Act 1

A long time ago, there was a old Victorian city covered in a blanket of snow, a lot of people residing there are as happy as they can be because it's Christmas Eve, they were singing carols, decorating, buying presents, and collecting charity to give to the poor...except for one person, a old man with cold blue eyes and short blueish-gray hair with bangs, he was carrying a large bag on his bag that make a cling sound whenever he makes a step, he also carries a cane around. The man crosses the street when he was stopped by a impoverish man.

"Care to give some to the poor, Governor?" He asked. "A hay penny perhaps?" The old man just looked at the other man, sneering at him before walking away.

"Bah! The poor are so bothersome." He said under his breath, soon enough he reached his the location; his place of business: "Marlon and Marly's". Well technically it's just "Marlon's", as his business partner, Cheru Marly, past away 7 years ago. The old man entered the building only to find a younger spectacled man with brunette hair, round shaped glasses, and old tattered clothing in the process of putting coal in the oven. "Cratchit!" He called out, surprising the spectacled man.

"AH! Oh! Whew, g-good morning Mr. Marlon." The young man said, recovering from the shock.

"What are you planning on doing with that coal?" He asked him sternly.

"Oh um, I was trying to thaw out the ink." He answered as he shook a bottle of ink. "It's hard to write if its frozen...ACK!" The older man slapped the coal out of his hand while scolding:

"You used that coal last week! Now get back to work, Cratchit!"

Cratchit sat back down in his chair to write things, his job was to be Marlon's clerk. "Speaking of work, tomorrow is Christmas, sir." He said sheepishly.

"So what?" Marlon said as he sat down by his desk.

"Well, I was wondering if I can take a day off tomorrow, y'know, to spend time with my family."

"Bah! Humbug." He scoffed, emptying bags of money on his desk.

"But sir, I have a sick little girl at home who's expecting me, it's only just one day." He begged. Marlon only brushed his chin with his forefinger, contemplating on the words his employee said.

"Mmmmmmm, very well, I will grant you a day off...but, under the condition that I dock half of your pay...which was 15 shillings, correct?"

"15 shillings and a hay penny, sir." Cratchit corrected him.

"Ah yes, thank you, I believe that was three years ago. But anyways, if you can excuse me I'm gonna go over my books."

"Yes sir." He said, rather gleefully due to the day off he's given, even though his pay would be halved, it would be worth it. Meanwhile, Marlon was counting the money he earned in the back, smiling over his unbridled avarice, this was surly his favorite thing in the world. But his thoughts were interrupted by the door opening, he looked up thinking it was a customer, but frowned upon realizing who he was.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" The young man at the door said cheerfully, holding a reef, he has shirt green hair with matching eyes.

"And a Merry Christmas to you too, Master Ayn." Cratchit said. Marlon was the only one not thrilled, not only he hates Christmas, he hasn't been close to Ayn despite being his Nephew, mostly due to not being close to his mother Nem, Marlon's younger sister whom died years earlier.

"Bah! Humbag." Marlon scoffed again as he went back to work.

"Hey, Uncle Marlon!" Ayn said, walking to the old man.

"What?" He groan.

"I thought it be nice if you can come to tomorrow's Christmas feast, we have a bunch of good stuff made such as turkey and pies." Marlon sat there there for a moment upon hearing that, but then looked up at his Nephew smiling, he then proceeded to say:

"Here's something you may already heard, but just in case you forget I'll say it again: NO!" He yelled at him. Ayn cringed from the yelling. "You know damn well that I don't partake in feasts, I've been telling you this year after year. Christmas-this, Christmas-that, I say bah! Humbug."

"But Uncle Marlon, a lot of your relatives wanted to get to know you, my mother could rest in peace knowing you'd come."

"Out!" He yelled as he pointed at the door, Ayn got freaked out and ran out, dropping his reef.

"Do you have to be that rough, sir? He is your Nephew, right?" Keel pointed out.

"True, but that doesn't mean I have to do what anyone says, especially when it comes to Christmas." He said, just then he heard the door open. "I thought I told you to-". He was about to finish his sentience when he realizes that it wasn't his Nephew Ayn, it was just a pair of men wearing former suits, one with Green hair and matching eyes and glasses, and the other with platinum hair and red eyes. "Ooooh customers!" He called out gleefully before giggling, "Welcome gentlemen, welcome, how can I help you two?"

"Ah yes." The Green headed one starts. "We're hear to collect for charity and thought you'd participate."

"Wait what?" Marlon asked.

"We're collecting for the poor." The platinum headed one answered, holding a bucket. Marlon look at the bucket in his hand, making a awkward expression as he knew that collecting for the poor means his money's walking out the door. Quickly he made an excuse.

"I see, but you do realize that if you give money to the poor, then they wouldn't be poor anymore." Marlon said, feigning concern in his voice.

"Uhh well..." The platinum headed man was conflicted now.

"And if they're not poor anymore, you don't have to raise money for them anymore." He said as he walked over to the donators.

"I suppose but that's-" The green headed man said, but was cut off.

"And if you don't raise money for them anymore, then you'd be out of the job." He opens the door for them. "Oh please gentlemen, don't ask me to put you out of a job, not on Christmas Eve." He was acting all dramatic.

"Oh no, we wouldn't do that, Mr. Marlon." The Green headed man exclaimed.

