Act 3

The clock's bell on his nightstand started to ring, it is 11 at night. Along with the ringing were the sounds of weeping, Marlon had been crying in his sleep, he stirred in his bed as he wiped his eyes. He had been traveling in the past with the Ghost of Christmas Past and now he's left in a vulnerable state of guilt and sorrow.

"I'm such a fool..." He started, staring at the ceiling before covering his face with his hand. "How could I be so foolish?" Talking to himself in a somber tone, he then opened up the curtain to his bed. "I need some water." He lit his candle and proceeded to leave the room. Once he opened the bedroom door, he noticed that there's a light going on in the dining room. Did someone break into his home? Marlon quickly walked down the stairs to see who's there. "Hello? Who's there?" He called out, but no reply. Carefully he grabbed his cane under the portrait of Cheru, he's about to put up a fight with the intruder, he blew out his candle before setting it down, as he did'n't want to cause a fire.

"HAAAAAH!" He jumped in front of the dining room entrance ready to take on whoever's in the kitchen...but he stopped. His eyes grew wide in surprise as he dropped his cane, in front of was a dining table covered in platters of food, all different dishes and desserts more delicious than the last, not only that but the whole dining room is decorated in green colored decorations. Marlon felt drool running down his mouth from the site, he should've excepted Ayn's invitation to the Christmas feast a long time ago.

"Looks good huh?" Marlon jumped in surprise when he heard a masculine voice in the room, he looked over to find sitting at the head of the table in a fingers locked position was someone with a blond bob haircut and blue eyes. They seem to be wearing a green robe with white fur lining on it and secured with a brown belt, a wreath of holly decorated with red mistletoe berries and icicles, making it look like a crown, they seem to also be wearing a white feminine shirt with puffy sleeves and form fitting cuffs, a white frilly skirt that goes down to the middle of their ankles, red leggings, and black Mary Jane shoes with thick high heals. "I take it you never had food like this in your entire life or you had it before you you became stingy."

"Wait...you're a man?" Marlon asked in a baffled tone, changing the subject, this caused the stranger to look dissatisfied.

"Yes...and?" The stranger answered, looking annoyed.

"N-nothing..are you another spirit?" Marlon asked, attempting to avoid angering a person. They stood up and grabbed a cornucopia.

"But of course." He snaps his fingers which causes the cornucopia to light up like a torch. "I am the Ghost of Christmas Present, I am what they call the embodiment of Christmas."

"I can tell, you look like St. Nicholas if he were royalty and wore green."

"But I'm not St. Nicholas, aren't I?" The Spirit said as he walked over. "I'm surprised that you don't even know me considering I have 800 brothers, not to mention that we come every year." He then turned to the food on the table. "As for the large feast you see before you, this is what I like to call: "the food of generosity", it all came from the heart of those who think of others before themselves." He then turned back to the miser, pointing. "Something that you gave up a long time ago." That comment hit Marlon hard, after what he saw in his past, he felt vulnerable but is more willing now. Marlon placed his hand in his chest and slightly bowed.

"My apologies, Spirit." Marlon said remorsefully. "After what the previous Spirit showed me, I'll allow you to show me what I need to see."

"Really? So she finally knocked some sense into you?" He lifted his left arm to him. "Very well, just touch my robe and we'll be on our way." Marlon was slightly hesitant at first, but at this point he just doesn't care, he took hold of the Spirit's sleeve and as quick as a flash they ended up in the middle of a street in the city he lives. Marlon quickly covers his arms trying to warm them up as the air is to cold.

"BAH! BLOODY HELL IT'S TOO COLD!" Marlon yelled out in frustration.

"You didn't have a problem being with the previous Spirit." The current Spirit joked.

"W-we were i-i-inside buildings m-m-most of the t-t-time, plus she's a w-w-walking candle." Marlon shivered.

"Hm, you have a point, here you go." The Spirit snapped his fingers, allowing a robe to wrap around the Miser. "I brought your bathrobe from your place, I hope that's ok." Marlon quickly puts his robe on.

"Thank you, that's all I needed."

"Anyways, lets get a move on." They walked down the cold city street, around them people are making preparations for Christmas despite the poor weather, from cleaning the rooftops to talking merrily. The shops around them are also lined with colorful and delicious platters of food, the smell of figs and spices fill the air, and everybody is rushing about buying things for the season and the shopkeepers are too busy making merry to worry about getting the right prices. Then the church bells ring and the flocks of people go off to church. "This is what I like about this holiday, people having fun and treating each other with respect." The Spirit said as he began sprinkling a strange incense on the food from his cornucopia shaped torch.

"What's that?" Marlon asked.

"A special incense from my torch, a sprinkle of this stuff will give the food a magical effect of making any disagreement vanish." He answered. "It's best given to a poor dinner...speaking of that, there's one place I want to show you." They walk a little more down town until they reached the outskirts of the city, in front of them was a small rundown two story house with light inside. "Ah, here we are." The Spirit said as he stopped in front of a door.

