《Chance and Hope》


 Prologue

    Prologue


    The man came to his feet with some effort and looked around the room. He was confused at first and did not recognize anything around him. Thinking felt almost new to him, as if he had woken from a deep sleep, a sleep deeper than death itself. His memories felt stretched apart like a worn spring, but slowly he started to recognize things around him as his fragmented existence began to tumble itself into a recognizable whole.


    The first thing he realized was that he was in a familiar room, and there was a bed by his side. Lying on the bed was a pale, older, man dressed in an impeccable business suit. The suit was obviously custom tailored but appeared to be too large for the older man. On closer examination, he realized that the older man was dead. His skin was gaunt and stretched as if he had struggled near the end of his life, to the point of being unable to eat for quite some time. There was a poultice pressed to the corpse¡¯s head with a kitchen rag, messy and dripping onto the pillow with medication that had failed to save him.


    There was a woman standing near the bed looking down at the man. She wore a sturdy, woolen, dress that probably itched ferociously, and a spotless apron tied around her waist. Although her head was pointed towards the dead man, she held a blank expression on her face. She was deep in thought, staring into nothingness as she contemplated an unknown concept. Then a small smile played at the corners of her mouth as if a moment that she thought a long way off had come before its time.


    The man approved of the woman¡¯s outfit for some reason. Not nearly in the same sense that he had admired the dead man¡¯s business suit, but he admired it all the same. Her outfit was functional, clean, and orderly. He approved of the plainness of the woman¡¯s features, nothing overly pretty or ugly to distract the affairs of a man¡¯s day to day business. He believed this was suitable for a maid, so she may do her job quickly, and with little distraction to those around her. At least in his opinion.


    ¡°Why do you smile so at this man¡¯s death?¡± he critically asked the woman.


    His voice sounded hollow and seemed to echo. The mere act of speaking felt draining, as if he no longer possessed the energy for such a basic concept.


    The woman did not respond to the question. Instead, she removed the apron from her waist and began walking towards the large fireplace on the other side of the room. There were several pieces of coal burning in the fire, much more than proper for a room of this size; at least in the man¡¯s opinion. The woman put two more pieces of coal on the fire, then pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. Bending forward she began wiping the soot and ash from the hearth with the handkerchief, just outside of the flames. She stood up and threw the spotless apron into the fire, and turned back to the bed with the dirty handkerchief in her hand as the apron burned.


    Upon reaching the bed; the woman rolled the handkerchief until it resembled a short rope, hiding most of the soot inside of the roll, and knelt on the bed next to the deceased old man. She removed the poultice-laden rag from the man¡¯s head and flung it towards the fireplace behind her, not caring if she missed, or that the sodden rag almost put the flame out. Ignoring the leftover poultice clinging to the side of the deceased man¡¯s head, she placed the center of the rolled handkerchief under the man¡¯s chin, pulled the ends to the top of his head, and tied his mouth shut. The man recognized the practice of tying the mouth shut to prevent it from dropping open before rigor mortis.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    He was about to repeat his earlier question to the woman when he suddenly realized that he knew her name.


    ¡°Cora, what on earth do you think yo-¡± he began to shout angrily, but his hollow voice was cut off by the inability to open his mouth.


    He put his hands to his mouth and felt nothing odd, but the force holding his jaw shut remained unchanged. His hands moved to his head and he felt cloth, and he moved his hands along the cloth to find that his mouth was tied shut. Furiously he clawed at the cloth, grabbing and pulling, trying to force it off of his head, but it would not budge. His fury turned to panic as he thrashed about, tripping over something hard that made him stumble forward.


    The man expected many things at that moment. He expected to land on top of Cora and the old man¡¯s corpse upon the bed. He expected to feel flesh, one cold and one warm, and to injure himself, Cora, or both. He expected to flounder about, desperately trying to regain his footing and his composure, but none of this happened. Instead, he fell through the bed and onto his knees. He did not feel the floor as he landed, but something solid stopped his descent nonetheless. Then something very unexpected happened.


    Chains fell on top of him and all around him, yards and yards of chains. The chains were followed by metal boxes. Not just boxes, but heavy cash boxes laden with coins. Shackles, massive book ledgers, and dozens of heavy locks that seemed to hold no purpose dotted the links. There were other odds and ends, all heavy and pointless like metal purses, massive keys that went to no lock man could make, and broken balance scales. Oddly enough a single piece of paper which appeared to be pierced by the chains, yet was not torn, sat on top of the portion of the pile in front of him.


    The man tried to stand, but the weight of the chains was too much to bear. He tried calling for help, but his mouth was still tied shut, and he could not grab onto the bedpost he had landed next to for some reason. He started to crawl, to drag himself out of the chains which were holding him down, and slowly he began to loose himself from the mound. Inch by inch he crawled out from the side of the bed, freeing himself from most of the pile in the process.


    The man was finally past the edge of the bed when he tried again to come to his feet. As he made it to his knees, two of the shackles rose from the pile and launched themselves toward the man. Quickly he came to his feet and backed up, waving his hands in front of him in fright, mumbling a scream that could not escape his locked jaw. The chains attached themselves to his wrists, and the man stared at them in shock. His eyes followed the chains attached to the shackles until they fell on the pile that lay partially concealed by the edge of the bed.


    Two more shackles rose into the air followed by a large part of the chain which came towards the man. He turned to run, and made it halfway across the room before the mound of chain flung itself over his shoulders, crossed at his chest, and wrapped around his middle twice before connecting to the shackles which were now on his ankles. The man tried fighting the chains, fighting the weight, but he felt overwhelmed by sheer exhaustion, and he collapsed to his knees as the final pieces of his fragmented memory clicked into place.


    Jacob Marley brought his eyes up to gaze around his bedroom and saw Cora coming to her feet from the bed where his body lay in peace, a peace his laden soul would never know.

 Chapter One

    Jacob ignored Cora as she walked through his ethereal body and left the room, the small smile still on her face. Jacob¡¯s entire focus was on his own, pale face lying on the bed. Jacob struggled to come to his feet so he could get a better look, to stare in disbelief at the ending of his comfortable life. The chains bogged him down, making it difficult to move, but he eventually dragged himself to the side of the bed.


    Jacob still was not resigned to the concept of being dead, disbelief and doubt being a strong force when considering the end of your own life. The proof meant little to him, and he stood there and stared as the doctor came in, followed by Cora who had fetched him.


    Jacob ignored their conversation at first, too busy staring at himself. Then he tried to speak to them, to get their attention, but his mouth was tied shut and he could not remove the cloth. He fought against the cloth in vain. Then he tried to scream loud enough that he could be heard through his cheeks, but it was never enough. He tried to touch them, to hit them, anything to get their attention, but he was ignored as basic instructions were given to Cora by the doctor.


    Cora left with her instructions to fetch the undertaker, that smile still on her face. The moment she left, the doctor untied the handkerchief from the head of Jacob¡¯s body, and the Jacob in chains could speak again.


    ¡°Doctor Aeson! Do not put that thing back on my head! Can you hear me! You have to help me!¡± Jacob shouted frantically, words tumbling over themselves in their effort to escape his lips, to gain attention from the man.


    Yet there was no reaction from the Doctor, who had pulled a scalpel from a bag at his side. Jacob continued to wail at the doctor, demanding his help as the doctor bent over Jacob¡¯s body.


    ¡°You have to help m-¡± Jacob was frantically saying, staring at the back of the doctor¡¯s head, but suddenly all that would come out of his mouth was a stream of gurgling noises.


    As he tried to speak the noises continued, and in a panic, Jacob dragged the chains into the air as his hands shot to his head, feeling for the knotted handkerchief, but there was nothing there. Pulling his hands down to his face he realized to his horror that there was nothing below his upper jaw.


    Moaning incoherently, Jacob stood in a noisy stupor, momentarily shocked to the point of insanity. Eventually, Jacob gained some semblance of his faculties and stepped to the side of the doctor so he could see what the man was doing to his face. Jacob¡¯s jaw was not actually removed from his body, but the doctor had made two large incisions along his cheeks and had dropped his jaw into his chest as he looked into the depths of Jacob¡¯s throat. It was then that Jacob saw the swollen mass in his upper jaw, the decayed flesh, rotted with the infection that had ultimately been his demise.


    Jacob was not sure why the doctor was inspecting the infection so closely, maybe simple curiosity as to what killed his patient, or if his poultice had done any good. Regardless of the doctor¡¯s motivation for cutting his jaw, Jacob could not ask the man even if he had the capability to do so.


    After a moment Doctor Aeson appeared to be done with his scrutiny. He lifted a needle with a thread already attached from the bed with one hand and was starting to lift the jaw back towards the body when he paused partway there. The doctor looked around the room, his eyes pausing for a moment on the doors on either side of the room to make sure they were shut, then he put down the thread and plunged his hand into the medical satchel at his side.


    After a moment, he pulled a pair of pliers from the bag and hurriedly grabbed a tooth from the opposite side of the infection. This was a tooth that had been removed during a previous infection, covered with gold leaf, and set back into his mouth when the infection had cleared. It had been a costly, experimental procedure, but Jacob had felt that preserving his smile was worth the price. Appearances were important, and gold helped clients feel confident in his financial investment. Doctor Aeson yanked hard, pulling out the tooth, and put it in his pocket before picking up the thread to sew the cheek muscles back together.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Jacob saw air behind the doctor begin to shimmer, and after a moment the shimmer came together to show a chain hanging in the air. The chain was ethereal in form, much like the one Jacob had all over his body, although it was not nearly as long. Also, instead of financially related objects dotting the chain, there were heavy bones of various sizes, massive operating saws, and full glass beakers that did not empty when turned over. A single link appeared in the air and attached itself to the length of chain floating behind the doctor.


    Before Doctor Aeson could place a single stitch to repair the partially severed jaw, the front door of the large house slammed shut as someone entered. The doctor hurriedly reached into his bag again, and this time pulled out a small packet of powder. He sprinkled the powder into the open wound, and then grabbed the handkerchief and tied the jaw against the body without sewing it back together. In his hurry, he did not tighten it enough to keep the mouth completely closed, but the door to the bedroom opened before he could finish, so he quickly came to his feet.


    A man that Jacob recognized as belonging to the courts entered the room holding a folder containing Jacob¡¯s will. Jacob had sent for a representative of the court that morning in order to make an amendment to his will, an amendment that he could no longer remember. The man and the doctor exchanged words as Cora entered the room, followed by the undertaker and two of his assistants holding a stretcher between them, which they immediately placed on the bed next to Jacob¡¯s body.


    Jacob called to the people in the room. He plead openly, sobbing as his helplessness overwhelmed him, seeking help from those who could not hear or see him. After some discussion and paperwork, there was a monetary exchange from the man of the court to the doctor and the undertaker for their services, which he would be reimbursed for from Jacob¡¯s estate, and Jacob¡¯s body was loaded onto the stretcher for processing.


