From the afternoon to early nightfall, Peter finishes up the day. He puts on his coat and hat. Yagi follows suit, but he then goes up to Peter to ask him the big question.
"You want the whole day off tomorrow".
"I-I-it's Christmas Sir. I promised my family I celebrate the holidays with them".
"You know there are foreclosures to be sent out". He shows off the papers to him and looks at it again. "Ooo! I think there is one for... Mr. Uno? Is he Spanish?".
"But young Midoriya was looking forward to celebrating with me. I-I don't ask much from you Mr. Scrooge, but, I want to give my son the best Christmas I can possibly give him".
Peter sighs.
"You know, I can't stand this sob-story crap. If you have to, then fine. Take the damn half-day off. But I expect to see you at 12:30 in the afternoon. And you will show your ass up here on New Years. Both eve and day".
"Oh thank you Mr. Scrooge!" Yagi said happily.
"Yeah yeah whatever, I'm going home. You clean up and close down the place. And if I see anything missing, you're fired! Got it?".
"Yes sir! Good Evening sir. And have a Merry Christmas!"
"How many times do I have to say it. CHRISTMAS IS A HUMBUG!!!". Peter G Scrooge Starts to walks down the street making his way to him home. The scene of London on his way home is dismal. Poverty everywhere, children running about in rags, beggars, tramps, everywhere. There was even a girl, blonde hair tied back in a ponytail with a red, patchy bow, begging on the streets, singing for money, holding a rusty tin cup that only had six threepences.
HARK! the Herald Angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on Earth, and Mercy mild,
God and Sinners reconcil'd.
Joyful all ye Nations rise,
Join the Triumphs of the Skies;
Nature rise and worship him,
Who is born at Bethlehem.
Peter, like with the flower girl and match girl, passes the singing beggar girl, holding her tin cup for money. And just like before, Peter pushes her away. Three of the threepences flew out of her cup as she fell to the ground, and Peter catches them. Putting the threepences in his pocket he whispered to himself, "like taking houses from poor people", and he laughs leaving the beggar girl cold and hungry, three threepences shorter. Peter continues to walk to his home, and by nightfall, he does. The mansion on the Main Street used to be owned by his associate, Homer J Marley. The many rooms are cold and bleak as his personality, as well as dark, for no one else comes in to this manor. It used to be one of the orphanages in town, but Homer and Peter foreclosed it and then took it for themselves. Peter comes home reaching for his keys. He gets them and then...
He has a vision, he swears that he saw the face of his dead associate on the doorknob, moaning. He rubs his eyes, and in another minute, it was gone. It had startled him so, He must be going insane, but he rubbed it off as being tired. He should really sell that doorknob. He goes to his chair by the fire place and eats his dinner of cheap, cold, gruel. The room only lit by few candle made it dark, for he didn't want to spend any money on candles. Moaning can be heard from the rest of the house, but Peter passed it off, thinking of how old the place really is. He begins to prepare for bed. Satisfied, in his night cap and gown, he begins to settle in bed. He was looking forward to what tomorrow will bring for his wealth. He starts to tuck in to his bed, until all of a sudden, he hears chains rattling, the sound of moaning intensifying. Steps from the stairs are heard creaking. Peter began to freak out.
"Oh my God! It's happening. I'm being robbed!" Peter shouted.
"Scrooge! Peter G Scrooge!" The voice said.
"He knows my name!?!" Peter shouted frightened. He jumps out of bed, grabs a fireplace poker, and begins defend himself. The sound sleep getting closer, and closer, and closer, until the candles dimmed, darker than normal. A ghost then appears out from the door. Peter tries to attack it, but misses, the ghost appears in front of him, a fat man with chains, locks, ledgers, deeds, and cashboxes attached to him. He moans more, saying Peter's name once more.
"Holy crap! Y-y-you're Homer J Marley! My old business associate!"
