Scrooge whimpered before he saw he was back in his bed. He got up to see he was in his bedroom once again.
“I’m home.” He gasped.
Yes. The bedpost was his own. The bed was his own. The room was his own.
Outside the window, Charles and Gamer sat there watching Scrooge.
“Hi guys! We’re back!” Gamer waved.
“We promised we would be!” Charles smiled as he continued to narrate.
But the thing that made Scrooge happiest of all was that his life laid before him and it could be changed.
“I will live my life in the past, present, and future!” Scrooge cheered before falling to his knees. “Oh Jacob Marley! Fanny! Oh, heaven in the Christmas time be praised to this day, I say it on my knees, Jacob, and Fanny!” he then saw his bed curtains were still there. “Oh! They’re not torn down! They’re here! I’m here! Oh it’s a miracle! I don’t what to do. I’m as light as a feather. I’m as happy as an angel. I’m as merry as a schoolboy!” he kept ranting pacing back and forth.
“Uh guys?” Charles and Gamer looked down to see Karai on the ground in front of Scrooge’s house. “I don't think you two should be up there!”
“Scrooge has been saved, Karai, what could happen now?” Charles called back.
“Yeah, it's all good!” Gamer added.
Right after he said that Scrooge flung open the window doors, knocking Shine Boy and Gamer off ledge and into a pile of snow right next to Karai.
“That.” She answered smugly.
Scrooge then spotted the singing beggar from the day before. “You there, what's today?”
“Huh?” The beggar squeaked.
“What is today, my fine lad?”
“Today? I believe it's Christmas day.” The beggar answered as if it was obvious.
“Then I haven't missed it! The spirits did it all in one night!” Scrooge cheered.
“Go on! Who’d miss Christmas?” the beggar chuckled then snorted.
“Do you know the butcher shop from across the street?”
“Yes, I do.”
“An intelligent lad. A remarkable lad! Do you know if the prize turkey is there in the window?”
“The one about as big as me? Yeah, it’s still there.”
“It is a pleasure doing business with you. Go and buy it!”
The beggar double took that last part. “Uh, okay? And what do I use for money?”
“I’m serious. Go buy it for me and I’ll give you a shilling. No, I’ll give you five shillings!” Scrooge threw the beggar a bag full of coins, which astounded the beggar.
“Whoa Mama!” he gleamed as he took off.
And so, the beggar was off like a shot. So eas-
The beggar accidentally ran into Charles and Gamer, knocking them over again.
“Did I do that?” he asked sheepishly before running off as Karai helped them up.
“I’ll take it to Bob Cratchit’s house.” Scrooge told himself as he shut his window. “What a surprise it’ll be. It’s twice the size of Tiny Tim.”
And a few moments later, dressed in his finest, Scrooge appeared in the streets of the city, wishing Merry Christmas to all the world.
Scrooge came out, fully dressed, and wished everyone passed by a merry Christmas. He even shook hands with Charles and Karai as well as pat Gamer on the head.
Yes, everyone was out and about on this fine morning. And soon, he encountered two familiar faces.
It was the two donation collectors from the other day. They were shocked to see Scrooge.
“Ah! M-Mr. Scrooge!” gulped the turtle.
“Pardon me, you two. But about that donation you asked from me yesterday.”
“Yes?” April raised her brow.
“Put me down for….” Scrooge whispered to them and the two were very surprised.
“That many?” gasped the turtle.
“And not a penny less.” Scrooge smiled. “They’re many back payments I assure you.”
“I-I don’t know what to say.” April spoke.
“A merry Christmas to both of you!”
Just then the beggar arrived with the turkey. “Here’s your turkey, Mr. Scrooge.”
“Follow me lad.” Scrooge led the way as many people followed him and he began to sing.
As he sang, Scrooge went to stores and bought much from gifts and food and many town folk happily helped him out. Even Joe, the three girls, and the grave diggers joined in. As he helped, Charles accidentally grabbed the hand of another girl his age with brown hair wearing a blue gown and pink scarf (Serenity) and the two blushed and smiled at each other. Scrooge stopped by his counting house to drop of buckets of coal for his bookkeepers. Then, he stopped by his Nephew Fred’s home. He saw they were playing ‘Yes and No’ just like he saw with the spirit’s visit.
"Oh, I know!" Clara said. "It's your uncle..." she paused as Scrooge came in.
"Uncle Scrooge?" Fred asked in surprise.
"Merry Christmas, Fred," Scrooge greeted.
"Well, this is quite the surprise, uncle, what are you doing?" Fred inquired.
"I thought about your invitation yesterday, and will gladly come to dinner tonight," Scrooge said.
"You will? That's wonderful!" Fred smiled.
"It is indeed," Scrooge agreed. "But first, there is someone I must visit."
"Who is it, uncle?" Fred asked.
"Someone who deserves a very merry Christmas," Scrooge answered. "Him and his whole family. Especially his remarkable son."
Fred looked at his wife and guests before he said, "Then by all means, uncle, let us all go."
Clara and the guests nodded in agreement.
“Great! Follow me!” Scrooge lead them as he continued singing.
Along the way, he gave bowls of food to some homeless folk and more some before finally reaching Bob Cratchit’s house. He then signaled everyone to hide while Charles pulled the beggar back, so he was out of sight.
Scrooge pretended to be his old self as he knocked on the door. “Bob Cratchit!”
Cratchit opened the door nervously. “M-Mr. Scrooge!”
“So here you are. You sir were not at work this morning, as we discussed.”
“B-But we did discuss it, sir. It’s Christmas Day. You gave me the day off.” Pleaded Cratchit.
Scrooge hid a laugh by pretending to get angry. “I? I, Ebenezer Scrooge, gave my employee the day off? Would I do a thing like that?”
“No. I mean, yes. Well, you did.” As Cratchit whimpered, Emily heard everything around the corner. She was fumed to hear Scrooge talk bad about her husband.
“Bob Cratchit, I’ve had my fill of this!”
Emily came out of hiding next to Cratchit. “And I’ve had my fill of YOU, Mr. Scrooge!”
“And therefore, Bob Cratchit-”
“And therefore, you can leave this house at once!”
“And THEREFORE…. I’m about to raise your salary.”
“AND I’M ABOUT TO SICK OUR DOG AT- wait.” Emily double took.
“What?” both she and Cratchit gasped.
Scrooge then smiled. “Yes, Bob. Raise your salary and pay your mortgage on this house.”
Emily and Cratchit were speechless at Scrooge’s new mood before Cratchit spoke. “Would you like to come in, Mr. Scrooge?”
“Bob Cratchit, would you and your family like to join us for a little turkey dinner on this fine Christmas Day? Merry Christmas.”
Then, as if on cue, everyone came in bringing the turkey as well as more food to the dinner as the Cratchits were surprised and overjoyed. As they all entered the house, Charles, Karai, and Gamer were outside smiling.
So, Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more!
Gamer poked at Charles. “And Tiny Tim?”
Charles nodded. “And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die.”
“Oh Good!” Gamer breathed.
“That’s great!” Karai smiled.
To Tiny Tim, Scrooge became like a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old city ever had. It was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well than any man alive with the knowledge. May that truly be said of us all. And so, as Tiny Tim observed,
As they all sat down to dinner, Scrooge lifted Tiny Tim as the young boy said, “God bless us.”
“God bless us. Everyone.” Scrooge smiled as he and everyone began to sing.
“Goodbye!” Gamer waved.
“Bye!” Karai added.
“So long!” Charles waved.
Karai then spoke to Charles. “Great story, Mr. Dickens.”
“Oh, if you like that, you should read the book.”
The End