    Jacob occasionally called out to Cora and Doctor Aeson helplessly. Then he felt sheer exhaustion overcome him and he wanted to go to sleep. Maybe this was all a horrible nightmare, and once he woke it would be over. Jacob lay down where he stood, falling over and letting the chains drag him to the ground. Once there, he felt a compulsion to stand up and move, to follow ¡­ something. It was only then that Jacob realized he was alone in the room, and the door was swinging shut behind Cora, who had held the door open for the body to be removed by the undertaker and his helpers.


    Jacob wanted to rest, to find comfort in the nothingness of sleep, to feel refreshed and renewed and possibly awake from the nightmare that was all around him. Yet the urging to go out the door, to move towards his body that was being carried down the grand staircase of his home, grew stronger. Soon he was being dragged to his feet by the chains and lifted into the air. Once his feet touched the ground the urge to move become so strong he could not deny it, and he lumbered towards the doorway.


    Jacob resisted the urge. He fought it with everything that he was. He lashed out, shouted, railed against the heavens, yet the painful urging did not leave him. He found he was dragging chains behind him, chains with all of their added excess and weighty objects pulling against him. He felt the chains dragging him backward, trying to stop him from moving forward, yet the urge to move was all the more powerful. Jacob found himself at the top of the stairway, and the small group of people with his body were just reaching the bottom.


    The compulsion to follow his body was so strong he could not deny it no matter how tired he felt. He screamed in rage as he plunged forward after his body, floating down the stairs, the weight of the chains never lessoning. Jacob glided to the bottom and continued gliding out the door of the home until he was floating next to the carriage his body was being loaded into. The urge to move left him as he neared his body as if his proximity to it was of paramount importance.


    Jacob¡¯s vocal laments were nothing but whimpers and quiet sobs now as he waited for the carriage to move. Then he was pulling his chains along behind the carriage as it moved, occasionally shouting to the heavens for help to end his torment. No one answered. In time, he again fell into quiet moans.


    His body was unloaded and brought into the undertaker¡¯s workshop for processing. Jacob had paid quite a large sum to ensure he was buried in the rural garden¡¯s so his body would not be desecrated in the mass graves of the slum¡¯s cemeteries. Although the facts were plain as the chains on his soul, Jacob had not come to terms with his death, not fully. In his tormented and fractured mind, he was a victim of something that he could eventually escape, but Jacob Marley was dead as a doornail, and there was no escape to be had.

 Chapter Two

    Ebenezer Scrooge signed the certificate of death for Jacob Marley with a steady hand, one well used to placing name to paper. He had signed the ledger for countless loans, exchanges, purchases, sales, and evictions over the years. Truth be told he could, in fact, have counted them. The information was well preserved in dozens of ledgers within a storeroom of his large house, ledgers exactly like the one weighing down the chain on Jacob¡¯s right shoulder.


    Ebenezer had been Jacob¡¯s only friend in life. Theirs was a kinship born of work association, a like-mindedness in the pursuit of wealth, and sustained by their mutual respect for one another¡¯s business acumen. In reality, they had very little in common outside of their business pursuits. Ebenezer was cheap, paying for the bare minimum of most things in life except maybe for his bedding and a sturdy coat.


    Jacob, on the other hand, enjoyed neatness and order and was not afraid to use his accumulated wealth to maintain that order. He felt it wholesome for the soul, creating a balance and freedom that helped maintain order in other aspects of his life, such as his business pursuits. He was also accustomed to the comforts of a horse and buggy, which required a paid driver and a stable. These things Ebenezer thought of as ¡®frivolities¡¯, yet he had never protested when Jacob picked him up in his buggy to visit potential clients.


    Because of Jacob¡¯s image of wealth and stability, because of these frivolities, Jacob had become the face of their business. He would consult with Ebenezer over the purchases and sales associated with their work, and then present the smiling face and charm which Ebenezer lacked in order to close the deal. Their partnership was extremely successful.


    Jacob had tried in vain to speak to Ebenezer, to capture his attention. He howled his name, cursed the man for his blindness, and wept as Ebenezer walked away from him towards the buggy he had rented to take him to the funeral. Even he would not walk the distance to the gardens.


    Jacob tried to follow him, moaning at his torment, but one of his chains had somehow wrapped itself around his coffin. He could not pull it free no matter how hard he tried. He was forced to sit there and watch as not a single soul besides Ebenezer came to see his body. He still had not admitted that he was dead, that he was forever bound to this existence, yet he recognized the absence of people and what it meant. He had taken their money, not their hearts. He had taken their homes, not their admiration. He had given nothing to anyone freely, and nothing was given in return.


    Eventually, his coffin was nailed shut and placed in the back of a carriage for transportation. The hired mourners, two of them, followed the buggy wailing into the sky as if they had known Jacob all of their lives, and as if his departure wracked their souls with anguish. They had been well paid. Ebenezer¡¯s hired buggy followed the mourners, and the slow procession made its way to the garden plot outside of town, Jacob¡¯s soul in tow.


    Even though he was pulled along by the chain wrapped around his coffin, the other chains and objects still seemed to drag on him. It was like he was pulling the chains in reverse; no rest being given for the coffin¡¯s movement. Jacob had tried to sleep on several occasions, to find respite from the bone-crunching weariness that seeped through his soul, but sleep would never come. The more he tried, the more tired he felt, and his eyes refused to stay closed no matter how hard he tried to keep them shut.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    They arrived at the garden plot, and Ebenezer refused to pay the full fare requested by the driver. He claimed the driver had driven recklessly, even though the man could only drive as fast as the walking pace of the mourners in front of him. Ebenezer threw half the requested fare at the man and walked away, gambling that the man would take the money and leave instead of fetching the guard. If he fetched the guard, Ebenezer would simply pay the full fare and that would be the end of it. In either case, he would avoid tipping the man.


    The man spat on the ground, pocketed the coin, and left with the intent of warning other cab drivers headed in that direction to refuse the man service. As Ebenezer walked towards the garden plot, Jacob briefly saw the massive length of chain trailing behind his only friend in life, growing by one link before his eyes. The chain was every bit as long as Jacob¡¯s, with similar objects dotting its length. Jacob wailed in sorrow for his friend. He wailed for himself as well, but there was no one to hear him.


    The funeral service was simple. The clergyman had only Ebenezer to address as the mourners had left as soon as the body arrived at the plot. Jacob was lost within his own torment, staring blankly as he felt exhaustion throughout his soul. Then he was briefly made aware of a figure standing near his coffin, a figure dressed all in black with a cowl pulled low over their face to hide their features. Man or woman Jacob could not tell, but the figure was staring at him. Jacob could see no face, but he felt the figures eyes locked onto him.


    A feeling overcame Jacob, shattering all attempts to call to the figure for help, rending him completely mute from terror. Whatever this figure was, Jacob knew to his core that it was not here to help him, and such laments would go unanswered. Jacob could only stare in numb horror, returning the eyeless gaze of the figure. Eventually, the figure seemed satisfied that its lack of interest in Jacob¡¯s torment was fully cemented, and it turned its gaze to the clergy, which was oblivious to the presence of the figure. The figure seemed to be listening to the clergy intently, almost reverently, full of patience for this moment of final farewell.


    Upon the conclusion of the Clergies speech, the figured bobbed its head as if in amen of the words spoken. As Jacob¡¯s body was lowered into the ground by the undertaker and his assistants, hands appeared from the sides of the dark robed figure. The hands were transparent like Jacob¡¯s, but glowing white, whereas Jacob¡¯s were pale and barely visible. A massive scythe appeared in the hooded figure''s hands. The handle was made of finely crafted wood and decorated with flowing veins of interlacing silver and gold. The blade appeared to be made of a brilliant light that shone brightly all around, lighting the darkness of death. The barest whispering of peace from that light brushed Jacob¡¯s mind, an ebb to his torment, but the moment was gone as quickly as it had come, and its bitter taste a purposeful addition to the torment that was his new existence.


    In a flash the scythe swept through the air, severing the chain wrapped around his descending coffin. The chain fell apart, unwrapping from the coffin, then immediately reconnected to add its weight to Jacob¡¯s tormented chain.


    Severing the chain seemed to have shattered Jacob¡¯s denial, and he was fully aware of his situation. He knew he had stepped upon the hopes of others to gain dominion over them. He knew he had stretched and pushed his power and influence in order to take from others, so he could gain more and more of the coins filling the cash boxes dragging at his feet. He knew he had hoarded his money, spending it only on himself, his possessions, and his comforts.


    He knew he was dead, he knew he was damned, and he knew it was exactly what he deserved.

 Chapter Three

    The moment the chain had been severed from his coffin, Jacob had felt an impulse to move. He resisted the urge, staring at the shrouded figure whose scythe had disappeared. The impulse for movement, to pull the chains behind him as he moved forward to some unreachable destination, began to steadily grow. It was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore and felt as if a swarm of bees was burrowing into his head through his ears and nose.


    The hooded figure turned to walk away from the grave and disappeared during the turn as if they had folded into nothing. Jacob groaned as the urge to move increased to a fervor that he could not ignore, and he slowly pulled his chains in no direction in particular. He wandered aimlessly about the countryside, wailing into the day and night as he was forced to move, never able to sleep, never able to stand still for very long.


    Jacob was not being forced to go in any particular direction, and he found himself drawn to familiar places from his life. Often, he would find himself drifting down the street between his old home and Scrooge and Marley¡¯s office. On occasion, he found himself following his friend home and sitting with him in his bedchamber for as long as he could. He would call out to the man, curse him for being a fool, and watch his friend live his wealthy life alone. Jacob could only stay a few moments before he was forced to move on.


    As he endured his endless torment, Jacob would occasionally come across living people that stood out from others. There was a glow around them, not heavenly by any means, but an aura nonetheless that made his eyes linger on them.


    Jacob began to dread these moments, to dread the aura that surrounded those who he would have considered a stranger in passing. It was these souls that he had impacted in life by his decisions, and he was made aware of his trespass against them by the results of his interactions. Whenever he saw this aura, he was fiercely coerced by an unknown force to grasp the chain he was dragging behind him, and relive the decision he had made that caused that specific part of his torment. He would see it anew as if he was living it again, yet there was no joy in the resurrected memory, only horror.


    To avoid these people Jacob began to avoid populated cities, which often led him to cemeteries. He would occasionally come across a funeral with the figure in black standing watch, waiting for the proper moment to cut the chain tethering the soul to its body.


    Strangely enough, Jacob could not see the chain or the soul attached to it. The brilliant scythe would appear in the hands of that holy figure, it would fall, and there would be the sound of the chain breaking apart, yet nothing could be seen. Jacob wondered if he was the only soul in torment, yet he knew this was not so as he had seen chains forged on Doctor Aeson, and on Ebenezer. Others must be in torment, yet he saw no tethered and wailing souls about him.