"Yeah yeah, I'm the ghost of Homer J Marley, enough with the exposition already" The ghost, Homer says to him. "Surprised I have come back from the grave to haunt you?".
"I'm surprised you're still such a fat ass".
"Why you LITTLE!!". Homer starts to try and choke Peter but... since he is a ghost, practically couldn't do it. Peter laughs at him. Man! What an idiot.
"I see you're still an idiot. The same one that went to the grave after pulling one on me".
"I died from a heart attack and you know it!".
"Typical idiot". Homer gets uncomfortably close to Peter angirly.
"Listen to me Peter! I have returned from the grave to being you an important message".
"Humbug".
"Humbug?".
"Look, if you want me to change my ways, I think you'll find that nothing will give me joy this time of year. Besides, you went through life like me and you look fine". Homer is annoyed of this response.
"No... I died going through life like you AND NOW I'M SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES!!!". Homer's face turns into fiery anger as flames appear in his eyes, scaring Peter.
"What do you want from me? Oh God! Please have mercy!"
"Man of the wordly mind. Now let me ask you again". Homer said a little more calm, but still angry. "Do you believe in me or not?".
"Yes I do! I have to if you're going kill me!".
"I'm not going to kill you".
"Oh, then why are you here Homer?".
"I told you to tell you something important. You've lost the giving spirit that everyone this time of year has and I'm here to make sure you get it back. I walk the after life in these chains as a grim reminder of what I've done in the past. And I can see it in you too".
"The hell are you talking about? I see no chains".
"I do! And it doesn't look pretty". Homer goes up to the window pane, opening the curtains revealing the snowing night of London's sky.
"Come Peter". Peter gets close to him and looks out the window. Peter, amidst the snowfall, spots the same beggar girl he pushed aside and stole her three threepences. He spots that in her arms was a baby boy, probably her brother. Both freezing on the streets. The girl huddles her baby brother closer to her to keep him warm. The baby crying in her arms.
"Hey! It's that beggar girl I got three threepences from, but why are you showing me this? It's not my business, nor my care".
"But it is your business. It's everyone's business. It's our human duty to give those less fortunate. Take a closer look". Peter takes a closer look and sees another young spirit, with brown hair wearing a green shirt, gray pants and shoes, all covered in chains, in front of the girl. The spirit tries to offer something to the beggar girl and her brother.
"You children must be freezing" The Spirit said. He reaches his arms out to them, offering his coat. "Here. Take this". Another spirit, a young teenager with red hair, like the other young spirit, was wrapped in chains, appearing in front of the girl offering food and milk.
"Please, take the food, for the baby" She said, but because they were spirits, the beggar girl didn't see them and would instead try to find somewhere warm to stay in for the night. The spirits try to reach to them, but the child leaves and the spirits float around moaning as the chains wrap around them.
"Wait. Those spirits!".
"recongnize them?".
"Why, that man was Montana Max, the wealthiest coal mine operator and the woman was Malty Melromarc, the richest female circus master".
"That's right"
"But why are they like this? They didn't do anything".
"Precisely!" Homer shouts, rising above Peter reveling many lost spirits in the same condition as Homer. Peter begins to tremble in fear.
"Holy crap!" He shouts as the spirits moan.
"This will happen to you if you don't change you don't change your ways" Homer says in a deep voice. "Tonight, you will be haunted by three spirits".
"Aw geez, can I not" Peter asks timidly.
"The first one will be expected tomorrow when the bells toll one".
"What if I were too take them all at once. That get things over with. It's hurting no one" Peter asks, again timidly. Homer ignores him as he begins to disappear along with the other spirits.
"You've been warned. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!" Homer says disappearing along with the other spirits. Peter sits down in his big chair, trying to take in all that had happened.
"Okay" Peter says. "I just saw my dead associate after seven years and then a crap ton of spirits followed... that is the last time I ever eat two week old gruel".
-End of Chapter two-