney sweepers/cleaners not only doing their labors, but also having some fun with each other as they made & threw snowballs from the rooftops they occupied.

Many of them missed, but one or two hit their marks.

A few of them even came at Scrooge, which passed right through them & the Monster King Spirit, for they could not be seen by the mortals on this Christmas Day. Scrooge instinctively placed his arms up in defense, but remembered he was just as invisible & transparent as the three spirits that accompanied him. One snowball came at his chest & went right through without harming him in the slightest.

Scrooge allowed himself a laugh as he was unharmed, highly amused.

One exited through the top of his head, & Scrooge's face turned from cheerful to shock before placing his hands at the spot where the snowball materialized from.

Both the Ultra Mother & Sorceress Spirits unleashed a heartfelt laugh, finding the scenario most hilarious.

Especially since neither of the female spirits got a snowball go through them.

After a few more minutes, the trio of spirits reached their next destination, & the Monster King Spirit shrunk on down to a good 8 feet tall as Scrooge was placed upon the ground. The Ultra Mother & Sorceress Spirits joined them, appearing in front of somebody's house.

"Why did you bring me to this old shack? Who lives here?", Scrooge asked.

"Simply take a look right over there, & you'll have your answer", said the Ultra Mother Spirit, pointing.

Scrooge looked to there the Ultra Mother Spirit pointed & saw a familiar face: one with a lightly peppered beard & wearing a pair of clear glasses over his eyes. Riding upon his shoulders is a young boy holding a stick in one hand, both of their faces as happy as can be.

"It's Bob. Bob Cratchit", Scrooge says. "Then this house is…"

"Yes indeed. This is the home of your overworked/underpaid employee", said the Sorceress Spirit.

Scrooge watched as Bob walked towards his domicile with what Ebenezer assumed is his son or relative on his shoulders. Both were jingling a lovely tune as they get nearer to home. From inside the house, the other members of the Cratchit family – Peter, Martha, Belinda, Mary & Mrs. Cratchit – watched as Bob was coming home with Tiny Tim on his shoulders. Each one was as happy as they were, with big grins on their faces.

"Here comes father along with Tiny Tim, mother!", Peter says.

"Quick! Let's go hide Martha before they get inside!", Mrs. Cratchit joked as Martha was led into another room only seconds before Bob & Tiny Tim get home, giggling slightly & silencing themselves when Bob & his son enter the front door. Placing Tiny Tim gently onto the floor as he limped away upon his crutch, Bob came to his wife: a beautiful & eye-catching woman with long dark hair & lovely chestnut eyes.

Her smile was as bright as the sun could ever shine.

"Welcome home, Bob Cratchit!", Mrs. Cratchit says. "And Merry Christmas to you, you wonderful man!"

"Hello, my dear! And a Merry Christmas to you!", Bob says before the two engage in a passionate kiss they held for 10 seconds.

"You & Tim must both be frozen to the bone, Bob. Come sit by the fire & warm up as we set the table."

"That's all right, my dear. We felt warm the moment that we came in. So…has the rest of our beloved family arrived for Christmas?"

"Dad!", cried Peter, Belinda & Mary as they all came out of hiding & rushed at their father.

Like a living tide, they each gave him a warm hug in unison, backing him up against the wall as Bob laughed & hugged them back. Mrs. Cratchit also giggled at the hilarious greeting of their father, enhancing her good spirits for the holiday season. Even Tiny Tim laughed, his Christmas-y mood improving.

As the trio of Bob's kids backed away, the man of the house looked around for someone in particular.

"Something wrong, father?", asked Mary.

"Rather, something amiss. Where's our dear Martha?", Bob asked. "Shouldn't she be present?"

"Oh, we forgot to tell you, father: Martha isn't coming", Peter says as Bob turned to face him.

With his back turned, Bob couldn't see the teasing faces of the women as they smiled, doing their best not to just burst out laughing. Mrs. Cratchit placed a finger to her lips just in case.

"Not coming?", Bob repeated. "But this is Christmas Day: she never misses a family gathering on Christmas."

"And she never will, father!", Martha says as she entered from the other room, giving Bob a hug. "I can't stand to see them tease you!"

"Nothing wrong with a little humor, dear Martha…all work & no play, & all of that."

Martha kissed her father on the cheek before heading over to Tiny Tim.

"Is the pudding still sitting in the cupboard, Martha?", Tiny Tim asked.

"What say we take a good look for ourselves & find out?", Martha suggests.

Nodding happily, Tiny Tim took his crutch & followed Martha into the kitchen.

Peter, Belinda & Mary all followed them into the kitchen themselves, wanting to get everything ready as Bob went over to his wife.

"So…how was our Tiny Tim in church on this Christmas Day?", Mrs. Cratchit asked.

"Just as he always behaves at church…good as gold, & better!", Bob says. "And the damnedest thing happened while we were there."

"Damnedest? How do you mean?"

"Usually, when he's at church, he sits & keeps to himself & thinks the strangest things. But on this occasion, as all the people were staring at him, he gave a speech to everyone, saying he wants to remind them that on Christmas, he didn't want them to think of him or other people any differently just because he was handicapped or a cripple. Christmas was the time for miracles to occur – a time in which lame beggars could walk, blind men could see, & deaf men could hear, just like anyone else. His speech was so inspiring, even the one who performed the services had listened to him intently, hanging onto his every word. Our Tiny Tim became the center of attention, & he felt so much better for it. And he is getting much better…isn't he, my love?"

Mrs. Cratchit almost choked from the lump in her throat, but she fought it down & nodded in as professional a manner as she could.

From outside the domicile, Scrooge & the three Christmas Present Spirits watched & listened to the events that were unfolding within.

"What a remarkable little boy", Scrooge says. "I never actually realized that Bob had such a large family that he works really hard for to support. He was right: his family does put their hearts & souls into Christmas every year. They have a little but well-decorated tree over in the corner, & I can see they hung up lots of seasonal greens all over. Quite a pretty sight, I must say."

"Do you loathe your employee for it?", asked the Ultra Mother Spirit.

"On the contrary…I envy him. My Christmases were hardly ever this jolly as I was growing up. It's probably why I never gave the holiday much thought through the years. Maybe I should've given Bob a little extra in his salary for Christmas. That would've the most sensible thing to do."

"Shall we take a closer look inside?", the Sorceress Spirit suggested.

Scrooge was just about to suggest the very same, but the Sorceress Spirit beat him to the punch on it.

Undaunted, the quartet entered the domicile, passing through walls like they weren't even there.

They got an unobstructed view of the dining room table, where the Cratchit family were all seated.

All except for Tiny Tim, who was stumbling his way towards the table with his crutch to help him get there.

Not seeing a slight crack in the floor, Tiny Tim's crutch got stuck within it, causing him to tumble forward as his family cried out his name.

Witnessing this horror, Scrooge gasped & started to rush to his aide.

He was held back by the two female spirits, stating that he could not help him.

Luckily, Belinda came to his rescue, & she caught Tiny Tim before he could hit the floor.

"You all right, Tiny Tim?", Belinda asked worriedly.

"I'm okay, Belinda. I…I just slipped, that's all", Tiny Tim says, taking his crutch out of the crack & heading for the table without any further incident, sitting next to his father on the left side of the table with Peter. The three ladies – Martha, Belinda & Mary – sat opposite of the boys, with Mrs. Cratchit & Bob at each long end. The table was set with plates & silverware, along with little bowls of potatoes, vegetables, a medium-sized goose & a decent bowl of the pudding they worked hard to perfect.

Scrooge stared at Tiny Tim the whole time, worried for the child with the bum leg.

"What's wrong with that poor little boy?", Scrooge asked.

"We fear there's much wrong with him", said the Ultra Mother Spirit.

"Tell me something…will Tiny Tim be all right & continue living just like other boys his age?"

"Our realm of expertise is in the present", the Sorceress Spirit says. "However…we see a vacant seat in the poor chimney corner, & a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. Should these visions – these shadows – remain all but unaltered by the future, we highly fear that Tiny Tim won't have a future of his own."

The prediction the Sorceress Spirit made scared Scrooge, feeling like a slap to the face.

"No", Scrooge pleaded. "Kind Spirits…please say Tiny Tim will be spared such a horrible fate."

"Why?", asked the Ultra Mother Spirit. "Who cares if one little boy loses his life? If he is to die, then he had better do it quickly & decrease this dismal population. Isn't that what you had said, mere hours ago?"

Scrooge turned to her with a look of shock on his face, having his own words reflected right back at him.

"Spirit, I…I didn't mean it like that", he says in his defense.

"Then how did you mean it as, Ebenezer?", asked the Sorceress Spirit.

Ebenezer gave no answer…because he didn't have one to give them.

Remaining silent, Scrooge watched as events played out before him.

"Now, before we begin our toast, I have a piece of momentous information I'd like to share with you all", Bob says. "Or rather, Master Peter does!"

"Master Peter? That's you, isn't it?", says Mary, getting excited responses from the rest.

Peter started speaking when everyone settled down.

"Well, dad says that now I've grown to full state & dignity into a fine young man, I'm looking more like Master of the House than I did at Tim's age…with a whole lot more maturity, as it were."

Peter's statement incited a laugh from everyone in good spirits.

"And what a fine young man our Peter's become!", Bob says. "Besides…doesn't he look all spiffy in one of my very own collars?"

Another round of laughter erupted from the family, especially seeing Peter with something of an oversized collar which looked a bit too big.

"Yeah, if it doesn't choke the life out of me first", Peter joked, inciting another round of giggles/snickers.

"But all jokes aside, I've waited proudly for this moment to finally arrive & be upon us", Bob went on. "I've set up a terrific occupation that will enable him to work independently, earning him a fine salary without the hassle of any boss looming over his shoulder every two minutes. Peter will fit right in like ducks in a pond…and it will be waiting for him once he graduates a few years from now."

A round of applause erupted from all, honoring Peter with his future occupation – a great piece of news to share on Christmas Day.

"Unbelievable!", Mrs. Cratchit says. "Seems like only yesterday that Peter & the rest were bouncing on our laps, & now they've all grown into the finest people in all of London, ready to set out into the world & making lives of their own! What next, I wonder?"

"That's for the future to decide!", Bob says, rising from his seat., raising his glass "For right now, a toast, my dear & my lovelies, to our Merry Christmas! God Bless us!"

"God Bless us!", Peter, Mary, Belinda, Martha & Mrs. Cratchit cheer in unison, raising their own glasses.

"God Bless us…everyone!", Tiny Tim says, doing the same.

"I give to you all Mr. Scrooge…the founder of our feast", Bob announced.

At the mentioning of his name, Ebenezer perked up as the members of the Cratchit family got riled up over his name, shouting out angry protests of 'no way!', 'oh, come on!', 'you can't mean that!' & others to show their displeasure & ire for Bob's boss.

Mrs. Cratchit slammed her hands down on the table & rose from her seat as everyone, all stunned by her sudden outburst, looked on.

"You know, I really wish that son of a bitch was inside this house right this instant!", Mrs. Cratchit fumed. "I'd definitely give him a piece of my mind to feast himself upon…and probably even my foot up his ass right afterwards!"

Listening to Mrs. Cratchit's fuming rage about him, Scrooge turned & started to walk away, but was stopped by the Monster King Spirit, who got in front of & blocked his escape, emitting a menacing growl.

Both the Ultra Mother & Sorceress Spirits took Scrooge by the arms & gently turned him around, forcing him to watch the scenario play out.

"That's a great idea!", Martha says. "He can feast upon those this Christmas Day, & I for one hopes he all but chokes on them! He should have a very good appetite for that!"

"You really can't blame mom or Martha for feeling that way about him, dad!", Peter says. "Like he does everyone else, Scrooge treats you like you're nothing more than a cockroach, for God's sake! You don't deserve that!"

"Peter isn't wrong, father!", Belinda puts in. "Why don't you just quit & find another job…with a boss that treats you like an actual person instead of a bug to be crushed underfoot?"

"Peter, Belinda, it's my job that helps to put food on our table", Bob informs them.

"Food one the table? Yeah…just barely!", Peter says. "It's nothing short of a miracle that we haven't starved yet, considering he pays you only 15 shillings a week, just enough to pay for the mortgage on this place and to keep us well-fed!"

"Come now, folks…Christmas Day", Bob reminds them.

"What's Christmas Day got to do with it?", Mary asked.

"Everything, my dear."

"My dear Bob, it could only be on Christmas Day that I'd drink to such an odious, stingy, heartless, unfeeling & hard man as Mr. Scrooge! Robert, you of all people know exactly how horrible he is, nobody knows that better than you do, poor fellow! Peter wasn't wrong before: why do you sit & take that abuse from him?", Mrs. Cratchit stated.

"My darling…Christmas Day."

Taking in a deep breath & letting it out, Mrs. Cratchit relented & sat back down, as did Bob.

"I'll drink to his health for your sake & to the day's, not for his", Mrs. Cratchit said, taking her cup. "Long life & a Merry Christmas to him, he'll be very merry & happy in his own damn way. Of that, I have no doubt."

"Look at it this way, everyone", Belinda says. "Mr. Scrooge may have his multitude of money which he loves so much and makes him happy, but no matter how much he may love his money, it cannot love him back. And that is the big difference between us & him: we are a family that has the ability to express love to one another – because we're all living, breathing human beings with real emotions who stick together no matter what. Let's see Mr. Scrooge's money do that for him!"

The family gave a round of applause to Belinda for her speech, which was as awe-inspiring as the one Tiny Tim gave at the church earlier in the day. They all drank a toast to their Christmas feast, already forgetting about Scrooge as their celebration went on for the remainder of the day.

Not once did they mention Scrooge even in the slightest.

In actuality, it was only a minute or two as the three Spirits of Christmas Present moved away from the Cratchit house, taking Scrooge with them.

Like before, Scrooge was in the pocket of the Monster King Spirit's robe as it continued traipsing through the city of London on Christmas Day, with the Ultra Mother & Sorceress Spirits soaring alongside their giant companion.

Just like before, not a single building or house was trampled by the Monster King Spirit.

"Where are we going now?", Scrooge called out to the ladies.

"To see a most glorious Christmas dinner party in all of London", the Ultra Mother Spirit says.

"Even though you all but refused the invitation mere hours ago", said the Sorceress Spirit.

The clues were more than enough for Scrooge to decipher where they were heading next.

He somewhat dreads being taken to that very place, not knowing what his only relative would think or say of him, having turned down his generous offer.

Somehow, Scrooge gets the feeling it'll be even worse than what the Cratchits have already said about him at their domicile.

But there wasn't anything he could do to prevent it: the spirits have him under their thumbs – one quite literally.

In no time, he was taken over to a decent-sized mansion-like house that was two stories tall & as white as the snow that fell to the ground. As the Monster King Spirit shrunk down to his 8-foot height & placed Scrooge back onto terra-firma, the two ladies glided down & went inside. Inside the house was a full-blown party with Fred, his darling wife, & many party guests. Fred was in his dark blue suit & shoes, while his wife – a gorgeous young lady with a twin pair of golden hair strands held by buns – looked astonishing in her white gown that sparkled in places. She had blue eyes, pink lips & a crescent moon mark upon her forehead. Her feet were in a pair of equally sparkling shoes.

Fred loved her with a passion as hot as the sun itself, & everyone in the room knew it.

Christmas decorations were in no short supply within the room: a large tree filled with ornaments of all kinds sat in one spacious corner with various wrapped gifts placed underneath; mistletoe, holly & wreaths were hung on both the walls & ceiling, teasing lovers to kiss beneath them. Among Fred's guests were Mr. Tupper & his belle Miss Flora, the former wearing a crimson suit & tan shoes, having a head of long white hair & a pair of pointed dog-like ears at the top of his head. A samurai sword hung from his belt, & he liked to display it for amusement, especially for the children.

Miss Flora wore a green dress with matching shoes, had a head of long jet-black hair that was smooth as silk, & had a pair of lovely brown eyes, while Mr. Tupper had golden. Each knew they were something of a unique but perfect pair together, especially since their outfits were in Christmas colors.

Other party guests included a man about Fred's height, attired in a medium lavender suit & shoes, with a head of short trimmed hair with a small ponytail in the back & blue eyes. His darling wife was attired in a golden dress & shoes, having long black hair that was tied into a long ponytail behind her head & brown eyes. By their side were their three children – twin girls & a boy, the former two looking to be 6 years of age each, with the boy being a year younger.

They were Miroku & Sango, with their young son named Hisui, & their daughters named Kin'u & Gyokuto.

Another pair in the roster of Fred's guests are a young man with dark green hair & wearing a black tuxedo, having blue eyes just as his wife does, who was attired in a sparkling silver dress with matching shoes. Her light brown hair was cut short in a style similar to her husband's, & had a big silver bow tied at the top of her head.

She was Meimi Haneoka, along with her husband Daiki Asuka.

They were all sitting at the dinner table, enjoying a hearty meal as Fred held a glass in hand, his wife sitting next to him as she & everyone else listened to the man of the house.

"And that's really what he said? About Christmas?", Miroku asked.

"As I live & breathe, Miroku!", Fred says. "He called Christmas a 'humbug'…and he believes it too!"

Laughter erupted from the multitude of guests around & near the table.

"More shame to him, Fred", said Sango. "He don't know what he's missing."

"For years, I couldn't imagine anyone who'd have a huge disliking to Christmas and/or resented it", Meimi said.

"Not until we've learned of Fred's uncle, Meimi", said Daiki. "This world's really full of surprises."

"He is a comical old fellow…in his own way, at least", Fred says. "That's the truth, & not a very pleasant one, I have to add. But…be that as it may, his offenses carry their own punishment, & I have nothing to say against it."

"No doubt he's very rich, dear Fred", his wife says. "At least…that is what you always tell me. Truth be told, I don't know if making a toast to your uncle will do him or any of us good."

"I doubt that it will", Miss Flora said. "I have absolutely no patience with the man, & not only that, I so abhor & despise him!"

"Same here!", Mr. Tupper adds. "Seriously, Fred: why don't you simply dump the old fart & be done with it?"

"Oh, I could never do that, Mr. Tupper!", Fred says. "The reason is…he's all the family that I have, & Christmas is a time for being with family members, & if one can't be with them, then it never hurts to give a toast to & remember them, no matter what kind of person they've become."

"That's what I love best about you, Fred: always thinking of others before yourself, even if some people like your uncle won't appreciate it", said Fred's wife. "It's a shame your Uncle Scrooge can't see with his eyes or listen with his ears."

"Oh, I'm totally sorry for him, really. I just couldn't be angry with him if I tried. Who suffers the worst by his ill whims? No one except himself. Look who's taken it into his head to dislike & disown us without a single shilling, will not even attend dinner with us. And what's the consequence? He misses out on such a terrific meal, & all the fantastic memories a gathering such as this can bring to a whole multitude of people. Therefore, I'd be ungrateful if I didn't make a toast to my Uncle Scrooge's health, regardless of his own curmudgeon-like manner."

Fred raised his glass.

"To my Uncle Scrooge! May he know someday soon that I love him!", he announced. "A Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to the old man – wherever he is!"

"To Uncle Scrooge!", Fred's wife & the others repeat, raising their own glasses & talking a drink.

Scrooge felt something wet forming in his eyes & a lump in his throat, & he quickly wiped them dry before he swallowed. It still didn't stop the spirits from noticing despite his desperate pleas to hide his emotions.

"Why do you weep, Ebenezer Scrooge? Is it due to what your nephew said?", asked the Ultra Mother Spirit.

"He gave me a gift when he visited me at my office", Scrooge said melancholy. "I stupidly threw it in the trash. I never really understood the concept of giving gifts during Christmastime."

"Presenting gifts to others has always been a tradition at Christmas", the Sorceress Spirit says. "It's been that way since the very beginning, when the Three Wisemen gave the very first Christmas gifts to the child born in Bethlehem: gold, frankincense & myrrh."

"Gifts are as much a part of Christmas as Santa Claus himself", the Ultra Mother Spirit adds. "Always remember that."

Inhaling a breath & sighing heavily, Scrooge lowered his head both in shame & sorrow: he was really beginning to learn more in the world than any school could ever teach him, the guilt hitting him more than he thought as he always believed that Christmas was a poor excuse for picking a man's pockets every December 25th.

Also a day for being lazy.

He was now seeing for the very first time that Christmas wasn't what he always thought, but so much more.

The Sorceress Spirit was correct in her earlier assumption: there was enough good in people's hearts even for a man whose heart is mostly made of stone.

Scrooge was starting to truly open his eyes upon the world.

The Monster King Spirit tapped on his shoulder & gave out a soft growl to get Scrooge's attention.

When Scrooge saw where the Monster King Spirit was pointing, he sees the group all gathered around the lovely Christmas tree as Fred & his wife were taking presents from under the tree & calling out the names on the tags, giving each gift to whatever person whose name was called. Just about everyone in the room received a gift, with some getting more than one: presents of new clothing, objects of necessities & many others were revealed to each with happiness on every face, including those of the children as they received gifts of stuffed animals & other playthings in making their lives more enjoyable.

Seeing the happy faces on the adults and children made Scrooge believe there really is a Santa Claus.

He swallowed to prevent a lump in his throat from forming.

"Spirits, is there any other place to show me on this day?", Scrooge asked. "I've seen more than enough here at my nephew's home."

"I do believe there is another area which we can show you this Christmas Day", said the Ultra Mother Spirit. "Let us now take you there."