"Who's run down shack is this?" Marlon said, annoyed, the Spirit then used his left hand and pushed the old Miser through the door without opening it, they just when through it like it was never there.

"This "shack" that you speak of is the home of your overworked and underpaid employee; Keel Cratchit." He told Marlon as he was sprinkling some incense around the place as well. As he does so, Marlon looks around the house interior, as expected it looked rundown, but at the same time it was surprisingly stable. A woman, with pinkish-red hair and wearing a simple pink dress with blue ribbons on it and brown slip-ons took out the bread from the oven and set it by a small window to cool down, meanwhile a young brunette boy wearing a dirty white shirt and blue overalls was placing ornaments around the Christmas tree, the tree itself was scrawny and missing tons of branches.

"I'm home, Mother!" Just then the front door opened behind Marlon, and in comes a young teenage girl with brown hair tied in small pigtails and matching eyes, and is wearing a old dress that matches her mother's hair, she also seems to be carrying a dead goose in her hands.

"Welcome home, Yukina." The woman said as she walks over to hug her daughter, just then they heard footsteps, Yukina quickly hides behind a rocking chair. Soon in comes Marlon's employee Keel, he was carrying another brunette girl with brown eyes, this time with longer pigtails and wearing a pale dress with a brown jacket, she seems to be holding a stick that resembles a crutch. Out of all the cheeriness in the room, Keel for some reason was looking sad, Marlon tilt his head at his expression.

"BOO!" Yukina jumps out, surprising Keel and the little girl.

"Oh Yukina you scared me." Keel said, forming a smile, the girl in his arms giggled.

"I brought home a goose!"

"Terrific child, we'll have a great dinner tonight." He said as he places the girl down, she was limping with a cane in hand. Seeing that, Marlon felt like something was wrong. "You go play with your siblings, Tiny Aile." Keel said, he and his wife went to another room, Marlon followed them and listened in to what they had to say. He notices how Keel was on the verge of crying. "Tiny Aile seems to be doing well, Mikina, though I don't know how long it would last."

"Don't say such things, Keel." Mikina urged. "I'm as worried as you are, but we have to keep our chins up and pray that she'll make a full recovery, and hopefully save enough money to cure her illness."

"You're right, she will make a recovery...someday." Marlon continues to watch Keel's family closely, it seems that for the first time he's actually learning much more about his own employee and how he and his family live every minute. Soon it was supper, the goose is small but they're quite happy to get something to eat during their prayers. Tiny Aile lifted up her glass and proclaimed proudly:

"God bless us everyone!" As she said that, the others followed suit.

"Spirit?" Marlon asks.

"Yeah?" He response, having just returned from blessing the house with incense.

"I've been absorbing Aile for quite a while...what's wrong with that poor child? Is she going to survive?"

"...I'm afraid not." He said in a somber tone. "They're giving their hopes up...for you see, if things like this continue...the only thing I see in their future is an empty chair where Tiny Aile once sat." Marlon's eyes widen in horror, it was not the answer he hoped for.

"...So that means...Aile's going to..."

"I'm afraid so." Marlon stood in there, frozen by this horrific fate placed on this child, and it will be his own fault.

"And...god bless...Mr. Marlon." Marlon suddenly jumped upon hearing his name spoken by his own employee.

"Seriously?" Mikina asked, sounding quite annoyed. "How could be so grateful to a Miser that pushes you around? You do this every year."

"I know, but even people like him should be given some respect and forgiveness, he was generous enough to let me have a day off." Keel responded, "You ought to not think lowly on them, especially on Christmas."

"Hmmm, I suppose." She said quietly, she then raised her drink and said: "God bless him." And after that conversation, they returned to their activities, being merrier than ever. Even Tiny Aile began to sing a song. While this was going on, the Spirit tugged on Marlon's arm, motioning him that it's time to leave, and he follows. Walking back into the city, Marlon's mind became full, he has learned so much more about his employee, given a new perspective on him, Marlon needs to start treating him more kindly. But what worries him the most was his youngest daughter and her discovered illness that, was she really going to die because of him? Meanwhile the Spirit was twirling around in his dress over the beautiful scenery.

"What the hell are you doing?" Marlon exclaimed over the site before him.

"Enjoying myself, what do you think? I'm the embodiment of Christmas after all." He responds, he stops twirling. "Why? you still worrying about Tiny Aile?"

"Well of course!...Eh!" Marlon blushed upon realizing what he just said, he clears his throat. "D-don't think I care or anything, I just don't want to see my employee coming to work depressed...it slows down business."

"Yeah that's not what I saw back at their place." The Spirit teased. "You we're very concerned." Marlon looked away.

"Whatever."

"Anyways, despite the horrible times, these families including Keel's still manage to make the best of it, for example..." He snaps his fingers, suddenly they're in the middle of nowhere, covered in grass and trees.

