Darla's Christmas Carol

chapter 4

"Pfft!" Darla scoffed as she closed her curtains. "I'm misbehaving... They're all imagining things... They're just jealous of me..." she was then about to grab her doorknob with a small yawn. "Oh, well, things will be all better in the morning... They almost usually are." She was right about that the next morning would be better, but what she didn't know was that she would learn a lesson during the night. She gripped onto the doorknob, but then she heard a cry of pain. "Oh!"

Atticus straightened his face out and glared to his adoptive younger sister. "Darlene Shirley Fudo..."

"Don't call me that!" Darla sneered.

"Whatever," Atticus ignored that. "I come with a warning, you are going to be visited by three ghosts, and--"

"You're gonna teach me to like Christmas, blah, blah, blah, can't you get any more original with your story plots?" Darla folded her arms.

"Okay, listen, this is the only way that I thought that could teach you and it will." Atticus said.

"Yeah, yeah..." Darla opened her bedroom door and slammed it shut behind her to go to bed.

"This will be a challenge, but this will work." Atticus said before vanishing.

Darla took her hair ribbon out, straightened out her nightgown, and climbed into bed, turning out the light and sliding down her sleep mask. She then yawned and started to instantly fall asleep, lightly snoring. She slept for about a few hours until her alarm clock went off at 1:00 in the morning.

Darla flinched slightly as she sat up in her bed and just saw that it was 1:00 in the morning. "Oh, well... Not like that means anything..." she then shrugged and went right back to sleep, unknowing that a 'ghost' would come visit her right about now.

"Darla, wake up, it's time for your first ghost visit." Mo's voice said sweetly.

"Lemme sleep, Mama Emily..." Darla groaned slightly.

"It's not Mama Emily, wake up!" Mo then assertively said.

"Huh?" Darla pushed up her sleep mask, then looked to see Atticus's girlfriend. "Mo, what're you doing here and why are you dressed like that?"

"I'm not Mo, I'm the Ghost of Christmas Past," Mo greeted, wearing a white gown with a wreath in her hair with candles sticking out of it. "Come along, we have lots to see..."

"Do I have to come?" Darla asked.

"I could always bring you along with my magic." Mo said.

"Never mind, I'm coming, I'm coming." Darla said, not wanting to be forced to come along.

"Take my hand..." Mo instructed sweetly.

Darla took Mo's hand, as she did, they were transported out of Darla's bedroom and now going elsewhere, Darla screamed slightly at the flying around and they were going to a house that looked very poor and nearly broken down.

"This isn't my house..." Darla said.

"Yes, it is, it was the first home you've ever known..." Mo told her. "See?" they then looked into the now glowing windows.

And inside, was a memory Darla could remember like it was yesterday.

"I remember this!" Darla smiled slightly. "This was my very first Christmas!"

A brown haired woman was carrying a bundle in a pink blanket. "I hope Daddy has enough money for presents this year... Merry Christmas, Darla... I love you."

"Ma!" the baby seemed to pipe out and reach out her chubby arms to her mother.

A blonde-haired man came through the door, carrying a bag. "Ho, ho, ho!"