    The figure in black always ignored Jacob¡¯s wail for relief. The specter gave no indication that it could see or hear Jacob, and he could not approach the figure. Not that there was a barrier by any means, yet the inclination to approach was immediately rejected by his own mind. Regardless, the figure would always wait patiently for the clergy to finish, nod slightly in amen, then cut the invisible chain and depart.


    Jacob would continue his wandering, wailing to the sky, moaning to the ground, apologizing to the stars in his endless, laborious, sojourn. He found himself drifting through a fog for some time, and when the fog lifted he was out upon the sea with no land in sight. In life, he would have enjoyed seeing the sea, yet his torment banished all enjoyment from his perspective. He could find joy in nothing, peace in nothing, rest in nothing.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Eventually, he saw a light in the distance floating upon the water and found himself drifting towards it. Coming closer, he saw the aftermath of an explosion upon the water. A ship was burning as it slowly sunk, the flames reaching high enough into the night sky to illuminate bodies in the water around him. Some of them were alive, clinging to drifting wood. Jacob was allowed to pause in his roaming, though the weight of his chains increased as if to make up for the lack of motion.


    He wondered what was causing the alteration in his torment when he began to be pulled down into the water by his chains. Jacob knew he was dead, so he had no fear of the approaching water. In fact, he would have rejoiced if he could drown, if only to rid himself of his endless exhaustion, so he let himself be pulled into the crushing depths of the sea without a struggle. It took some time for him to sink to the bottom, and he seemed to be guided by his chains as he descended until he came upon a man¡¯s body on the ocean floor.


    The man was shirtless and barefoot and wearing a simple pair of pants as if he had been asleep when the explosion above had decimated his vessel. His left foot was wrapped around a hammock that was attached to part of the wall of the ship, which is what had dragged the man into the depths. He appeared to have drowned as there were no wounds on him.


    Jacob wondered how he was able to see in such total darkness, so he looked around for the source of light which was illuminating the watery grave. At first, he could not see it, but then a piece of the weightless robe of the figure in black moved across one of its glowing hands, and the source of light was made plain. Jacob stared at the figure and was surprised to see it staring back at him.


    Jacob knew that his presence in this moment was not circumstantial, and that he had been specifically brought to this place for a reason, but to what end he did not know.


    ¡°Why am I here, great specter?¡± Jacob asked, almost giddy at being able to speak to someone who could understand him.


    In response, the Spector pointed at the seabed below the man''s corpse, or more specifically, below the hammock that had created the corpse with its entanglement. It was difficult to see with so many shadows, but as the specter pointed the ocean floor lit up as if the sun had risen beneath the sea. Below the hammock was a thick book, open and facing up. The book must have traveled to the bottom in the hammock as the pages were still legible.


    Jacob drifted closer to the book to gaze upon the book. His eyes fell upon words and he read out loud.


    ¡°Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.¡±


    It was the Bible, the book of Matthew.


    The light around the bible diminished so that Jacob could not see the page enough to continue reading, and he looked to the specter again. The specter had the same scythe in their hand and was sweeping it across the seabed above the body. Instead of the familiar sound of chain, there was the sound of cloth tearing, and the soul of the man appeared next to his body. He was wearing white robes and glowed a brilliant white, outshining the light of the scythe by tenfold. His face beamed with joy as he looked upon his floating body, without an ounce of horror at seeing himself in such a state.


    ¡°I understand, now,¡± the man said with tears of joy on his face.


    A beam of white appeared above the man, and he looked into the beam.


    ¡°Mother! Carol!¡±


    The man continued to joyously call out names as his arms spread as if he was about to embrace someone. Then in an instance the man in white, the figure in black, and the light from their countenances were gone. Jacob was left in total darkness, staring at the place he knew the corpse was, knowing the man¡¯s soul had found peace.


    Jacob sobbed into the sea as he was compelled to pull his chains across the dark ocean floor.

 Chapter Four

    Jacob roamed the ocean floor, climbing mountains and crossing chasms beneath the sea that rivaled any found on land, and yet he felt no awe at the opportunity afforded him. His mind could only conjure the face of the sailor who found peace in the arms of his loved ones, and the knowledge that such peace was beyond his grasp.


    Eventually, Jacob was compelled to journey in a specific direction, and he could do nothing to resist the urge. He had no concept of time since there was no sun to rise or set in the crushing depths of the sea. After an eternity of darkness, he began to climb towards the light, and eventually exited the water.


    Jacob had no desire to continue forward as he did not wish to relive any more of his tormenting memories, yet he knew the urge would consistently grow until it was obeyed. He journeyed in the required direction, and after some time found himself traveling to the garden plot where his body was buried. Jacob felt no connection to the location, yet the painful force compelling him to travel in this direction was fading the closer he came to his plot.


    When the plot itself came into view, Jacob saw an individual standing near the plot staring in his direction as if in anticipation. The figure was that of a tall man in a white robe with a green sash across his shoulder and bare feet that left no footprint. He was cleanly shaven with a head of curly white hair, yet his face and stance suggested he was in his prime. There was a leather-bound ledger in his hand with the symbol of a flaming torch on its cover, plain and without color.


    ¡°Jacob Marley, I presume?¡± the man said with a knowing smile.


    Jacob was stunned and did not answer right away, but the man only continued to smile warmly, openly, and waited for Jacob to collect himself and reply. Jacob wanted to plead with the man to save him from his torment, but much like the first time he had seen the dark-robed figure, he was firmly resolved to remain silent on the subject.


    ¡°Yes, that is ¡­ was my name ¡­ in life¡± Jacob replied


    ¡°And in death does it remain yours, Jacob¡± the man said, tapping the cover of the ledger with his finger when he said Jacob¡¯s name as if to accent the documentation of his name. ¡°My name is Jared.¡±


    ¡°What do you want of me?¡± Jacob asked the man.


    ¡°I wish to know you better, and to know what you have learned about yourself in the last year.¡± the man replied.


    ¡°The last year?¡± Jacob asked.


    ¡°Yes, today is Christmas Eve, as well as the first anniversary of your death.¡±


    Jacob felt like the bone-chilling, numbing, endless fatigue had lasted a lifetime, yet a single solitary year had passed since his death. He fell to his knees, covering his face as he wept in anguish. He did not know how long he cried, but in time he looked up to see that the man was still standing there, a pitying smile on his face as he patiently waited for Jacob to collect himself.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Jacob, what have you learned about yourself in the last year?¡±


    ¡°I have learned that these chains are heavy!¡± he snapped at the man.


    Jared made no reaction to his response, but he opened the ledger and began writing in the ledger with his finger, writing words as if his finger was an ink quill.


    ¡°Jacob, what have you learned about your fellow man?¡±


    Jacob thought about the question and felt anger floating to the surface of his emotions. Anger at himself, anger at his situation, anger that he had to talk about the torment he had no escape from.


    ¡°A common sailor is lifted up while I am trampled to the ground. No respecter of persons indeed!¡± Jacob said loudly, and if he had a body he would have spit upon the ground.


    Jared grimaced at the prolific misinterpretation of the words of Peter, yet said nothing as he wrote in the ledger with his finger.


    ¡°Jacob, what would you change about your life if you could go back?¡±


    Jacob had no need to think of a response.


    ¡°Everything!¡± he said, emotions bouncing from anger to desperation faster than thought.


    Jared made no reaction and did not write anything down in the ledger. He closed the cover of the ledger and tucked it under his left arm. Then he stretched forth his hand and took Jacob by the arm, hauling him to his feet, chains and all.


    ¡°I have asked you three questions. If you have them, you may do the same and I will answer if I can, then I must depart,¡± he said.


    Jacob was not expecting this at all and had not considered such an opportunity would come his way. The businessman in Jacob felt suspicious of such an offer, freely given and unexpected as it was. He wanted to ask if he could think on what to ask, but was wary of the question counting as one of his three questions.


    As if he could see into Jacob¡¯s mind, Jared spoke. ¡°Time is irrelevant to me so I am inclined to give you all the time you wish. That being said; I cannot interfere with the duties of other messengers; thus, you must continue your journey soon. I would recommend asking your questions now, Jacob.¡±


    Jared had spoken slowly with the intent of allowing Jacob time to think, even when denying him such time. The delay was all Jacob needed to remember certain aspects of his journey that had been plaguing his thoughts.


    ¡°Very well, my first question then. Why can I not see other spirits ¡­ burdened like me?¡±


    ¡°In life, there is a concept called pride. In and of itself it is not an evil concept, yet it can be a gateway to many unholy paths. With enough pride in anything humility fades, judgment ensues, and envy is formed. You cannot see the torment of others because you would constantly compare your torment with theirs. Your torment would then have a worth, or quality to it when viewed next to someone else¡¯s. Thus, you could develop pride in damnation, which would defeat its purpose.¡±


    Jacob was astonished and grateful that he had received such a complex and detailed answer. It gave him much to think on, but he felt an ending to their conversation approaching and wanted to ask his other questions.


    ¡°I have seen chains added to souls of the living, yet I have not seen any removed. Are we expected to be perfect in life?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. The links you saw formed were for your own understanding of the situation you have created for yourself. They can be removed as part of repentance¡± Jared answered.


    He began to thin out, becoming thin enough to see through as he answered Jacobs second question, and Jacob felt that their time was almost spent. It was then that he realized it had become dark as they had been conversing, and it was most likely close to midnight. Jacob quickly asked his final question.


    ¡°Can I end my torment?¡±


    The man had that pitying smile on his face again, filled with love and sadness as he shook his head back and forth.


    ¡°You can do nothing to save yourself,¡± he said while pointing to something on the chain at Jacob¡¯s feet.


    Then he was gone and Jacob was alone in the dark of night, staring at the single sheet of paper pierced by his chains at his feet.

 Chapter Five

    Jacob had been coerced to continue his journey immediately upon the departure of the messenger. However, there was something different now, something unexpected and horrifying. Instead of wandering in random directions with nothing but his exhaustion for company, he was compelled to travel to specific locations. At each location, he would find a person with the familiar aura around them and have to relive the memory of where he had forged the link upon his chain.


    As he would relive the memory, he would often find himself begging the personage for forgiveness. Just as often he would find anger and resentment as if the person was somehow at fault for Jacob¡¯s actions. Almost immediately after the memory left him a new destination would tug at his soul, yet the pull brought no relief from the crushing weight of his sins.


    This continued for months on end, traveling to destinations all across the globe with his exhaustion and chains. He would travel to one side of the globe to relive the memory of a man whose family he had evicted. He had never met the man himself, the property was purchased as part of a foreclosure auction and was a heavy gamble for their firm. Yet the property value of the homes increased, just as Ebenezer and Jacob had predicted. Then they used loopholes in their contract to increase the rent, ultimately evicting the family when they could not make the higher payment.


    Moments later he was destined for London to see an orphan he had slapped for begging at his doorstep. What was odd was that he had slapped the lad decades ago, yet the boy did not appear to have aged. Jacob realized that all of the torturous memories he relived followed the same pattern. He knew some of the memories he relived were decades apart, and some of the people would have been deceased long before Jacob had passed away, and some still living, yet they all appeared as if it was the same day he had created his offense towards them.


