Welcome to the first part of a four part story. This is my first attempt at erotic writing so I'd appreciate any comments or feedback, both positive and negative, you may have about my work. Please contact me if you would like to copy, reproduce or translate any part of this story. If you are looking for a story that goes straight into the sex then this story may not be for you because the prologue leads slowly into several quite different sexual scenes. In this part there are elements of corporal punishment, lesbianism and blackmail/non consent/reluctance. My apologies of course go to good old Charlie Dickens for my take on his classic story. Enjoy!
PROLOGUE
It had been five long years since Jack Marley had died in a car accident on that fateful Christmas Day and there hadn't been a day she hadn't wished her mentor was still around. They both had a similar outlook on life and she missed someone who was on her wavelength. He would have been pleased at all the cuts and forced sacrifices she had implemented on her staff. Their financial position was now the strongest in London because of this and her miserly attitude towards outgoings. Redundancies made, no Christmas bonus or party this year and the staff still in the office at 7pm on Christmas Eve. He would have been so pleased with his protΓ©gΓ©.
The gleaming, flashing lights from the Christmas decorations in the street shone through the window of Marley & Scrooge lawyers. Ellie Scrooge flounced to the window cursing.
"Bloody Christmas lights. Don't they realize what a waste of time, space and energy they are? God I thought we were trying to be greener here not wasting electricity on rubbish that, I hope the council doesn't think I'll be paying extra taxes for this nonsense." She grumbled.
Her PA, Rob Cratchit, sat open mouthed but didn't dare say anything. He'd learnt it wasn't worth the effort to argue with his boss because whatever he said was wrong and Ellie was naturally right about everything. The only thing keeping him here was the credit crunch; he just couldn't do without a job with a wife and two children to think about.
"Would it be alright if I go now Ms Scrooge? I need to get to the shops before they shut?"
"Wasting your money, or should I say my money, on presents for the children are we? Things they'll look at for a couple of days and then forget all about? One day you might learn some sense." She taunted.
"I do need to get some presents yes, but not as much as I'd like too." He said wistfully thinking about the lack of Christmas bonus again.
"And I suppose you want the whole of tomorrow off as well do you?"
"If it's convenient then yes please."
"It's not convenient, as you know we have a big case on our hands at the moment but no doubt you'd skulk around if I insist on you coming in. It's a fine excuse to pick an employer's purse all this Christmas nonsense. Take the day but be sure to be in here all the earlier on Monday."
"Thank you Ms. Scrooge and a happy Christmas to you."
"Bah, happy Christmas indeed, now get out before I change my mind."
Ellie moved to the window, the fluorescent light from her office causing her to look at her own reflection in the window. 42 years old with the body of someone ten years her junior, Ellie was a very attractive lady. She dressed very conservatively and always with her luscious dark hair tied up but it was plain for everyone to see she had 'the look' and a body to die for. Her finely cut business suit showed her curves off to perfection although that was not her aim, she had no time for relationships or even friendships. She kept herself to herself.
Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck sprang to life as she thought she saw an apparition appearing in the window...it was Jack Marley's face! Startled, she quickly looked behind her to see if someone was playing a cruel joke on her and then back at the window but whatever it was had gone. Her heart raced, had she really seen that? My God, what is happening to me, she thought to herself.
She worked on for another hour without incident and then decided to call it a night. She picked up her coat and walked out into the cold, snowy street. Voices of children playing, throwing snowballs at each other filtered through the air as she made her way through the icy streets towards her old Victorian house, left to her by her late grandfather. Standing on her doorstep, she reached into her bag to find her keys, mumbling obscenities to herself when she couldn't find them. A cold chill went seemingly straight through her. She thought she could hear a faint voice and looked all around but there was nobody around.
"Ellie Scrooooooge."
There is was again! She could clearly hear her name this time and again checked all her. Nothing. Fumbling in her bag she finally came across the cold metal of her keys and lifted the slowly towards the lock. Just as the keys touched the lock another apparition of Marley's face appeared to take over the big brass doorknob in the middle of the door.
"Scrooooooge." It wailed.
Ellie panicked, dropping her keys on the snowy doorstep. She started shaking all over but not from the cold frosty air, the apparition looked directly into her eyes. She managed to break eye contact and bent down to pick up the keys which was easier said than done as her hands were now shaking so much she kept missing them. Finally, at the third attempt she had them; she slowly lifted her eyes towards the keyhole trying desperately not to look at the doorknob. It had gone. Just the plain old brass doorknob looked out at her.
"What is going on here? Maybe that sandwich I had in the office was bad and I'm bloody hallucinating!" She said out loud to herself trying desperately to find some explanation for what she was seeing and hearing. With that she stepped inside the sparsely furnished house she called home.
After a bowl of soup with some stale bread she grabbed more paperwork from her bag and settled down to continue work until 11pm. She yawned, rubbed her eyes and decided it was time for bed. On her way up the stairs she thought she could hear a clanking noise but dismissed it straight away as the old pipes moving around after she'd turned the heating off. She reached her bedroom and opened the door to be greeted by a blinding light. She shielded her eyes but still couldn't see anything in the room. She certainly didn't own a light this bright. Suddenly the temperature in the room dropped and she could just about see her breath in front of her.
"Scroooooooge." A voice came from the light. A voice she instantly recognized as Jack Marley! It can't be she thought to herself.
The light suddenly dimmed and she was no longer alone. The ghost of Jack Marley was standing right in front of her! A bead of sweat ran down her neck and followed a track down her heaving cleavage. She was having trouble taking a breath, her lungs seemingly not doing what they were told by her brain. She was petrified.
"Scrooge.....I see you recognize your old partner." He wheezed. "I'm here to give you a warning to change your ways, I spent my life as you are now, pissing people off, never taking the time to enjoy life to the full and now look at me." He was clad in chains which he rattled theatrically. "I have to carry around these chains for eternity; do you want to suffer the same fate because that is where you are heading?"
Ellie Scrooge was frozen to the spot but managed to shake her head no. She didn't feel as if she was in control of her body she was shaking so much and she was having trouble staying upright. She thought she might collapse any moment.
"You will be visited by three spirits tonight and they will take you on a journey. They will visit you at 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock and 2 o'clock. Be sure to heed their message and change your ways because woe betide you if you don't. Your chain is already bigger and much heavier than mine...." His voice trailed away as slowly the apparition drifted away into nothingness.
She was left standing alone in darkness in the middle of her room staring at her wardrobe, blinking fast as that was the only movement she could manage. Her mind racing as she tried to take in the strange occurrences. The Jack Marley's face in the office window, the door knob and now this did that really happen she asked herself. Looking at her clock, she noticed the time, 11.01pm. Am I going mad, hallucinating or did someone in the office spike her tea she wondered.
She undressed, put on her nightdress and climbed into bed.
THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST
Ellie had been lying in bed with all sorts going through her mind when there was a creaking noise coming from the next room. She looked at the clock, 11.59, surely this dream, drug fueled hallucination or whatever it was wasn't going to continue? A scraping noise seemed to be coming from the direction of the door and, as the clock ticked over to 00.00 the door crashed open and there in the doorway stood a short, rotund man with a broad grin on his face. His grey beard and rosy red cheeks gave him the appearance of her impression of what she'd always imagined Santa Claus would look like.
"You must be Ellie Scrooge, I've heard so much about you." He said in an annoyingly cheerful way.