A Days of Our Lives Christmas Carol (Read 5,508 times)

[fluffysmom]

Great story Andre. Vivian is just perfect.

[gapeach]

Can't wait to see the next place Vivian takes Victor too. Am loving this story and since A Christmas Carol is one of my favorite all-time Christmas movie (the original, of course) this is really really GOOD.

[André DiMera]

Chapter 5

BRADY PUB
The scene changed again. Now, Victor and the Spirit stood in the Brady Pub.
VICTOR: Spirit...please. Not this memory.
VIVIAN: Oh, yes, Victor. This memory.
The Victor and Caroline of years passed, were having a heated argument.
VICTOR: How could you do this to me?! To us?
CAROLINE: I'm sorry, Victor! If I could take it all back, I would...
VICTOR: But, you can't, can you? Because of...that man.
CAROLINE: That man is my husband, Victor! And, I'm sorry, but you need to accept that. I never meant to hurt you. Honest, I didn't.
VICTOR (angrily): Of course not. Go, then. Go back to your precious Shawn Brady!
Speaking of which, a young Shawn Brady walked in from upstairs.
SHAWN: Kiriakis, what are ye doin' here? I thought I told ye ye're not welcome in me pub.
CAROLINE: Shawn! He and I are only having a discussion. Let him stay.
VICTOR: No, he's right, Caroline. I'll go. And, I doubt that I'll be back any time in the near future. Have a nice life, Caroline Brady.
The young Victor turned and walked away, with a saddened look on his face. The Spirit waved her hand.

KIRIAKIS MANSION
We now see a young Victor standing in the living room of the Kiriakis Mansion. A young Henderson brings out a glass on a tray.
HENDERSON: Your brandy, sir.
The young Victor downed the drink in one gulp, threw the glass into the fire, and walked out of the room.
VIVIAN: And, ever since then, you've been a warped, bitter, frustrated, angry old man.
VICTOR: Take me home, Spirit. I can't bear to see anymore!
The scene dissolved back into Victor's bedroom in the present day.
VICTOR: You're really enjoying this, aren't you?
VIVIAN: Enjoying what?
VICTOR: This. All of this! Haunting me with my past! Showing me how happy I was with Caroline, and then ripping it all way from me all over again! You sick, twisted woman! You're enjoying every second of this!
VIVIAN: Victor, how can you say that? I'm only trying to show you what you used to be like, and how you got to be who you are today. I take no pleasure from this.
VICTOR: Oh, of course you don't! It doesn't matter, anyway! What's in the past is in the past! Let's keep it that way, shall we? Haunt me no longer, Spirit!
The Spirit shook her head “no”. Victor grabbed the hat that the Spirit had been holding earlier.
VICTOR: I said haunt me no longer!!!
He pulled the hat over the Spirit, only lifting it when he was sure she had gone. Just then, the clock struck 11.

[MrsM]

Wonder who will visit him next. Loving this Andre!!

[Kpatch]

Victor is a cross between Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life ("a warped, frustrated old man") and Scrooge. Great chapter Andre.

[sportsgirl]

Another wonderful chapter... Can't wait to see the ghost of Christmas present...

[fluffysmom]

I really like this story Andre. I wonder who the next ghost will be.

[André DiMera]

Chapter 6 – The Ghost of Christmas Present

KIRIAKIS MANSION
Victor heard something. It was a booming voice. There was a very loud laugh. Then, a light shone through the door of the bedroom. Victor went out to see what it was. It was Philip. When he spoke, his voice was magnified by about ten.
PHILIP: Come in! Come in!
Victor walked into the hallway. Philip was wearing a long robe, and sitting atop a Christmas tree. He jumped down and landed in front of Victor.
PHILIP: I am the Ghost of Christmas Present.
VICTOR: The Ghost of Christmas Gifts?! What the Dickens are you talking about, Philip?!
PHILIP: No, no. Present as in the here and now. What's going on today. Seeing as your son, Philip, is quite relevant to your life now, as Vivian was previously, I've chosen him as a representation of something familiar to you in the here and now.
VICTOR: Ah, I see. So, you're here to show me the shadows of the present day, then?
PHILIP: Yup. Now, take my hand.
Victor took the hand of the second Spirit.

THE LOFT
The Spirit guided Victor to the loft of Brady Black. There, Brady, Chloe, Philip, and Melanie were playing a game of Charades. Philip was in the center.
VICTOR: What are you doing?
PHILIP: Ssh! Just watch.
MELANIE: Is it an animal?
PHILIP: Yep.
BRADY: Does it walk on two legs?
PHILIP: Yes.
CHLOE: Does it growl and grunt a lot?
PHILIP: Oh, yes!
MELANIE: Is it scary?
PHILIP: It can be.
BRADY: is it an @$*?
VICTOR: Where did Brady learn such language?
PHILIP: Ssh!
The Philip who was playing charades laughed.
PHILIP: That's a good description of it.
CHLOE: Oh, I've got it now! It's Victor, your father!
PHILIP: Correct!
The four charades players laughed. Victor was not so amused.
VICTOR: My own son and grandson.
PHILIP: Come on. I'll take you to Bo and Hope's house. You can see what goes on behind the closed doors of the son you disowned.

