𝙄𝙣 𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙔𝙤𝙧𝙠...

Peter In A Christmas Carol - Part 2

Narrative: When Peter loses his holiday spirit, three ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future takes him on a reflective journey through time to remind him what the true meaning of Christmas is about.

______________

When Peter opened his eyes again, he found himself tucked in his bed. The tear dried but he could still feel it on his face. Was it all just a dream? He couldn't tell. Peter didn't know what was causing all these apparitions to course through his mind, but he hoped that was the end. Unfortunately, life wasn't that considerate. And that wasn't the case when he felt his blanket being ripped off of him. Stripping him of the warmth and safety it provided.

"Get up," a familiar feminine voice told him. He groaned, realizing what he was going to face before sitting up and scouring towards the source of the sound. And what—more like who—he'd found made his voice hitch, "Liz." Standing not too far before him was a ghostly figure of his old crush emitting a red aura this time.

The color red always did suit her perfectly. At least that's what Peter thought, but before he could deeply ponder about her sudden appearance, the spirit had spoken. "Not quite," she replied and that's how Peter realized it was another spirit. "So who exactly are you?"

"I am the spirit of Christmas Present, but I think you already knew that," he nodded for in his mind, he did register the thought. "So I'm guessing you're here to show me the... present?" She rolled her eyes mockingly, "Wow, what great observational skills. But yes, I'm here to give you a reason why you shouldn't just let this Christmas or your whole life pass by you the way you're planning." Peter didn't get a chance to ask her to elaborate before the female had walked away from him and over to the mirror standing by his closet.

She beckoned him to follow and he quickly did so. Once they were both standing beside each other in front of the mirror, the spirit had spoken, "When you look into this mirror, what do you see?"

Peter stared a bit into his reflection, contemplating the question. What did he see in himself? "Nothing," he replied faintly. And it was true! When Peter looked in at himself he saw nothing he wanted to see. No one he was proud of. He felt like nothing and he felt like he had nothing. Nothing left to live for. So nothing had been the perfect description. The only answer he could think of.

"And what about now?" The mirror then rippled until a new image had formed. One with Aunt May in it.

May Parker sat on the edge of her bed, staring sadly at a frame in her hands. In the photo held her and her husband side by side next to Richard and Mary with a gleeful baby Peter in the middle of it all. Her heart ached to go back to that time... When they were all still here, and Peter was actually happy. All she wanted was the best for her nephew. After all, she was the only remaining family that he had. But because of recent events, he changed again. He suffered so much loss and pain that it finally caught up to him, affecting him—making him abandon all his hope, and she could see it. And she didn't know how to help him.

She sighed taking one last look at the photo before picking up another frame of just her and Peter. They were all that was left from the previous photo. She was all he had left. And May would never stop trying her hardest to be there for Peter because of it.

Peter felt the guilt consume him as they watched Aunt May let a tear slip from her eye. He wanted to hug her and apologize. He always felt like he was taking May for granted. She took him in after all. And she didn't have to—Peter wasn't her family by blood. But she chose to raise him and for that Peter will forever be grateful. His mind repeated the words over and over, wishing she'd hear it.