An Ivy Christmas Carol

The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come

        The greenhouse had returned to normal, however Ivy did not. She paced in front of her throne. She thought of all that had happened throughout the night up until that point. She predicted the ghost that would visit her next, and she was worried. She didn't want to know her future. Perhaps if she accepted the Christmas spirit that she was so against, the Ghost of Christmas Future would spare her. Not much thought was able to go into this plan, as a chill ran down her spine. She slowly turned around to see a tall, shadowy figure standing before her. She took a few steps back, frightened. The dark figure looked somewhat familiar...but Ivy was too occupied in getting a way out of her latest adventure to realize who it was.
        "I am in the presence of The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?" Poison Ivy inquired. The ghost remained silent and threatening. Ivy took a breath.
        "And you are about to show me the shadows of things that have not happened but will happen?"
        Still, no answer.
        "If I say I'll be jolly and happy this Christmas can we just skip this part?"
        No reply.
       Ivy paused, her eyes examining the Ghost's figure. She tilted her head to the side slightly. The Ghost seemed to have...horns...on it's head? No, not horns. Ears! Her eyes widened.
       "Batman...?" Ivy whispered. In a swift movement, the ghost flew towards her, engulfing her in his cape of darkness. She ducked with her hands above her head, eyes shut.
        She heard cars drive by and her eyes shot open. She stood alone in the middle of a busy street. She gasped and dashed off to the sidewalk. A car did hit her, though it seeped right through her. She fell on the sidewalk, hands first, in front of an alleyway. She looked around frantically, searching for the ghost.
        "I haven't heard much about it. I just know she's dead."
       Ivy turned her head to see who's voice that was. It came from the alleyway. She got up and dusted herself off before cautiously following the voices.
        "So no one knows how she died?" Spoke another voice.
       "No. It just...happened. If I don't know how it happened, trust me...it wasn't a big deal." Spoke the first voice. Ivy stepped closer and was able to put faces to voices. It was The Riddler speaking to TwoFace. Ivy looked at them curiously. Who died?
        "Such a shame," Harvey said, "It's always a shame when people never get the chance to reach their full potential."
        "Yes, well, she'll have a hard time doing anything now." Edward smirked slightly. Harvey shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged.
        "Well, at least she'll still be pushing daises." TwoFace chuckled. Riddler laughed with him. Ivy looked at the men confused. She then looked down to notice her shadow grow larger to the ghost's size. She stumbled back, out of the alleyway. The ghost pointed to the left. She turned in that direction and was taken to the GCPD down the street. Ivy and the Spirit were next to the evidence locker. Ivy walked closer to the door and peeked through the small window. She saw two cops by a table, checking in evidence. Their backs were turned towards her so she couldn't see exactly what they were examining.
        "This lady had some weird stuff, man." The first spoke.
        "Yeah, well, what did you expect? You know her name." The second said.
        "Yes, but...I mean, we don't even know what half this stuff does!" Ivy heard a vial being shaken.
        "Easy! You don't wanna break it!"
        "Relax, I'm not gonna break it!"
        She heard the vial get set back down.
        "And she died last night?"
        "That's what I heard."
        "Wow, on Christmas. That's one way to go."
        "Yeah, from what I heard, she wasn't a very festive person anyway."
        "I heard she killed herself," One whispered. The other turned to look at him.
        "Are you nuts?! That's nothing but a rumor. She liked herself too much."
        "You're sure?"
        "Of course I'm sure!"
        "Then how'd she die?"
       The man paused then whispered something in the other man's ear. When they leaned back, the man who whispered looked back at the table.
        "Really?!"
        "Really."
        "Wow."
        Ivy turned to the ghost, "Who are they talking about?"
        The ghost said nothing.
      "Why don't you speak to me?!" She raised her voice. A flash of darkness overcame the whole area. They were transported to a morgue. Some florescent lights flickered on and off. Ivy watched as the ghost lingered to a female's body on the table in the middle of the room. He pointed to her covered head. Ivy took a step back.
        "I see, I see. The case of this unhappy woman might be my own."
        Still, he pointed to it. He wanted her to look for herself.
        "I understand you," Ivy returned, "and I would do it, if I could. But I...can't." She shuddered slightly then shook her head and reclaimed her composure. "...nor do I want to!"
        The Ghost shot his finger to Ivy, where she stood wide eyed. Then, he pointed back at the corpse. Ivy closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.