Getting placed inside the Monster King Spirit's pocket once again, Scrooge was being taken over to an area in London that wasn't the coal mines, but had a similar run-down, slum-like look to it. The Ultra Mother & the Sorceress Spirits traveled right alongside with their giant companion, heading for their next stop in the city.

Along the way as the day turned into night, Scrooge can see people still celebrating the holiday season as relatives greet one another in Yuletide fashion, those on the streets greeting others with 'Merry Christmas', 'Happy Holidays' & the like to total & complete strangers – people others didn't know & never saw before giving them Christmas cheer & good will everywhere.

Even from his current altitude, Scrooge heard them loud & clear.

Before he knew it, Scrooge was engulfed within a thick cloud of smoke for a brief period when it dissipated just as soon as it appeared. He saw himself on his own two feet again, with the three spirits standing behind him. It was like a large hospital room, as people dressed in ragged old clothes rested in beds, with some sitting at a table in the middle as they were offered bowls of hot soup & other meals to help keep them warm on this Christmas evening.

One woman was passing out fresh clean clothing to those laying in bed, each one thanking her for the generous offer of new garments to replace the ones they were currently wearing.

Although she's aged, Scrooge still recognized her as if he'd just ran into her like he had long ago.

"Oh, my goodness. Belle?", he says in amazement. "Belle?"

She neither heard nor acknowledged his presence as Belle continued making offerings.

The sound of the door opening caught everyone's attention, & in walked a man standing 6 feet, 3 ¼ inches tall in a brown suit & shoes with a large bundled sack over one shoulder. His short hair was white & curled in spots, & he sported a trimmed mustache on his upper lip & a goatee beneath his chin. Blue eyes shined like sapphires, & when he spoke, his voice was deep & resonant but warm & gentle.

"Good evening, everyone! And Merry Christmas to you all!", he said with a smile.

Those within the room returned the greeting as Belle came up to the man & started kissing him passionately.

It was a sight that stung Scrooge in his heart, feeling like somebody stuck a hot poker through it.

Pulling apart from each other, Belle & the new man stared at one another with bliss.

"A Merry Christmas to you, dear husband Clancy!", Belle says with glee.

"Right back at you, my sweet!", Clancy replied in the same manner.

"So…what has my personal Santa Claus brought for all these wonderful folks this time around?"

"Let's dig into my sack & find out, shall we?"

Opening his sack, Clancy & Belle dug their hands within & pulled out objects that the people were all too happy to see in their possession.

"Blankets!", one man said.

"Donated by the good people of London everywhere!", Clancy said. "They may be used, but they're still in the best condition to help keep you people warm during the cold nights still ahead."

Murmurs of gratitude & eagerness filled the room as Clancy & Belle gave each person a new blanket which they all took with delight. The moment they placed them over themselves, the people felt warmer than ever before.

Once they were finished, one man addressed Clancy.

"Just as you've done each & every year, you provide us with a much-needed gift we can really use this Christmas. And words alone can never express our gratitude to you & your darling wife Belle, dear Clancy", he says.

"Anything to help the destitute & the poor", Clancy said sincerely. "You people have as much right to live, and have as Merry a Christmas as anybody else in this city."

"How right you are, good sir", said a woman Belle was attending. "We may not have as much as we once used to, it still doesn't mean we have no meaning in the world. And it warms our dear hearts to know that there are those out in the world that truly do care for their fellow man…and woman. By golly, this is the best Christmas I've had in such a time. Bless you both for giving it to us all these years!"

Giving the woman a kiss on her forehead & wishing her a Merry Christmas, Belle went over to her husband & sat down with him at the table when they had a break.

"You know, my dear, a funny thing happened to me on my way over here", Clancy says.

"Oh, really? Do tell", Belle pushed gently.

"I happened to run into an 'old acquaintance' of yours. Care to guess on who I'm talking about?"

Belle giggled amusingly.

"Are you going to tease me on this?", she says with a laugh.

"Take a guess. I'll give you three chances", Clancy pressed.

"Mr. Scrooge?"

Now it was Clancy's turn to laugh.

"Got it on the first try", he said. "Mr. Scrooge it was. I passed by his office window, & because it wasn't boarded up in any way, I saw that he had a solitary candle which gave me just enough light for me to see him. He was all alone in that office, what with his partner being dead now for seven years. I do imagine he's quite alone nowadays."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that", Belle says. "He still has his money, which he loved more than me. It was why I left him long ago. He couldn't see a good thing if it was standing right there in front of him. Serves him right."

Belle's words stung Scrooge more than the fact that she was now married to another man besides him.

"Try not to be too harsh on him, my dear", Clancy says. "One day, somebody will let Scrooge know that there's more to this life than making money, & that inside every man is a spark of good within. They just need to give him the right push to help draw it out: no matter how long it might take, someone's bound to succeed. Besides, it's Christmas, & even he deserves to receive peace & good will from his fellow man."

"You're as wise as you are kind, Clancy", Belle says. "Very well: Merry Christmas to Mr. Scrooge, & may he one day be truly happy with more than his money."

Belle & Clancy shared another passionate kiss, causing Scrooge to turn away & face the spirits.

"Tell me, spirits: are these people all real, or are they merely shadows?", he asked.

"The people you see before you are real. It's us who are the shadows", the Ultra Mother Spirit said.

"All of us?"

"Did you not cut yourself off from your fellow being, when you lost the love of that precious creature, who is now somebody else's wife & not yours?", asked the Sorceress Spirit.

Very few people could leave Scrooge speechless, but these spirits – and their other three counterparts – succeeded in doing so on more than one occasion: not only showing him things he'd done, but having him be reminded of things which were hardcore fact, such as when he always blamed his nephew for his sister Fan's death when Fred was born, which was no different from when his own father blamed him for his mother's death after he was born.

It was ironic: the very people who left Scrooge speechless weren't 'people' at all.

One would laugh at this very fact, if the situation wasn't dire.

Fog started to engulf Scrooge & the three spirits, obscuring Clancy, Belle & the other people from view as they were being taken over to an empty street where a large clock stood on one side. A pair of bright streetlights shined on the quartet as Scrooge looked around at his new surroundings.

"Now where are you spirits taking me?", Scrooge asked.

"Our time with you is almost finished, Ebenezer", the Ultra Mother Spirit says. "Will you profit from what we've shown you of the good in most men's hearts?"

"I…I don't know. How can I promise?"

"If that is too hard of a lesson for even you to learn, then perhaps you should learn this lesson", said the Sorceress Spirit, pointing to the bottom of the Monster King Spirit's robe.

As she finished speaking, the Monster King Spirit pulled away his robe to either side to reveal two young children who were sitting at its clawed feet, curled up as if they were mice being discovered by a hungry cat. The first child was a boy with orange hair that seemed to spike in all directions, wearing a pair of purple-rimmed glasses over his eyes. The second child was a girl with blonde hair that was tied in twin ponytails on either side by a purple bow. Both their outfits were slightly torn but most filthy, with that filth getting upon their faces, arms & even their hair. Their shoes weren't any better, & they seemed on the verge of falling off their own feet.

Both looked more feral than human, with facial expressions that were blank, showing no emotion such as fear, joy, love, happiness, sorrow or anything else.

Upon seeing these two children being in the presence of the Monster King Spirit, Scrooge gasped at the ghastly sight.

"Oh, my goodness!", he says, looking up. "Spirits…are these yours?"

"They are man's", the Ultra Mother Spirit corrected. "They cling to Him for protection from their parents who abused, tortured & threw them onto the streets, forcing them both to fend for themselves…until He came along."

"Do not allow their innocence to fool you, for they're very dangerous", the Sorceress Spirit said, pointing to each child as she spoke. "This boy is Ignorance, this girl is Want. Beware them both, but most importantly, beware this girl, as she is the much more dangerous of the two."

"But…have you no refuge, no orphanage to put these children in?", Scrooge asked.

Ebenezer looked up to see the three spirits staring intently at him.

"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?", the Ultra Mother & Sorceress Spirits asked, throwing back his own words to him once more.

While the ladies spoke, the three spirits – the Ultra Mother, Sorceress and Monster King Spirits – started to glitter all over before they began dissipating from the bottom up, just as the clock struck midnight. Their forms broke away into tiny colorful particles while the voices of the two female spirits continued repeating Scrooge's words.

Scrooge placed his hands to his ears to block out the ringing of the bells and the ladies' voices from reiterating his very words which he told the two donation collectors that stopped by his office on Christmas Eve.

As the ladies' voices grew louder until they faded, Scrooge headed off into the city as a fog rolled in.

His night was not done yet.

CHAPTER IV

(THE LAST GROUP OF CHRISTMAS SPIRITS)

The fog got thicker as Scrooge moved further into the city, which seemed all but deserted at this ghastly late hour.

It started to feel like he had the street, or even the entire city, to himself.

Or almost to himself: when a portion of the fog dissipated, Scrooge found himself at a very familiar place.

Just several yards away was the front gate to his mansion, a sight he was extremely happy to see.

Maybe the spirits have decided to show mercy & be lenient on this Christmas Eve night, having been convinced that Ebenezer Scrooge had finally seen & learned enough to have truly changed & join humanity instead of trying to be a king above others, including those less fortunate.

Perhaps the final group of spirits won't be necessary after all.

Grinning with glee, Scrooge walked up to the gates to enter his home, but before he could swing it open, there was a soft but audible growling not far from his current position. Scrooge's grin was wiped from his face when he saw a pair of cloaked figures in dark brown robes holding leashes that were attached to a pair of large Dobermans.

Scrooge's heart was racing: they were the exact two figures & their dogs that he saw before he stepped into his house, only moments before the face of Jacob Marley briefly appeared on his door knocker.

Now they were back, & Scrooge had the eerie feeling that this time, they weren't going to simply disappear.

He was proven right when the sleeves of the robed figures went down to where the dogs' leashes were connected to their collars, releasing their hold on the dogs with the sound of a click.

Both dogs were now free, & they started to slowly but surely walk towards Scrooge, who started backing away.

As the dogs get closer to Scrooge, they growled slightly louder.

When they reached the front gate to prevent Scrooge from entering his own home, the dogs start going through a metamorphosis: they begin growing to over twice their size, getting more muscular as fur gives way to what appeared to be scaly skin, like a reptile's. From the backs of the dogs, long/large spikes grew as tall as Scrooge himself was. The same thing happened at the front as the claws extended, pushing the sharp teeth out in a forward stance, revealing their gums. Long/large spikes jutted out from the neck & on each side of their jaws, pointing forward & counting eight in all. About ten of them were protruding from their backs, & their lower jaws – completely devoid of any flesh – opened up & actually roared instead of barked like regular dogs do.

Large sharp claws – five on each foot – glistened in the dim lights, as did their teeth, spikes & what appeared to be their eyes that Scrooge could barely see.

He knew, however, that despite the small size of their eyes, these monsters could see him quite clearly.

On the sound of their second bellow, Scrooge was able to get his legs working as he turned & ran away.

But not before he gave out a yelp of great trepidation.

Pumping his legs harder than he ever did previously, Scrooge ran from the two monstrous mutts like the very devils' pets were after him – which is not all that far from the truth.

Making a sharp turn at the street corner, Scrooge knocked over several objects to impede the twin monsters' path which will hopefully slow them down just long enough to buy Scrooge enough time to find a safe hiding place for him to hide until they got bored & gave up.

His hopes were shattered in a heartbeat when the two monster mutts crashed right through the makeshift barricade, sending their contents flying everyplace like they weren't even there.

The two monster mutts roared their displeasure at having obstacles placed in front of them, & they were intent on making that notion clear to the prey they were now in hot pursuit of.

Spotting an alley & going down it, Scrooge continued running form his life as he knocked over more obstacles in the creatures' path, regardless of how useless his tactic was: the two monsters either leapt over or plowed through all objects they couldn't avoid.

Ebenezer's little obstacle course distraction was doing nothing to deter the creatures' relentless pursuit of him, & he was now beginning to panic.

Unless he comes up with a better solution, he'll become their midnight snack.

Just when he seemed to be out of luck, Scrooge saw a street that was slicked over with ice, giving him an idea: if he could cause his monstrous pursuers to take a sharp turn on the ice, there's a good chance they'll fall on their sides & slide across, sharp claws on their feet or not.

All he had to do was to not slip upon the ice himself.

Racing for the street lamp at the corner, Scrooge caught it with his left hand & made his sharp turn before taking off on the street that was covered in ice from one end to the other. Moving quickly but carefully, Scrooge raced right on down the street just as his two monstrous pursuers tried making the turn.

It appeared that Scrooge's hunch was correct: even with the sharp claws on their feet, the two monster mutts can't find any traction upon the slippery ice, & the first one slid across the corner into the side of a building. The creature's companion followed seconds later, hitting its partner & rattling them both.

Despite being shook up, the two monster mutts get back on their feet & resume the chase.

By that time, Scrooge went down another alley that was blocked off by a chain-link fence which he climbed over & landed on the other side. Hiding himself behind a large empty crate, Scrooge sat down behind it & caught his breath in as quiet a manner as he could.

Forty seconds passed before the two creatures were heard from again, making Scrooge dare not move or breathe.

The two monster mutts stared down at the alley with the fence placed in the middle, seeing no sign of their prey.

Ever since Scrooge became a rich man, he was always at the top of the pile and/or food chain, looking down & preying upon others who were less than him, putting fear into them.

It made him feel like he was God Almighty.

Now the tables were turned: it was Scrooge who was feeling the greatest of fear, as he's encountered living things even more terrifying than he is, the trepidation spreading throughout his body as he's become the prey.

Ebenezer worked to keep his heartbeat under control, which was proving more difficult by the second.

But after a minute, he was finally able to.

Until he heard the growling of the two monster mutts again.

And this time, they both sounded so much closer.

Daring to take a slight peek, Scrooge looked to where the sounds were emanating from…

Seeing the two creatures standing right at the fence, Scrooge screamed in terror as he got up & ran away from the twin horrors, both of which roared before using their spikes & front claws to tear away the chain-like fence like it was made of tissue paper instead of cold steel.

The scene made Scrooge dread, seeing that his pursuers will stop at nothing to get him.

Not even something as flimsy as a chain-link fence.

Daring not to peek at his inhuman pursuers behind him, Scrooge continued tom run, putting as much distance as he can between himself & the monster mutts. Both creatures gained speed & were closing in upon their quarry, closing the gap in under a minute. When they were close enough, the first monster mutt nudged at Scrooge's legs, causing him to tumble forward in his mad sprint. Swinging his arms wildly, Scrooge was suddenly caught on the second creature's spikes as he held onto the sharp appendages while the two creatures were racing.

Their abrupt stop forced Scrooge to release his grip on the spikes as his hands slipped right out, & it was now him sliding across the ice-paved street.

He kept sliding until he struck the side of a building, stopping his momentum.

Both monster mutts stopped just 10 meters from where Scrooge lay, who looked around to see himself trapped in a dead-end street as the two beasts lured him into an ambush, ready to devour him. Ebenezer looked around to see if there was something – anything – he could use to at least fight with to protect himself from the two horrors before him.

Ebenezer doubted he could kill these two monstrous pets, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to go without a fight.

Unfortunately, all he saw were icicles that formed on the ledge of the wall.

For Scrooge, it was better than nothing: getting on his feet, he ripped two off with a snap & held them like they were daggers, ready to put up a battle before he expires as both creatures moved in on him, slowly but surely.

The two monster mutts roared as if in acceptance of Scrooge's challenge, raising on their hind legs before making a leap at their intended prey. Scrooge readied his makeshift weapons, ready to do battle with these beasts.

Once they landed, however, a whistling sound erupted that halted the two creatures in their tracks just a foot or so from where Scrooge stood, who was perplexed by the sudden noise & having no inkling on what it meant.

It mattered to the two monster mutts, however: taking one last look at Scrooge, the two beasts roared one final time before they turned around & ran away just as the fog was moving in, surrounding Scrooge within the glowing mist once more. Trying to see into the thick mist, Scrooge strained his eyes as he saw a pair of dark shadows heading straight in his direction, sending shivers up his spine that had nothing to do with the winter weather.

Turning around, he ran for his life in the glowing mist, already forgetting there was a dead-end wall before him.

Unbelievably, the wall wasn't there anymore, & Scrooge emerged from the fog to see himself on another deserted street, only this time it wasn't paved with ice but just regular snow. A lone streetlamp hung on one side, being the only source of light at his current position.

From behind, Scrooge watched as the fog dissipated, giving him a better look at the two figures that were gaining on him before being brought to this deserted part of London.

When the fog vanished completely, he saw nothing: no dark figures, no monster mutts…nothing.

He was all alone again.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Scrooge turned around to head straight home…

Only to let out a yelp of fright as he came face-to-face with the two cloaked figures in dark brown robes – the same ones that let the monster dogs loose on him.

Caught by surprise at their sudden appearance, Scrooge fell to the ground on his rear & tried to scramble away, but was picked up as if by magic & placed back on his feet, only a foot away from the two newcomers.

Ebenezer had a good feeling he knew who these two are.

"Let me guess: I'm currently in the presence of the two Christmas Spirits yet to come?", Scrooge asked, the fear evident in his voice.

Silence was his only answer, but Scrooge knew he was correct in his assumption.

"And I take it that you're both going to show me things in which haven't happened yet but will happen?", he asks but still got no reply from either of the two.

"Spirits of the Future, I fear you both more than any other specter I've seen upon this night! But even in the heart of my trepidation, I must confess that I'm too old to hope to be redeemed & am unable to change!"

The two spirits listened to Scrooge's cowardly ramblings but say nothing.

"You're all better off in finding somebody much younger than I…one who'll have a much better chance at being redeemed besides myself!", Scrooge went on. "Wouldn't it be better if I simply went home? To bed? So I may sleep through Christmas like I always do?"

No reply came from the two new spirits, but Scrooge could tell that, like the other two groups of spirits he'd been with this night, they weren't taking 'no' for an answer.

"No? Very well, then…lead me", Scrooge says in a defeated tone.

Both spirits stood about over two meters tall, & Scrooge could partially see their faces underneath the hoods they wore: one had a banana-shaped head that was solid black in color, & a face without any eyes peered through the hood & showed a mouth of sharp needle-like teeth that glistened in the light. As it opened its mouth, a second pair of teeth from an inside mouth quickly shot forth & snapped shut before retracting within. Its hands were also black, having six fingers on each one that ended in sharp claws. A quintet of round tubular projectiles shot forth from the back & protruded from behind the cloak it wore, & its feet were adorned with four toes that also ended in sharp claws. From its rear was a long/segmented tail that ended with a point that seemed capable of stabbing a man with ease. This spirit looked like a combo between a reptile & an insect, & it made something of a hissing sound from its mouth.

The other spirit had clawed feet that were adorned with metal sandals of some kind, & its hands had five fingers on each that ended in sharp claws. Scrooge can also see part of metal gauntlets upon its forearms, with a singular blade partially jutting out from the right. Its face was metal, like a face plate over its real one & having a pair of yellow rectangular eyes that shined brightly for a second or so before going dim once more. It emitted a cackling sound which resembled a noise an insect would make.

Not only were these new spirits the most frightening of the groups Scrooge encountered earlier, they were also the most bizarre: the first one in black was something that isn't from Earth, like it was an alien of some kind. The very same could be said of the other new spirit, only this one had weaponry on its person, making it some kind of hunter, or to be more precise, a predator of sorts.

With Ebenezer Scrooge hooked into their clutches, the Alien & Predator Spirits guide him to their first stop.

Getting swept up in fog once more, the two spirits bring Scrooge over to a room that is placed on the second floor of a house. The room was empty except for a lone bed that was neatly made & untouched by its occupant & several possessions that were laying upon its desk & shelves. The occupants of the domicile were all downstairs as Scrooge can hear the voice of a young man reading something from a book.

The Alien Spirit hissed & pointed with its right hand to an open door with a balcony that overlooked the living & dining rooms below. Scrooge looked down from the balcony & saw Mrs. Cratchit & most members of her family – Peter, Mary, Martha & Belinda – all sitting in the living room, with Peter reciting the pages from the book in front of him as Mrs. Cratchit & her daughters were busy with their sewing & needling.

Except for Peter's book reading, the home of the Cratchit family was quiet, Scrooge noticed.

In fact, it was much quieter than it used to be.

A far cry from the cheerful family it was on Christmas Day when last he saw them.

Only Bob Cratchit & his younger son Tiny Tim were nowhere to be seen.

By the chimney corner sat a vacant seat with a wooden crutch leaning right next to it.

Exactly as the Sorceress Spirit has predicted would happen.

Mrs. Cratchit wiped at her eyes, followed by a sniffle.

"Is there something wrong, mother? Shall I stop reading?", Peter asked.

"Oh no, nothing's wrong", Mrs. Cratchit says. "It's just the candlelight…it hurts my eyes if I get too close to it, that's all. They're much better now, & no way would I want to show eyes that are weak to your father, who should be home any moment now. I'm guessing it must be near his time."

"Or passed it, rather", Martha says as she put down her needlework. "I've noticed that he's walked much slower than usual these days."

"I vividly remember when he used to carry Tiny Tim upon his shoulders, doing it rather quickly every time they'd been together", Belinda says.

"And so have I", Mary says, holding back tears.

"Same here", Peter adds.

"But Tiny Tim was always light to carry without any trouble", Mrs. Cratchit went on. "And even if he wasn't, just like the rest of us here, your father loved him with a passion that burned as brightly & fierce as the very sun itself, & to him, it wasn't any trouble at all. Then again, your dear father loves each & every one of us in that same manner, & we're all so very grateful to him for that."