    Jacob also realized that something was different about distance and time as he traveled the globe. His torment was not lessened in the slightest, yet he seemed to be traveling long distances far faster than the pace of a walking man, and he felt no increase or decrease in movement as he traveled. And occasionally the opposite was true; he would travel what he knew was a short distance between two towns, and the journey would stretch on for weeks. Sometimes he would spend an entire day pushing down a single street, dragging his burden behind him.


    Jacob was also having to relive memories more than once whenever a family or group of people had been impacted by his action. He did not know if he had multiple chains, or if it was a single chain that weighed more than others. He often wondered if such concepts as quality and quantity applied to sin and transgression. The only answer he had was his own, that the torment felt the same regardless of how many times he had to relive it.


    Jacob thought often of the questions the messenger had asked of him. What was the purpose of the questions? Was there a right or wrong answer? Was there a punishment or reward for being right or wrong? Would he see him again on the next anniversary of his death?


    The questions in Jacob¡¯s mind were pointless as he had no answers, and they offered absolutely no distraction from the torment he endured. In fact, the more he thought deeply of anything at all, the more his chains would drag, making them heavier to bring his mind out of his stupor of thought. He supposed becoming enthralled in a daydream could be a form of relief from his torment. When his torment allowed; he would consider what questions he would ask of the messenger, if the opportunity afforded itself to him.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Jacob found himself speaking more and more to the strangers around him. Commenting on their appearances, seeing moments thought hidden, watching as others forged their own chains. Those souls Jacob spoke to the most, begging and pleading with them to change their ways, to lessen their torment.


    Yet that was exactly what the messenger had spoken of; limiting comparisons to prevent pride in damnation. It was then that Jacob remembered there were no perfect souls in this world. All people must have a chain about them, yet the image of the sailor being cut free of his bonds was puzzling to Jacob. The man must have forged a chain in life, if even a single link, yet why did he find salvation? Ebenezer had forged as much just by lying to escape a cab fare that cost less than a meal, so how was a sailor of all people able to escape the chains that all mankind must forge in life?


    ¡°You speak down to this humble sailor, yet it is you who are accursed and not he,¡± a voice said from behind him.


    Jacob had not realized that he had been speaking his thoughts. He had been alone for so long that he spoke most of his thoughts out loud just to hear a voice. Jacob turned around to see who it was who could hear him in his grief and misery. He half expected to find the messenger from before, yet instead of a tall man in white robes, he found a boy of about twelve years of age wearing a simple, yet well-made suit. The young man had light hair that was parted to one side and carried a wide book in his left hand with the image of a candle snuffer on its cover. There was nothing remarkable about the boy. He did not glow, or appear transparent, or heavenly in any way. One would think he was a normal, living, child speaking to a chain-laden aberration.


    ¡°Hello, Jacob. My name is Andrew. I will be accompanying you for a time.¡±


    Jacob tried to respond but had to turn away from the boy as the urge to move suddenly grew too much for him to resist. He continued his journey, and after a moment the boy fell into step beside him. Jacob¡¯s fatigue and weariness seemed to increase now, so much so that Jacob felt it impossible to speak to the boy, to ask him the questions that were floundering about his mind. If Jacob had been still living, the fatigue would have caused him to collapse from exhaustion.


    So, the pair marched on in silence. Andrew walking upon the ground, yet passing through people and objects the same as Jacob. Days went by as the boy observed Jacob reliving his memories. Seeing his anguish, hearing his laments of sorrow, his anger, and his pleads for a pardon from those he injured. Jacob felt his exhaustion increase whenever he tried to speak to Andrew, even thinking of speaking to him brought more fatigue, so he put the boy out of his mind.


    Andrew never spoke, never deviated from his observation, and did nothing to distract Jacob from his eternal pursuit. So much time passed that Andrew became much like an extension of Jacob¡¯s chains. He was a lingering burden that was always present but could not be altered or removed. He became recessed into the shallows of Jacob¡¯s awareness.


    It was then that the boy knew his presence held no sway over Jacob¡¯s actions, that his observations were undiluted and pure. He observed the laments, the pleads, the anger, and the encouragement to be righteous that Jacob called to others.


    Eventually, Andrew spoke.


    ¡°Jacob ¡­¡± the boy said, pausing for Jacob to turn his surprised face to him, giving him time to remember that the boy was present. ¡°I have finished with my witness, and have need to report my findings. I have asked no questions of you, so there is none that you may ask of me. However, I will make you aware that today is the second anniversary of your death.¡±


    And with that the boy was gone, leaving Jacob to wonder in amazement.

 Chapter Six

    Only two years? He had covered the distance of the earth multiple times, explored the mountains and canyons of the ocean, and witnessed countless reckonings of his past, yet only two years had elapsed since his death. He felt as if it had been over a century of wandering.


    The weariness of it all caused Jacob to fall over in anguish, and the moment he touched the ground the urge to rise to his feet and move began to grow like a thorn in his head. Jacob ignored the prompting and wept upon the ground. The urge grew ten-fold! If he had a body, it would have felt as if blood was filled with shards of glass, cutting him open from the inside. Still, he ignored the urge and screamed his defiance and rage into the sky, beating the ground with his fists, and lashing out at the punishment he so rightfully deserved.


    A voice spoke to him, but at this point, the pain was a roar in his ears so he did not hear what the voice had said. Jacob gave in and shot into the air to travel while looking around for the source of the voice. His eyes fell on the boy that had recently departed from him.


    ¡°Have you come back to gawk at my deeds and take pleasure in my tormented existence?¡± Jacob shouted angrily at the boy.


    ¡°Andrew, my brother, was witnessing your interaction with your memories so he may testify of them. I assure you there was no mockery in his assignment, and no pleasure gained from his observations¡± the boy said happily, ignoring Jacob¡¯s anger.


    ¡°Your brother?¡± Jacob asked, the harshness ebbing slightly as his curiosity as to why he had another visitor so quickly caught up to him.


    Jacob could see now that this was indeed a different boy. They appeared to be the same age and had very similar features, so they were most likely twins. This boy¡¯s suit was a different color though, and his hair slightly darker. There was a book in his hand like his brother had held, but instead of a candle snuffer on its cover, there was a lit candle.


    The boy continued to speak.


    ¡°My name is Daniel, and I have heard Andrew¡¯s witness of your words and actions during your torment. You, nor I, can do anything to ebb your torment, yet I have been given permission to clarify some points of it so you may gain meaning from it.¡±


    Jacob¡¯s urge to move was strong, to continue his endless march uninterrupted. He turned and walked as he responded, and Daniel fell into step with him.


    ¡°You speak well for a child. Am I allowed to ask questions? Or am I to just listen?¡± Jacob asked.


    ¡°I am far older than I appear,¡± the boy said with a smile. ¡°I have information for you, and in the event that I ask you a question, then you may ask me one in return. I may be constrained in my answer, but if I am allowed to respond, then I shall.¡±


    The two walked through a building at that point which happened to be a church. A minister was preparing for the congregation, placing large numbers on a slanted shelf for the gathering congregation to know the page number for their hymnals. The church was large, yet humble, with few adornments and plain windows. The minister finished his task and left through a small door to the side of the pulpit behind the choir pews.


    The urge to walk lessoned, to the point that Jacob was able to stand still for a moment in the church. His chains grew in weight to compensate for his lessoned urge to travel, and he could barely hold them in the air. However, he knew if he allowed the crushing weight to pull him to his knees he would be urged to stand and move again, so he stood firm.


    ¡°The minister of this church seems burdened,¡± the boy said, staring at the door the man had disappeared into. ¡°He is unsure of what message he should tell his congregation on Christmas morning. What do you think he should tell them?¡±


    Jacob had not scrutinized the minister enough to even remember what he looked like, let alone see a burden upon him. Jacob cast his eyes around the church until they fell upon a small manger scene on a table near the pulpit. The manger scene appeared to be homemade from tufts of straw being shoved into a cloth and tied to form heads and arms, then faces drawn on with chalk or ash.


    ¡°He should tell them the tale of Christ¡¯s birth,¡± Jacob said, nodding towards the manger scene.


    ¡°Why?¡± The boy asked.


    ¡°Is that not the story of Christmas from the New Testament?¡±


    ¡°That is an important part of the fulfilled testament, yes. Yet much comes from Christ after his birth, much of which is forgotten when Christmas passes by. The adherence to such content can be a great blessing, yet many squander it with the distractions of mortal life. What would you tell this congregation to help them remember the birth of Christ, yet also apply the purpose of his existence in their lives when the season ends?¡±


    Jacob thought long on the boy¡¯s words, not fully understanding their meaning. He had never been a religious man, being far too busy with the pursuit of substance to consider such notions. He knew very little of the scriptures, and almost nothing of the interpretations of those scriptures from one faith to another. He did not know what the minister would say, but he knew what he would say if he could speak to them.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°If I was the minister I would show them my chains. I would tell them that their ill actions form these hellish links and that they would do well to avoid my fate.¡±


    ¡°Then do so,¡± the boy said as he faded into the shadows around them.


    Jacob found himself standing at the pulpit facing a congregation. The pews were filled to the brim, and there was a ring of people standing against the walls of the room. Everyone was wearing their Sunday best, with families sitting or standing together. There were people of all ages, with children held in arms or sitting on laps. Every eye was on Jacob and there was not a sound in the room, not a cough, a sniff, or even the rustle of fabric.


    Horror began to grow in Jacob¡¯s breast as he realized the room was glowing slightly. He missed it at first because the congregation was so closely packed together, but every person had the aura around them that signified that Jacob¡¯s actions toward these people had created the chains of his torment. Jacob began to scan the room, looking into the eyes of those he had harmed, eyes that had before been oblivious of his presence when he journeyed to them.


    Jacob locked eyes with a large family which was so indebted to him that they had sold one of their children to avoid living on the street. He knew full well what had transpired, and still evicted them months later when they could again no longer make their payments. He stared into the eyes of several women he had taken advantage of, leading them to believe in his long-term intentions, and abandoning them when he had achieved his base pursuits. One of these women had become pregnant, yet he had paid well for her claims of paternity to be discredited so the child could not be linked to him, robbing him of his finances. He saw people he had led into bankruptcy, other business owners he had tricked into ill purchases, and all those he had mocked from his arrogant perch.


    Jacob was surprised to find no hatred or anger in their eyes. He saw that which he knew he would not have given if their places were exchanged; he saw forgiveness, love, and pity. Jacob buried his face in his hands to shut it all out, to hide from the love and pity that he did not deserve, and that would not save him from his torment.


    He heard a rustling of paper in front of him and opened his eyes to find the link of the chain with the pierced paper on top of the pulpit. The paper lifted from the chain, and the chain fell to the ground without a sound as the paper came to rest on the pulpit. The paper was blank, yet at its top words were beginning to appear. A name appeared, followed by a date, time, location, and an explanation as to what had transpired at that time and place in order to create the link of torment he carried with him. The information appeared quickly, then moved to the next line, and the process was repeated. The page seemed to have no end as the information continued to flow over the page from top to bottom, over and over again, documenting the creation of the entire length of his chain.


