The Second Of The Three Spirits
A bell tolls once more.
Leo sits up and looks around, looking at the place where the last spirit had appeared, but nothing showed. He waited. He waited half an hour and yet nothing had shown up. He grumbled and stood up, dusting himself off. Until suddenly a golden light began to shine in the door in front of Leo. Through the cracks and blinding gold light seeped itself into Leo's chamber, suddenly a soft laugh was heard on the other side. Out of no where the door opened and the bright golden light burned Leo's eyes, causing him to raise a hand. "Enter, Leo!" A voice echoed, Leo glances behind his hand before finally putting it down, his eyes had now adjusted to the light. With cautious steps he enters through the door, inside was a warm fireplace with a blazing flame, with strange clocks as tall as a man stand spinning, pine garlands hung from the wall with red bows attached to them.
In the corner a mountain of festive foods give the appearance of a Christmas tree. A giant robot sit perched on top of it, holding a brilliant torch, holding a massive green gown and a holly crown he looks down at the turtle, "come in! Come in and know me better, man!" The robot laughed, "I am the ghost of Christmas Present. My brothers call me Fugitoid. Look upon me!" Fugitoid leaned towards Leo.
Despite being in the far corner Leo still jumped, the spirit laughed once more, "you have never seen the likes of me before?" Fugitoid put a hand on his chest, Leo sidles away from the door and awkwardly swings his arms.
"Never." The turtle answered honestly "Have never walked forth with my elder brothers?" The robot looking spirit asked once again, "I-I don't think that I have. You have many brothers?" Leo's voiced shakes. The spirit chortles and slaps his knee, "more than 1,800! 1,842, to be exact." The spirit leaned over towards the shaken masked turtle. "Oh." Leo mustered a small forced smile and eyes the ghost. "I see you wear a scabbard, but no sword." Leo mentioned, the Leonardo Hamato had always had a thing with swords and their specialties, so seeing this.. confused him. The ghost lifts up his empty scabbard and peers into inside, "indeed. And then Fugitoid shrugged "peace on Earth. Goodwill towards men." Fugitoid spoke proudly, no sword means peace. Leo bowed his head submissively "Spirit, conduct me where you will. I went forth last night on compulsion, and I learned a lesson which is working now. Tonight if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it." Leo raised his eyes to meet Fugitoid's.
The spirit laughed. Hard. Before grabbing one end of his tied belt and leaning his arm down towards Leo, the a golden light the belt magically lengthens and reaches Leo's height and halting. With hesitation Leo confidently walked towards the belt and takes a carful hold of it, wrapping it around his palm for extra protection and grip. Suddenly a shower of golden sparks shoot up the belt like a golden fuse, Leo lifts his gaze to follow them. The sparks reach the peak of the mountain of food and the heaped feast melts away in an amount of light. The mountain was now smaller and the spirit reminded sitting of what was left. The spirit sweeps his torch and then blows on it over Leo's head. The flames flared onto the ground and began to melt the wooden floor, making a huge hole showing the lower floor of Leo's mansion. Leo, clutching the belt backs away from the edge of the hole. Suddenly the environment moves and they are out in the snow covered streets, but the room moved along with the scenery. The movement caused Leo to be pushed over, but when his foot landed on the hole it was as though it was solid glass.
"Very strange." Mumbled Leo as he gazed down, "indeed. Not many mortals are granted a heavenly perspective of man's world." Replied the spirit. "Yes." Was all that Leonardo could muster out. Suddenly the floor and building zooms over the city streets and it halts over two flat roofs with a narrow alley between them, two groups of tenants have a snowball fight over the alley. Leo beams down at them, a smile growing on his face. Once again the hall floats forward and gathers speed winding down narrow streets, it reaches an elegant brick building and darts onward.
Revealing the towering spire of a church, Leo points at the cross and the hall hovers over the spire. Leo watched as dozens of worshipers stream inside. The scene changes for they can see the beauty of the spire next to the rising sun, Leo chuckled excitedly, "it's quiet beautiful." Leo grinned. The ghost aims his torch and the room whizzes forward. Skimming over the ice covered rooftops of st. Paul's cathedral, it dashed past buildings with smoke steaming from the chimneys then flys over a walkway connecting two building together. Thrusting his torch sideways the spirit turns the room to face a bakery, he lifts his torch and the room rises, it hovers over the skylight as people bustle around ovens. "Spirit, these poor people have no means to cook their food. And yet you seek to close the only places in which they can warmth their meager meals, every seventh day." Leo rambled, Fugitoid jerks his torch forward and the room jolts upward, Leo stumbles than crawl's over to grab Fugitoids belt, "Hear me, Leonardo." Leo gazes up at the giant robot. "There are some upon this earth of yours who claim to know me and my brothers. And do their deeds of ill will and selfishness in our name. These so-called 'men of the cloth' are as strange to me and my kin as if they never lived. Charge their doings to them, not us." The spirit explained, "aye. I will." Leo looked down with guilt ridden in his dark blue eyes. The transparent floor shows a line outside the bakery and then two small children skid to a stop "smell that?" A young girl sniffed, "cooking goose!" The young girl cheered "come on!" The boy pulled at the girls arm and they both ran off.