Each family member nodded in full agreement with their mother.

The front door opened at Bob Cratchit entered his home as everyone flocked over to him.

"Speaking of your father…", Mrs. Cratchit says. "Welcome home, dear. Won't you sit by the fire to get yourself all warmed up?"

"Thank you, my dear", Bob says. "But I already felt the warmth the moment I came in. I'll be fine."

"Just remember, father: the fireplace isn't the only warmth you're gonna feel in this house", says Belinda.

Bob gave her a small smile, nodding.

"How right you are, my dear Belinda", Bob says, removing his hat, coat, scarf & gloves as each family member grabbed an item & placed them upon the rack.

"Won't you have a nice warm cup of tea, father? You must be half-frozen from walking out in that cold", Peter offered.

"Perhaps later, my dear boy Peter. Right now…I would like to go upstairs, if that's okay with you."

"We'll all go up, father. Truth be told, we need to", Martha says as the others nodded.

"But of course."

Taking the lead, Bob & the rest of the family followed him upstairs as Scrooge & the Alien/Predator Spirits had retreated into the room, wanting to give them plenty of space even though the Cratchit family could neither hear nor see any of them. The family entered the room, giving a look first at the chair where Tiny Tim used to sit at by his desk, followed by the empty well-made bed that hasn't been used in quite some time.

Each family member fought to keep themselves from crying out.

Instead, they reflected on the memories they had of him.

"He was quite the cheerful boy…even when he was studying in this room.", Mary said.

"But he would always give us the time of day whenever any of us asked for it", said Peter.

All heads in the room nodded from Peter's statement.

"Plus, he had a heart of pure gold & was never shy about showing it, even to a stranger", Belinda said.

"He never allowed for the cruelness of the world to change, much less dampen his good-hearted nature", Martha adds.

"Sunday is tomorrow, Robert", Mrs. Cratchit says. "We can all gather to where he now lays, if you like."

"Actually, my dear…I just couldn't wait for tomorrow, so I went there today", Bob says. "Forgive me, my dear, but…"

"There's nothing to forgive, dear Robert. How was visiting the area?"

"It was very quiet & peaceful by the pond. Oh, how he loved going to the pond & watch as the ducks swan atop of it, always making him smile big & brightly every single time. It was the reason why we had him rest over there, as it was his favorite place to be, aside from home. While I was over there visiting him, I felt the strangest thing: I felt as if my boy was still speaking to me as I sat there, telling me & the whole family to cease grieving for him & to continue with life & be happy, as that would make him happy while he now resides in the world beyond the mortal plane."

"That was quite the powerful message he gave you, dear Robert. Perhaps we should try & grant him his wish."

"You're right, my dear: we should try, especially me."

A huge wave of sorrow washed over Bob, & he could no longer conceal how he truly felt.

"If only I could", he sobbed, putting his hands to his face & cried.

Mrs. Cratchit, Peter & the girls all came to & comforted him as best they could, each one shedding tears.

"Father, please try to remember", Mary says through her tears. "What happened to Tiny Tim was not your fault. At all."

Mrs. Cratchit broke off the gathering & wiped away her tears.

"You're correct, Mary: what became of my younger son is not your father's fault", Mrs. Cratchit said, her tone changing from grief & sorrow to anger & rage. "It's that goddamn Ebenezer Scrooge's fault! I swear to God, if I had him here right now, I'd…!"

Still holding the two knitting needles in her hands, Mrs. Cratchit raised her hands, took a step or two forward & drove them down with all her might. Scrooge was in the vicinity despite the Cratchit family not knowing it. Both of her needles came down directly on Scrooge's form where his heart should be, the points passing through without harming but deeply surprising him.

Had he actually been standing there, he'd be dead at this very moment.

The move was so sudden, Scrooge had no time to dodge her attack, nor would he as Mrs. Cratchit continued with striking her needles into his person, every attack hitting him harmlessly. Out of pure instinct, Scrooge put his arms up in defense, to no avail: her needles passed through & into him with ease.

Martha, Belinda & Mary all came around & restrained their mother.

"It's all Scrooge's fault! It's all Scrooge's goddamn fault!", Mrs. Cratchit cried out in sorrow & anger.

"We know, mother, we know!", Belinda pleaded. "But throwing a fit isn't helping anyone!"

"He let our boy die!"

"You're right, mother…but so is Belinda", Martha pleaded. "Getting angry & swinging those needles wildly isn't improving the mood, & it won't bring Tim back."

"Listen to them, mother", Mary says. "We'll always miss Tiny Tim with all our hearts, but father is correct: we have to try & go on in life, no matter how much it will hurt us to do so without Tim."

"Let's take you downstairs…please?", Peter begged.

Relenting, Mrs. Cratchit nodded & continued to sob as Mary, Martha & Belinda escorted their mother out of the room & down the stairs to the living room. Peter turned to his father to see if he was joining them.

"You go ahead. I'll be down shortly", Bob said.

Nodding, Peter went downstairs to rejoin the others.

When the three young ladies were restraining their mother, Scrooge backed away from the furious Mrs. Cratchit, not wanting to incur her wrath any further despite the fact she couldn't do any physical harm to him. The Predator Spirit blocked his retreat, gave out a sharp bark/growl along with a sharp push to get him back to where he was, pointing to the spot he occupied while he watched events unfolded.

But now, however, the Predator Spirit was pointing at the empty bed where Tiny Tim once slept in, cackling as it did so.

The Alien Spirit did the same, letting out a soft but very menacing hiss.

Getting to the bed's end, Scrooge looked down upon it & imagined Tiny Tim sleeping peacefully underneath its covers, if only for a brief period before it became empty once more.

His heart broke just as much as those of the Cratchit family's.

Creaking from behind caused Scrooge to turn around…to become face-to-face with his employee, who had just as sorrowful a look on his face as Scrooge himself did. Both men stared at each other in utter silence, not knowing what to say next. The silence went on for a full minute before Bob Cratchit broke it.

"How could you, sir?", he asked softly.

"Bob Cratchit, believe me, I never meant for your son to…", Scrooge started to say when Bob cut him off.

"You had the power to help save him, if you weren't so damn stingy about giving me a raise in my salary. You could've helped me save my little boy…if only you weren't too damn proud of yourself with all your millions!"

For the first time in his life since hiring him, Bob Cratchit has left his boss speechless.

He finally had the courage to stand up to his employer & tell him how he really felt.

It's just too bad (& sad) that it took the death of his own son to do it.

Bob moved forward & passed through Scrooge with ease as he got to the side of the bed, knelt, placed his head onto it & wept.

"Goddamn you, Mr. Scrooge…he was only a boy! How could you? How could you?!", Bob cried.

He kept weeping for his son, not bothering to join the others downstairs.

The Alien & Predator Spirits turned to Scrooge with wordless expressions on their features, but he knew what they wanted to say if they could speak: 'this is what your greed has cost a whole family!', 'are you happy with the grief that you accomplished for this man & his whole family?', & others.

Again, Scrooge had no answer to give the Spirits.

Raising its left forearm & revealing another metal cuff wrapped around it, the Predator Spirit tapped a few buttons on it which had an immediate effect: the room they were in distorted & twisted into an unrecognizable swirl for several moments before coming back into focus. The scenery now showed a house that was way better-looking & maintained than the Cratchit home, with a table that was glamorous from all around, standing in a room that was lushly carpeted & chairs that were less expensive than they looked.

A lone figure sat in one of these chairs, his facial features as melancholy as his mood.

He was familiar to Scrooge, as was the house he's now visiting.

"Fred? Nephew?", Scrooge said.

Of course, Fred couldn't see or hear his uncle, but he did hear another voice call to him – a female's.

"Fred?"

Turning to his left, Scrooge could see Fred's wife in a pink dress approach her husband.

"Hello, my dear", Fred says softly.

"It's been three days. Are you doing okay?", Fred's wife asked.

"To tell you the truth…I really don't know how to answer that question."

"Permit us to answer it for you then, dear Fred", said another female voice as Fred turned to see Mr. Tupper, Miss Flora, Meimi Haneoka, Daiki Asuka, Miroku, Sango & their three children Hisui, Kin'u & Gyokuto.

Fred stood up to see his friends coming to his aide.

It helped to ease the pain, but not much.

"Hello, everyone", Fred says. "Not that I'm ungrateful that you're here, I am, but…why are you people here?"

"Your wife took the liberty of contacting us to help you get out of your melancholy state", Meimi says.

"And by the looks of things, you really need your friends right now", Daiki adds.

"They're right, Fred, as is your wife", Miss Flora said. "We all knew it was a tough decision for you to make, but…it really was the right choice."

"I'll say it was", Mr. Tupper says. "I may be a little stingy & hard-headed at times, granted, but I'd never condone in allowing a young child to die…especially if I have the power to go & save him."

"That's exactly why I made that difficult decision, Mr. Tupper", Fred says. "He was exactly as you described him & more: stingy, hard-headed, stubborn, blind, deaf, stone-hearted, & so forth. But I'd never imagine that my dear uncle would have the audacity of permitting a young boy to simply die when it was in his very power to save him. It was the last straw, as I could never condone this kind of behavior from anyone in my family. As much as it may pain me with a ton of regret later on, I had no choice…but to disown my Uncle Scrooge, my only family member. People, as far as I'm concerned…I don't have an Uncle Scrooge."

Fred's words were like a slap in the face for Ebenezer, & it stung him deeply.

"Fred, nephew…you didn't…", Scrooge says, his voice filled with hurt.

"Fred, all is still not lost", Sango said. "You may have dropped your uncle like a hot potato, but you still have us! We can be your brand-new family, & we'll be a much closer one than you've ever had with Ebenezer!"

"And why not, Fred? Our three kids already see you as their uncle, so…just as you ditched yours, you've pretty much become one!", Miroku says.

"Uncle Fred!", Hisui, Kin'u & Gyokuto say in unison, happily.

"Plus…you'll always have me, dear husband", Fred's wife says, smiling brightly.

All these factors & more made Fred smile himself, his uncle forgotten already.

"How right you are, my dear", Fred says, staring at the rest. "From this day forth, you folks are all my family, & let us not forget the Cratchits. With their young son Tiny Tim sadly departed, they'll need all the love & comfort that they can get, which we will provide them whenever they need it."

"Agreed", they said in unison.

"Here's to a brand-new start!", Fred says, raising his hand while holding his wife's.

"To a new start!", they all saluted simultaneously.

"To a new life without the old fart Scrooge!", Mr. Tupper adds.

"To who?", Fred asked jokingly.

Everyone, including the young kids, laughed heartily at Fred's little joke, putting the group into a cheerful mood.

Scrooge stared at his nephew in disbelief for two reasons: one, that he would have the mitigated gall to drop him from his actual family by disowning him, & two, that he'd already dismissed/forgotten his uncle like he was nothing but a bad habit.

Both Alien & Predator Spirits looked to him as if to say 'you were a bad habit that needed to be dropped', letting out a hiss & a cackle.

Scrooge said nothing, not wanting to incur their wrath: these two are the most frightening spirits he's encountered on this night, & he dare not push them to the point where they'd have to slaughter him: they both have the ferocity to skewer a man alive in just seconds, considering their size, speed & weaponry.

Tapping buttons upon its left forearm cuff, the Predator Spirit whisked the Alien Spirit & Scrooge away from Fred's humble abode & towards a new place as the scenery once more goes into a topsy-turvy spin before readjusting itself into someplace that was far less inviting than their previous surroundings. It was from a more slum part of town, where people were dressed mostly in old clothing, smelled like they hadn't showered in God-knows-when, & just plain drunk off their ass.

It was an area Scrooge tended to avoid living in at all costs, & yet, he was now in the very thick of it.

With the Alien & Predator Spirits, Scrooge went inside an old shack that looked like it was about to fall apart & crash down upon them any moment. Sitting in a decrepit old couch were two beings: the first one was 6 feet, 2 inches in height & wore a red/black suit with a white-furred cloak over his shoulders. His hair was also white, & it was styled in the likes of a thick carpet. His white eyes had a dark shade circling them, making him look somewhat like a zombie. His partner was smaller in size, being only 2 feet, 7 inches in height & had white feathers on his person. He wore a red business suit with white pants, & his four-fingered hands were covered in white gloves. His yellow webbed feet were bare & having no shoes, & his beak had the same color tone. A pair of brown eyes were as keen into detail as that of his humanoid partner.

He was a humanoid duck, & went by the name of Howard.

Both ran the run-down place, but despite its unsettling appearance, it does do good business.

Very good business.

As the door to the entrance creaked open, there were five customers – each with a different-sized bundle – entered as Old Joe, the human collector, welcomed them in. Two of them were instantly recognizable to Scrooge.

Mrs. Dilber, his housemaid, & Mr. Stretch, the undertaker who was at his home the night Jacob Marley died.

The other three were new: The first was a bear of a man with mighty arms like tree trunks, being attired within a heavy black fur coat with equally black pants & a boot on his right foot. Half of his left leg is made of yew wood, as he lost his left appendage while hunting the bear he now wears as his prize.

It is as strong as the rest of him!

Despite his huge appearance, he was a gentle man at heart, having blue eyes light brown hair that was mostly concealed under a cap, a thick mustache that curved & pointed up, along with a well-trimmed goatee on his lower jaw.

He was known to his family & friends as Fergus.

Along with him were his wife & daughter: the wife was attired in green & had a head of brown hair that reached close to the floor but was braided in a single thick strand with multiple gold bands. Her eyes were also brown, & she had a cool demeanor & regal calm.

She was called Elinor.

The daughter was wearing a coat in a turquoise hue, had blue eyes & a head of long/curly red hair she lets drape all over everywhere. While behaved, she has a spirit that's as fiery as her hair color.

Her name is Merida.

Old Joe & his partner Howard squinted at the sound of the door creaking.

"Damn, Joe, remind me to get that rusted old door oiled, for Pete's sake!", Howard exclaimed.

"Yes, before our eardrums get ruptured from that godawful noise!", Old Joe says. "But…business before pleasure & all that, & it seems like we're about to do business with some nice familiar faces. Good evening, ladies & gentlemen!"

"Indeed! Walk into our parlor, as the hungry spider said to the unwary flies, won't you?"

"Ha! Always going about with the jokes…aren't you, Howard?", Fergus says as both chuckled.

"Nevertheless, come: let's see what you good folks have for Old Joe & his partner Howard", he said as he raked at the burning fire with his poker. "Ah, drat these old bones of mine: they're even more rusty than that cock-eyed door!"

"Don't sweat it, Joe", said Mr. Stretch. "You're livelier than most people your age, & you'll probably go & outlive all those poor fools, knowing you."

Now it was Old Joe that chuckled with delight.

"Well, with a compliment like that, I'll allow you gentlemen to go first!", Joe says, turning to the ladies. "That is, if you ladies wouldn't mind…"

"Ah, go ahead, boys: we know you're quite anxious to receive whatever Joe here decides to pay you", said Elinor.

"Our thanks to you, dear Elinor", Fergus said as he & Mr. Stretch approach Joe & Howard.

"All right then, fellas, let's see the goods!", Howard urged.

"Here you are", Mr. Stretch began, taking out several shiny objects from his small bundle & placing them in Joe & Howard's hands.

"Let's see here", Joe says, examining the items with his partner. "A seal or two, a pencil case, a pair of buttons for the sleeves, & a single brooch of no great value."

"Here's what I'm being dealt with", Howard says. "Several plates with silver & gold edges, shiny silverware, a plethora of never-used pots & pans…this big lug's a walking gold mine! Well…almost."

Old Joe & Howard studied the instruments carefully before giving their final answer.

"I'll give you about 20 pounds for your bundle, Mr. Stretch", Joe says.

"As for you, big guy, you'll get about 30 pounds for your stash", Howard says.

"You're sure they're worth that much?", Fergus asks, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Perfectly", Joe said, unnerved. "And we wouldn't give you another sixpence, if we were to be boiled alive for not giving you that much."

"That's the final offer, boys. Take it or leave it", Howard stated.

Grunting, Fergus gave out his hand, followed by Mr. Stretch.

Old Joe & Howard paid both gentlemen the amount they announced as the money was pocketed & they stepped away to allow the ladies to go.

"Now…who's next, I wonder?", Howard asked.

"I believe you should go next, my dear", Elinor says to Mrs. Dilber. "After all…you entered this place before we did."

"Thank you, dearie, but I insist that you go first", Mrs. Dilber replied as Elinor nodded her appreciation.

Digging into her own satchel, Elinor pulled out several objects & handed them out to Old Joe & Howard.

"All right, love, let's see what you've managed to secure", Joe says. "Three pairs of golden cufflinks, silver pins, one golden cup with a pair of jewels embedded in it – quite nice. All in good condition."

"How about you, sweetie-pie? Got anything good?", Howard asked.

"Feast your peepers on these beauties!", Merida says, digging into her satchel & pulling out two large objects in which made Old Joe & Howard gasp in amazement & their eyes agape: the first was a silver shield that had a reflective shine to it & a sturdy handle, followed by a silver sword that Merida held firmly as if she owned it her own life.

"Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!", Old Joe says.

"Yeah, I'll say!", Howard adds.

"So…how much do you think these babies are worth, along with my mum's bundle?", Merida asked as she handed over the sword & shield.

Old Joe & Howard dug into their savings & took out a sum to place in the open palms of Merida & Elinor.

It was an incredible sum: 60 pounds for Elinor, plus 80 pounds for Merida.

Both ladies were satisfied with their earnings, & they pocketed them right away.

"Our thanks to you both", Elinor says.

"Ah, we always give too much to the ladies", Joe says.

"Yeah, that's our one & only weakness", Howard adds. "Sooner or later, it's going to ruin the both of us."

Elinor & Merida share a grin of satisfaction & triumph, doing their best not to burst out laughing.

"Okay, now…open up my bundle, gentlemen!", Mrs. Dilber says, offering said bundle to the two.

Taking it, they both dug into the satchel & took out a pair of objects that were thick & heavy, having golden metal rings attached at one end of each. Both were as clean as can be, without a single trace of stains anywhere.

"My god. Are these what we think they are?", Old Joe asked.

"If these aren't bed curtains, I'll eat them!", Howard says.

"Save your appetite for some real gourmet food. Those are bed curtains!", Mrs. Dilber says.

Old Joe & Howard looked up from the blankets to stare at Mrs. Dilber.

"You mean to say that you actually took these down, rings & all, with him laying there?", Joe asked.

"That's correct!", Mrs. Dilber replied as Joe & Howard faced each other with shocked looks. "You gentlemen were born to make your fortune, & right there you shall have it!"

"And these are actually his blankets?", Howard asked.

"Whose else do you think? Where he's going, he isn't likely to take cold without them, I dare say!"

Scrooge viewed the display in utter horror, followed immediately by detestation & disgust.

He felt betrayed by the one who was permitted into his home to take care of his needs, & she's turned traitor on him by selling off his own bed curtains. It raised the ire in him, & he wasn't shy about expressing it.

"Mrs. Dilber, you traitorous bitch! I swear to God that I'll…!", he began to say.

The Alien Spirit raised its pointed tail at Scrooge's throat on the left side, while the Predator Spirit extended its singular wrist blade from its right forearm cuff & placed it in the same are at Scrooge's throat on his right side, cutting him off & silencing him. Both spirits gave him a hiss & cackle of warning & ordered him to keep quiet & allow events to play out as he watched.

"Hey, wait a minute! These bed curtains are still warm!", Joe stated.

"You ought to know that we don't pay any extra for warm clothes, curtains or otherwise!", Howard adds.

"Well, you should! It's the only 'warmth' he ever gave!", Mrs. Dilber replied in her defense. "And besides, every person has the right to take care of themselves! He always did!"

"How true that is", Elinor put in. "No man more so than him."

"If he had wanted to keep those curtains of his after he was dead, why wasn't he so natural in his lifetime?", asks Merida. "If he had been, he would've had somebody to look after him when he was badly struck with death, instead of lying there, gasping out his very final breath, all alone by himself."

"That, dearie, are the truest words that have ever been spoken", said Mrs. Dilber. "It's no more than a judgment which was passed onto him – and rightfully so."

"I for one wished it was a heavier judgment", Elinor says. "And it should have been, considering how he was to others: evicting people from their homes just because they were a little bit behind on their payments of the mortgage, & other minor atrocities. I'm glad you took those bed curtains down, Mrs. Dilber. As far as I'm concerned…it couldn't have happened to anyone more deserving."

"Well, we surely hope he didn't die of anything catching", Howard stated.

"Don't you be afraid of that", Mrs. Dilber said. "I was never that fond of his company that I'd loiter about him for any such things – if he did. And believe me: you both can stare at those curtains until your eyes bleed & neither of you will find a single hole or a threadbare place in it. It's the best he ever had, & a fine one too. In fact, they would've gone & wasted it – had it not been for me."

"And what do you mean, exactly, by 'wasting it'?", asked Old Joe.

"Putting it on him to be buried in, to be most precise. Somebody was foolish & stupid enough to try it, but I took it off again. If calico ain't good enough for such a purpose, then it isn't good enough for anything. It's quite as becoming to the body: he couldn't get any uglier than he did in that one, I'll tell you right now."

"It's poetic justice in the very finest of senses!", Mr. Stretch says.

"That it is!", Fergus says. "When he was alive, he frightened everyone away! But now he's dead, he benefits us all!"

The entire group of seven people (6 people & a humanoid duck) began bursting out laughing at the irony of what Fergus said, unable to contain their joy any longer.