"Well it's settled then." Marlon gave them his Nephew's reef and said: "You can give this reef to the poor and beat it!" He slammed the door in their faces. "Aye, people just want to give all your money away after working all your life to get it." He complained while walking back to his desk to continue his work. Hours went by, it was already nightfall and Cratchit is still working to the bone in his work as clerk, he was about to doze off but was awoken by the sound of the grandfather clock. It was 7 at night, his shift is done, happily, he finishes what he was writing and closes the book. Marlon took notice of this and looked at the clock, he then looked at his pocket watch to compare. "Mmmmmmmm...2 minutes fast." Cratchit stopped in his tracks in surprise and went back to work. "Bah! Never mind about those 2 minutes, you can go now." He said, motioning his hand to him.

"Thank, Mr. Marlon!" Cratchit said happily. "You're very generous."

"Enough with the mushy stuff, just remember to return on the day after Christmas first thing in the morning." Marlon warned. "And take my bundle of shirts by the doorway before you go."

"Understood sir," He said as he put on his coat and hat. "And a Bah Hum-I mean Merry Christmas." He stuttered as he grabbed the said bundle and and left. Marlon only rolled his eyes before continuing with his work. 2 hours later, he is done for the night, so he decides to bundle up, pack up, and lock up for the night, he walks back to his home all alone. It was dark and cold, the streets were desolate, meaning that everyone is indoors possibly asleep. Soon he reached his home, it was a large house that any rich person can own. He was about to open the door until...

...Clink...Clink...Clink...

Marlon hears something clinking from a distance, it almost sounded like chains. He turned around, but there was nothing that was making a noise. "Huh, I must be tired...*Yawn*." He yawned as he entered his home, just as he did though...

...Ebenezer...Ebenezer...Ebenezer...

He heard more noises, only this time it was calling his name, and it was coming from inside the house. Thinking that there was a break-in, Marlon took his cane and gripped it like a weapon, there was nothing and no one. "This fatigue is really getting to me." He said again while lowering his cane, he then proceeding to settle down. He removed his coat and hat and placed his cane down, which was under a painting of someone familiar, a portrait of his late-partner Cheru Marley, he is seen in his trademark purple suit that matches his eyes and his long hair tied into a ponytail, he also seems to be smirking in the painting. "Ah Cheru, having to pass away on Christmas Eve 7 years ago, you were quite the playboy back then, were you?" He was conversing with the painting with no reply, no surprise there. He then went to a hallway mirror opposite of the painting to check the bags under his eyes, he's not as young as he used to be, he will eventually pass away like his young partner.

...Ebenezer Marlon...

He heard that voice again, was he really going crazy? It almost seems to be the case because in the mirror, he could've sworn that the picture of Cheru was blinking, he also seems to be frowning now. Marlon rubs his eyes in disbelief, was his portrait alive? Just then he sees Cheru crawling out of the portrait, this time covered in heavy chains making the same clinking sound from earlier. In horror, Marlon turned to see if its actually happening...and it is, something that looks like Cheru is practically crawling out of the painting.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Marlon screamed in horror and ran upstairs, he stumbles a couple of times before finally running to his room, he locked his bedroom door, he leaned against the door painting. He ran to his chair and hid behind it.

...Ebenezer...

"GO AWAY!" Marlon yelled at the ghost, he was sitting in a fatal possession. Much to his horror however, the ghost started to float from the floor in front of Marlon. "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!" Marlon was panicking, thinking he's going to be possessed or murdered. Instead however, he felt a huge slap across the face which got him to stop.

"A man your age shouldn't be acting like this..." The ghost said to him sternly, Marlon was still shaking. "...I say...have you forgotten me already, Ebenezer?" Marlon, still shaking, put on his reading glasses to see the ghost. Once he did, he stopped shaking upon realizing who the ghost is.

"...Cheru Marley...Is it really you?" He was baffled to his former partner there, covered in heavy chains that are dragging old boxes.

"Indeed I am, you remember the days that I was a Playboy who robbed from the widows and swindled the poor?" Cheru asked his older companion.

"Ah yes, and all in just one day too." Marlon elatedly responded. "You have class, my friend." Cheru smiled, but more sadly.

"Yes I did...but that was a long time ago, and during my time in the Afterlife, I learned that all that things I did was wrong." He explained. "Every little thing I did was criminal, an embodiment of the Deadly Sin of Greed...and as punishment..." He grabbed his chains. "I am forced to carry these chains for all eternity, never to be forgiven!" He started to sound pained, Marlon was starting to worry. "I'm doomed! Doomed! Doomed I tell ya!...And the same will happen to YOU, Ebenezer Marlon!" He pointed at him.

"Wh-what!?" Marlon stuttered. "Th-that can't be."

"You dare deny the truth?" Cheru sneered at him, offended by his friend's ignorance, he grabbed him by the collar and walked to the window. "If you continue on the path of Avarice like I have, you'll end up suffering like me..." He opens the window. "And them!" Marlon looks down and sees more ghost walking around in suffering, covered in heavy chains and letting out cries of anguish. The old miser became horrified by the site before that he pushed away from his partner and fell to the ground.

"Oh god! I don't want to be like them! I don't want to suffer like them!" Marlon cried out in fear.

"Exactly."

"Please Cheru! You gotta get me out of this! I'll do anything to avoid this!" He was on his knees, begging.

"There is one way..." The ghost explained. "...Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits, each representing the Past, Present, and Future of Christmas." Cheru began to float down through the floor slowly. "You must listen to them and do as they say, otherwise you'll suffer the same fate as I have, but with heavier chains." He completely submerged himself through the floorboards. "Farewell old friend, and good luck." Marlon just sat there, scared out of his mind from what he experienced. After what felt like hours, he finally stood up to get ready for bed.

End of Act 1