A Christmas Carol

Țhe Night Before

Song of the chapter :
           Mariah Carey: All I want for Christmas

                  Her eyes opened to a buzzing sound in her ears, she groaned, apparently taking cornflakes was a bad idea. Her stomach rumbled and she swung her legs to the ground in hopes of getting a biscuit that she had forgotten in the cupboards. Light from the TV welcomed her to her sitting room, "Weird," she mused, "I'm sure I switched it off." She padded over and switched it off.
                  It wasn't the first time something like that had happened so she wasn't too surprised. She found five packets of biscuits that she had kept in the kitchen at one time or the other. She had never been more grateful for her memory than that moment. She threw the empty packets on the floor and snuggled in deeper into her blankets.

"I thought I told you never to litter," a voice that she hadn't heard in years spoke. Carol jumped up to see her stepmother lounging on the chair in front of her mirror. Her reaction was priceless especially for a self proclaimed atheist, "Blood of Jesus!"Her stepmother chuckled, "You've always been the most dramatic one. You went to church for the first time in years and you're shouting Jesus up and down. My friend keep quiet."

         Carol's voice shook, " I- I banish you evil spirit. Begone", she made a shoo motion with her hands. The translucent image of her stepmother barely blinked, the glasses stayed the same, the Ankara she was wearing barely ruffled. The woman looked at her amused, "Are you done? Evil, no. Spirit, yes. You brought me here Carol", Carol made a strangled sound, "no, not consciously but you did. You...", she paused," Excuse me a second", she turned to the side her face twisted to a grotesque form and she screamed, a heart-wrenching scream that was filled with pain, the torture sound of a damned soul. Carol froze, her eyes leaking as she listened to the agony her stepmother was in.
                   It was over in a minute, her stepmother's face returning to the picture of calm that it was before. "Like I was saying, you've changed Carol, Christmas used to make you very happy. Now you're... you're... wait why are you crying?", Carol touched her face, feeling moisture, "Is that...", she cleared her throat, "Is that what you go through all the time?" The woman smiled, a sad one, "It's not something I can tell you. I made my choice, I've lived my life. But you are not living yours the right way."
                  Carol looked incredulous, "But I'm living life exactly the way you taught me to", "Exactly!", the ghost exclaimed, "Exactly the way I taught you and look where it got me. Chains and purgatory. All my education and nothing to show. Look where it's taking you, you're a brilliant woman but look at where you are, a mere teacher in a small school, look at where you're living. In the midst of people with no dreams. You", her hands came to rest on Carol's face, the ice cold feel staying on even after the woman removed it, "deserve to live a better life than I did."
             "But mama you taught me that 'Humans are just tissue paper. Use and throw in the dustbin'. That's what's gotten me this far." The ghost of her stepmother bristled in rage, "Have you been listening to a word I've said? You", she took a step forward, "Are. Not. Supposed. To. Be. Like. Me!", at the end of it, Carol was standing close to the ghost of the woman who raised her. The ghost stepped back and threw her hands up in exasperation, "I did not want to do this and God knows that I'll get in more trouble for this. I'm sending you three ghosts tonight. I hope by the end you'll have changed and you'll able to be better than me."
                 "But... but... but mama", Carol tried to protest but the spirit of the dead woman silenced her, "I really don't hope you end up where I am. Goodbye child" Mist swirled and enveloped her form. A second later there was no evidence of her presence.
                 Carol replayed the whole thing in her head, and she came to a conclusion, "That's it. No more skipping dinner for me", but when she turned on her side, the biscuit packets were all gone.