Hearing their laughter was more than Scrooge could stand: seeing that the spirits no longer had their weapons at his throat, Ebenezer lunged straight at Mrs. Dilber with his hands extended, wanting to choke the life out of her & cease her infernal laughter.

Only one problem remained: once his fingers made contact with Mrs. Dilber, they went right through her before Scrooge was engulfed in a bright light, causing him to shield his eyes before he hits the floor, briefly knocking the wind out of him. Getting his bearings, Scrooge took in gulps of fresh air as he got on his hands & knees to recover his bearings when he heard footsteps closing in.

When Scrooge looked behind him, he saw the two spirits quickly descending upon him as the Predator Spirit had reached down with its right hand & snatched Scrooge by the neck & lifted him up to its metal facemask, cackling quite angrily. The Alien Spirit was no less displeased by his brash action, & it hissed before extending its inner jaws at the man, missing him by an inch.

It was the spirits' way of saying 'don't do anything that stupid again – or else!'.

Convinced that he got the message, the Predator Spirit released Scrooge as the Alien Spirit retracted its inner maw back into its main one. Ebenezer surveyed his surroundings & saw he was in familiar territory.

He was inside the London Exchange.

A voice he recognized caught his ears, & Scrooge turned to see his four fellow clerks: Mr. Queen, Mr. Stark, Mr. Andrews & Mr. Jones.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't know much about it", said Mr. Stark. "I only know that he's dead."

"You must be pulling our legs!", Mr. Andrews said. "Are you serious?"

"Never been more so in my life."

Queen, Andrews & Jones looked at each other in disbelief.

"Well, if that don't beat around the bush", Mr. Jones said. "When did he die?"

"I do believe it was only last night, from what I heard", Mr. Stark said.

"Wow. What was the matter with him?", Mr. Queen asked. "I was starting to think he'd never die."

"So did he, I dare say. He probably thought that he was going to live forever, like he was God Almighty Himself. I guess he found out too late that he was mortal after all."

"And what did he do with all his money, might I inquire?", asked Mr. Andrews.

"What else? Left it to his company. He most certainly didn't leave it to me, that's all I know. He didn't, by chance, leave it to any of you?"

Queen, Andrews & Jones all shook their heads.

"Well, in any case, it's likely to be a very cheap funeral", Mr. Queen says. "For the life of me, I can't think of a single person who would want to go attend it."

"I don't mind going", Mr. Jones says as his colleagues faced him. "That is…if a luncheon is provided."

Mr. Jones smiled at the mentioning of lunch.

"That's actually a very good idea, Mr. Jones!", Mr. Andrews said.

"I'll say!", Mr. Queen added. "If there'll be a banquet, we're in for it!"

As one, the quartet moved towards the exit of the Exchange, leaving their fellow clerks behind.

Scrooge watched them go by, perplexed.

"I know those men", Scrooge stated. "They're men of business, all very wealthy and important, exactly as I am. Whose funeral were they speaking about just now?"

Scrooge then caught something from the corner of his eye, & he took a few steps towards it.

"How very strange", he says. "This is my usual place of business here at the Exchange, right beneath this clock. At this time of the day, I ought to be working at this very location…and yet I'm not. Why?"

Neither the Alien nor the Predator Spirit said a word: instead, the latter spirit whisked them all away from the Exchange into a new area, one that was outdoors instead of within a complex. He saw trees that were without leaves on any of them, & many graves that are the final resting places for departed souls decorated the landscape.

Scrooge was standing on holy ground, as it were.

From several yards ahead of him, he could hear a pair of men laughing as they were shoveling dirt into a grave whose body was already lowered in a coffin. The first one was about 5 feet, 9 ¾ inches tall wearing a dark purple suit, shoes & top hat. He had on a turquoise & orange undershirt & large turquoise tie that extended down to his waist. His hair was green, & he wore a pair of purple gloves on his hands. His face was white as snow, & his mouth was transfixed into a permanent grin, with red outlining his lips. His partner was almost the same size in height, wearing a white shirt & pants, black shoes & had a head of red curly hair. His smile wasn't permanent like his partner's but it was still nearly identical to his, & there were something evil in their eyes and their smiles…as if they'd stolen it from the Devil himself.

Both men continued to laugh as they filled up the hole.

"In all our time, I ain't never seen a funeral such as this one, I tell you!", Red says.

"Nor have I, for that matter!", said Smiley. "Not a single mourner or even a friend to come bid him farewell!"

"Tell you what", Red says, tossing his shovel in the dirt pile. "Why don't we head over to the pub & get ourselves a little drink before we continue with this one?"

"You know what?", Smiley says, tossing his own shovel. "That's a very good idea! Let's do it! After all…" He points down inside the open grave. "He's not going anywhere!"

Both men share a laugh before they stare briefly at the casket down below before facing each other as Smiley had spoken.

"You know, he really was a vicious bastard, & uh…I'm glad he's dead!"

Smiley & Red burst out laughing again, this time much louder & harder as they walk away to head for the pub to get themselves rehydrated.

"I'm glad he's dead!", Smiley repeated, inciting more laughter between them.

"That makes two of us!", Red adds in, creating more laughter.

The guffawing from the men faded the further they walked away as the Alien & Predator Spirits stood at the lip of the open grave, pointing towards the tombstone at the far end, giving Scrooge his cue to come closer.

"Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you both point at, answer me one question!", Scrooge says, reluctant to get closer. "Are these the shadows of things that will be, or are these the shadows of things that might be?"

Just as before, neither the Alien nor Predator Spirits uttered a word, but kept pointing at the tombstone.

"I know that men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, they must lead if they are persevered in!", Scrooge says. "But if the courses should ever be departed from, then surely the ends will change, would they not?"

The eerie silence from both spirits was his only answer, urging Scrooge to get closer to the tombstone they still pointed at. Scrooge stopped when he was just a foot or two away from it, standing on the edge on the right side. From out of the Predator Spirit's facemask on its right, a trio of red lines aimed themselves directly at the darkened tombstone before the spirit pulled away its hood to reveal more of its head, having long black snakelike strands of what appeared to be hair, which were decorated by golden braids. Part of its left shoulder was also exposed, revealing a device attached to a harness of some kind that was also aimed at the tombstone.

From within this small device, blue-white light shined before firing a shot from it, heading straight for & hitting directly the tombstone, causing Scrooge to shield his face.

When he removed his arm away from his face, Scrooge saw that the tombstone was not blasted to pieces by the shot of light the Predator Spirit fired, but merely cleaned away the dust that covered it.

But now that it was all cleared away, Scrooge can see/read the name carved upon the tombstone.

His eyes widened & gasped at the very sight of it.

The tombstone read 'EBENEZER SCROOGE'!

"No! No, this cannot be!", Scrooge says with great fear, turning to the Alien & Predator Spirits. "Spirits, why do you show me all this when I'm beyond any kind of hope? And wouldn't it be more than a little bit odd for the world to not have me in it?"

The Predator Spirit put a hand over to its left side & removed a tube that hissed while it did so before removing it from its face with both hands. What lay underneath was a nightmare: a pair of reptilian-like eyes stared at Scrooge as it opened its crab-like mouth that were four separate mandibles, each one ending in a sharp tooth.

What was even more disturbing than its crab-like face was that, for the first time, the Predator Spirit spoke.

In Ebenezer Scrooge's own voice!

"…and why would it be any more odd than it was with him? We've all got to die, Cratchit. It's inevitable…"

Hearing Scrooge's own voice come from the Predator Spirit stunned him so much, he failed to acknowledge the Alien Spirit's long segmented tail as it whipped around & struck him in the back, causing Scrooge to fall into the grave open for him. He screamed as he descended.

All that stopped him from falling into the open grave at the bottom was the single branch that stuck out of the dirt just a foot or two below the surface. Scrooge's heart raced as he fought to get himself out of the pit, but the Alien Spirit's razor-sharp tail point made a deep slash in the branch which was already cracking & falling apart.

The Predator Spirit began to utter a laugh that started out low & slow, but rose in pitch & became louder & faster with each passing second.

Unable to hold Scrooge's weight any longer, the branch broke off, plunging the man down into his open grave as Scrooge cried out in fear, literally rushing into his final resting place.

Reaching his grave, the lid to his coffin closed with a slam.

A scent entered Scrooge's nostrils, stirring him awake.

Opening his eyes, he saw he was lying on a smooth wooden floor as his vision started coming back into focus.

When it did, he saw the shoes of two men standing over him: one was an African-American man standing 5 feet, 11 inches tall with a brown fluffed hairdo on top of his head & wide eyes Scrooge ever saw on a man. As he smiled, he saw that his two front teeth had space in between them, making it more eerie. His partner was the same height, having a head of neatly-styled white hair & a peppered beard on his chin & around his mouth. His eyes were blue, while those of his partner were brown.

Both were dressed in black tuxedos & white undershirts.

Each also had a giant unlit cigar between their fingers in one hand.

"Well well, as we live & breathe…Ebenezer Scrooge!", the black man said as a grin came to his face.

"How about that? This must be our lucky day!", said the white man in a gravelly voice, also grinning.

"Who the hell are you two?", Scrooge asked as he rose from the floor.

The black man placed the cigar in his mouth & lit it, taking a few drags before doing the same for his partner.

"Mr. Simms as your service, Ebenezer", the black man said. "And you can call my partner here Mr. Slade. Take a walk with us, if you please."

Mr. Simms & Mr. Slade turned & started walking down the corridor, stopping when they see Scrooge hesitating.

"What's the matter, Ebenezer?", Mr. Slade asked. "Don't be such a scaredy-cat, Scrooge: my partner & I don't bite – at least, not much."

Both men share a chuckle of amusement as they continue walking down, each taking a drag from their cigars.

After a moment or two of reluctance, Scrooge decided to follow the two but remained cautious of them, as they were a couple eggs short of a dozen. They were also very creepy-looking, & Scrooge couldn't tell if they were spirits or real people.

He followed them down a hall that had several areas filled with coffins of the deceased laying within each one.

Scrooge deduced that he was walking inside a funeral home.

Finally, he came into a room that was something much like a church's podium with a few pews sitting behind a lone coffin, its lid closed. Mr. Simms & Mr. Slade went upon the podium to a stand that was wide enough to hide both men behind, with a large book placed upon it.

Mr. Slade opened it up to a particular page before he & Mr. Simms started reading its contents.

Ebenezer wanted to ask what they were reading, but he was silenced in an instant by a finger from each man.

Thirty seconds later, both men looked up from their book & stared at Scrooge, shaking their heads as if they were disappointed with the man.

"I tell you, Scrooge", Mr. Slade says. "I've read some nasty shit from others that were brought to our parlor, but what you did here…it really takes the cake."

"And a pretty sour one at that", Mr. Simms adds. "Numerous evictions, overworking & underpaying Bob Cratchit for his years of hard work, ditching Belle because your money was more important than her…and that's just the tip of the iceberg."

Mr. Simms gave his cigar another drag, as did Mr. Slade before the latter continued.

"But what really pisses us off is allowing for Bob Cratchit's younger son, Tiny Tim, to simply die so young an age – when your money could've saved him. Tell us something, Ebenezer: is your money worth more than human lives, including that of a young child, who hasn't even begun to live? Well…have you anything to say in your defense?"

Scrooge fought to speak, but had difficulty at first.

"I…I never meant for that little boy to die so soon at that young an age", he's managed to say. "It's just one of those times that was very much…unfortunate, that's all."

Mr. Simms & Mr. Slade gave each other a quick look before facing Scrooge again.

"Oh, so that's your excuse?", Mr. Simms repeated. "Simply, 'it's just one of those times'? Is that the best you can do, the best you can offer? Are you really that cold-hearted to allow an innocent family to go lose their youngest member on behalf of your own greediness?"

"Perhaps we should bring the Cratchit family down here, so you can tell them yourself, Ebenezer", Mr. Slade says. "Then again, you've already witnessed what Mrs. Cratchit would do if she ever saw you in person. You can only imagine how the others will react if they were to do so."

Even just by thinking about it, the attack Mrs. Cratchit made upon him without really doing so gave Scrooge the shivers, having seen first-hand her anger & rage when she lost her son & blamed it entirely on him.

He didn't even want to give any thought on what Bob Cratchit & his older son & daughters would do.

"Yeah, Scrooge…that's exactly what we thought", Mr. Slade stated after several moments.

"You know, Ebenezer, you remind us of yet another poor & misguided fool who also allowed his money & greed to get the better of him", Mr. Simms adds. "In fact, he's resting right over there, within that coffin. Care to take a look?"

Mr. Simms points to the one & only coffin in the room.

Compiling the information that Mr. Simms has provided for him about the other 'poor & misguided fool' lying in it, Scrooge surmised it was probably the body of his long-deceased partner Jacob Marley, who was also motivated by money as he was. Ebenezer remembered when he stared down at Jacob's lifeless body at his service from only seven years ago; he was hardly moved by the scene, so he figured it couldn't hurt to take another look at him nearly a decade later.

Heading over to the coffin, Scrooge lifted the lid as it creaked open.

When he saw who it was inside the coffin, his eyes nearly popped out from his skull, & he gasped in fright.

The body resting inside the casket wasn't Jacob Marley.

It was Ebenezer Scrooge himself!

Scrooge was staring at his own corpse, even as he was standing above it.

Both Mr. Simms & Mr. Slade grinned widely from ear to ear, chuckling wickedly at & enjoying the scenario.

His face a complete mask of terror, Scrooge looked at both men.

"What kind of funeral home is this?!", he cried in utter horror.

The two men shared a wicked laugh before answering.

"Who said this was a funeral home?!", Mr. Slade says.

"This is a gateway, Ebenezer!", Mr. Simms added.

"A gateway?! To where?!", Scrooge demanded.

Their fiendish grins still present on their faces, the eyes of both men glowed a deep/bright crimson, adding to the horror before Scrooge. Seconds later, both men go into a metamorphosis: Mr. Simms grew taller as his flesh converted from black to medium blue, wearing a pair of dark blue trunks with the insignia of bat wings & a face that was shaped in the letter D upon them. His chest was bare, except for a pair of red pointed stripes that looked like fangs. A pair of yellow eyes with red irises glowed menacingly, & a red streak like the ones on his chest pointed down from beneath each one. A headrest with what appeared to be bat wings adorned his cranium, & were pointed at the top. From behind him were a pair of large gargoyle-like wings that extended to a large wingspread.

Mr. Slade went through a similar transformation, but his flesh color was a deep crimson & he wore a pair of deep-red trunks, with a long tail from the rear. His boots sported points on each end, & his right arm from his forearm to his hand was bigger than his left, being made out of some stone-like material. His black hair was like a lion's mane, & from his forehead were a pair of long curved horns that protruded from said area.

In their new forms, Mr. Simms had become a frightening devil-man, whereas Mr. Slade has morphed into a scary hell-boy.

Without warning, the room Scrooge stood in split open to reveal a background of crimson-colored stones being displayed everywhere he looked, with fires raging in various places. The temperature rose up exponentially, & Scrooge was sweating from both the heat and the intense fear that struck him.

It didn't take a genius to tell Ebenezer where he is now, but both transformed men bellow it out anyway.

"Welcome to HELL!", both Devil-Man & Hell-Boy announce, their fiendish grins still present on their faces, each unleashing a boisterous laugh.

Unable to contain his terror, Scrooge took off running as he hoped to find an exit somewhere in this godawful realm he'd been plunged into.

Devil-Man & Hell-Boy watched & let him go.

"You can run, Ebenezer Scrooge…!", Hell-Boy shouted to him.

"But you can't hide, as you'll soon discover!", Devil-Man shouted at him.

Both underworld fiends shared a fiendish guffaw that echoed throughout the fiery terrain, as Scrooge searched for any signs of escape from this nightmare of a place.

All he saw were crimson stones & flames that seemed never-ending in every direction he looked.

Not wanting to stay in one spot & become an easy target for whatever dwelled here, Scrooge kept on running.

Very soon, he would discover who & what called this fiendish domain home, whether Ebenezer Scrooge wanted to or not: Scrooge ran across the landscape for a good twelve minutes before he was surrounded by a ring of flames that engulfed in a circle with a circumference of six feet. The heat became unbearable, & Scrooge was feeling like he was butter on a hot plate, ready to melt.

From within the flames, Scrooge could see a lone figure passing through the flames without actually burning him, standing 5 feet, 10 ¼ inches tall, wearing a filthy red & green-striped sweater, brown pants, shoes & hat atop his head. His flesh was burned which showed on his left hand & entire face/head, his right hand sporting a glove that had four razor-sharp curved blades springing forth from it.

This scarred man stared at Scrooge with eerie satisfaction as he grinned a mouthful of teeth that were just as dirty as the rest of him.

"What's the matter, Ebenezer Scrooge?", the razor-knives man asked, raising his blades. "Feeling a little…hot under the collar?!"

The razor-knives man laughed heartily at his own joke as the fires around them kept raging for another minute or two before they miraculously stopped. When they did, Scrooge was met with two brand-new horrors: one was a large grey wolf that stood 20 feet tall & 40 feet long, its fangs glistening in the crimson realm. The other was an alligator that was monstrous in size, measuring 25 feet in height & just over 100 feet in length from its snout to its tail tip. This large gator had curved spikes protruding from its back, & its tail ended in a spiked club. Fin-shaped ears were adorned on each side of its head, & a pair of curved tusks protruded from its upper jaw.

A sinister chuckle came from the burned man with razors for fingers.

"Say hello to Ralph & Lizzie, Ebenezer!", he says with a grin. "These two just love to play with their food…right before they consume it! All right, boys…sic 'em!"

Ralph & Lizzie unleash ear-splitting roars before they started chasing Ebenezer Scrooge, who already had a head-start, not waiting until the scarred man gave the order to chase him.

It hardly helped: in no time at all, Ralph was already closing in on Scrooge, while Lizzie was just behind him.

The scarred man's evil laugh stretched out for a long distance, spooking Scrooge as he pumped his legs to outrun the two terrors that wished to devour him whole. Scrooge searched for any place in the vicinity to hopefully lose his pursuers, both of whom were now only a few meters behind him.

Seeing only a red mist ahead, Scrooge ran faster & hid himself within it: if he can't see where he's going within the mist, then he's willing to bet that Ralph & Lizzie couldn't find him either.

Even if it leaves him just as blind, Scrooge was willing to risk it.

Going in an opposite direction in order to lose his pursuers, Scrooge placed his arms & hands in front of him to ensure he doesn't smack into anything while he's seeking some kind of shelter.

He needn't have worried: the mist cleared up, & Scrooge could see a large rock formation that looked like a city made entirely of stone, with tall spires reaching skyward.

It was the perfect place for Scrooge to lose his pursuers.

And not a moment too soon: Ralph & Lizzie also broke through the mist & spotted their prey immediately, urging Scrooge to run for the rocks as quickly as he could. He barely made it inside a stone domicile before Ralph crashed into it, shaking the structure. Lizzie also crashed into Scrooge's hiding place, causing rocks to fall from the ceiling as both struck the stone building repeatedly, rattling it & Scrooge as they bellowed angry roars, seeing their meal will not give in & accept its fate.

Their pounding went on for several minutes before they ceased striking the building altogether.

Daring to take a peek outside his safe haven, Scrooge saw the reason for their sudden departure: Ralph & Lizzie were engaged in brutal combat with a large dinosaur-like creature that stood 50 feet tall with dark blue flesh, four toes & fingers on each foot & hand, all ending in sharp claws. Extra thick plates upon its back gives this beast protection from sneak attacks, plus it sported a large cranial horn that protruded from the top of its head & curved forward. Eyes of yellow & a loud boisterous roar make it a vicious creature that went by the name of Earthtron.

He was currently engaged in a fierce battle with Ralph & Lizzie, as the two creatures fight the newcomer with as much ferocity as their smaller counterparts – a fight the likes of which were never witnessed before by man.

As much as Scrooge is enjoying a front-row seat to this spectacle, he needed to get himself out of this asylum.

If he even can.

Letting the three monsters slaughter each other, Scrooge went deeper into the structure of stone/rock pillars as he looked for a way out of this maze, staying wary of every opening he comes into contact with, as they might each hold a nasty surprise in any of them.

Getting thirty feet inside the stone maze, Scrooge encountered his first nightmarish dweller: his only hint of its presence was a low growl that alerts him of the danger that hid within. The thing was taller than that of Scrooge, being a staggering over two meters tall & having a greenish-yellowish hue in its flesh. It had only two toes on each foot, but each ended in a sharp claw, & its hands sported six fingers with two pairs seemingly fused together as one, the fingers also ending in sharp claws. The head was elongated horizontally, having black strands draping along its sides. The face was just as horrible: along with a mouth that had sharp needle-like teeth & an inner mouth, it also had a quartet of crab-like mandibles on the sides.

This creature was like a combination of the Alien & Predator Spirits that showed Scrooge his future had he not changed his wicked ways.

It was like a 'PredAlien' of sorts: a combo of the two aforementioned spirits, but no less deadlier.

Unleashing a hideous roar, the PredAlien reached out to rake at Scrooge with its claws, but Scrooge managed to gain distance from the thing in time, being spared a serious slashing. He wasn't out of the woods yet: the PredAlien is hot on his trail, & Scrooge ran to get away from this nightmarish hybrid as he could, avoiding attacks by the creature's claws, teeth & razor-sharp point at the end of its segmented tail.

More than once, the PredAlien came close to making contact with Scrooge, who felt the tail almost cutting, even stabbing him.

