Author's Note: In case you missed the posts explaining what this is all about, a few years ago, some friends and I decided to create a list of writing prompts where our original characters "visited" other books. Seeing as the resulting stories were too much fun to let languish on my hard drive, I've dusted them off to share on my blog :)
Enjoy!
Much love,
Saffron Amatti xx
Lucas Scrooge was just settling down to a bowl of gruel before a low-burning fire, which was the only light in the empty house.
'Good grief,' he muttered sullenly, pulling a face and moving it around the bowl without enthusiasm. 'Not this muck again. And I thought Scrooge was rich? Why isn't he eating a great side of beef in a beautiful home with a wife and kids? Why is he eating pauper's food in a dilapidated building with all the lights off and only one measly log on the fire?'
'That's how he stays rich,' I said from the ether. 'Now shush.'
He stuck his tongue out in the direction he thinks I am, and shivered.
'If I didn't know better, I'd say this place was haunted,' he said, looking over his shoulder into the shadows. 'But seeing as I'd know...'
'Funny you should say that,' I said, as the slither of chains started and the spirit of Clara Marley appeared.
'Boo,' she said, grinning widely.
'Real ghosts don't say "boo",' said Lucas, before frowning at me. 'Why is she dead? You promised you wouldn't kill her.'
'I didn't,' I protested. 'Marley is only ever shown as a ghost, so I didn't "kill" her.'
'Plus it's jolly good fun,' said Clara, swooping around and clanking her chains happily.
'And it's only for today,' I added. 'You get her back properly tomorrow.'
'Oh, all right then,' Lucas sighed, setting his gruel aside. 'What have you got to tell me, o ghostly Clara?'
'Right, that's why I'm here,' she said, pausing in front of him. 'You're going to be visited by three spirits, Lucas Scrooge, and shown the error of your miserly ways.'
'If people bought more papers from me, I wouldn't have to be miserly,' he argued.
I interrupted with a cough. 'Play the game, there's a good boy,' I said. 'Scrooge is rich and miserly, even if you're not.'
'Fine,' he snapped. 'Let's get it over with then.'
With that, the three spirits appeared, because I'm limited on space.
His mother, dressed in green velvet robes, was the Spirit of Christmas Present.
'Loosen up and enjoy yourself a bit,' she advised, handing him a glass of rather good wine and a roast goose dinner.
'This is more like it,' he said, tucking in.
'But don't forget that there's more important things than money,' said Henry, looking weird and wispy as the Ghost of Christmas Past. 'Your friends, for example.'
'Yes, probably,' said Lucas through a mouthful of roast potato.
'Lucas, listen,' hissed Clara Marley. 'Make more time for Henry. He's feeling a bit forgotten nowadays.'
'He's the one who got married and had a baby,' argued Lucas. 'Those things eat time.'
'You're going to the pub with him, and that's that,' said Clara, pecking Lucas on the cheek.
'Fine, but can you tell him to make time for me too please? And stop ribbing me about you, whilst he's at it.'
This was duly arranged, and Lucas found himself rather looking forward to spending time with his oldest friend.
'And you should start being nicer to people,' said a pale, hollow-cheeked Tommy with dark rings around his startlingly blue eyes. 'Otherwise no-one will be sad when you're gone.'
The other spirits turned on Tommy and told him this wasn't true.
He merely shrugged. 'Something to think about,' he said with a smirk.
Lucas looked at him solemnly. 'If you agree to stop mooning over Clara, then we'll call a truce.'
A truce was declared, and general festive goodwill abounded. Christmas Present produced food enough for everyone, and the rest of their friends and families, and a jolly festive time was had by all.
See? I can be nice to Lucas occasionally.
Thank you so much for reading! If you'd like to meet the gang properly, make sure you check out my books here on my website, or on Amazon or Kobo :)