        "If there is anyone in this city, who feels emotion caused by this woman's death," Ivy insisted, "show that person to me."
        As she opened her eyes again, she seemed to be on the outside of Harley's funhouse. Ivy saw a figure leap across the fence and onto the building. It scurried off and Ivy ran after it. She chased it through many crazy rooms Harley had acquired. The figure hopped off broken bumper cars and ran through the mirrored hallway. She then walked into a seemingly normal room. Ivy followed her to see that the figure was none other than Selina Kyle.
        "Harley..." Selina said calmly as she approached the jester sitting in her chair by the window.
        "What?!" Harley replied sourly.
        "I wanted to see how you were holding up." Selina stepped closer.
      "I'm fine." Harley spun around in her chair. Ivy expected to see her makeup running or her hair dyed black like when The Joker had died. However, she looked the same. No sight of dry tears.
        "I see," Catwoman said, "but are you really?"
        Harley huffed and leaned back with her arms crossed.
     "It's just another villain's death! It doesn't matter! I've learned to live through things like this," She explained, annoyed at Selina's concern, "Why does everyone think I'm so fragile that I can't live when someone dies?!"
        Selina kneeled beside her, "Because you two were close."
        Harley rolled her eyes.
        "Close! Ha! Sel, if we were close, she woulda been with me last night. Heck, she woulda stood by me the past few years! When was the last time you spoke to her?!"
        Selina had to think for a moment.
        "See?! She cut us off, Sel! She distanced herself from us an' now I'll do the same."
        "Oh, Harley..."
       "No. She may have been a pain but she was right," Harley turned her head away, "All anyone can rely on in life is themselves."
      "No! Harley, that's not true!" Ivy shouted, but of course she didn't reply. Selina looked down but slowly nodded.
        "If that's what you want..." She stood and began to walk out. Ivy tried to stop her.
        "Sel! Stop! Harley can't be alone!"
        Selina took one last look at Harley.
        "You know where to find me." She told her. Then, she walked out of the room. Ivy shook her head.
       "Who would die that's so important to make Harley shut everyone out like that?!" Ivy turned to the Spirit. She had an idea in the back of her mind but she didn't dare say it aloud. She hoped it wasn't who she was thinking.
       The scenery changed around them once more. Ivy looked around eagerly as if searching for an answer. They were in a graveyard. Ivy looked towards the ghost. He pointed to a tombstone covered in snow. She took a cold breath of air before speaking.
        "Before I come closer, answer me one question. Are these the shadows of the things that will be, or are they shadows of things that may be?"
        The Ghost did not answer as he continued to point. She shakily stepped closer and witnessed the writing on the stone.
          PAMELA ISLEY
       She gasped. Her prediction was true. She shook her head rapidly just as her knees fell to the cold, snowy ground.
      "No no no no no!" She yelled, "I was the woman in the morgue?! I was the reason for Harley's depression? I was the villain others spoke about on the street? A-And the police station?!"
       For once the shadowed figure showed communication as he nodded once. He pointed once more, making the snow fall off the tombstone. A date of death was beginning to reveal.
        25 DEC -
        "No!" Ivy screamed, stumbling backwards in the snow.
        25 DEC 20-
        She covered her face with her hands and shook her head.
        "Batman, I am not the woman I was! I'm not! I won't be this woman! I promise you I will better myself if you promise not to reveal anymore of my dreadful fate!"
        She shook, but through the silence she carefully looked at him through her fingers. His eyes glowed red briefly and before she had a chance to react, the grave opened up beneath her. She began to fall in. She grabbed onto Batman's hand in a panic. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. He remained still. A fire reflected in his eyes and she looked down, terrified. Her coffin opened up, empty. She was meant to fall in. A fire emerged behind the coffin. No doubt was she going to Hell. She turned back to the ghost only to see he had disappeared and left her clinging to a branch. She tried calling for more plants to no avail.
        No one was there to assist her.
        No one would ever be.
        Not if this fate came true.
        And she was determined to change her fate.
       She used all the strength she had to pull herself up from the fiery abyss. She landed on the comforting snow. She laid there for a moment, attempting to return her heart rate to a regular pace. Once she stood up and thought she had won, Batman swooped down in front of her, nearly pushing her back in himself. She slipped backwards into a long fall. She turned around to witness the mouth-like coffin attempt to swallow her whole. She covered her face protectively with her arms shaped as an 'x' in front of her, only to fall onto the hard surface...of her greenhouse floor.