The spirit then made the room follow after the children before forcing the room back above the rooftops and descends to an apartment building.
Fugitoid waves his torch and sparks came sprinkling off of it, dissolving the snow before going through the wooden roof and into the room. Where they see the two children rush inside the building and into a kitchen. "I'm take it this bleak paupers' dwelling is of some significance." Leo hummed "It is all your loyal clerk can afford for his meager 15 bob a week." The robot looking spirit replied.
"Mother! Papa!" The boy and girl screamed "mother we just came by the baker shop! And smelled our goose, cooking delicious." The boy and girl shared they sentences before the mother came rushing in "shut the door, please. What happened to your precious farther? And your brother? And Martha! She wasn't as late last Christmas Day!" The mother; April panicked. "Mother! Here she is mother! Here's Martha!" The girl cried as she saw her oldest sister coming home from work. "Martha! Wait till you see our goose! 'Tis a wonderful one." The young boy happily announced. "Peter, off with you to the bakers and collect the bird. And take the children with you and pray, no dallying." April said as she pushed her oldest son towards the door, Peter put on his coat and led the youngest's to the bakery. "Why bless your heart alive! Dear, how late you are!" April walked towards Mather and pecked her on the cheek. "We had a deal of work to finish up last night and clear away this morning." Martha explained, "never mind. Long as you're here. Sit ye down before the fire and have a warm oh bless you." April rubbed her warm hands on Martha's cold and bitter ones, "no no no no! There's farther coming! You must hide. Hide Martha!" Martha's sister about 2 years younger begged her older sister. Leo frowns, the spirit; who's body is beginning to rust, slapped his torch on Leo's head.
Donnie returns home holding a young boy on his shoulders, the young boy holding a crutch. "It's cold out there." Donnie chuckled, "hello father! Hello Timmy!" One of Timmy's older sister welcomed. Donnie looked around and noticed his oldest daughter wasn't there "why where's our Martha?" Donnie asked, "uh.. not coming." April replied as she hurried off, "not coming? Not coming upon Christmas Day?" Donnie had sadness upon his eyes, until suddenly Martha jumps from her hiding space "here I am farther!" Martha laughed, Donnie turned around with a jump before a large smile spread across his face, he held onto his oldest daughters hands, "we got you farther!" One of the sisters laughed.
"I couldn't bear to see you in a state of disappointment dearest farther. If only for a giggle." Martha chuckled, "it's so lovely to see you, my Martha." Donnie smiled widely. "Come on, Timmy. I hear the pudding singing in the copper. Shall we have a look then?" One of the sisters helped Tim walk into a different room "How did little Timmy behave?" April asked, "as good as gold, and better. Somehow he gets thoughtful sitting by himself so much, he thinks the strangest things you ever heard." Donnie explained whilst putting plates out on the table.
"He told me, coming home, that he hopes the people sawed him in church because he was a cripple and it might make pleasant for them to remember it upon Christmas Day who made lame beggars walk and blind men see." Donnie sighed, April winces sadly, a single tear dropping down her face at the reminder her son was crippled.
"I believe he grows more hearty and stronger every day my dear." Donnie frowned, April nods and hides her teary face. Their teenage daughter helps a limping Tim back into the diner "the pudding looks delicious! The whole wash house smells like pastry cooks shop." Tim announced with a large smile. Leo studies the boy. "Spirit, tell me. Will tiny Tim.." Leo feared the worst for the young boy "I see a vacant seat in the poor chimney corner and a crutch without an owner." Fugitoid spoke honestly, the spirit eyes Leo. "Carefully preserved." Fugitoid finished, "Leo shook his head. "Hurrah! The Christmas Goose!" The children that had been sent to fetch the goose arrived, "make space. Let's get that cover off." April smiled and unraveled a golden brown goose. Everyone 'oohed' "lovely! Well done Peter!" April complimented her son. "I don't believe I've ever seen a more magnificent goose cooked." Donnie smiled as he helped tiny Tim take a seat "it is a beautiful bird that's for sure. But I'll pray that one Christmas perhaps the children might taste a turkey." April sighed as she poured in her's and her children's drinks. "Perhaps one day, my dear. Perhaps one day. A toast." Donnie shouted and lifted a tin cup, "To Mr. Leonardo. The founder of our feast." Donnie smiled. Leo leans in closer from above. "Ha! Founder of the feast indeed. I wish I had him here. I'd give a piece of my mind to feast upon and I'd hope he'd a good appetite for it!" April scoffed, Leo tired to slink away but the spirit grabs his shell, holding him up to witness the scene below.