"What the-!?" Marlon exclaimed. "Where are we?"

"The Moor, that's where those miners live." The Spirit points over to the fields, there were a couple of miners who were sitting by the campfire and singing with their wives and children. "And here." He snaps his fingers again, and now their inside a building.

"Is this a lighthouse?" Marlon asks.

"Yes, next to the most unsettling waves on this county, despite of all that however, these gentlemen here are having a grand ol' time." He points at the two men who were eating and drinking their fill next to a small holly hanging on the wall. "And here." He snaps his fingers once more, now they're on a boat. "See those sea men over there?" Marlon turns to see a few more men celebrating as well, humming a tune to "We wish you a Merry Christmas". Marlon was quite surprised upon seeing those men having fun despite being in a dangerous sea. "And finally here." He snaps his fingers once more, there were inside someone's house with people in it, laughing and singing.

"This place...these people...why do they look familiar?" Marlon asked.

"Bah Humbug!"

"WHAT!?" Marlon heard someone say his catchphrase alongside a sea of laughter, he turned around and saw someone he knew, someone he had once despised but now feels regret. "Ayn!?" He sees his Nephew making fun of his saying while people egged him on, he was known to be contagious around people but in a good way. A beautiful woman came to him, it was his wife.

"You outta be ashamed of yourself, making light of that miser of an uncle of yours." She scolded.

"It's fine love, I don't even get to keep any of the money anyways because nothing good comes from it." Ayn said smiling. "I feel pretty bad for Uncle Marlon though, he's missing out of the good times, that's why I keep pestering him every year hoping he would come one day." They all laugh again at this notion. Marlon became flustered from the thought, his nephew cares for him too much after all those times he pushed him away. Just then he hears a pretty tune from a harp, it was his niece, he remembers this song fondly, for the first time...it made him smile, but not because of greed, but because of nostalgia, the enjoyment he felt a long time ago has made him smile. The Spirit grins at this development, he knew that Marlon's cold shell is starting to break.

"Game time!" One of the family members proclaim, everyone was getting ready for it. Marlon sees them making preparations, he then turns to the Spirit.

"If it's not too much trouble...but do you mind if I play these games a little?" He asks while blushing, the Spirit perked up from hearing that.

"Not at all, but do keep in mind that you these are just memories so they may not be real, not to mention we got 15 minutes." The Spirit said, looking at the grandfather clock.

"Worth it." He says, giving him a thumbs up. Despite what the Spirit had said to him, he was just having a great time with the relatives he never talks to, telling stories, playing games, and singing songs, his Christmas spirit has finally returned to him. "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Marlon started to laugh again, this time to these festivities. Soon the bell Rings, it was time for him to go. Although he wants to stay more, he knew it couldn't last. Outside, both Marlon and the Spirit had their elbows linked and are twirling around in an happy matter. "I haven't felt this good in years!"

"See? I told you the holidays ain't always bad." The Spirit said in a elated tone...but it didn't last long, for the lights in the city started to darken, and while that was going on, the Spirit began to slow down. Confused, Marlon looked and noticed that he's starting to develop white hair.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry...I forgot to mention that my time is up by midnight...which means I will waste away...and won't comeback till next year." He explained, sounding somewhat somber.

"I see...huh?" Marlon spot something odd about him.

"What?"

"...What's going on under your dress?" He asks while pointing at his dress. The Spirit looks down.

"Oh right...I forgot to mention about them." He then proceeded to lift up his dress, revealing two little blond children, one with short hair resembling Marlon's and one with short twintails, both of them were starving, feral, sickly, dirty, and disgusting. Marlon was surprised about their sudden appearance as he stepped back from almost being scratched by the boy before being pulled back by the spirit, how has the Spirit not warn him about this?

"...A-are they your's?" Marlon asked sheepishly.

"No...these are man's." The Spirit said in a frail voice, he patted their heads. "This boy is Ignorance...This girl is Want...Beware of both of them...but most of all, beware the boy...For on his forehead I see that written which is "Doom."...Unless the writing is erased...If you deny him...slander those who tell others about him...admit that he exists, but do nothing about it...then doom will engulf you all..."

"...I-is they're any refuge for these children!?" Marlon asks in a scared tone, "A-any charities!?" the Spirit only looked at him with a stoic expression.

"...Are there no prisons?...are there no workhouses?" He asks, sounding more serious, that question alone was thought provoking. As Marlon was lost in his own thoughts about what the Spirit asks, the bell tolls. Marlon looked up at the bell tower at the center of the city, it was Midnight. He looked back to talk to the Spirit once more, but he and the children were gone...He was left all alone in the middle of the city.

"Spirit!?...Where are you!?" Marlon began to frantically ask while walking around the middle of the empty and dark city...completely unaware of a dark figure behind him.

End of Act 3