Bellowing a roar due to repeatedly missing its quarry, the PredAlien rammed an arm into the side of a stone side, causing a few rocks to tumble & crash down. Both Scrooge & the PredAlien put distance from each other as these big stones created a barrier between, giving the former his chance to escape.

Turning away & not daring to look back, Scrooge went as straight a path as he could follow that will hopefully lead to an exit to this valley of crimson rocks. His trek was cut off when a long powerful arm that ended with a hand which sported four long fingers that ended in sharp claws came out of nowhere, slashing him across his chest, leaving a trio of cuts that bled, crying out from the assault & pain it caused.

Scrooge cursed his stupidity: in his haste to get out of this maze, he neglected to check every open area where a creature might suddenly pop out & grab him.

Now he has three cuts on his chest, & he used his own sleepwear to stem/slow the bleeding with one hand.

Backing away from the clawed hand, Scrooge watched as the rest of this monster emerged from its hiding place: like the PredAlien itself, this thing was taller than him, having organic grey flesh & legs that were longer than its arms. On each foot were three toes, ending in claws, & a long tail whipped from the rear of it. The cranium was shaped like a large pumpkin, looking vaguely human but having a mouth with sharp teeth inside & a pair of large fangs that came up from its lower jaw on the sides. Its eyes were blank, but filled with such malevolence, hatred & vengeance.

Scrooge has encountered a creature that had a large 'pumpkin-head' on its neck.

A sound like that of a rattlesnake's rattle came from the monster, along with snarls & hisses.

Lunging for Scrooge again, the Pumpkin-head monster snagged Scrooge's foot as he tried to run, causing him to lose his balance & fall on his face. Gasping for air, Scrooge turned to see the Pumpkin-head monster lunge towards him with its claws, but managed to steer clear of them, scrambling to get to his feet & put distance between him & this new horror that wished to make him its next meal.

You'll have to catch me first, animal!, Scrooge thought as he ran for his life.

Ebenezer had no intention of being anything's meal, especially not within this domain.

The Pumpkin-head creature relentlessly pursued Scrooge with intent on tearing him to pieces with its own claws.

With the power & weapons it has, it can very much do so with ease.

Scrooge planned on making certain it won't get the chance, injury or not.

After what seemed like an eternity, Scrooge was finally able to make it out of the crimson rock city/maze & back out into open space, where all he could see were more plateaus of stone that looked to stretch forever, with belches of fire in the background that erupted like geysers.

Having the scenery looking the same wherever Scrooge looked makes it more difficult for him to choose a path in which to escape the living nightmares that want to devour him.

From behind, a man chuckled in amusement as Scrooge turned to see the burned-face man with his razor-gloved right hand, brown pants, shoes & hat & red/green sweater standing only five feet from him.

That wicked grin paired with his chuckle was getting on Scrooge's nerves.

"What do you think of the domain so far, Ebenezer Scrooge? Amazing…isn't it!", he said before laughing at his own cruel joke.

Gritting his teeth & clenching his fists, Scrooge ran at the man, grabbed his right wrist & the lapels of his sweater, staring cold & hard at him.

"Oooooh…scary!", the razor-handed man said in a mocking tone as he laughed again.

"Listen, fella!", Scrooge snapped. "I've had more than enough of these dangerous games! Now either you tell me how to get out of this hideous place, or so help me, I'm gonna…!"

Before Scrooge could continue his threat, the razor-gloved man vanished from his hands, disappearing from thin air & out of Ebenezer's grip as the man looked around for his whereabouts.

When next he heard the voice of his enemy, it echoed the immediate area just as a thick cloud of red mist started forming around the area. The voice of the razor-gloved man started laughing before addressing Scrooge.

"You still don't get it…do you, Ebenezer Scrooge?", he stated. "In this domain, once you get dropped into it, you become ours, body & soul! Many others have tried to take over this place, believing they could make a break for it if they had enough power to do so! They were wrong, & now they're suffering for their terrible sins just as you soon will!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!", Scrooge bellowed loud enough to make the man hear him.

All he got in return was laughter, mocking him.

From within the stone city, rock formations started crumbling as if they were too unstable to keep their shape any longer. It was nothing of the sort: Scrooge could see three large life forms struggling through the dust & smoke of the destroyed towers of stone before they became visible once they were out of the cloud.

Standing just outside the perimeter of the stone city were Ralph, Lizzie & Earthtron as they all stare at Scrooge with rage & fire in their bellies. The razor-gloved man was sitting upon Ralph's neck, behind his head, grinning from ear to ear.

"Like I told you, Ebenezer Scrooge!", he says. "This here place is a one-way ticket, with no chance of any kind of abandonment – except hope! But hey: feel free to try & escape from here…if you can!"

The burned man laughs as Earthtron fires a hot magma beam from his mouth, striking only a few feet away from where Scrooge stood, kicking up rocks & dust.

Even from a distance, Scrooge felt the intense heat from the beam, & he didn't want to find out what it would do to a man like himself.

Without thinking twice about it, Scrooge ran into the red mist that surrounded the area as the razor-gloved man laughed in sheer amusement.

Despite running blind, Scrooge didn't stop or even slow down in his mad dash to get away from his new home & all the dastardly creatures that roamed within it. He didn't care if he was dead or alive right now: he wasn't going to be a permanent resident of this godawful place, & nothing & nobody was going to stop him from finding an exit.

Even if it took him a thousand or even a million years, he was going to find it.

In no time, Scrooge was out of the red mist, relieved that he had no monsters in front to impede his progress.

Much to his dismay, what did halt him in his tracks was a large cliff that hung almost 20 meters from the ground below, with much of it covered in the same red mist he just escaped from.

Growls & hideous laughter came from behind Scrooge as he turned around to see Ralph, Lizzie, Earthtron, the Pumpkin-head & PredAlien creatures emerge from the dust he just shot himself out of, with the burned man still riding atop Ralph's neck.

"Aww, what's the matter, Ebenezer Scrooge? Finally reached the end of the road?", the razor-gloved man says in a mocking tone before becoming serious. "In this place, you already have!"

Thrusting his razor-gloved hand forward, the creatures did so.

The Pumpkin-head & PredAlien creatures were beginning their advance towards Scrooge, with Ralph, Lizzie & Earthtron all following suit right behind them. Scrooge backed away from the oncoming group of horrors & stops when he's reached the edge of the cliff, seeing the near-20 meter drop as his heart palpitates madly.

While he loathed to admit it, the burned man was right: this is the end of the road, & the only way out is either a nasty drop to the ground below or be consumed, torn to shreds or fried to a crisp by any of the terrors stepping towards him with no way out.

So scared was he that Scrooge didn't know what to do, let alone what to think on his he was going to escape this dreaded scenario that lay before him.

From out of nowhere came the sound of very heavy footsteps that echoed the immediate area, causing the group of horrors to stop in their tracks: they knew who was coming their way, & even the monsters of this domain feared it greatly, including the razor-gloved man.

"Uh oh", he said as the footsteps commenced. "We'd best retreat, boys: we don't want to make him angry."

Like obedient pets, the five creatures both large & small began backing away from the ledge & hid themselves within the red mist behind them. Their sudden departure puzzled Scrooge: they'd had him completely at their mercy, & now they're backing away?

He didn't like the way things were going: Scrooge felt that these horrors were going away, only for him to meet an even worse one.

"What's happening?! What's going on?!", Scrooge demanded.

The razor-gloved man simply smiled & chuckled.

"Your final judgment, Ebenezer Scrooge!", he replied as he & his 'pets' disappeared into the red mist.

He was gone in a second, as were his group of terrors.

Scrooge turned around to face the sound of the heavy footsteps that were sounding closer & louder with every passing second. The red mist in front of him was also getting closer, moving towards him as if it had a life of its own.

Very tense moments passed as the thunderous footsteps sounded nearer than before, ceasing their pounding noise as it became briefly quiet – a quiet that was just as unnerving as the footfalls of whatever was making them.

Fighting to get himself under control, Scrooge stood & waited for any sign of whatever had made those booming footsteps. Twenty seconds went by with no sight or sound.

Then it struck: without warning, a huge green left hand came out with the speed of a snake & snatched Scrooge up, holding him at his chest & stomach before it lifted him up & the red mist parted, enabling Scrooge to see what was it that now has him literally in its grip.

Upon sight of it, Scrooge's eyes were agape: it was a huge samurai warrior made entirely of living stone that is a good 25 meters tall, with its body carved in samurai armor, including shoulder pads, arm guards, leg/feet protection, & helmet that covered the entire head, leaving only the face bare. Its expression was green in color with a permanent frown, & its eyes were in an equally permanent scowl, like it was angry with everything. A large sword hung from its sheath that was attached to its waist.

Scrooge stared at it with amazement as well as great trepidation.

He wondered how something so huge could move so fast.

The giant stone samurai stared back at Scrooge, its eyes burning into him with rage & hatred.

It made Scrooge fear the thing even more.

Raising its right hand, the giant stone samurai waved it in a fluid motion, dispelling the red mist away in the blink of an eye. Scrooge could hardly have believed it: one moment, the red mist covered an entire area, & the next it was all gone – as if it was never there to begin with.

What the vanishing of the mist had uncovered was a large valley of open land with an area that was like an arena, capable of holding thousands easily. Upon closer inspection, Scrooge could see that the arena was occupied with living things – which were demons of all shapes & sizes, each one with grins on their hideous faces as they cheered the giant stone samurai upon the capture of its prey.

Ebenezer Scrooge.

Extending its right arm, the giant stone samurai summoned a giant rock formation to rise from beneath the ground, growing to the same size as it was – a full 25 meters in height. Extending from the stone was a large wooden cross that was the right size for a human being to fit upon.

Seeing the large wooden cross gave Scrooge an extra sense of dread washed all over him: the giant stone samurai plans on hanging him upon that cross to pay for the many sins he'd caused while up on the surface world of the living, exactly as they did to Jesus Christ Himself when he was crucified as a sacrifice to atone for his sins.

Only, in Scrooge's case, he would not be ascended into Heaven, which scared him beyond words.

Grabbing Scrooge in its left hand still, the giant stone samurai headed over to the large cross, its heavy footsteps echoing & shaking the immediate area as the demon audience cheered louder, knowing they're about to see a sacrifice.

Ebenezer fought with all his might, but he couldn't even budge the stone giant's hand an inch.

He was trapped but good.

"No! No, no, no, no, no!", he began to plead. "Stone giant, please hear me! I have learned an awful lot from the spirits that have visited me! They've all shown me that no one is beyond hope, beyond redemption! I also know that the future can be changed, that it is not set in stone…and please forgive the unfortunate choice of words!"

Reaching the large wooden cross, the giant stone samurai lifted Scrooge up to & slammed his back into it, holding him firmly in place with its left hand.

With time running out, Scrooge continued to beg/plead for his life.

"Stone giant, I promise that I will always honor Christmas in my heart, and keep it all year long, not just in the month of December! I will live in the Past, Present and the Future! The three groups of spirits shall all strive within me, & I'll never shut out the lessons that they've taught! Please – tell me that I may expunge my horrid past & be given yet another chance to change the wrongs I've done & will do!"

The giant stone samurai took its sword in its right hand & removed it from its sheath, raising Scrooge's fears by a thousandfold. His trepidation was through the roof that he could no longer keep it together.

He began to cry not out of sadness, but out of great fear.

"Stone giant, please, I tell you the truth!", Scrooge pleaded at the top of his lungs. "I'm not the man I was! I'm not the man I was! I'm not the man I was!"

As Scrooge cried in hysterical fear, the stone giant reversed the hold on its sword, so that the blade was facing downwards from its right fist instead of up. Staring at Ebenezer Scrooge with its devil-like eyes, the stone samurai then lifted its right arm up, the blade's pointed end aimed directly at Scrooge.

Time seemed to stand still as Scrooge saw the giant blade pointed at him, his tears of trepidation staining his face.

He continued begging for his life as the stone giant's eyes burned red.

With a quick thrust, the sword came forward.

Scrooge's world went white.

CHAPTER V

(THE FINALE OF IT)

Scrooge continued repeating that he wasn't the man he used to be, his eyes wet with tears of terrific fear.

Very slowly, he started opening his eyes, his vision unfocused from the tears. Wiping them away with his sleeve, he saw that he was in an upright position, his feet on the bed as he was still dressed in his sleepwear. He was surrounded by the very bed curtains he saw Mrs. Dilber selling to Old Joe & his humanoid duck partner after he allegedly died.

He was pleased to see that she didn't take them down, rings & all, to sell for the highest bidder.

Working to get his breathing under control, Scrooge felt something wet on his chest, & he placed his hand on it before bringing it to his face.

Blood was on his hand!

It wasn't much, but it still startled & disturbed him deeply as he gasped in surprise & shock.

Looking down on his chest, Scrooge saw that he was sporting a trio of cuts on that area, which was occurred by a trio of objects that were extremely sharp, causing him to gasp again. Scrooge remembered what caused those scars/cuts on his chest; it was the gigantic two-legged Pumpkin-head creature he encountered during his brief but horrible time in Hell. His sleepwear was also cut at the exact spot he was raked with those claws.

Ebenezer realized that what he experienced wasn't a dream, but was real.

It all happened for real!, he thought with a pinch of dread. The visits from the three groups of spirits, my little venture through Hell…it really happened!

Now he knows that there is a world that lies beyond that of the mortal plane, & it can be just as deadly/dangerous as the one he currently inhabits.

Scrooge realized that there will be an eternal punishment awaiting him, one even worse than Jacob Marley's fate, should he continue upon his current path.

Ebenezer had no intention on allowing that terrible future be his fate, & he saw his path in life much clearer than ever before: the spirits & even Hell itself have shown what might & will occur unless he started going down a different road than he used to, & Scrooge was determined to make certain that the horrible future he was shown will never come to pass, let alone fruition.

First, however, he had to get himself cleaned up & hide his wounds: his housemaid Mrs. Dilber should be along at any moment, & the last thing she needs to see this morning is blood dripping from his chest.

Getting out of bed & into his slippers, Scrooge rushed himself into the bathroom as he removed his sleepwear & grabbed a roll of white gauze from the cabinet & started cleaning his wounds before wrapping them with the gauze.

Moments later, there was a knock on his bedroom door, making Scrooge's heart race.

"Uh, just give me another minute or two, Mrs. Dilber", Scrooge says, knowing who was knocking.

"Anything you say, sir", Mrs. Dilber called from behind the door.

Scrooge hurried to treat & conceal his wounds to make his maid none the wiser: should she see even one single drop of blood, she'll ask too many questions – questions he could never answer without having her think he has gone all but mad or insane.

Telling her about actual spirits showing him his past, present and future, along with his brief/horrible trip to Hell would be a bitter pill for anyone to swallow, especially for a simple housemaid.

A story like that would no doubt land Scrooge in an asylum – a place he tends to avoid being at all costs.

Rushing his treatment & hiding his injuries, Scrooge put on a white shirt & spare robe before heading for the door. As he opened it up a crack, he saw Mrs. Dilber staring back, her face filled with worry.

"All you all right this morning, sir?", she asked.

"Y-Yes, I just…feel a little bit sore here in my chest, that's all", Scrooge replied as he opened the door to allow Mrs. Dilber to enter with a tray filled with his breakfast of eggs, toast, juice, jam & butter.

"You were probably sleeping in a rather awkward position, sir. That's why it's sore there, I bet", Mrs. Dilber says as she placed the tray down on his table.

"Uh, yes – that's no doubt the main reason", Scrooge said with a small smile. "I'll have to remember to rest with my limbs straight rather than bent for a better sleep. By the way, Mrs. Dilber…what day is this exactly?"

"What day? Why, it's Christmas Day! Can't you hear the bells ringing outside?"

So fixated on treating/concealing his wounds, Scrooge lost track of time & feared that he might have skipped the very day the spirits wanted him to honor & cherish.

He was more than relieved to hear that he hadn't missed it, especially when he opened the window up to hear the bells ringing loudly even from a distance.

It was a sight & sound that put a big smile on Scrooge's face.

"Christmas Day! Then…I haven't missed it! I'm up in time to celebrate it! Excellent!", Scrooge says as he began doing a little dance in the room, giggling in delight. "I feel wonderful! I'm as light as a feather, happy as an angel, merry as a schoolboy, & giddy as drunken man! A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to one & all, which everybody so deserves…up to & including my own self!"

"But sir…you've always wanted to sleep through Christmas & not bother with it", Mrs. Dilber reminds him.

Ceasing his dancing, Scrooge faced his maid, who was afraid she'll get a scolding.

Instead, her boss spoke in a cheerful manner.

"That, my dear Mrs. Dilber, was the old me, technically speaking", he says. "Starting this Christmas, today, in fact, you'll be seeing a brand-new version of one Ebenezer Scrooge! Yes indeed: from now on, you'll be seeing a much kinder & gentler man than what he once was!"

As if to search for proof, Scrooge went to the open window & looked out for a sign as Mrs. Dilber also came to the window & looked out.

He saw it almost instantly: a young girl with baby pink hair that was tied in twin thick ponytails which hung from her sides & held by a pair of twin pointed braids that stick up in the air. She was dressed in a darker pink coat, blue pants & boots with pink gloves on her hands. Her eyes were also pink, & they shined like colored diamonds.

Scrooge saw this as an omen, & he wasted no time.

"Hello, young girl! Up here!", he says, waving to her.

"Do you mean me, sir?", the girl asked.

"Yes, that's correct!"

The young girl smiled & waved right back, knowing he has her attention.

"Tell me something!", Scrooge addressed her. "Do you know the butcher shop on the street, just a simple block from here?"

"I most certainly do!", the young girl replied.

Ebenezer smiled & laughed giddily.

"What a remarkable & intelligent little child!", he said softly before raising his voice. "Tell me: have they sold yet the prize turkey that was hanging up there – not the little one, but the gigantic one?"

"You mean the one that's as big as me?", the girl asked.

"What a delightful child – it's a pleasure to talk with her!", Scrooge told Mrs. Dilber before addressing the young girl. "Yes, that's the very one!"

"It's hanging up there still!"

"Excellent! Do me a favor, my dear: head over there & buy it! Tell the butcher to bring it here, quickly as he can! Could you do that for me?"

"I certainly would – if I only had the money for it!"

"A problem easily solved, my dear! Wait there just a moment…"

Reaching for a small treasure chest, Scrooge opened it & took a big handful of gold coins & placed them inside a small bundle bag which he tied securely with string before facing the child again, his upper half out the window.

"Here you are, my dear! Catch!", Scrooge called out to her, swinging his arm that held the bundle & tossing it in a perfect arch that was all too simple for the young girl to catch, which she did with ease.

She held it up in triumph, smiling brightly.

"Marvelous catch, my dear!", Scrooge says as Mrs. Dilber clapped proudly. "Listen: when you pay the man, give him an extra five coins as a tip! Come back with the man & the turkey, & you'll get 5 shillings! Come back here with the goods in less than five minutes, & I'll give you half a crown!"

Her face lit up from the reward she was offered that the young girl took off like a shot, being out of sight in only seconds as Scrooge & Mrs. Dilber watched her go.

"What a delightful & energetic child!", Scrooge says as he pulled his head inside & shut the window.

"That prized turkey is twice the size of that child, sir! Whatever are you going to do with such a big bird?", Mrs. Dilber asked.

"Oh, it isn't for me, Mrs. Dilber – it's for Bob Cratchit & his family!", Scrooge says. "I'm going to surprise him & his kin with it! Now then…I must get myself all prepped up when I pay Bob Cratchit a visit, & first off, I believe I must trim my goatee just a bit!"

He heads for the door when Mrs. Dilber halted him.

"Just one thing, sir", she says as he faced her. "If you're really going to see your employee, you might want to change into something that's more…appropriate, sir."

Mrs. Dilber pointed to his robe & pajama bottoms, which Scrooge discovered he was still wearing, along with his slippers. Looking up, he gave out a laugh in slight embarrassment & good spirits.

"Ah yes, good thinking, my dear!", Scrooge says. "It would be quite embarrassing to make my visit while still in my sleepwear!"

Scrooge went to go get changed while Mrs. Dilber, keeping her hand to her mouth to prevent herself from bursting with laughter, went to perform her duties on this Christmas Day.

With a pair of sharp scissors, Scrooge trimmed his goatee quickly before giving himself a clean shave with his straight razor: he kept it steady throughout the process, despite the horrific visions he was shown by the spirits, never once cutting himself anywhere.

He was also dressed in his best suit, complete with gloves & top hat.

And it was all done in just under five minutes!

Reaching the ground level, Scrooge dug his hand into the trash basket to pull out the gift his nephew Fred gave him the day before. He placed it in his inside coat pocket, having no time to open it now.

The butcher & the young girl who paid him were already at the front door when Scrooge opened it, turkey in his hand, all wrapped & ready to be delivered.

"Ah, good morning, good people! And Merry Christmas!", Scrooge said, taking the turkey & placing it in one of two sacks he has with him. As he placed the turkey inside, Scrooge couldn't help but notice the cab waiting at the front of his home. "A cab?"

"I took the liberty of hailing one for you, Mr. Scrooge", Mrs. Dilber says. "It's quite a long walk from here to Mr. Cratchit's house, & hailing a cab would make the trip much quicker, don't you think?"

"Splendid idea, Mrs. Dilber!" Scrooge turned to the young girl & butcher. "Has she paid you what I asked for, sir?"

"That she did, & then some! Whoever that prized turkey's going to, may they enjoy every morsel of it!", said the butcher.