BO & HOPE'S HOUSE
Victor and the Spirit made their way to the home of Bo and Hope Brady. Hope sat on the couch, her face full of concern. Bo came down the stairs, looking even more concerned than Hope.
BO: I just put Ciara to bed.
HOPE: How is she? I mean, I know how she is, but...
BO: I know. No change, I'm afraid.
HOPE: She's fighting so hard. I just wish there was something we could do aside from waiting!
Bo nodded.
VICTOR: Tell me, Spirit, what's wrong with my granddaughter?
PHILIP: Oh, so now you're interested? It's always the same. Nobody cares until someone's on their deathbed.
VICTOR: Deathbed? What do you mean?
PHILIP: Keep watching. You'll find out soon enough.
HOPE: Did you talk to Victor?
BO: I tried to. But, he made it very clear that he wants nothing to do with me. Or any of us, for that matter.
HOPE: But, if we don't get that operation for Ciara...then, she'll...
Hope could say no more. Bo put his arms around her. Victor and the Spirit walked out of the house and into the streets of Salem.

SALEM PLACE
VICTOR: Tell me, what will happen if Ciara doesn't get that operation?
PHILIP: She'll die.
To his surprise, Victor let out a small sob. There was a tear in his eye. He turned to the Spirit, who had a very cold look on his face.
PHILIP: But, then again, if she's going to die, she'd better do it quickly, and decrease the surplus population.
Victor was shocked! He had heard those words come out of his own mouth just hours before. They seemed so horrible to him now.

[fluffysmom]

Great chapter Andre. Victor was shocked to find out Ciara is dying.

[MrsM]

I love this!!!

[sportsgirl]

I think Victor is already starting to see how mean he has been....

[Kpatch]

I got the chills when Philip used Victor's words about the surplus population. It has an entirely different meaning since he's talking about a relative of Victor's.

Great story Andre!

[André DiMera]

Chapter 7 – Ignorance and Want

PARK
The Spirit and Victor now came to the park. They were standing in front of an old grandfather clock which just happened to be conveniently placed next to everybody's favorite non-speaking supporting character, Benchy! The Spirit's hair was now gray, and he had a long beard. He looked very tired.
VICTOR: You're getting old, Spirit. Are spirits lives so short?
PHILIP: My time on this earth is almost over.
Victor noticed something under the Spirit's robe.
VICTOR: Pardon me, Spirit, but there appears to be something protruding from your robe.
PHILIP: Oh, not you, too! Look, I expected this from some of the girls around Salem (and maybe even from certain internet forums), but not from my own father! The whole “slow swimmers” thing was just an act!
VICTOR: No, no! Not that! I mean the other thing protruding from your robe. Is that a foot or a claw?
PHILIP: Oh, that. It could very well be a claw for all the meat that is on it.
The Spirit untied his robe and opened it, revealing two children. They were horribly deformed, almost wolf-like in behavior and appearance. Victor shuddered and turned away from them. The Spirit pointed at Victor.
PHILIP: Look at them, man!
Victor swung 'round suddenly and looked at the two children.
VICTOR: Good lord! Are they...yours, Spirit?
PHILIP: They are man's! This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, but most of all, beware the boy! For on his forehead, I see that which is written is “Doom”! And that writing must be erased! (Yelling) If you deny him...slander those who speak of him...admit that he exists but do nothing about it...then doom shall engulf you all!!!
VICTOR: But...but are there no shelters to give them a place to stay? Are there no charities to help them?
PHILIP (yelling): Are there no prisons?! Are there no workhouses?!
Victor remembered those words all too well. He had said them only hours ago. They sounded so cruel and heartless to him now! The Spirit's flesh disappeared, revealing the skeleton beneath. The skeleton fell to the ground and disintegrated. However, the two children were still there. They were crawling towards Victor. The clock struck midnight, and the boy, Ignorance, disappeared. The girl, Want, crawled closer to Victor. But, as she drew nearer, her features changed to that of another woman. Standing where Want had once been crawling, was a woman whom Victor had seen many times before, but had never actually met in person. She definitely wasn't from Salem. In fact, she wasn't even from the U.S.
QUEEN: My lords, ladies, and gentlemen, good day to you all.
VICTOR: Queen Elizabeth?
Victor was quite right. Standing in front of him was Elizabeth II, Queen of England.
QUEEN: Oh, not at all what we have come to expect. Ah, well. We shall simply have to carry on.
VICTOR: But, what are you doing here?
QUEEN: What do you mean “what am I doing here?”? I am the Queen of England, you silly man!
VICTOR: But, I was kind of expecting a third Spirit.
QUEEN: We are sorry for the disappointment, but we do not have any spirits with us.
VICTOR: No, no, not that kind of spirit. A Spirit, as in a ghost.
The Queen thought for a moment.
QUEEN: Oh, we are most terribly sorry. There seems to have been a bit of a mix-up. Please, accept our deepest apologies. We bid you farewell.

[fluffysmom]

Very intriguing chapter Andre. Loved the comment about certain internet forums.

[gapeach]

Loved that the Queen came to visit. Can't wait to see who the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is going to be... this has been a great story.