    As names appeared on the page, Jacob could see the glowing aura around individual people disappear. Each person¡¯s information was seared into the book one by one. The process seemed to take an eternity, yet at long last it was complete. The words stopped appearing on the piece of paper as Jacob realized the room was now devoid of its sickly glow.


    It was then that the paper seemed to expand and grow, pages stacking on top of each other, creating a pile of paper on the pulpit. A leather binding appeared around the book, branded with a candle with a snuffer over its top. The book lifted itself off of the pulpit and reattached itself to the chains around Jacob, a document of his crimes against his fellow man.


    ¡°What would you like to say to your congregation?¡± Daniel asked from where he was seated in the front pew.


    There were two tiny infants in his arms, one in the crook of each arm, and he cradled them as if he had done so countless times before. The babes appeared to be asleep, content, and happy in the young man¡¯s arms. Jacob took a moment to collect himself, then looked around the room again. He still saw that which he thought was impossible. Love, forgiveness, and pity.


    ¡°I have not words that are impactful enough to accurately express myself. I ¡­ am overwhelmed¡± Jacob said softly, almost in a whisper.


    There was no response from David, no response from anyone. No one moved or reacted to his words, waiting for him to say more. As the moment lengthened, Jacob thought on exactly what he was experiencing. When he spoke again, his voice quivered with frustration and anger.


    ¡°I have been told twice now that I can do nothing to end my torment. Can you save me, boy? Can any of these people I have wounded save me? Can your forgiveness end my tortuous journey? Does your love break the links that bind my chains? Can your pity remove the weariness I feel to the depths of my soul, and give me peace, even if in nothingness? If not, then why am I here? Why set me upon this horrid track, then add false hopes and startled expectations?¡±


    Daniel came to his feet and spoke.


    ¡°You say you would rather not exist than endure the punishment you heaped upon yourself,¡± David said plainly, anger touching his voice. ¡°You are presented with every witness of your trespass against the laws of God, every person you have offended in life, and the opportunity to say anything you want to them ¡­ and you mock the moment as an unworthy distraction from endless wandering.¡±


    The congregation disappeared, including the two babies David was holding, leaving the two of them alone in the empty church. David had a sorrowful look on his face, with no trace of the anger that had crept into his tone before.


    ¡°Jacob, I have need to remove myself from your presence that I may compose myself more fully before my next assignment, yet we have a contract and I will not abandon it. I asked you three questions in total, one of which I asked twice, and will not count as a fourth. Ask.¡±


    Jacob had already felt the pull of his chains, their endless weight dragging behind him even while pulling him forward. He was angry now, angry at feeling teased, angry at mistaking the forgiveness in the eyes of those he had wounded as a chance for peace. He was angry because he knew there was no peace to be had, no matter what he said to that room of people. He could have pled with them for a millennium, and he would still have been damned. Jacob began walking away from David as he spoke.


    ¡°My torment is endless with no salvation to be had. I want no pointless answers from you, or anyone else. I release you from your contract. Leave me to my misery, Specter.¡±


    ¡°Happy third anniversary, Jacob¡± Daniel said before he disappeared, leaving Jacob to his torment as he passed through the wall of the church and into the street.

 Chapter Seven

    Jacob found that his urge to travel no longer contained specific destinations. He returned to traveling endlessly without purpose. Any joy he could have found in knowing he did not have to relive the memories of his deeds was shattered when the new book bound to his chains floated before him and opened.


    A name glowed brightly on the page, and then a glowing copy of the words lifted from the page and floated in his vision. As Jacob walked, he was forced to read the information, to read the name of the person he had wronged in life. The words would not go away, like a pestering insect they limited his vision and gnawed at his tortured nerves. He tried everything he could think of to make the words go away. They were there when he closed his eyes, they remained when he slapped himself, when he shook his head or slammed his face upon the ground. He tried lifting the cash boxes he was dragging in the air and dropping them upon his head, but it was all for naught as the words persisted in his vision.


    For days he walked with the person''s information in his vision, always the same, always present. He gave up trying to make the words go away, trying to see his path through the words. He began muttering to himself, absentmindedly reading the words in his vision as they appeared.


    In his astonishment, the words were suddenly gone.


    ¡°All it took was for the words to be read out loud and they go away!¡± Jacob shouted in relief, yet the feeling was premature.


    The book rose into the air again, and a new set of words appeared before his face, limiting his vision once again. Jacob frantically began reading the words, to make them disappear as before, yet they would not go away. He read them again, desperate to satisfy whatever requirements the torturous words had of him. He repeated the words on the page over and over again, losing count of the times he said them. He roamed as he read out loud, often rambling the words incoherently as he slurred them together in his desperation to make them go away. Yet the more he read, the more he spoke, the more persistent and obstructive the words became.


    Jacob stopped reading the words out loud, giving in to the torment, and traveling in silence for some time. The words could not help but be read as they were always in his vision, bright and oppressive. After several days Jacob read the words out loud again without knowing he was doing so, and the words faded away.


    He sobbed into the air as the words faded, yet once again the joy was shattered as the book rose into the air. In desperation, Jacob begged for release, shouting at the book for forgiveness, pleading to understand whatever purpose this new trial wanted to teach him so the torment could end. There was no relief granted, and a new name and crime against his fellow man filled his vision.


    This patterned continued without end for Jacob, days or even weeks passing before reading the words out loud would cause them to disappear. He could find no pattern on how long it took for the words to receive satisfaction before they would depart. He resigned himself to the torment, heaped upon the punishment of endless fatigue, travel with no rest, and never finding peace.


    Eventually, Jacob noticed a change within the entries of the book when it opened to reveal its pages to him. Just before his vision was clouded over with glowing characters; he could see that some of the entries had a glowing checkmark next to them, and he immediately recognized the name and crime associated with the check as he had already endured that entry in his vision.


    Jacob¡¯s sight was limited by the words floating in his vision, and there was no thought he could latch onto that was not halted by the increasing weight of his burden. He continuously read the words in front of him until they would leave his vision, then start the process over when new words appeared.


    At one-point, Jacob realized that he was reading an entry he had already read before, and it caused him to halt in surprise. Immediately the urge to continue moving increased to a deafening roar, so he obeyed the urge as he considered the words in his vision. He read them to himself a few times, before carefully stating them out loud, firmly, and slowly. The words disappeared, only to be replaced by another set of words that he had also read before. These words also disappeared as he read them, immediately being replaced by new words.


    Whenever Jacob tried to rush through the words or did not read them precisely enough, the words would linger in his vision, prompting him to start over and try again. This happened more often than not as Jacob was desperate to have the words removed, although he was desperate in all things now.


    Eventually, the entries were all read a second time, and the book rose into the air in front of Jacob and opened facing him. Nothing glowed or appeared in the air, the book just sat there in his face. Each entry had a second check next to it now, and an empty space where a third check could fit. Jacob knew what was required of him, and he started reading the entries out loud, slowly. As he read each entry, the space was filled with a check.


    Jacob found that he had each entry memorized. He could start reading a name and then close his eyes and say the information out loud, so he did exactly that. He read aloud the crimes he had committed against his fellow man, receiving a full knowledge of his guilt as each crime reached his ears. His voice became emotional as he reread, as he remembered, as he relived the moments in his mind without the aid of visions. He cried softly as the words escaped his lip, his eyes closed as if in prayer. He found himself reading the next entry without having to open his eyes to see the name on the page. The book was seared into his soul, and he knew the information as if the book was an extension of himself.


    Jacob reached the end of the entries in his mind and opened his eyes to find himself returned to the chapel of the church Daniel had taken him to. He was standing at the pulpit looking out over the same congregation as before, all witnesses to his crimes. There was a change from before. Instead of forgiveness, love, and pity on their faces, he saw what he expected to feel the first time he had seen them. He saw anger. He saw hatred. He saw disgust.


    Daniel and Andrew appeared between him and the congregation, each holding their book in one hand, and a link of his chain in the other. Without a word they began to pull at his chain, pulling him through the pulpit and towards the congregation. The room seemed to swim and sway, shimmering as it altered in shape and proportion until there was a single pew in the back of the chapel. Jacob turned around to see that the pulpit had been pushed forward until it was in front of the pew, and there were cascading stairs descending from the pulpit towards the ceiling, all holding those he had wronged in life.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Daniel and Andrew pulled at his chains, forcing him into a sitting position on the pew, and tied his chains to the bench. Their books floated in the air while their hands were preoccupied, waiting to be grabbed again when they were finished with their task.


    The smallest child came to the pulpit, and the pulpit seemed to shrink, or the floor to rise, or somewhere in between so that the child was seamlessly at its top looking down at Jacob. The girl spoke to Jacob in a clear child¡¯s voice, high pitched and appropriate for her age, yet the words used were far beyond the education she would have had at that point in life.


    ¡°Alice O''Sullivan, March 18<sup>th</sup>, 10:52 am on Vine Street. I stepped in front of your carriage and you scolded me for being a fool. You asked my name. Upon hearing my surname, you told your driver to run me over called me a-¡±


    Jacob knew the story by heart, he knew exactly what he had called out to the girl, and that she had ducked under the carriage to avoid the wheels. Her small size was the only reason she was not trampled by the horse, and Jacob remembered looking out the rear window of his buggy at the girl. She was lying in the mud, unmoving, and he had felt satisfaction, the satisfaction that he had reminded her of her place in life.


    When Alice was finished with her story the next child came to the pulpit and the process was repeated. Jacob found his head immoveable, that he was forced to stare into the eyes of each person that came to the pulpit, and hear every word they had to say to him. He had it all memorizes, all seared into his soul, yet hearing the words spoken by those he had offended, seeing their eyes, seeing their anger, their hurt, their pain ¡­ Jacob wanted to shut his eyes from their stares, to peel his face from their direction, yet he could do neither.


    The audience came by age, growing older as each new person spoke. Jacob found himself mouthing their words as they were spoken, feeling them brand upon his soul all over again, this time with a face to associate with the information. Tears streamed down his face as he heard their witness against him. It seemed an age passed as he heard every detail of the damning of his soul.


    When the last person finished their testament against him, Daniel and Andrew removed the chains from the bench and pulled his chains back towards the opposite end of the room. The room shifted the same as before, and in an instant, Jacob was standing at the pulpit facing the congregation of victims as he had before, their anger still plain on their faces.


    ¡°Jacob, you grew angry when you saw forgiveness in their eyes. How do you feel now? What did unforgiving animosity make you feel?¡± Daniel asked him calmly.


    Jacob was having a difficult time speaking, feeling deep emotions from the experience of reliving the totality of his crimes against mankind in such a personal way. He could hardly speak but managed to get a few words out.