"It's definitely a scrumptious bird, my good man! And as for you, my dear sweet child…"

Digging into his pockets, Scrooge gave the young girl what he promised: half a crown in payment should she return with the butcher & turkey in less than five minutes.

For the butcher, he offered a little extra for his services.

Both their faces lit up with joy, thanking the man big-time.

"Not at all, people! Thanks again! And Merry Christmas to you!", Scrooge says, waving to them both before he addressed the cabbie. "Just give me a moment, my good man! I shall be right with you!"

"No rush, sir! Take your time!", the cabbie on top of the vehicle said.

Heading back into the mansion, Scrooge & Mrs. Dilber made a thorough check to see if they have everything we need before they were all set to go, the process taking only about two-three minutes.

"Are you sure you're all set, sir?", Mrs. Dilber asks.

"Everything I could need for this fine Christmas Day", Scrooge says, studying his maid for a moment. "By the way, Mrs. Dilber…how much do I pay you for your services?"

Mrs. Dilber gave a thoughtful face before she answered.

"Two shillings a week, sir", she replied.

"Two?", Scrooge repeated, holding up two fingers as Mrs. Dilber nods. "Well, we'll have no more of that! From now on, we'll be raising it up to twelve!"

Mrs. Dilber's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Twelve shillings a week, sir?", she says. "You sure you don't want me to call a doctor?"

"Most assuredly not – and certainly not the undertaker!", Scrooge says, taking out an extra coin that's worth a great deal & tossed it to his maid, who caught it. "Now, off you go & enjoy yourself…like a good girl!"

He grinned at her from his last four words, making her face brighter with joy.

"Yes sir!", Mrs. Dilber says gleefully. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge…in keeping with the situation!"

She ran off to do exactly what her boss said, unable to contain her happiness.

Grinning, Scrooge exited his house, locked it & headed for the cab still waiting for him.

"Let's be off, my good man!", Scrooge says, getting inside with his bundle.

"Right-o, sir!", the cabbie said, getting his two horses to gallop.

He directs the cab into the city for the next half-hour, stopping over at a store or two for some items & stuffing them in his bundles. Satisfied that he has everything he needed, Scrooge instructed the cabbie to take him to his place of destination.

The domicile of Bob Cratchit.

Paying the cabbie for his services, he waved him goodbye as Scrooge took his two full bundles & headed to the front door. He gave himself a slight chuckle in amusement before straightening himself out & knocked on the door.

When the door opened, it was Bob Cratchit who answered, looking surprised to see his boss at the entrance with a face that seemed to be chiseled out of stone, & looked not in a pleasant way.

"Hello, Mr. Scrooge", Bob says. "Won't you come in?"

Bob backed away as his boss entered his home & closed the door.

Mrs. Cratchit, Peter & the rest came into the room, each of them surprised & furious to see Scrooge in their own home – the drop-dead last person they expected or even wanted in their house on Christmas Day.

Having zero tolerance for the man, Mrs. Cratchit hardened her face with a scowl, clenched her fists & took a step towards Scrooge.

Putting his hand out, Bob mouthed the words 'No. Please don't'.

While displeased at the scenario, Mrs. Cratchit & the rest stayed put as Scrooge spoke.

"Bob Cratchit", he began. "You weren't at work this morning, like we discussed."

"But sir…we did discuss it, just before you left", Bob says. "You gave me today off…remember?"

Scrooge's eyebrows were raised as high as they could go in mock surprise.

"I, Ebenezer Scrooge, gave you a day off?", he says. "Why would I go & do a thing like that?"

"Because, sir, you've always given me Christmas Day off to spend it with my family", Bob says.

"Christmas. It's just another poor excuse for being lazy."

Gritting her teeth, Mrs. Cratchit was about to leap out & attack this unwelcome man in her house, but she was all but restrained by Martha & Belinda, who both shook their heads.

The last thing they wanted was a fight breaking out: not in their own home, not in front of the kids, & especially not on Christmas Day.

"Now, I'll tell you what, my friend", Scrooge said, placing his two bundles on the floor. "I am not going to stand for this sort of a thing any longer. And therefore…"

Bob tensed, fearing he might just about lose his job on Christmas Day as Mrs. Cratchit was about to lose it & head over to Scrooge's face – and she'll go through all her kids to get to him, if need be.

Ebenezer gives Bob the bottom line straightforward.

"And therefore…I'm going to raise your salary", he concluded.

Scrooge's reply was the last thing anyone in the family expected to hear on this day, & it confused them: instead of canning their father, he was about to get an increase in his salary?

It left everybody stunned for several moments, including Mrs. Cratchit, who unclenched her fists & wiped away her scowling face. Ebenezer turned to Bob's family.

"Yes, you people have heard correctly", he says. "I am giving your father a raise – an admirable one."

Mrs. Cratchit studied Scrooge's face for a few moments before walking up to him until she was only a few inches from his face. Scrooge stood perfectly still, remaining silent.

Whatever Mrs. Cratchit plans to do, Scrooge was ready for it.

"You know, Mr. Scrooge", she began. "I pride myself on my ability to know when somebody is lying…"

Her mouth then broke into a big smile.

"And you're not!", she said with a happy laugh before embracing him with a quick, warm hug.

"Indeed, Mrs. Cratchit!", Scrooge said with a grin. "Plus, I have some things for you & the kids as well!"

"Really?"

Nodding, Scrooge went over to his first sack & dumped its contents to reveal something the family was amazed to see slip over the floor: toy soldiers, dolls, & other playthings. Faces of surprise & excitement came from all faces, including those of the kids, each of whom ran to the newly-offered gifts & picked them up, all happy beyond words to have actual playthings in their possessions.

Going to his other satchel, Scrooge dug into it & pulled out the huge prize turkey he purchased this morning.

Eyes nearly popped out of the skulls of the Cratchit family when they saw it.

"Oh, my goodness! Is that…?", Mary started to say, pointing at said turkey.

"Yes, my dear", Scrooge confirms. "This is the very same prized turkey that was hanging on display at the butcher shop. I purchased it this very morning to present it to you for your Christmas dinner."

He hands it over to Mrs. Cratchit before putting out the rest of the sack's contents all upon the table: vegetables, fruits, nuts & other foods/baking needs.

"And with all these fine essentials, it'll become your most memorable Christmas dinner ever", Scrooge says.

"You certainly gave us everything we need to help make it just that, Mr. Scrooge!", Peter says.

Scrooge nodded & turned to Tiny Tim before he knelt on down to his level.

"Young Tim", Ebenezer says. "Do you by chance know how much it would cost to have your leg fixed up?", he asked.

"We've never found out, but we know for sure that it's bound to be a rather expensive procedure", Tim says.

"Tell you what: tomorrow morning, have your mother accompany you over to the doctor's office & find out just how much an operation on your leg will cost, & I shall match that price."

Tiny Tim's face lit up with joy as Scrooge patted his shoulder.

"I can go with him in the morning, mother", Belinda says. "I pass by the doctor's office to & from the house, so it will be just perfect."

"That it will, Belinda", Mrs. Cratchit says. "And thank you."

"Mr. Scrooge, not that we're ungrateful for what you've done for us this Christmas morning – we're extremely grateful, don't get me wrong", Martha says. "But…whatever caused you to take leave of your senses all of a sudden?"

Scrooge chuckled in good spirits & stood up before answering.

"Oh no, you misunderstand, my dear", he corrects. "I haven't taken leave of my senses, no…I've come to them. From this moment on, I want to help your father raise this family that he has in as proper a way as I possibly can."

He turned to his employee.

"If he'll let me", he adds.

"Yes, of course", Bob says. "I've always believed that a man who has done wrong in his past has a chance to go redeem himself…by atoning for it. And Mr. Scrooge here has done that exponentially this Christmas morning."

"Well said, Bob", Scrooge says as he approached him. "One more thing: do you remember what you said to me just seven Christmas Eves ago, on the night of Jacob Marley's untimely death?"

"About what?"

"That the place – the office – would seem quite odd without Mr. Marley in it?"

"Oh yes, I remember. I miss him deeply, sir…even now."

"As do I. What's more, you were correct when you said that: the office does seem so empty without Jacob in it, & above all else, I miss having a partner by my side all this time. Therefore, I was wondering: will you have the honor of taking his place?"

"You mean…become your brand-new partner, sir?"

"Indeed. I know for a fact that Jacob's departure left mighty big shoes to fill, but…if there's anyone capable of filling them admirably, it would be you."

Bob smiled & nodded proudly.

"I'll certainly do the very best I can, sir!", Bob says, shaking his boss' hand.

"I've no doubt you will, Bob", Scrooge says, grinning. "We'll discuss it more over a hot bowl of punch tomorrow. And Bob? When you get back to the office tomorrow morning, before you go & dot another 'I' in your book, I'd like for you to head out & get a new coal-scuttle for the fireplace – one to put a good number of coal into it, so that we can both stay warm while we're working in the office."

"That I shall."

"Mr. Scrooge?", Mrs. Cratchit says, getting his attention. "Considering you've done us all a great service to our family this Christmas, would you like to join us for dinner this evening? It's the least we can do."

Scrooge smiled his warmest at Bob's wife.

"Mrs. Cratchit", he says just as warmly. "Your invitation is most heartwarming, I assure you. But I'm afraid that at the same time you folks are enjoying your holiday dinner, I shall be somewhere else this evening."

"And where's that, Mr. Scrooge?", Tiny Tim asked.

"Well, son…I'll be seeing family of my own."

"Your nephew", Bob said as Scrooge nodded.

"The very same, Bob", Ebenezer says as he heads for the door & opens it. "I'll see you in the office tomorrow morning. And Merry Christmas to you – each of you!"

The family returned the greeting to him just before Scrooge closed the door & was off on his way.

"Wow! I guess miracles really do occur on Christmas!", said Belinda.

"And from the person we least expected it from!", Martha adds.

"No wonder father always believed in second chances for everyone – even someone like Mr. Scrooge!", Mary puts in.

"That's the magic of Christmas, everyone – the best time of the year where miracles occur, & anyone can change their posture for the better", Bob says. "Now…what say we go get this big bird in the oven for tonight's grand feast?"

"Yeah, mother, don't just stand there with that giant bird – let's roast it!", Peter says, half-joking & grinning.

"You start the fire, Peter, & we'll cook it well!", Mrs. Cratchit says as they all headed into the kitchen with all the other food/supplies Scrooge left on their table.

Scrooge not only provided them with a great number of food for their holiday dinner, but he was also correct in his assumption: this will be the greatest & most memorable Christmas dinner for the Cratchit family.

Miracles can happen on any given day, but they are the most glamorous when they occur on Christmas Day.

It happened this year to both the Cratchit family and Ebenezer Scrooge.

While he was finished delivering his gifts to Bob Cratchit & his family, Scrooge didn't take the cab home or even anywhere else in the city: he was too proud of himself & too happy to head straight home. He wanted to scour around the city of London, wanting to see how the people were on Christmas Day. It would be his first true experience, seeing as how he usually slept through the day when he was still a curmudgeon, not wanting anything to do with the holiday season.

He was immediately regretting doing so for a good, many years, but Scrooge knew he can get a fresh start on it.

As he walked down the streets of London, he greeted folks with 'Merry Christmas' & the like, tipping his hat to each he meets & smiling while he did so.

Those he greeted returned the gesture, equally happy to have done so.

Soon, he came upon the stand he visited last night just before heading home.

It was the stand of Bob Belcher, who was busy with selling his burgers to the hungry patrons on the street.

Walking up to the man, Bob spotted him & stared warily at the man.

"My good man, please grant me this opportunity to humbly apologize for my brash actions towards you the other night", Scrooge says. "I clearly had no excuse for it, & would like…"

"You know, I was hoping we would meet this morning", Bob said.

"You were? Well, if what you desire is for me to never set foot near your beloved stand after my attitude from last night, I completely understand."

"Actually, what I was really going to say is, while I should be angry with you, I'm in your debt."

"In my debt? What for?"

"Those match books you handed me last night? They actually helped to keep our house warm all night long! The wife, kids and myself have never felt better or warmer!"

Bob Belcher then burst out laughing as Scrooge joined in, seeing the irony of it all: he paid the man in matches for a handful of his food, & unknowingly, they kept the man's family warm throughout a cold Christmas Eve night.

Life works in mysterious (& sometimes hilarious) ways.

"Well, be that as it may", Scrooge says, digging into his coat & pulling out a large handful of coins. "I'd like to compensate for that little error on my part with a hefty sum, plus…see to it that these good people have something nice & warm to eat this Christmas morning."

Scrooge presented the coins to Bob, who took the abundance of money in his hands, smiling as he did.

"Yes sir!", Bob Belcher said. "Thank you…and Merry Christmas!"

"A pleasure, my good man!", Scrooge says as he went on his way as Bob Belcher offered food to those who were cold & hungry, making it free for the next hour.

Ebenezer felt terrific: not only did he make amends for his employee Bob Cratchit & even his family, but doing so for him & Bob Belcher have helped to lift a great weight off his shoulder, as his burden was getting lighter by every good deed he commits.

It was a great release not only to his body, but also his very soul, which he felt becoming cleaner than it used to be – another great ascension from his horrid past.

As he mentioned to Mrs. Dilber this morning, he was as 'light as a feather' & 'merry as a schoolboy'.

He wondered what other good deed he could do on this fine Christmas morning.

Somewhere from a distance, a woman called out his name.

"Ebenezer?"

When Scrooge turned to see who had called him by his first name, he could hardly believe it: it was a woman he hadn't seen in many years since she'd walked out of his counting house after their little falling out.

She's aged, of course, but Scrooge would still recognize her voice and face anywhere.

"Belle?", he says.

Belle nodded, & she wasn't alone: her husband Clancy was with her, & the pair walked over to Scrooge.

"Well, this is quite a surprise, I have to say", Clancy says, offering his hand.

"That certainly makes two of us", Scrooge says, taking Clancy's hand & shaking it. "What are the odds of us all meeting together…and on Christmas Day, of all days?"

"Our world's full of coincidences & crazy odds, Ebenezer", Belle says. "No offense, but…you're the last person my husband & I expected to run into today, of all days. We always thought you said that Christmas was nothing more than…"

"Yes, I know: I called it a humbug, an utter waste of time, an excuse for being lazy, & lots of things. I was stupid for calling it that, but most importantly…I was stupid for putting my money first before you. I can never forgive myself for that. You were right to leave me because of it, Belle: I still can't believe what a fool I was in those days."

Belle & Clancy looked at each other before the latter placed a gentle hand on Scrooge's shoulder.

"Ebenezer", Clancy says with a warm smile. "We all make mistakes that we've come to regret later on, whether it's in a few days, months or even years. Although there's no way to go back in time & change what happened, a man can learn from his past errors, so that he may become much better than what he'd been before. Today's as good a day as any for you to get started making yourself a better man, if you haven't already."

"And Ebenezer?", Belle says. "While you may have lost me as your woman, for Clancy here is my husband now, we're still hoping that we can remain good friends."

Ebenezer was astounded: when Belle left him many years ago, she was sad & angry beyond words because of his bullheadedness, but seeing her now offering her friendship in spite of what occurred between them made Scrooge feel more guilt for letting her go.

It offered him a chance to atone for past sins by taking her hand in friendship, however, & he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by.

"Of course, Belle. That we can", Scrooge said, making Belle grin happily.

He then faces her husband.

"Continue to make Belle as happy as possible, Clancy", Scrooge said. "I'm so glad to know that someone did."

"Count on it, Ebenezer", Clancy said. "And try not to despair too much: one day you will have such a wonderful woman you can share your life with. Just keep on believing."

"We'll see what Father Time has to say, but I'll also be sure to do my part as well."

Clancy & Belle grinned with glee.

"Take care, Ebenezer", Clancy says. "And one day, maybe we can all enjoy a nice dinner together."

"I look forward to that", Scrooge says. "You know where to find me."

"Merry Christmas to you, Ebenezer", Belle says gleefully as she & Clancy head off.

With a happy grin on his face, Ebenezer watched as they headed off to hail a cab & saw them enter & be driven off to wherever destination they have planned.

He wished them well as he himself went his way.

From a few blocks ahead, Scrooge heard young kids singing a Christmas carol that was familiar to him, one called 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen'. Approaching the street, he turned a corner & couldn't believe his eyes: the children singing were the same ones he'd heartlessly shoved away from his street where his counting house was, & the white dog & yellow birdie were also present.

Not only that, but the two 'people' they were singing to are the two charity collectors – the ones with the heads & bodies of chimpanzees who visited his office yesterday to ask for a donation.

Like he did with Bob Belcher, Scrooge felt bad how he treated them all yesterday.

Hopefully he can compensate for them as he'd done with him only moments ago.

Once the children were finished singing their carol, Zira & Cornelius gave them a few coins in appreciation right before they began applauding the kids for their performance.

Scrooge also started applauding as he walked towards them, with all eyes turned to him in surprise.

"Mr. Scrooge?", Cornelius & Zira say in unison.

"Yes, that's me, & I can understand if it may not be pleasant to any of you at this very moment", he says. "Before I begin, I first wish to offer my sincerest apologies to you all for my unruly behavior the other day: it was most uncalled for and inexcusable. Therefore, I'd like to make amends for it now, beginning with you two."

"You mean to say…you wish to make a donation, Mr. Scrooge? A real donation?", Zira asked.

"That I do", Scrooge says, going into his coat pocket & pulling out a small pouch filled to the max with money. "I do believe this should be satisfactory."

Eyes went agape from the two humanoid chimps & the group of kids as Scrooge placed the pouch of money in Zira's hands.

"Amazing, Mr. Scrooge!", Cornelius said. "We never would've believed you were this generous – until now, that is! We're much in debt to you, no fooling!"

"That's not all", Scrooge said. "Will both of you have the goodness of accepting…"

Scrooge leaned in closer & whispered in their ears in a simultaneous manner.

Again, the eyes & mouths of Zira & Cornelius were agape with surprise.

"The Lord bless me!", Cornelius says. "Are you serious about that large amount, Mr. Scrooge?"

"I'm deadly serious about it, & not a farthing less", Scrooge says. "Plus, a great many back-payments will also be included in it, I assure you. So…will you both do me that favor?"

"My dear sir, Mr. Scrooge!", Zira says. "We don't know what to say to such munificence!"

"No need for you to say anything. Just simply come to my place of business tomorrow morning. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes, we shall!", Zira & Cornelius say together in bliss.

"Excellent! I'll see you both by then! I'm much obliged to & thank you both fifty times! Bless you folks!"

Bowing to the man, Zira & Cornelius headed off, both happy as Scrooge himself is, who watched them trot off on their merry way. The children in the group also watched them go before the one holding the blue blanket addressed him.

"Wow, Mr. Scrooge! Even we didn't think you were that generous!", he said.

"Yes, a completely different demeanor from what you displayed only last night", the kid with the bald head says.

"And I do offer my apologies for it, my young friends", Scrooge said, meaning it. "And, just to let you know that I'm on the level about it, I have a proposition for each one of you."

"What kind of proposition did you have in mind, Mr. Scrooge?", the girl with the red naturally-curly hair asks.

Scrooge leaned in closer to the group of kids.

"How would each one of you like to make a dozen gold pieces?", he asked with a grin.

His proposal perked up their curiosity, including that of their beagle & yellow bird friends.

"You've got our full attention, Mr. Scrooge!", said the boy with the yellow hair.

"What would you like us to do?", asked the girl with black hair.

With a warm smile, Ebenezer laid out the details.

6:00 p.m.:

After giving the information to the kids, Scrooge took them over to a place to get a warm bite to eat before they all headed inside the church to get involved with the ceremonies it performs every Christmas Day. Scrooge knew it was in celebration of the Christ Child when he was born within a warm stable in the town of Bethlehem, & the Three Wise Men presented the first Christmas gifts ever given – gold, frankincense & myrrh.

Scrooge soaked up the ceremony & the lessons it gave like a sponge does with water.

Once the services were done, Scrooge parted ways with the kids but would regroup when the time was right.

In the time between, Scrooge continued greeting people left & right, feeling alive for the very first time.

When 6:00 came around, Scrooge was already at the door with the kids & their beagle/yellow bird friends.

He's passed the house many times before, but never had the nerve to walk up to the front door & knocked on it, much less rang the bell. On this night, however, he finally developed/mustered the courage to do just that.

As it opened, three guests of Fred's – young girls with heads of red, blue & light brown hair – were all attired in dresses that matched their hair colors. They all smiled when they answered Scrooge's knock.

"Oh, hello, sir. And Merry Christmas", said the one with red hair.

"Good evening, young ladies", Scrooge said. "Is Fred inside? I'm his…"

"Yes, we know who you are, Mr. Scrooge", said the girl with blue hair. "Fred's in the other room."

"Oh, & who are your little friends here?", asked the one with light brown hair.

"They're with me", Scrooge says. "It's a surprise for my dear nephew."

The three girls smiled.

"This way, please", they said in unison as Scrooge & the kids entered the home.

Scrooge asked for the kids & their animal friends to remain within the outer entrance until they were called upon by him as Scrooge entered the room with the three girls who permitted him entry. Hardly anyone paid any attention to him at the moment: Miroku, Sango, Meimi & Daiki were all engaged in singing a classic tune Scrooge might've heard from time to time. The quartet were singing from the noted handed to them as another was playing the piano.

Ebenezer had to admit that the young ones had great voices.

He wondered if they sing in choirs.

The quartet stopped singing as they witnessed Ebenezer inside the room, & the music also stopped as everyone in the room turned to face him in complete awe & surprise.

