A Yogmas Carol

A Yogmas Carol - Part IV

Lewis slowly turned around and almost yelled when he saw a figure appear in the pitch black smoke. He was clad in blacks and purples. His brown hair was run through with one blonde streak and his bright purple eyes burned into the young lawyers. A purple mask covered his nose and mouth and no emotion what so ever seemed to appear on his face as he walked to Lewis.

"Are you the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?" Lewis asked warily and the spirit nodded.

He held out his arm and Lewis followed. They were now standing in a back street and it was hammering down with rain. Their attention was brought to a group of portly men discussing a mans funeral, and being quite rude about said man. Lewis swallowed hard when we realized he recognized some of the men as solicitors.

The spirit pointed once more to a group of people standing behind an industrial bin. Lewis listened to their conversation.

"Back from the house of sadness I see. So what 'ave you brought for old Joe, eh. What 'ave you got, to remember 'im by?" an elderly man with a scraggly beard posed the question to the other homeless persons who surrounded his.

"I got a pair of his shoes. Very good quality leather." A woman said and handed a pair of dark dress shoes over to Joe. Lewis craned his neck to have a look and shivered when he saw that they resembled a pair he had at home.

"I got his cuff links. Quite good too." A young man said and handed over the polished metal.

"Might fetch a few coins." Joe said and tuned to the final woman. A woman Lewis recognized as the woman that came to his home every Friday to house clean.

"I got his blanket." She said and grinned as she pulled the article out of a tattered bag.

"His blanket! Why Mrs. Grant it's still warm. I don't pay extra for the warmth you know." Joe said and Mrs. Grant scoffed.

"You should. It's the only warmth he ever had." She said and the other erupted into laughter.

"How completely and utterly rude." Sjin said and once more Sips stopped his tale to wait for his friend to explain his interruption.
"Yes I know. Some people are dicks, Sjin. It's how the world works." Sips said exasperatedly and as Sjin opened his mouth to retort, the pale man launched back into his story.

Lewis gulped and turned to face the stoic spirit.

"I understand spirit; the case of this unhappy man could be my own. My life turns that way now...but please, show me some tenderness attached to this world or I'll have that dreadful conversation in my mind forever."

The spirit pointed and the street dissolved and Lewis was staring at the red door of the Jones' house.

"Oh the Jones'! A place of happiness and laughter. Thank you for bringing me here spirit...but why is it so quiet?" Lewis said but the spirit didn't respond and just pointed to the window. Lewis looked through and saw Mrs. Jones cooking with the help of two of her sons. Everyone seemed to be sad, although it was Christmas they had tears in their eyes.

"Not Tiny Trott?!" Lewis exclaimed when he realized why the house was so silent. He turned around when he heard footsteps approach and saw Duncan walking slowly towards the house, he entered slowly and Lewis slipped in after him. The children greeted the father briefly before his wife came over and he pulled her into a hug.

"How was the graveyard?" She asked from over his shoulder

"Okay. It would have done you good to see how green the place was. I picked a spot for Trott where he can see the ducks on the river...Tiny Trott always-..." He trailed off and his wife finished the thought.

"Tiny Trott always liked watching the ducks on the river." She said and with that they sat down to their small meal.

There were a few seconds of silence before Duncan looked up and said:

"Don't worry, kids. Life is made up of meetings and partings. We'll never forget Tiny Trott, or the first parting that we had among us." The family nodded in agreement and went on with their meal.

Lewis stared at the empty seat at the table, but it transformed into a headstone. They were back in the graveyard.

He turned around to face the spirit.

"Why have we come back to this terrible place?" He asked and spirit did the only thing he seemed capable of other than walking, he pointed. Straight at a headstone a few feet away from where they stood. Lewis approached it cautiously but doubled back, tears springing in his eyes as he asked the spirit another questions.

"Tell me: are these things visions of what will be or what might be only?" He asked but the spirit did nothing but continue to point.

Lewis inched closer to it and called back at the spirit "The future can be changed! A life can be made right!" He challenged as he knelt down in front of the headstone and took a deep breath before brushing off the snow that covered the engraving.

He began to sob when he saw the name.

"Lewis Brindley." He read it out through tears and turned back to the spirit, who had lowered his arm and stood staring at him.

"Please tell me what to do. I will embrace the spirit of Christmas and try to live it all through the year. Just tell me what I can do to sponge out the writing on this grave." Lewis pleaded and closed his eyes "Speak to me spirit!" He exclaimed and found himself with a mouthful of pillow.

Second to last part! I hope you're enjoying it.

Happy Holidays!

- Jo