Marley's Ghost

The Redemption

Marley could feel an icy gloom emanating from the black-robed creature. The phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached Scrooge, who immediately fell to his knees. There was a foul, melancholy energy surrounding this spirit, whose dark garment covered all but his shriveled hand. Everything about this hooded ghoul reeked of pain, misery, danger and doubt. Marley was worried about his old friend, who was now just inches from its boney fingers. He tried looking into the hood of the ghost, but it was too dark and he turned away from the hideous figure, filled with dread. Scrooge was cowering in the snow; his legs were trembling, trying to support his weight.  

                 "I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?" Scrooge was trying to make the spirit speak to him, but the shadowy specter remained silent. Marley was terrified of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, but Elisabeth wasn't afraid at all. She barked commands at it, like the grim shade was some poor dumb animal.

"Answer him!" she demanded. The ghost, however, wouldn't be pressured and refused to speak. It just silently pointed the way toward their destination. Marley wondered if the terrifying demon was even capable of speech.

                "Ghost of the future," Scrooge stammered, "I fear you more than any specter I have seen." Ebenezer did seem to understand the importance of the visit and told the Ghost that he was ready.

                 "Lead on," said Scrooge, "Lead on! The night is waning fast and it is precious time to me, I know. Lead on, Spirit!" The ghost turned ever so slowly and led Scrooge off on his final tour of the evening. Seeing the pain in Ebenezer's eyes, when the ghost had refused to answer him, reminded Marley of the loneliness of silence. They appeared on a busy street in London. It was daytime, although no sunlight could be found anywhere within the confines of the great city. They stopped to listen to several gentlemen talking about some man's death.

"I don't know much about it, either way," said a Slender fellow with a top hat, "I only know that he is dead."

"When did he die?" asked one of the men.

"Last night, I believe," said the first. The conversation was an odd one. Even though all of the men appeared to know him, none of them seemed to care much for him at all. They didn't even seem upset that he had expired, except for what he had done with his money. Marley soon deduced that they are talking about Scrooge. Their unkind and unfeeling remarks left Marley to wonder if similar conversations had taken place after his passing. He was realizing, more and more, that he had indeed wasted his life in the pursuit of money. It had been made clear to him that the true treasure of the earth was the joy of the people whose lives you had blessed with your own.

                "I am sorry, Ebenezer," Marley said regretfully, "I was such a fool and I made one of you as well." The dark ghost led them all into a bleak side of the city where they entered a grungy old shop. They went inside and found three less than scrupulous people, guiltily selling off the dead man's possessions.

"Every person has a right to take care of themselves," said a woman wearing a shabby black dress. "He always did." When the woman heaved her bundle up onto the counter, Marley watched several bread crumbs rise and then fall to the floor. He assumed the crumbs where from the shop keeper's dinner, which Marley suspected he had eaten in that very spot. The three wretched people continued their disgraceful business, but Jacob was growing bored. He saw something, however, that immediately grabbed his attention. It was a rat. It was not alive, mind you, but it was trying to dine on the breadcrumbs which had recently fallen into its domain. The foolish rodent, obviously unaware it was dead, kept attempting to eat the crumbs, even though its teeth passed right through them. The rat's futile attempts to gnaw on the large crumbs had drawn some unwanted attention and soon the hunt was on.