    ¡°I feel ¡­ as if ¡­ I have done nothing worthwhile in my ¡­ entire life¡± Jacob said between sobs.


    ¡°You died a wealthy man, did you not?¡± Andrew asked, his voice very similar to his brothers.


    ¡°I would give it all away to sponge the writing from one entry in that book,¡± Jacob said, pointing to the book filled with his sins sitting closed on the pulpit in front of him.


    ¡°There is nothing you can do to save yourself from your torment,¡± Daniel said firmly.


    ¡°I do not seek salvation. I am consigned to my endless fate. I understand that regret, and the desire to erase the past is part of that very fate. Still ¡­ if I could help one person, even if it did not lessen my damnation so much as the weight of a farthing from these cash boxes I drag about ¡­ I would do so¡± Jacob said resolutely.


    Daniel and Andrew said nothing in reply, and it was then that Jacob saw a change in the faces of the audience around him. He saw the forgiveness, love, and pity from the first time he had witnessed their faces.


    This time Andrew spoke. He seemed to be the senior of the two brothers as if his stewardship was grander in some way, yet without lessening the value or importance of his brother¡¯s stewardship in the slightest.


    ¡°Jacob, the desire of your heart is a product of the torment you are experiencing, which only came to you after your mortality ended. It was this experience, without faith in things unseen, that helped you to develop a full awareness of your guilt. Know now that your fatigue and endless travel is your damnation. The hatred, or forgiveness, that you see upon the faces of these people around you is a product of your own creation.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I can feel forgiveness within damnation? That I can feel happiness within torment?¡±


    ¡°No. I am saying that the damnation and the torment was crea-¡± Daniel was interrupted by Jacob.


    ¡°Because I created it when I made my trespasses against these people,¡± Jacob said impatiently, waving his hand around the room at the audience to their conversation.


    Andrew smiled slightly, a smile of patience.


    ¡°He is not yet ready, Daniel¡± and he disappeared.


    The congregation disappeared with Andrew and much of the light around the room. Daniel remained, and turned to Jacob with the light centered on his personage.


    ¡°Jacob, I must leave you for a time, but I would still offer you the three questions I owed from before ¡­ if you have questions to ask¡± Daniel said softly.


    Daniel seemed to be disappointed, although as to what exactly was a mystery to Jacob.


    Jacob seemed to struggle within himself. It was plain he did have questions, yet he remembered the stubborn way in which he refused Daniel''s offer from before. In life; if he had taken a stance with someone over a dispute, his pride would have prevented him from altering his perspective later on. Yet knowledge within his torment was better than blind torment, so he swallowed his pride.


    ¡°Thank you, Daniel, ¡­¡± the words were difficult for him, for he rarely expressed gratitude to anyone outside of the expectations of society ¡°¡­ I have many more questions after the events of this chapel, yet I have not yet formulated them into words. However, I suppose I can ask questions I have pondered on in the past.¡±


    Daniel said nothing in response, merely waiting for the questions to be asked.


    ¡°I suspect today is the fourth anniversary of my death. I have noticed my torment is altered slightly after each anniversary after my visitor departs. Is this pattern to continue indefinitely?¡± Jacob asked.


    Daniel surprised Jacob by laughing out loud quite merrily, then with a warm smile, he spoke.


    ¡°I do not believe you intended to combine so many questions into a single thought, but I shall count it as one question all the same. You are correct, today marks four years since your mortal passing. The pattern of an annual ¡­ ¡®visitor¡¯ as you called it, will continue until there is no longer hope of understanding.¡±


    ¡°Hope of understanding what?¡± Jacob asked.


    ¡°I did not intend to trick you out of a question, Jacob. So, are you sure that is the second question you wish to ask?¡±


    Jacob thought on this for a moment before nodding his head in assent.


    ¡°Very well. Understanding why you can do nothing to save yourself, and before you ask anything more, know that is all I can say on this matter¡± Daniel said firmly.


    ¡°Then for my last question. Who were the two babes you held in your arms at our last meeting?¡±


    Daniel had tears well up in his eyes for a moment, tears of happiness, and Jacob had a feeling the tears were not for the babes, but for himself.


    ¡°Of all the questions you could have asked to understand your torment or something of your recent experience, you ask concerning the infants you briefly encountered. This brings me joy, Jacob. They are my cousins, cousins who departed this world before they could experience it for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Your three questions have been answered, but before I leave your presence I have a gift for you. Know that your torment will not be lessened by its presence. The exhaustion will not be decreased through its company, nor the crushing weight of your crimes lifted by it ¡­ but I pray this book will give you a greater understanding of ¡­ unknown things¡± Daniel said, letting go of the book he carried in his hand as it floated to Jacob.


    Jacob grabbed the book just as the light in the room, and Daniel, disappeared. He opened its cover and read the first line.


    ¡°1: The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham ¡­¡±

 Chapter Eight

    Jacob continued to wander the earth, his crushing chains dragging behind him. Dragging the chains and holding Daniel¡¯s book was impossible, but Jacob found if he let go of the book it would hover in front of him, allowing him to read as he labored on his endless journey. As if it read his thoughts the pages would turn at Jacob¡¯s will, even if he wanted to go back and read something he had already read.


    It was very difficult to read with the exhaustion dragging at his eyes, eyes that when closed did not bring sleep. He started reading out loud so he could better focus on the words instead of his fatigue. On he traveled, pulling his chains and reading the words of the New Testament in the hope to gain a better understanding of ¡®unknown things¡¯.


    It was an odd sensation for Jacob, to labor at an optional task with nothing tangible to gain from it. He knew he could read this book a thousand times a thousand times, and his torment would not be abated by it. Yet still, he read, pondering the meaning of the words. He read day in and day out, blindingly devouring the word of God without guidance as to what he was searching for.


    He found the verses referencing eternal damnation and the punishments of the unrepentant to be especially harrowing. Even still; it seemed to Jacob that these verses did not do nearly enough to convince the reader how terrible damnation truly is. In contrast; the verses on salvation and eternal life were dull descriptions compared to what Jacob had witnessed on the bottom of the sea. The sailor¡¯s joy had been indescribable. His peace insurmountable. Jacob longed for it as he longed for nothing else.


    His chains grew heavy as he thought of the sailor and the peace he had found, bringing his eyes back to the words of Daniel¡¯s book. Jacob thought of a specific scripture he had read, and the pages turned to that scripture. The location he had thought of was highlighted on the page and he read.


    ¡°But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you¡±


    It may have been the reference of good tidings that had captured his attention, being a familiar greeting heralded within the season of Christmas. In life, he had used the season of Christmas as a means to coax people into borrowing money, often with higher interest rates. When they left his and Ebenezer¡¯s office they would often shout such greetings. In the spirit of good business, Jacob would return the greeting, if only with his lips and fictitious smile. Ebenezer would ignore the greetings, or simply say ¡°good afternoon¡±.


    This verse of scripture weighed heavily on his mind. He had no memory of a time when he had a great desire to see ¡­ anyone, especially for the singular purpose of their company. Nor did he know what it was like to have that feeling mutually returned.


    He found himself wondering about charity, and how it was related to faith as the scripture passage indicated. This made him think of other passages he had read that referenced charity, and as to their meaning as well. As he thought of the references, the book would open to those passages and highlight the scripture he had thought of. As he read he learned that charity was often associated with faith, yet he wanted to know more about the connection.


    He had already read the entirety of the book several times when he began his research on the topic of charity, which was made easier through the mental connection he held with the book. He continued in this way for an unknown period of time, selecting topics he had read and finding keywords to latch onto and explore.


    His reading was made especially difficult because of his burden. The fatigue was a distraction, the weight of his chains an endless struggle, and both tempting him to surrender himself to endless torment. Even though there was no respite through the reading, Jacob stubbornly continued to read the book. He could control nothing of his damnation, but at least he could control the reading of this book.


    Through his reading, he found he could connect ¡°charity¡± to the concept of ¡°faith¡± in several scriptures, and he could connect faith to almost every holy concept referenced in the book. It seemed the simple concept of faith needed the most references in order to truly sink in. He found over two hundred references to faith in the new testament alone, and anything referenced that many times in a single book had to be important.


    His study was interrupted often by his burden since he was not allowed to become too distracted from his torment by the book floating beside him. The balance of being able to study without enjoyment so his burden was satisfied, and studying to the point of retaining the information was difficult. However, the alternative was continual torment so Jacob elected to continue to study the book.


    Jacob continued his research by dissecting the word of God, breaking it into primary and secondary importance based on focus and content. He connected faith to additional concepts, building a list of words and their definitions that he could reference at will. There was little of the book that he could not recite or find if pressed.


    Then one-day Jacob stopped reading the book, feeling that he had learned all that he could from its pages. The moment he had that thought the book disappeared as quickly as a lamp is extinguished. Jacob did not know what to think of the book disappearing, but he had little time to think on its absence as he was instantly urged to travel to a location. Jacob could not resist the urge and found himself dragging his chains behind him as the land whipped passed, moving much faster than even a horse could travel. Jacob¡¯s burden felt somehow compounded to make up for the momentum. It was not long before his urge to travel abated, and the land ceased to blur in his vision.


    He found himself floating in the streets of a large city with heavy rain falling from the sky. At one point this had been a cobbled road, but over time the poor had taken many of the stone blocks for their fire pits and housing, leaving a patchy road with multiple mud pits and water puddles dotting its length. Against the wall of the closest building was a woman holding a baby in her arms, and two smaller children sitting at her side. The lip of the roof extended enough to stop the rain from falling on the family as they huddled together for warmth.


    Jacob did not recognize the woman or her children, and he continued to look around trying to determine why he had been pulled to this location. The owner of the building came out of the main entrance and shouted at the woman to leave, not caring that they were only seeking shelter from the rain. The woman ignored the man, and it was only then that Jacob realized she was in distress. She looked to have been crying for some time, to the point that she had lost the will to even look up at the man shouting at her. She stared blankly at nothing.


    Jacob came closer to the woman and it was only then that he realized the babe in her arms was dead. Its skin was ashen, its innocent face at peace, leaving the trials of this world to the rest of its family. The man continued to shout at the woman, unconscious or uncaring of the state of the babe or the woman¡¯s struggle with grief.


    The last time Jacob had been drawn to a location with a recent death he had seen a specter appear and cut the threads of life tying the deceased to this earth. Jacob found himself looking around for the dark specter, expecting it to arrive to cut the thread of life which tied this babe to the earth, yet he saw no sign of it.


    The two younger children began to pull at their mother, dragging her from the irate man who had started to threaten bodily harm upon the family if they did not leave. Numbingly the woman walked, half dragged down the muddy street by her living children.


    Jacob saw the expected chain briefly appear and attach itself to a small chain which appeared behind the shop owner as he spat in the dirt and walked into the building to sit beside a warm fire. His chain was short, not even as long as the length of the chain wrapped around Jacob¡¯s person, let alone the yards and yards which stretched behind him.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Jacob was urged to follow the family down the street, and he found himself puzzling at the purpose behind it. He had always been urged to go to specific locations or people for a purpose, to either be reminded of his sins, and his torment, or taught a lesson in some way. He puzzled it out as he walked behind the family, pulling his chains behind him.