"My dear, the children. It's Christmas Day." Donnie replied to his wife "Christmas day, I'm sure. How can one drink the health of such an odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man as Mr. Scrooge?! As you know he is, Donatello, nobody knows it better than you." April sat down after her speech "my dear, Christmas Day." Donnie pleaded. "I'll drink his health for your sake and the day's, not for his." April said and raised her cup with her husband and children following suit, "A merry Christmas and a happy new year. He'll be very merry and very happy. I have no doubt." April announced. "A merry Christmas to us all, my fears. God bless us." Donnie raised his cup "god bless us." All the children said in sync. "Kind spirit. Say Tiny Tim will be spared." Leo begged, knowing fully well what the answer is going to be. "If these shadows remain unaltered by the future. The child will die." Fugitoid said "Die! No spirit no!" Leo begged reaching out for the crippled child who was enjoying his dinner "what then? If he is to die he had better do it. And decrease the surplus population." The spirit mimicked, Leo turned and saw that Fugitoids face had become his own, scaring the turtle. The ghost's face transforms back to his original face. Fugitoid raises his torch and whips it around his head. Swirled of golden sparks fill the air whirling around like a tornado.
Leo gapes at the golden tornado, a series of laughter. The sparks begin to thin out, revealing his nephew's Christmas gathering and a handful of party guests. "So you're thinking of an animal?" A man asked, "yes." Another answered. "A live animal?" A woman asked, "yes" a man answered. "A rather disagreeable animal?" Another woman asks "yes." Frend was the one answering the questions, "a savage animal?" Another woman asked "yes." Frend nodded. "Oh! Wait wait! Is it an animal that grunts and growls?" And old chap asked, everyone laughed as Frend answered with a loud
"yes."
"And lived in London?"
"Yes"
A bell tolls and the guests fade away. And the warmly lit room becomes a bleak, featureless room. A long shadow streaks across the floor. Leo stares at the giant Ghost. "Are spirits' lives so short?" Leo asks, finally noticing the rust. "My life upon this globe is very brief. It ends tonight." Fugitoid smiled. "Tonight?" "Tonight at midnight?" Suddenly clattering was heard, Leo turned around and saw that the shadow casting over him was a giant click. "Hark. The time is drawing near." Fugitoid said. In a giant frameless clock behind Leo a hammer lifts beside a chime. Leo recoils once he noticed something under the spirits robe. It moves. "Forgive me. But I see something strange protruding from your skirt." Leo pointed, "is it a foot or a claw?" Leo asked, "it might be a claw, for the scant amount of flesh is upon it." Fugitoid unravels his robe and reveals two beast like children clinging to his feet "look here." The spirit called. Leo turned his head the opposite way to avoid seeing the children, "Naff off!" One of the children cursed "oh, man. Look here."
"You daft old geezer!" The other child cursed. "Look. Look! Down here!!" The spirit shouted impatiently, lowering his torch towards the children as they cowered away. Finally Leo turned and faced the children. "Go away!" The boy snarled towards Leo. The girl only hides herself. "Are they yours?" Leo shouted. "They are man's. This boy is ignorance." The spirit introduced the hissing boy. "This girl is want." The girl cowers away. "Beware them both." Was the last words spoken before the hammer finally clammed down into the chime, making a loud bang, the spirit holds onto his chest and doubles over, Leo covers his non-existent ears. Again the chime tolls and Fugitoids body turned into a horrid brown rust. Finally Fugitoid falls after another toll and his body began to separate themselves. "Have they no refuge? No resource?" Leo pleaded. "Are there no prisons?" Ignorance turns into a man and swings a dagger before suddenly a cage lands on him.
The girl becomes a wanting woman "Are there no workhouses." The girl asked as he rubbed her hips against Leo. After a few more tolls Fugitoids head is spotted to be laughing. Suddenly a straight jacket appears on the wanting woman as she screams, an invisible force drags her back into the shadows. Fugitoid laughs madly as his body began to disintegrate and dust away. Leo looked at the chime and saw it was about to toll again, Leo covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut before cowering down to the floor "NO!" He shouted. Everything went silent. After a few mere seconds he bravely opens his eyes.
Atlas.
And he was back in his chamber.
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