"Hey folks, what's happening in there?", Fred asked from way over in the kitchen. "Why did it become so quiet all of a…sudden?"

Fred & his wife went to the living room & stared in stunned silence like the other party guests.

His Uncle Scrooge was standing inside his house. On Christmas Day!

"Uncle Ebenezer!", Fred said, heading to him with his wife.

"Tell me something, Fred", Scrooge asked in uncertainty. "Is it, by any chance, too late to accept your invitation to dinner?"

"Too late? Poppycock, I'm delighted that you're here! My love, look who's arrived!"

Fred's wife stared at Scrooge as the man took a few steps towards her, his eyes linked to hers.

"My dear", Scrooge says in his warmest voice. "For many years, this stubborn, pig-headed old fool couldn't hear with his ears, see with his eyes, or even listen to reason with his own stone-chiseled heart. Do you think you can find it in your own heart to forgive & grant him a second chance to do right?"

Staring into Scrooge's eyes, Fred's wife saw nothing but sincerity & truth in them.

Plus, her own good heart was more than willing to grant him a second chance as he had asked.

"Of course I can, dear Uncle!", she said, smiling. "You've made my Fred very happy this Christmas!"

Like a striking snake, she went to Scrooge's cheek & kissed it, making him blush slightly.

She then suddenly sees the sight of a few young kids peeking inside the room.

"Oh, it seems that we have even more guests this evening aside from our Uncle Scrooge", she says, pointing to the children.

"So we do, my dear. Come on in, kids! Don't be shy!", Fred urged.

One by one, the kids entered the room, along with their beagle & yellow bird friends. The people in the room all greeted Scrooge's young friends in the kindest ways.

"Who are your young friends here anyway, dear Uncle?", Fred asked.

"A surprise for you, the missus, & all your guests here tonight, dear nephew!", Scrooge says as he addressed the crowd. "Ladies & gentlemen, these kids have all agreed to be our singing choir for this evening! Call it as my Christmas gift to everyone! My dear kids, if you would take the stage, & if the piano man here can get the music going…"

As instructed, the kids took the places of Miroku, Sango, Meimi & Daiki as they took their seats while the man on the piano started the music by typing on the keys that created soft music, & the kids made soft 'oooooh' sounds in a perfect rhythm to the song playing on the piano.

It was 'Hark, the Herald Angels Sing'.

The crowd was very pleased with the way the kids were beginning the song, & it urged Miroku & Sango's three kids – Hisui, Kin'u & Gyokuto – went over to the group, causing the singing & music to cease. The trio wouldn't come back, no matter how much their parents called for them.

Scrooge laughed in good spirits, telling them it was fine.

"It's quite all right, folks", he says. "I think these three simply want to join in the group & sing along with them – right?"

The trio nodded, easing Miroku & Sango.

"As a matter of fact – I'll be joining in myself", Scrooge says as he got behind his group & that of the trio. "Okay, kids: this time we take it from the top & sing with all our hearts. Ready?"

Every kid nodded as Scrooge cued the piano player, who began the music.

When they started singing, it was a beautiful chorus – one of the best they ever heard, hearing the singing coming from all the voices, up to & including Scrooge himself.

More than a few tears of joy came from the audience, from the trio's parents to Fred & his wife.

Not even Mr. Tupper was unaffected, & he shed more than his share, along with Miss Flora.

The kids & Ebenezer sang for a good half-hour before the Christmas dinner would be served.

By the time dinner was served, two tables were set up: one for the adults, the other for all the kids to sit at.

Fred, of course, had more than enough chairs for both.

Each table was decorated with the best foods for a Christmas feast: potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, vegetables, fruits, fish & other seafood, plus a giant bird cooked to a nice golden brown with no burned areas. A bowl of stuffing was placed next to it, & many drinks were included to wash everything down.

But, as most families do before consumption, the people in Fred's house bowed their heads in prayer to thank the Lord above for giving them this gracious Christmas dinner they were about to eat, followed instantly by a moment or two of silence.

Afterwards, it was time to eat hearty!

The kids were the first to receive their share of the dinner, each one having a plate of most everything served, & a glass of juice/milk to wash it down.

Over at the main table, Scrooge was highly impressed by the multitude of food being served on Christmas.

"I've got to hand it to you, Fred – you've done quite well for yourself, dear nephew!", he says, meaning it.

"You see, Uncle? A man doesn't have to be filthy rich to live a good, happy life", Fred says. "All he needs is a good education, a little luck, & most importantly…a lot of love."

Fred & his wife share a kiss to punctuate his statements.

"You're as smart as you are kind, dear boy", Scrooge says. "If only I haven't been so foolish & stubborn all that time ago: I could've made myself a much better life than the one I had once lived."

"Mr. Scrooge, it's never too late for a person to change their status quo", Sango says. "Even someone of your age has the capacity to turn it around for the better. Never forget that."

"She's absolutely right, Mr. Scrooge", Miroku adds. "Age has nothing to do with a person's behavior, let alone meaning it's too late to make oneself better. All that it takes is the willpower to do so."

"And you've picked the perfect day to make yourself a better man, Mr. Scrooge!", Meimi puts in.

"I'll say you did!", Daiki says. "What better day than Christmas Day to start a brand-new life?"

"Well said, good folks!", Scrooge says, applauding. "And I most certainly have made myself a better man than what I used to be – with a little bit of help, that is!"

"Just what kind of help did you receive to help make yourself a better man, dear uncle?", Fred's wife asked.

"Let's just say…I had some really good teachers."

Everybody faced one another, wondering exactly who those 'teachers' were that had helped to change Scrooge's demeanor – and in such a short amount of time.

Finally, it hardly mattered to them: as long as he isn't the man he once was.

"Fair enough, Uncle", Fred says, spotting something on his relative. "Oh, I see you're wearing the Christmas gift I gave you! How's it fit?"

"Like a glove!", Scrooge says, holding up his left wrist for everyone to see the watch he was given to by Fred. "I must say, dear nephew – this was money well spent!"

"I knew it'd be the perfect gift for you, Uncle: not only does it look good on you, it will help you tell time a whole lot easier than running to a clock on the wall! Instead, you can simply look at your wrist, & you'll know just what time it is!"

"A very 'handy' little gadget!", Scrooge says, inciting laughs from most. "And this glorious food: you really do live it up on Christmas, nephew! Well done!"

"Part of this feast, Uncle, you can thank Mr. Tupper & Miss Flora for", Fred's wife said.

"Is that right, my dear?"

"Ha! You better believe it, Mr. Scrooge!", Mr. Tupper said. "That big bird we're eating right now? I'm the one who hunted it down & beheaded it with one swipe of my sword!"

Mr. Tupper quickly drew his sword that grew to a large size to show Ebenezer its capabilities.

Needless to say, Scrooge was vastly impressed by his weapon as Mr. Tupper placed it back in its sheath, shrinking down it its original size as he does so.

"Quite a handy weapon for hunting, dear fellow!", Scrooge says, applauding him.

"And Miss Flora here is a killer with the bow & arrow!", Mr. Tupper adds. "Isn't that right, my dear?"

"More or less", Miss Flora replied. "These fish we're eating this Christmas Day? I'm the one who speared them with my trusty arrows, along with a handful of the crabs & lobsters we see on the table!"

"Bravo, my dear, bravo!", Scrooge applauded. "We all here at the table owe the both of you a debt of gratitude for the fine hunting you've made for this Christmas feast this evening! And nephew? We must do this at my house next year – I insist upon it! Believe me, I shall spare no expense, & everybody here at these tables are invited!"

Murmurs of excitement from around both tables ensued, hearing Ebenezer's proposal of having this Christmas dinner taking place at a house that isn't Fred's.

"Sounds very inviting, Uncle Ebenezer", Fred says. "There's only one condition."

"What would that be, nephew?", Scrooge asked.

"That the Cratchit family also be invited. Surely, that can be arranged?"

Ebenezer allowed himself a laugh before answering.

"You must've read my mind, dear boy!", he stated. "Of course they'll be invited!"

"Then it's all settled!", Fred's wife says. "Next year on Christmas Day, dinner will be at the home of Ebenezer Scrooge!"

"Big cheers for the old man!", Mr. Tupper cried out.

Everyone at both tables gave cheers as Ebenezer Scrooge was filled with great pride & happiness that he couldn't begin to contain. A few tears fell from his eyes, seeing that he was most definitely not the man he used to be.

It was the perfect beginning for a new era in the life of Ebenezer Scrooge.

A beginning that started on Christmas Day.

EPILOGUE

Ebenezer Scrooge's good-hearted nature didn't end when Christmas & New Year's did: he set out to undo all the wrongs he'd committed through the years, from getting the evicted back into their homes regardless of their payments right up to getting Tiny Tim's leg fixed up so that he could walk, run & be like other boys his age.

The youngest member of the Cratchit survived his operation, & to Ebenezer Scrooge, he became a second father – a position he was most happy to accept.

Similar to what Fred does, Tiny Tim calls Ebenezer 'Uncle Scrooge'.

His newly-redeemed demeanor made Scrooge as good a friend, a master, & best of all, a man as anyone in the city of London, in England, or anywhere else upon the planet. Some people laughed/guffawed in seeing the alteration of him, but he allowed them to do so; he seldomly paid them any attention, & he was wise enough to know that nothing happens anywhere on the Earth without good reason.

In his fresh/new perspective on life & caring attitude to the city & its people, Scrooge had no further intercourse with any of the Christmas Spirit Groups – Past, Present or Future – but lived up to the Total Abstinence Principles they all laid upon him, seeing he knew how to keep Christmas just as well as any other man or woman.

Unbeknownst to Ebenezer, the three groups of Christmas Spirits all did watch over him during the course of the holidays & beyond, seeing him live up to his promise to change his ways & assisting his fellow man rather than cheating them of their rights.

Everyone from the Phantom to the Predator Spirits were incredibly pleased with Scrooge's results.

It especially went for the ghost of Jacob Marley: even though he must forever wander the world without rest for all eternity, he can do so knowing that his longtime partner & friend has escaped his terrible fate, making his burden a lot lighter.

Jacob Marley can now 'live' with the incessant torture' he'd been burdened with since his departure of the mortal plane, seven Christmas Eves ago.

Perhaps it's a lesson for everybody to learn: people can & do change for the better, if they make an effort to do so.

As Tiny Tim observed, 'God bless Us. Every One'!

A note to the readers:

'A Christmas Carol', written by English author & critic Charles John Huffam Dickens.

What more can one say about this immortal, iconic & beloved story? Not only does it celebrate the wonderful season of Christmas, it also has ghosts/spirits within it, giving the story something of as gothic feel to it as they attempt to frighten the story's main antagonist – Ebenezer Scrooge – by showing him the error of his ways from his past, present & future, the third & final journey of the dire consequences to him if by chance he doesn't change his malevolent/greedy ways in time.

This story is also iconic not only because it takes place during the Christmas holiday season (the best time of the year), it tells the story of a man who's been shown that anyone, no matter how old they are, can & do change themselves for the better – if they're willing to put their mind to it & make him/herself a better person than what he/she was before.

It's a story for all ages to enjoy & even learn that change in people is possible.

A fact that's been proven in real life as much as it has been in literature & cinema.

Plus, 'A Christmas Carol' also gave us memorable/iconic characters, ranging from Bob Cratchit, his family (that includes Tiny Tim), Jacob Marley, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present & Future, & so forth.

But it's the character of Ebenezer Scrooge that's the most iconic of the entire story, as he is the main antagonist: he started out as such a heartless curmudgeon, showing his frigid demeanor/attitude to everyone he meets, from his own employee Bob Cratchit to the kids on the street. In fact, the only few people he was ever kind to was his sister Fan, his one-time lover Belle, & his one-time partner Jacob Marley. Losing each one of those people one at a time only caused Scrooge to become colder than the winter weather through the years.

Finally, one Christmas Eve, the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley pays him a visit at his own home & so warns his former partner that Scrooge will be forced to wear long/heavy chains as Jacob is now condemned to go & do so himself for all eternity without rest – unless he changes his wicked ways to avoid his terrible fate after he dies.

Having the three Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present & Future is always a memorable moment in the story: Scrooge gets to revisit his past to see what caused him to become such a wicked man, his present to realize that while some still see him as a vicious/unfeeling man, there are those who still have good in their hearts even for him, such as his nephew Fred (another iconic character).

Getting to the Ghost of Christmas Future, a robed phantom who doesn't speak, that's when 'A Christmas Carol' becomes both a drama & horror segment as Scrooge is shown the sad fate of Bob Cratchit's youngest son Tiny Tim, as he passed away so young because his crippled leg couldn't get fixed in time – and it's Scrooge's fault, all because he simply wouldn't pay Bob Cratchit enough to help him.

In short, Scrooge is as much responsible for Tiny Tim's death as the boy's condition was.

What was also terrifying in this sequence is that Scrooge learned from his maid Mrs. Dilber & his fellow clerks that he's dead before being shown his own grave, chilling Scrooge to the bone & finally convincing the spirits that he is no longer the man that he was, begging to be given another chance at life.

Waking up in his own bedroom, Scrooge made good on his promise: he became kinder, more giving/caring & a lot livelier than he was before. No longer was he the cold curmudgeon he used to be, & in the end, Scrooge gives Bob Cratchit a raise to help him raise his family, plus he makes amends for all the wrongs he'd done, tied things up with his nephew Fred, & best of all, Tiny Tim got better & thinks of Ebenezer Scrooge as a second father – a role he was all too happy to accept.

Like most fairy tales, this story has a happy ending & a huge fan following throughout the years/decades that had followed: stage performances, live-action/animated films/TV specials, & some of the finest actors to have brought the character of Ebenezer Scrooge to life, ranging from Seymour Hicks to Guy Pearce & everybody else in between.

Speaking of actors, I have one of two questions that I'd like to ask all of you.

Here's the first: of all the people who have brought Ebenezer Scrooge to life, whether live-action or just a voice, who is your top favorite(s)?

For me, it has been actor Alastair Sim, who portrayed the character in 1951's 'A Christmas Carol'.

Many people have believed that Alastair Sim was the best Ebenezer Scrooge for a good number of years, & for damn good reason: he played the character to absolute perfection, from his meeting with his fellow clerks at the start, right up to placing Tiny Tim upon his shoulders at the end. 1951's 'A Christmas Carol' is one of the most true & faithful adaptations of Charles Dickens' immortal story, & Alastair Sim was nothing short of fabulous in that role.

Until recent years, Alastair Sim was my #1 Ebenezer Scrooge.

Nowadays, I tie him up with Award-winning actor Sir Michael Caine, who portrayed the character in 1992's 'The Muppet Christmas Carol'. Seeing him as Scrooge alongside the Muppets was truly a fun version to look at, while also being faithful to the novella itself.

And it was actually 1992's 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' that has inspired me to do my own version of Dickens' iconic story: seeing the Muppet characters like Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as his wife, Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig, Gonzo the Great as Charles Dickens himself, & so forth has given me the idea of using my favorite characters from DC, Marvel, Disney, Toho, & others in portraying the characters from the novella.

Which brings us to the story of which you've just read: with the 180th anniversary of the release of 'A Christmas Carol' coming up this December 19th, 2023, I've decided to pay salute to such a fabulous/iconic story with my version, featuring a wide variety of fictional characters & even actors to fill in the parts. Even though I have given a list of who played who at the beginning of this story, here's the complete list of characters for my version, many of which you've no doubt already guessed on your own.

But in any case, here's that full list to see if you were correct in your assumptions.

Like Hollywood used to say years ago, 'A good cast is worth repeating':

Ebenezer Scrooge (Lex Luthor; actor Jon Cryer)

Bob Cratchit (Clark Kent; actor Tyler Hoechlin)

Mrs. Cratchit (Lois Lane; actress Elizabeth 'Bitsie' Tulloch)

Peter Cratchit (Jordan Kent; actor Alex Garfin)

Tiny Tim Cratchit (Jonathan Kent; actor Brady Droulis)

Martha Cratchit (Alex Danvers; actress Chyler Leigh)

Belinda Cratchit (Kara Danvers; actress Melissa Benoist)

Mary Cratchit (Nia Nal; actress Nicole Maines)

Fan (Lena Luthor; actress Katie McGrath)

Belle (Nyxly; actress Peta Sergeant)

Fred (ME, at age 30; anime-style)

Fred's Wife (Usagi Tsukino; Sailor Moon)

Mr. Tupper (Inuyasha)

Miss Flora (Kagome from 'Inuyasha')

Jacob Marley (Bruce Wayne; actor Kevin Conroy – 1955-2022)

Mrs. Dilber (Maudie from Disney/Pixar's 'Brave')

Old Joe (The Collector; actor Benicio Del Toro; Howard the Duck as his partner)

Mr. Stretch (DC Comics' Deadman)

Mr. Snedrig (Dr. Zaius from 'Planet of the Apes')

Mr. Groper (Guardian Ganthet)

Mr. Rosebud (Flintheart Glomgold)

Mr. Jorkin (Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin; actor Vincent D'Onofrio)

Scrooge's Business Partners (Oliver Queen, Tony Stark, Archie Andrews & Jughead Jones)

Fred's Party Guests (Miroku & Sango from 'Inuyasha'; Meimi Haneoka & Daiki Asuka from 'Saint Tail')

Mr. FezziThing (Ben Grimm/The Thing)

Scrooge's School Headmaster (Charles Xavier; actor Sir Patrick Stewart)

Charity Collectors (Zira & Cornelius from 'Planet of the Apes')

Belle's Future Husband (Clancy; actor Clancy Brown)

Kids Singing on the Streets (The 'Peanuts' Gang)

Young Girl Scrooge Asked to Buy Prize-Winning Turkey (Chibi Usa; Sailor Chibi Moon)

Three Girls who Greeted Scrooge at Fred's House (Hikaru, Umi & Fuu – the Magic Knights)

Morticians at the Beginning (Thor & Jane Porter/Valkyrie)

Morticians at the End (Mr. Simms – actor Clarence Williams III (1939-2021); Mr. Slade – actor Ron Perlman)

Gravediggers (The Joker – actor Jack Nicholson; Cletus Kasady – actor Woody Harrelson)

Ghosts of Christmas Past (Gamera – 1996 version; The Phantom Stranger; Doctor Strange)

Ghosts of Christmas Present (Godzilla – 1999 version; The Sorceress – 2002 version; The Mother of Ultra)

Children Under Christmas Present Ghosts' Protection (Chuckie & Angelica from 'Rugrats')

Ghosts of Christmas Future (The Alien & The Predator)

See if you got as many right as you could once you've seen this full list.

A few I didn't have to mention at the beginning like Emma Frost, a one-time enemy-turned-member of the X-Men. Walking with & pushing Charles Xavier's chair should be more than enough evidence to know who she is. Same goes for the ones Scrooge encountered when he was sent to Hell: there was proof in abundance for enthusiasts to know who terrorized Scrooge from within that domain. Plus, the blind man Scrooge encountered but didn't run away from was none other than Matt Murdock, Daredevil himself, played by actor Charlie Cox.

You've also noticed that some scenes were filled with a moment of irony, such as when the Monster King Spirit – Godzilla – unveiled the two children hidden under his coat, revealing Chuckie & Angelica from 'Rugrats'. This scene is, in part, paying tribute to the monster called Reptar, who was featured in episodes of the 'Rugrats' cartoon. Reptar is more or less the 'Nickelodeon version of Godzilla', as he was molded from the Monster King, so it made perfect sense in having Chuckie & Angelica appear for the cameo just before the three Christmas Present Spirits started to vanish & fade away into colored particles.

How fitting that the one who Reptar was molded from be the protector of the two 'Rugrats' kids!

This story also gave me the chance to pay tribute to two great actors: the first being Clarence Williams III, whose made himself quite a name in the TV series 'The Mod Squad' that ran from 1968 to 1973, before going into movies & playing such memorable roles like Francis L. in 1984's 'Purple Rain' & Mr. Simms in 1995's 'Tales from the Hood' – the latter role I used near the end of the story as my salute to Clarence, as I've always loved seeing his 'Batshit crazy' Mr. Simms, especially at the end of the movie.

Another is actor Kevin Conroy, who is best known for voicing the Dark Knight himself Batman, beginning with 'Batman, the Animated Series' that began in 1992, followed by numerous other series like 'Batman Beyond', 'Justice League', 'Justice League Unlimited', & animated films like 'Superman/Batman: Public Enemies', 'Superman/Batman: Apocalypse', & so forth. When I heard about his passing on the morning of November 11th, 2022, I was devastated by the news: it felt like a huge part of my childhood was gone, as many people say that Kevin Conroy was the greatest thing that has ever happened to Batman – and they weren't wrong. At all.

Kevin Conroy didn't just voice the Batman, he was Batman.

My placing him in this story as Jacob Marley was the perfect way to pay tribute (and my respects) to a terrific man that made my weekday afternoons so filled with joy.

I'm hoping that you will also enjoy my salutes to these two great men in this story.

My other question I want to ask you is this: if you were to do your own version of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol', which fictional characters & even actors (living or dead) would you want to use?

I hope you all enjoyed this version of a classic/iconic story as I did typing it: the character of Ebenezer Scrooge is as much an essential part of 'A Christmas Carol' as Alfred Pennyworth is to Batman & Lois Lane is to Superman.