    Hours passed as the family walked. It was clear the children were exhausted, the mother beyond her strength, stumbling as she clung to the child in her arms. Still, there was no heavenly messenger, no specter, nothing to show him why he was dragging his chains behind this poor family.


    He soon forgot about trying to figure out why he was there, and instead, he found himself focusing on the family. One of the children was a boy around eight years of age, and the other was a girl of about ten. They were both far thinner than they should have been, with gaunt faces and sunken eyes. The mother was in a similar state, in addition to the sorrow of her grief. Jacob found himself drawing closer to the woman, studying her face as familiarity began to stir memories long forgotten.


    Then Jacob gasped in horror as he realized whom he was looking upon. He did not recognize her from the other times he had seen her face when confronted with his sins because her malnutrition and poverty had altered her appearance. She was barely recognizable as the woman who had claimed to carry his child, the woman he had publicly shamed in order to rob credence of her claims, protecting his reputation.


    He sobbed as his eyes turned to the little girl at her side, realizing that this must have been the child he had denounced, that he had abandoned to the streets to live in poverty. Jacob had more than enough money to provide for this girl and her family and to leave them in comfort after his death. In sorrow, he realized the only inheritance he had left his child was to watch her sibling die of starvation, and to see her mother following the same path.


    Jacob collapsed in sobs as he could no longer look at their faces, no longer able to endure the death he saw slowly creeping over the family, death felt before it was even upon them.


    ¡°Why do you weep?¡± a small voice said to him.


    Jacob looked up to see the family continuing down the street away from him, their journey on this globe not yet at an end. He looked around for the source of the quite voice he had heard but could see no one else on the abandoned street.


    His attention turned back to the family, watching them walk away from him, the urge to follow them completely gone. Then the two living children seemed to duplicate before his eyes. One set of children continued walking with their mother, clutching her deceased child, the other set turned to face Jacob. Jacob had the distinct impression that the pair walking away from him with their mother were the real children, yet he did not know the purpose of the other two who had turned to face him.


    Darkness closed in around the two children and Jacob, until the street and the family faded into nothing, leaving the three of them in a world of black. Despite the darkness, they could see each other clearly as if they were in a well-lit room.


    ¡°Why do you weep?¡± the girl asked again, looking up at him without fear or surprise at his appearance.


    ¡°I weep because I could have provided for you, I could have saved you from this fate, yet I did nothing. Worse, in fact, I created the situation that has befallen you by disparaging your mother¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°So, you weep for yourself?¡± the child asked.


    ¡°No, I weep for you.¡±


    ¡°It sounds as if you are weeping for yourself, for your deeds and mistakes, and for your absolution¡± the child responded plainly, lacking the angry emotions that should have accompanied such a statement.


    Jacob did not know what to say, and he stared at her in silence for some time, pondering her words. Then he had a thought.


    ¡°Are you, or the girl that walked down the street, truly my child?¡± Jacob asked her.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Her brother asked, speaking for the first time since his appearance.


    ¡°Well, of course, it matters if she is my daughter-¡±


    ¡°If she is your daughter ¡­ then what? Will you be more powerfully grieved at yourself? Feel more sorrowful than before? Wish harder than ever that you could set things right?¡± the boy asked with the same natural tone of voice.


    Again, Jacob did not know how to respond, and found himself in silence, pondering the boy¡¯s words.


    ¡°You are grieved because of the assumption of kinship you believe we possess, but what of him?¡± The girl asked Jacob, pointing at the boy standing beside her. ¡°You know for a surety that he is not your blood, yet you do not mourn over his shattered existence as you do mine.¡±


    The boy smiled at Jacob, a genuine smile of the innocence of youth that tugged at Jacob¡¯s wounded heart. In life he would have ignored such a lad, even scorned him for smiling at him, yet he saw things differently now, deeper somehow.


    ¡°Or him?¡± the girl asked as the boy¡¯s image began to alter, changing to that of another child.


    ¡°Or her?¡± the boy said as the girl standing before him began to alter as well, shifting and changing to another girl.


    This pattern continued until the words and images became a shifting blur with thousands of children¡¯s faces shifting before his eyes. In time the images stopped shifting and returned to the boy and girl.


    ¡°Are you saying my anguish over your struggles in life is disproportionate because of our relation?¡± Jacob asked.


    ¡°¡­ Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons¡± the boy responded with a pitying smile on his face.


    Jacob felt the sting of his own words, words spoken to Jared on the first anniversary of his death about the sailor. He recognized the irony immediately and knew he deserved the reprimand.


    He felt that he was beginning to understand what the children were trying to say to him. He knew now that his sorrow had been for himself. His grief, his torment, his laments, and his howling had all been for himself. He had believed he was reaching out to those he had wronged when in reality he was extending his own sorrows to them. Even his apologies had been for himself, apologizing for the wrongs he had committed because those wrongs were a burden to him.


    He had done the same thing when he realized the little girl was most likely his child, decrying his crimes against her. Yet what of the boy? The boy had no relation to him, but he was suffering the same trials as his sister. Why were Jacob¡¯s laments for her ¡­ not shared with her brother? What of all the children¡¯s faces seen flashing before his eyes?


    Between the lessons of these children and the scriptures he had studied, Jacob finally gained an understanding of some small things. He understood that all mankind mattered, that all mankind was connected, and that the welfare of any soul was welfare unto God.


    Jacob smiled as a verse came to his lips, a verse he said with renewed understanding.


    ¡°And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.¡±


    The boy and the girl both altered their appearances until Daniel and Andrew were standing before Jacob, smiling at him. Daniel held his book in his hand again.


    ¡°Jacob, what have you learned in the past year?¡± Daniel asked.


    The standard amazement that a year had transpired within his torment still came to Jacob, yet he quickly asserted himself and responded.


    ¡°I read the New Testament in its entirety several times, and learned much of the concepts the book holds ¡­¡±


    ¡°You sound as if something else is on your mind,¡± Andrew said.


    ¡°Even with all of that studying and reading, I feel as if I learned more in the last few minutes talking to the two of you than I have the entire rest of the year¡± Jacob explained.


    ¡°I do see that you have an understanding of some things, an understanding that you lacked from the last time we met. This is a great start, yet there is much we wish to teach you still¡± Daniel said enthusiastically.


    ¡°I am eager to learn,¡± Jacob said and was surprised that he meant it.


    He did wish to learn, and not just to read and study on his own. He wished to form a greater understanding of all things and to stop holding himself back with his own self-loathing.


    ¡°Tell me what you have learned from your study of the Fulfilled Testament?¡± Daniel said as his book floated into the air in front of Jacob as it had before.


    Jacob proceeded to tell the twins what he had studied, of how he had discovered concepts such as faith, hope, charity, benevolence, and love, and had categorized them into topics based on their strength and meaning. As he spoke the book would flip from one location to another, highlighting the scripture Jacob was thinking of.


    When he was finished Andrew spoke. ¡°What have you learned from the children you met this night?¡±


    Jacob struggled with his answer, feeling emotion in his voice as he spoke.


    ¡°I have learned ¡­ that when I see those I have wronged ¡­ I am sorrowful towards myself. My tears are for my own suffering, and I have yet to look past my punishment to see their suffering.¡±


    There was a tear on Andrew¡¯s face when he responded.


    ¡°Very good Jacob. There is more you need to learn ¡­ but it pleases me greatly to hear what you have learned about your fellow man. Daniel, I think he is ready.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but I would counsel that his understanding of the word is limited. He has studied the book as he would run a business, weighing and calculating worth based on his perception of content and merit¡± Daniel replied gravely.


    ¡°I see what you mean, perhaps he is not quite ready then¡± Andrew replied, heading the counsel of his brother.


    ¡°Ready for what?¡± Jacob asked.


    Andrew and Daniel looked at him for some time, weighing and calculating the response. Andrew was the one who spoke, being the senior of the two.


    ¡°Judgement.¡±


    Daniel smiled at his brother as if he had said something clever, and the two of them vanished. The darkness around Jacob receded until he was standing in the familiar church, the same church in which he had been confronted with those whom he had wronged in life. The minister of the church had his back toward Jacob and was placing hymnals on the pews.

 Chapter Nine

    Jacob was consumed in thought over his meeting with the twins. He wondered if his encounter with the woman of his past and her deceased infant had been real, or if it was part of the elaborate teaching method of the twins. He was pulled from his thoughts by hymn books being set on the pews by the minister.


    Jacob walked through the wall of the building, dragging his chains behind him. The chains felt heavier than usual somehow. He saw snow falling lightly as he left the wall and people milling about the street. He realized that this was not the same place he had exited the church the last time he left it, but he could not focus on the thought as he had the sudden urge to move in a direction.


    The urge to move was physically painful, and Jacob could do nothing to resist it. As he walked he felt himself being urged to move faster. The weight of the chains crushed against his shoulders and waist and pulled roughly at his wrists and ankles. If he had a body there would have been blood drawn where the shackles touched him.


    Jacob rushed towards his destination and found himself entering a small house in a poor section of London. A family was sitting around a table with a festive, yet humble Christmas dinner laid before them. The family was holding hands, and a prayer was being offered by an adult man whom Jacob assumed was the Father.


    Jacob stood in bewilderment, unsure of what he was supposed to see or learn in this setting. He listened to the prayer and found it to be simple. There was nothing extraordinary spoken; no especially ill family members to pray over, no outlandish requests made. Just simple gratitude. Gratitude for family, for home and food, for Jesus Christ as the focus of the holiday, and requests to keep the spirit of Christmas in their hearts the year long.


    ¡°Beautiful, is it not?¡± A voice said from behind Jacob.


    Jacob turned around and saw Jared standing with his white robe, green sash, and book in his hand. The torch on the outside of the book was glowing as if on fire, yet the book did not burn. It was open, and Jared was writing in the book with his finger.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Jacob asked, unsure if the messenger was referencing the meal, the family, the holiday, or the prayer being offered.


    ¡°Is this not a beautiful scene laid before you?¡± Jared replied.


    ¡°I suppose it is, I simply thought you were referencing a specific aspect of the scene.¡±


    ¡°That is why you are here, Jacob. You are to accompany me this day and observe my daily task, so that you may learn of the beauty that I am referencing. However, I will not mislead you; your burden will be increased to compensate for the moments of respite. This will not be an easy day for you ¡­ though I suppose that is your new existence.¡±


    ¡°I told Daniel and Andrew that I was eager to learn more, and I meant it. Lead on and I will endeavor to increase my knowledge through your guidance¡± Jacob replied with conviction.


    ¡°Well said, man, well said¡± Jared exclaimed while closing his book.