No matter who played him in the past, present or future, you can never imagine 'A Christmas Carol' story which doesn't have Ebenezer Scrooge in it. Even the 1988 Christmas comedy 'Scrooged' with Bill Murray owes a huge debt of gratitude to Charles Dickens' immortal novella: despite Bill Murray's character of Frank Cross instead of Ebenezer Scrooge, it retells the story in a most modern-day (& hilarious) version of the iconic holiday story that's had us laughing since its release 35 years ago, & counting. It could even be rumored that the Grinch himself (from 'Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas') was inspired by Ebenezer Scrooge due to their similarities in nature & story, although that's never been confirmed by anybody (to my knowledge, at least).

May the legacy of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' thrive & prosper for many generations to come.

Just as Tiny Tim had stated, 'God bless us. Everyone'.

RIP, CLARENCE WILLIAMS III

(August 21, 1939 – June 4, 2021)

RIP, KEVIN CONROY

(November 30, 1955 – November 10, 2022)

MEMORIALS:

Gordon Lightfoot, Folk Singer-Singer of 'Sundown', 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' & Others, 84 (1938-2023)

Eileen Saki, Japanese-American Actress Best Known as Rosie in 'M*A*S*H' TV Sitcom, 79 (1943-2023)

Tori Bowie, World Champion U.S. Olympian Sprinter & Three-Time Medalist, 32 (1990-2023)

Linda Lewis, British Singer & Songwriter, 72 (1950-2023)

Sienna Weir, Miss Universe Australia Finalist, 23

Newton N. Minow, Former FCC Chief & Public TV Advocate, 97

Kemal Dervis, Former UNDP Chief & Turkish Minister, 74 (1949-2023)

Vida Blue, 3-Time MLB World Series Champion, 73 (1949-2023)

Grace Bumbry, Operatic Mezzo-Soprano who Became 1st Black Singer to Perform at Bayreuth, 86 (1937-2023)

Nick Gilbert, Son of NBA Cleveland Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert, 26

Denny Crum, Legendary Louisville Basketball Coach, 86 (1937-2023)

Joe Kapp, Former NFL Quarterback for Minnesota Vikings, 85 (1938-2023)

John Roland, Longtime Anchor for WNYW/5, 81 (1941-2023)

Rita Lee, Legendary 'Queen of Brazilian Rock', 75 (1947-2023)

Shalie Lipp, Uprising MMA Fighter, 21

Antonio Carbajal, Mexican World Cup Goalie, 93 (1929-2023)

Heather Armstrong, Social Media Star Known as 'Dooce', 47

Hodding Carter III, Emmy Award-Winning Journalist & Political Commentator, 88 (1935-2023)

Jacklyn Zeman, Actress Best Known as Bobbie Spencer in 'General Hospital' TV Soap Opera, 70 (1953-2023)

Don Denkinger, Major League Umpire for Three Decades, 86 (1936-2023)

Doyle Brunson, 'Godfather of Poker' who Won 2 World Titles, 89 (1933-2023)

Joe A. Garcia, Native American Leader & Advocate, 70 (1952-2023)

Sam Zell, Billionaire Real Estate Investor & Opportunist, 81 (1941-2023)

Timothy Keller, Prominent NYC-Based Pastor & Bestselling Author, 72 (1950-2023)

Johnny Morgan, Former State Senator of Mississippi, 76

Michael 'Micky' Geller, Champion College Waterskier, 18

Andy Rourke, Bassist for the Smiths & Morrissey Music Bands, 59 (1964-2023)

Billy Graham, WWE Hall of Fame Legendary Superstar, 79 (1943-2023)

Jim Brown, NFL Hall of Famer, Actor & Activist, 87 (1936-2023)

Martin Amis, Legendary Bestselling British Author who Wrote 'Money', 73 (1949-2023)

Marion Berry, Former Congressman from Arkansas, 80 (1942-2023)

Leon Ichaso, Director of 'Miami Vice', 'Queen of the South' & Others, 74 (1948-2023)

Bernard Lieber, Dentist & World War II Veteran, 97 (1925-2023)

Ray Stevenson, Actor Known for 'Punisher War Zone' & 'Thor' Movies, 58 (1964-2023)

Rick Hoyt, Boston Marathon Icon with his Father Dick, 61

Walter Royal, North Carolina Chef who Won on 'Iron Chef America' Program, 67

Samantha Weinstein, Actress Known for 2013's 'Carrie', 28 (1995-2023)

Gerald Castillo, Actor Best Known for 'Saved By the Belle', 'General Hospital' & Others, 90

Sheldon Reynolds, Guitarist for the Commodores & Earth, Wind & Fire Bands, 63 (1959-2023)

Tina Turner, Legendary/Iconic Singer & Actress, 83 (1939-2023)

Ed Ames, Singer & Actor of Stage & Television, 95 (1927-2023)

Terry McDermott, Olympic Speedskating Gold Medalist in 1964, 82 (1940-2023)

Bill Lee, Jazz Musician & Father of Director Spike Lee, 94 (1928-2023)

Kenneth Anger, Influential Author & Avante-Garde Filmmaker, 96 (1927-2023)

Robert Zimmer, Champion for Free Speech on Campuses, 75 (1947-2023)

Judy Fitzgerald, Frontline Nurse & 'First Dates' Contestant Model, 32

Harvey Pitt, SEC Chairman During 9/11 & Enron Meltdown, 78 (1945-2023)

William J. O'Neil, Founder of Investor Newspaper, 90 (1933-2023)

Milt Larsen, Magic Castle Co-Founder & TV Game Show Writer, 92 (1931-2023)

Marlene Clark, Actress Best Known for 'Ganja & Hess' Horror Film & 'Sanford & Son' Sitcom, 85 (1937-2023)

Gary Kent, Actor, Director & Stuntman in Numerous B-Movies, 89 (1933-2023)

Jackson Pokress, Firefighter & World War II Veteran/Photographer, 102 (1920-2023)

George Maharis, Actor Best Known as Buz Murdock in 'Route 66' TV Series, 94 (1928-2023)

John Beasley, Veteran Character Actor, 79 (1943-2023)

Don Bateman, Trailblazer in Airline Safety, 91 (1932-2023)

Bill McGovern, Longtime NFL & College Football Coach, 60 (1962-2023)

Cynthia Weil, Grammy Award-Winning Songwriter & Lyricist, 82 (1940-2023)

Jim Wangers, Pontiac's Ad Man & Godfather of the GTO Automobile, 96

Glenn Farr, Oscar-Winning Editor of 1983's 'The Right Stuff', 77 (1946-2023)

Sergio Calderon, Actor Known for 'Pirates of the Caribbean' & 'Men In Black', 77

Carroll Cooley, Officer in Landmark Miranda Rights Case, 87

Kaija Saariaho, Highly-Acclaimed Composer, 70 (1952-2023)

Harald zur Hausen, Nobel Prize-Winning German Viral Expert, 87 (1936-2023)

Jim Hines, 1968 Olympic Champion in 100-Meter Race, 76 (1946-2023)

Anna Shay, Actress Best Known for 'Bling Empire' Netflix Reality Show, 62

Bakhyt Bubikanova, Prominent Kazakh Artist, 38 (1985-2023)

Astrud Gilberto, Brazilian Singer Had Hit with 'The Girl from Ipanema' from 1964, 83 (1940-2023)

Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, WWE Hall of Famer Known Professionally as the Iron Sheik, 80 (1942-2023)

Pat Cooper, Stand-Up Comedian & Howard Stern Regular, 93 (1929-2023)

Ivan Menezes, Longtime Boss of Drinks Giant Diageo, 63 (1959-2023)

Francoise Gilot, Prolific & Acclaimed Painter, 101 (1921-2023)

James Watt, Polarizing Interior Under President Ronald Reagan, 85 (1938-2023)

Tom Jolls, Beloved Television Weatherman at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York, 89 (1933-2023)

Richard Snyder, Titan of Publishing Industry Presided Rise of 'Simon & Schuster', 90 (1933-2023)

George Winston, New Age-Style Pianist & Composer, 74 (1949-2023)

Pat Casey, X Games Medalist Winner, 29

Ray Lewis III, Son of NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, 28

Gino Mader, Swiss Road & Track Cyclist, 26 (1997-2023)

Daniel Ellsberg, Whistleblower of the Pentagon Papers, 92 (1931-2023)

Cormac McCarthy, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novelist, 89 (1933-2023)

Treat Williams, Actor who Starred in 'Everwood' TV Series & 1979 Film 'Hair', 71 (1951-2023)

Roger Payne, Scientist who Discovered the Singing of Whales, 88 (1935-2023)

Glenda Jackson, British Actress & Politician, 87 (1936-2023)

Al Menendez, Former Scout for the NBA, 80

John Romita Sr., Legendary Artist at Marvel Comics Best Known for Drawing Spider-Man, 93 (1930-2023)

Teresa Taylor, Drummer for Butthole Surfers Band & Memorable star of 1991 'Slacker' Film, 60 (1962-2023)

Milton Powell, Rapper Known Professionally as Big Pokey, 48 (1974-2023)

Donald Triplett, First Person to be Diagnosed with Autism, 89 (1933-2023)

Huang Yongyu, Pioneering Chinese Artist, 99 (1924-2023)

Robert Gottlieb, Inspired & Eclectic Literary Editor, 92 (1931-2023)

Brett Hadley, Actor Best Known as Carl Williams in 'The Young & the Restless' TV Soap, 92

Carol Higgins Clark, Murder Mystery Writer & Daughter of Mary Higgins Clark, 66 (1956-2023)

Clark Haggans, 13-Year NFL Linebacker for Steelers, Cardinals & 49ers, 46 (1977-2023)

Frederic Forrest, Oscar-Nominated Actor for 'Apocalypse Now', 86 (1936-2023)

Paxton Whitehead, British Actor of Stage & Screen Known Mostly for Stuffy Comedic Roles, 85 (1937-2023)

H. Lee Sarokin, Federal Judge who Freed Boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, 94 (1928-2023)

Sheldon Harnick, Grammy Award-Winning Lyricist for 'Fiddler on the Roof', 99 (1924-2023)

John Goodenough, Nobel Prize-Winning Chemist who Co-Created the Lithium Battery, 100 (1922-2023)

Lowell Weicker, Former Governor of Connecticut & U.S. Senator, 92 (1931-2023)

Nicolas Coster, British Actor Best Known for Daytime Soap 'Santa Barbara', 89 (1933-2023)

Dilano van 't Hoff, Dutch Racing Car Driver, 18 (2004-2023)

Lew Palter, Actor Best Known as Isidor Straus in 1997's 'Titanic', 94 (1928-2023)

Ryan Mallett, Former Quarterback for the NFL, 35 (1988-2023)

Julian Sands, British Actor Known for 'A Room With A View', 'Warlock' & Others, 65 (1958-2023)

Alan Arkin, Oscar-Winning Actor of 'Little Miss Sunshine', 'Argo' & Others, 89 (1934-2023)

Rick Froberg, Singer & Guitarist for Drive Like Jehu & Hot Snakes Band, 55

Caleb Willingham, Husband of '1,000-lb Sisters' Reality TV Star Tammy Slaton, 40

Christine King Farris, Last Living Sibling of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., 95 (1927-2023)

Bobby Osborne, Innovative Bluegrass Musician with Brother Sonny Osborne, 91 (1931-2023)

Norm Cohen, Former Sunday Sports Editor at Newsday, 73 (1949-2023)

Lilli Vincenz, Early Gay Rights Activist, 85 (1937-2023)

Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, Grandson of Actor Robert De Niro, 19

Frank Field, New York Television Meteorologist for Over 40 Years, 100 (1923-2023)

Victoria Amelina, Award-Winning Writer from Ukraine, 37

Bob Shannon, Longtime Disc Jockey for WCBS-FM 101.1 Radio Station in NYC, 74 (1948-2023)

Raymond Cassagnol, Tuskegee Airman Pilot During World War II, 102 (1920-2023)

Sue Johanson, Nurse who Helped Destigmatize Sex, 92 (1930-2023)

Vince Tobin, Former NFL Coach for the Arizona Cardinals, 79 (1943-2023)

Leon Gautier, Last Surviving French Hero of Normandy from World War II, 100

Carlos Alberto Montaner, Cuban Writer & Columnist, 80 (1943-2023)

Antwun Echols, Middleweight Boxer who was Known as 'Kid Dynamite', 51 (1971-2023)

Coco Lee, Hong Kong-Born Singer/Songwriter with Powerful Voice, 48 (1975-2023)

George Tickner, Rhythm Guitarist & Co-Founder of Journey Band, 76 (1946-2023)

Susan Love, Pioneering Breast Cancer Surgeon, 75 (1948-2023)

Nikki McCray-Penson, Olympic Gold Medalist, 51 (1971-2023)

Johnie Cooks, Mississippi State Football Legend & Super Bowl Champ, 64 (1958-2023)

Peter Nero, Grammy Award-Winning Pianist & Conductor, 89 (1934-2023)

John Berylson, Businessman who Owned Millwall UK Soccer Team, 70 (1953-2023)

Porfirio Munoz Ledo, Veteran Mexican Political Leader, 89 (1933-2023)

Mikala Jones, Hawaiian Surfer & Photographer, 44 (1979-2023)

Andrea Evans, Actress Best Known for TV Soaps 'One Life To Live' & 'The Young & the Restless', 66 (1957-2023)

Milan Kundera, Writer & Dissident, 94 (1929-2023)

Luis Suarez, Former Spanish Ballon d'Or Winner, 88 (1935-2023)

Lee Sang Eun, Korean Soprano Singer, 46

Eva Maria Daniels, Producer of 'Reality' & What Maisie Knew', 43 (1979-2023)

Jeffrey Carlson, Actor Best Known as Transgender Zoe Luper in 'All My Children' TV Soap, 48 (1975-2023)

C.R. Roberts, American Football Legend, 87 (1936-2023)

Dakota Fred Hurt, Star of 'Gold Rush: White Water' TV Program, 89 (1943-2023)

Daniel Goldberg, Award-Winning Producer of 'The Hangover' Trilogy, 74 (1948/49-2023)

Benno C. Schmidt Jr., Reforming Leader at Yale & CUNY, 81 (1942-2023)

Andre Watts, Acclaimed Pianist & IU Jacobs School of Music Professor, 77 (1946-2023)

Evelyn Witkin, Geneticist who Studied How Cells Repair their DNA, 102 (1921-2023)

Jane Birkin, British Actress & Singer who Inspired the Hermes Bag, 76 (1946-2023)

Joao Donato, Innovative Brazilian Musician, 88 (1934-2023)

Jerry Bradley, Music Executive from Nashville, 83

Nick Benedict, Actor Best Known for 'All My Children' & 'Young & the Restless' TV Soaps, 77 (1946-2023)

Cody Ince, Former NFL Defensive Lineman, 35 (1988-2023)

Marga Minco, Dutch Novelist & Holocaust Survivor, 103 (1920-2023)

Tony Bennett, Iconic Singer/Entertainer whose Career Spanned Nearly 9 Decades, 96 (1926-2023)

Melvin L. Wulf, Longtime Legal Director for the ACLU, 95 (1927-2023)

Lew Perkins, Longtime College Athletic Director, 78 (1945-2023)

Annette O'Malley, Wife of Ex-Dodgers Owner, 81 (1942-2023)

Trevor Francis, Britain's First 1 Million Pound Player, 69 (1954-2023)

Johnny Lujack, Star Quarterback of Notre Dame's Golden Age, 98 (1925-2023)

Sinead O'Connor, Gifted Irish Singer-Songwriter who Sang 'Nothing Compares 2 U', 56 (1966-2023)

Paul Reubens, Actor-Comedian, Writer & Producer, 70 (1952-2023)

Pamela Blair, Original Cast Member of Broadway's 'A Chorus Line', 73 (1949-2023)

Richard O. Simpson, First Chief of Product Safety Agency, 93 (1930-2023)

Randy Meisner, Original Bassist & Founding Member of the Eagles, 77 (1946-2023)

Bo Goldman, Oscar-Winning Screenwriter of 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' & Others, 90 (1932-2023)

Kathie Bodily, Artist & Co-Founder of IMAC, 74

Tom Durden, Georgia DA who Pushed for Arbery Probe in 2020, 66

Robert Matonis, Music Icon from St. Louis, 69 (1953-2023)

Inga Swenson, Actress Best Known as Gretchen the Cook in 'Benson' TV Sitcom, 90 (1932-2023)

Angus Cloud, Actor Best Known as Fezco in HBO Teen Drama 'Euphoria', 25 (1998-2023)

Devyn Reiley, Daughter of 2-Time Super Bowl Champion Bruce Collie, 30

Sheila Oliver, Trailblazing Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey, 71 (1952-2023)

Edward Sexton, Legendary British Tailor for Rock Stars & Models, 80 (1942-2023)

Carl Davis, Bafta-Winning Composer/Conductor of 'French Lieutenant's Woman' & 'Napoleon', 86 (1936-2023)

Mark Margolis, Character Actor Best Known for 'Breaking Bad' & 'Better Call Saul', 83 (1939-2023)

Charles J. Ogletree Jr., Courtroom Wizard & Profound Legal Theorist, 70 (1952-2023)

Claire Hope, Influential Rapper Known Professionally as Lil Tay, 14 (2009-2023)

Leny Andrade, Singer Known as 'The First Lady of Brazilian Jazz', 80 (1943-2023)

Boniface Alexandre, Former Haitian President, 87 (1936-2023)

Willie Perry Jr., Disc Jockey Known as 'DJ Casper' & Creator of Iconic 'Cha-Cha Slide' Dance, 58

Sixto Rodriguez, Influential Singer & Songwriter, 81 (1942-2023)

Robert Swan, Veteran Character Actor Known for 'Hoosiers', 'The Untouchables' & Others, 78

Robbie Robertson, Songwriter & Guitarist who Co-Created The Band, 80

William Friedkin, Award-Winning Director of 'The French Connection', 'The Exorcist' & Others, 87 (1935-2023)

Jamie Reed, Artist of Iconic Sex Pistols Record Covers, 76 (1947-2023)

Brice Marden, Abstract Artist & Master of Color, 84 (1938-2023)

Tom Jones, Lyricist, Director & Writer of Longest-Running Musical 'The Fantasticks', 95 (1928-2023)

Chris Peluso, Star of Broadway, 38

Jerry Moss, Co-Founder of A&M Records, 88 (1935-2023)

Michael Parkinson, UK Chat Show Host & Presenter, 88

Clarence Avant, Trailblazing Record Executive Known as the 'Godfather of Black Music', 92 (1931-2023)

Kevin Kelly, First-Responding FDNY Firefighter on 9/11, 67 (1955-2023)

Alex Collins, Former NFL Running Back for Seattle Seahawks & Baltimore Ravens, 28 (1994-2023)

Renata Scotto, Italian Opera Diva/Soprano who Inhabited her Roles, 89 (1934-2023)

James L. Buckley, Former United States Senator, 100 (1923-2023)

Pat Hamilton, Photographer who Worked in Conflict Zones, 74 (1949-2023)

Helen Ann Dolan, Philanthropist & Talented Artist, 86 (1926-2023)

Ron Cephas Jones, Emmy-Winning Actor Best Known as William Hill in TV Drama 'This Is Us', 66 (1957-2023)

John Warnock, Inventor of the PFD & Adobe Co-Founder, 82 (1940-2023)

Jean-Louis Georgelin, French Army General who Led Restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral, 74 (1948-2023)

Maxie Baughan, College Football Hall of Famer & 9-Time Pro Bowler in NFL, 85 (1938-2023)

Ada Deer, Advocate for Native American Rights, 88 (1935-2023)

Betty Tyson, African-American Woman Wrongly Imprisoned for 25 Years, 75 (1948-2023)

Al Quie, Former Governor of Minnesota & Congressman, 99 (1923-2023)

Windham Rotunda, WWE Wrestler Known Professionally as Bray Wyatt, 36 (1987-2023)

Sliman Bensmaia, Pioneer of Touch-Enabled Prosthetics, 49 (1973-2023)

Robert Farley, Father of NFL Player Caleb Farley, 61

Bob Barker, Longtime/Iconic Host of TV Game Show 'The Price Is Right', 99 (1923-2023)

Arleen Sorkin, Actress Best Known for Voicing Harley Quinn in 'Batman: the Animated Series', 67 (1955-2023)

Samuel 'Joe the Plumber' Wurzelbacher, Republican Activist who Helped John McCain in 2008, 49 (1973-2023)

Terry Funk, Hall of Fame NWA/WWE Hard-Core Professional Wrestler, 79 (1944-2023)

Sonny Seiler, Attorney who Owned Georgia Football Mascots, 90 (1933-2023)

Larissa Borges, Fitness Influencer, 33

Jamie Christopher, Top-Notch Assistant Director for Marvel & 'Harry Potter' Films, 52 (1971-2023)

Joseph DeCola, Businessman & World War II Veteran, 99 (1924-2023)

Pat Corrales, MLB Manager of Three Major League Teams, 82 (1941-2023)

Gil Brandt, Hall of Fame Architect of 'America's Team' Dallas Cowboys, 91 (1932-2023)

Steve Crump, Longtime Journalist for WBTV, 65

Jan Jongbloed, Famed Goalie from the Netherlands, 82 (1940-2023)

Mohamed Al Fayed, Former Owner of Famed Harrods Department Store, 94 (1929-2023)

Marilyn Lovell, Stoic Wife of Apollo 13 Commander James A. Lovell Jr., 93 (1930-2023)

Bill Pinkney, Pioneering Black Sailor who Circled the Globe, 87 (1935-2023)

Tina Howe, Playwright who Gave Women Center Stage, 85 (1937-2023)