    The family had begun to eat. Without warning, Jared began walking. Jacob was urged to follow him, and he gasped in shock at the weight of his chains. He felt as if his burden had been tripled, and he groaned as he pulled the weight to catch up with the angel as the room blurred around them. After a moment the blurring stopped, and they found themselves standing next to another family sitting in prayer.


    This family did not have their hands joined, yet a similar meal was laid out, and their heads were bowed in prayer. Jared opened his book and began recording what Jacob assumed were the words of the prayer. He looked reverent as he wrote, often looking at the family as he wrote as if he had no need to look at the page to record the information.


    He would close the book with the glowing flame on its cover, then the room would blur again as the man walked, the world moving around him rather than him moving through the world. Jacob had to pull his incredibly heavy chains in order to travel with Jared, yet he did so without complaint. He would have to pull them regardless so it might as well bring purpose other than eternal torment.


    This pattern continued for an unknown period of time. The families changed, the food changed, the language, the decoration, the weather through the windows, the material of the buildings, the clothing, who prayed, everything changed. They visited the rich and the poor, royal and vagrant, healthy and ill, and all were in the attitude of thanksgiving and praise unto their lord, asking little save it be protection or longsuffering through the spirit of Christmas. Thousands of faces, thousands of prayers, and thousands of people flashed before them, all with Jacob hauling his eternal chains behind him.


    Then the world blurred and Jacob was standing in the familiar church building. The building was empty other than the two of them.


    ¡°Sign here, please,¡± Jared said, holding up the book with the cover open and the front page facing Jacob.


    There were two lines on the page, and next to each line it read ¡°witness¡± with the first line already signed by Jared. As a businessman, Jacob was aware of the concept of two witnesses for an event, and he had signed thousands of documents in his lifetime. However, this was unlike any earthly contract. For a brief moment he thought of questioning the act, yet he reminded himself that he had nothing left to lose. Finally, Jacob did as requested, using his finger as a pen the way he had seen Jared write.


    Jared closed the book and walked over to a shelf against the wall, a shelf that Jacob had not noticed before. He placed the book with the glowing flame on the shelf next to several other books, taking another in its place. This book looked the same as the first book, except the flame on its cover did not glow, and was dull in comparison to the book that Jared had held before. Jared had been holding a book with this same cover the first time Jacob had encountered him, on the first anniversary of his death.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Without a word, Jared moved again. The world blurred around him until he was standing in a room with a family as before, but the attitude of the room was entirely different. There was no prayer of thanksgiving over the food, no joined hands, and no humbleness. There was fear over the room as children ate in silence. Their mother had a faded black eye, and a fresh handprint on her face from an unknown offense against the man at the head of the table. The man ate in silence as well, seemingly unaffected by the situation.


    Jared wrote in the book as he looked on, gazing at the situation dispassionately as if he had seen similar scenes countless times before. Jared wrote in the book for some time, and when his finger lifted from the page a metal link appeared behind the man and attached itself to a chain before disappearing. The world blurred as Jared walked, Jacob at his side dragging his heavy chains.


    The next scene was completely different from the first. A single woman was sitting at the head of a long table in a large room. She was eating an extravagant meal while two maids waited on her, refilling glasses and plates as the woman consumed her meal. She wasted much of what she touched, dumping food on the floor she thought was unacceptable to her palate as her maids rushed to clean up the mess.  As one of the maids was on the floor, the wealthy woman dumped wine on her back, then proceeded to scold the maid for the state of her clothing. The maid began to cry as she apologized for the offense she had not committed.


    Jacob finished his writing, the link appeared as before, and the room blurred as they moved to another room. This dinner was in a humble shack in a poor part of town. Two men were sleeping on the ground with empty bottles scattered around the room, and blood dotting their faces and knuckles. The table had been knocked over and the food trampled on in a drunken brawl.


    Two children were eating the food from the ground as quickly as they could as if they had not eaten in some time. One of the children was whispering, pleading for the man to stay asleep as they ate. Eventually, one of the men stirred and tried to kick the children from the food, but he missed and the children ran into a room in the back of the house, carrying what they could with them in their haste.


    The link appeared as the room blurred. Another scene appeared, different than the ones before, but similar all the same. The same pattern of shifting people, languages, and locations took place, but there was never a prayer of thanksgiving uttered, never a kind moment, never a peaceful encounter. There was always a chain etched upon a soul, an abuse given, an offense earned. There were sometimes men and sometimes women at fault, and often children were shown in various states of neglect or abuse.


    Thousands of Christmas dinners appeared before them, thousands of entries in Jared¡¯s book, and thousands of links formed in sin against mankind. Jacob had begun to cry at some point in the journey, having recognized several Christmas dinners similar to ones he had experienced in life. He pulled his chains from each blurred scene as he cried.


    In an unknown amount of time they were standing in the church again, Jacob trying to compose himself from his fragile countenance. Again, Jared held the book up for Jacob to sign as a witness to the events, and again Jared placed the book on the shelf. This time he returned to Jacob holding a book with a very different torch on its cover. This torch held a black flame, as sickly and dark as death itself.


    The room blurred and the two of them were standing in an alley where a hooded figure was pulling a dagger from the chest of a man dressed as a merchant. He quickly searched for coins in the man¡¯s pockets, took a purse, and without a sound slipped out of the alley.


    Jared and Jacob followed the man for a few minutes, listening as the man called out a ¡°Merry Christmas¡± to a stranger in passing. Jared stopped writing and a full length of a chain appeared behind the man, but it was on fire. The length of the flaming chain joined a massive ring of burning metal that had appeared around the man as if it was consuming him alive. The man was unaware of the chain and smiled to himself as he walked. Just as quickly as it appeared the burning chain was hidden from sight.


    It all happened so fast that Jacob did not have time to react to the murder that he had just witnessed, and the world blurred.


    They were standing in a bedroom where an unconscious woman was lying on the floor. A man was quickly getting dressed, apparently in a hurry to leave the room. It took Jacob a moment to realize what had transpired, then he was stunned. Jared recorded with no apparent reaction, the flames and chains appeared, and the world blurred once more.


    A woman was seen placing a powder of some kind in a cup of tea and serving it to a man who appeared to be her husband sitting in a chair by a fireplace. She watched without emotion as the man died before her eyes from the poison in the glass, then proceeded to remove the tea and set up the room as if the man had died in his sleep in the chair.


    On and on this pattern continued with Jacob having to witness countless despicable acts of atrocity against mankind. Murder, rape, and torture seemed to be predominant themes. In time, Jacob began to close his eyes whenever the blurring stopped, trying to shut out the horrors he had to witness. However, even if he used his hands to cover his eyes it was as if they were transparent. He was forced to witness the horrible crimes.


    At one point they stood in a room for so long that Jacob began to wonder if the nightmare had ended. There was a lengthy discussion taking place between two men who appeared to be dignitaries or leaders of some kind, speaking in an unknown language. Jacob did not understand what was said, but eventually, a large sum of money was passed from one man to the other, and the receiver signed a document sitting on a nearby desk which he handed to the other man. A massive inferno of chains and fire appeared around the two men and engulfed them, but they paid it no mind and toasted each other¡¯s health.


    The world blurred and they were standing in the church again. Jacob was numb with tears sliding down his face as he remembered the horrible things he had seen. He couldn¡¯t process them all and they seemed to dominate his thoughts.


    ¡°Sign here please,¡± Jared said to Jacob, but Jacob was so stunned he did not hear him at first, forcing Jared to repeat the request.


    Jacob heard him the second time and looked up to meet his gaze. There were tears on his glowing face, tears from witnessing countless crimes, many millions more than Jacob had witnessed this night. It was then that Jacob understood what Jared had said in the home of the very first family they had visited. After witnessing the lowest depravity that mankind can force upon one another ¡­ seeing a happy, unified, loving family giving thanks for their Lord and Redeemer was indeed a beautiful sight.


    Jacob stretched out a shaky hand to the page and signed his name. Jared wiped his tears as he strode to the bookshelf and placed the book next to its companions. The date appeared in plain black ink upon the outer binding of each book, and then the books and the shelf vanished.


    Jared turned back to Jacob, his countenance restored, and spoke.


    ¡°Jacob, I was not instructed to ask anything of you so I will not, but I would suggest that you apply your witness to your recent study of the New Testament. Also, today marks the fifth anniversary of your death. Until we meet again, farewell.¡±


    Then Jared was gone, leaving Jacob alone in the church with his tears and his chains.

 Chapter Ten

    Jacob was amazed that his experience with Jared had taken the entirety of a year. He had felt every minute of the year through his weighted chains. Yet he had lived the year in a single, stretched day, witnessing tens of thousands of good, bad, and evil acts.


    Jacob knew he had seen only a fraction of the actual acts and events that had transpired, and the thought brought more sorrow than joy to his heart. Knowing that even one act of evil was taking place seemed to rob the thousands of dedicated acts of faith and hope. Jacob did not know if there was a balance to such things and prayed that the evil did not drown out the love he had seen.


    Jacob prayed.


    He had never sincerely prayed in his life, and in death, he had felt it pointless as if the chance to pray had passed him by. Yet he found himself weeping in prayer while floating in chains alone in a church, his chains dragging at his body as a reminder of his damnation. He prayed for an unknown period of time. The more he remembered the families and acts he had witnessed, the good and the bad, the more he prayed. He felt his chains pulling him down until he was on his knees, yet on and on he prayed.


    He prayed for those who held onto their faith, for their light to shine unto others, that someone like himself who had not yet tasted the bitterness of death could find redemption through that light. He prayed that those in discord with their fellow man could have their hearts softened through the word of God, that they could see the light of those around them and be given the opportunity to make amends with those they had offended, and redeem themselves from the torment of their own making. He prayed for those damned souls who had created an eternal burning for themselves, that even they could find redemption.


    He prayed not for himself, but for the world, for the human race, that the Light of Christ could shine down upon all mankind and turn their hearts to one another. That charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence, and the common welfare could be sewn into the hearts of all people. He prayed that his chains could be made a testament to someone, anyone, so he could have the opportunity to save just one soul from his own fate. That they could spread their love to others and change the world, if only for a single person.


    Jacob felt a hand upon his shoulder, and he looked up to find Daniel standing over him, a hand outstretched to pull him to his feet. He took the offered hand and was pulled to his feet with no visible effort from the boy. Daniel beamed at him with a wide smile.


    ¡°Well done, Jacob, well done. You have come to know many things,¡± Daniel said proudly. ¡°I do not doubt that you now understand the word of God, if only through seeing it acted out through the lives of others.¡±


    Jacob returned the boy¡¯s smile, though it was hampered by the crushing weight of his chains and a wave of exhaustion. He looked around for Andrew and found him standing at the pulpit facing Jacob. Jacob was unsure if he floated behind the pulpit, or if reality was shifted somehow, but the pulpit seemed to fit the boy as if his height was no obstacle.


    ¡°Jacob, are you ready?¡±


    Jacob hesitated before responding.


    ¡°I believe I am ready, but there is much I do not understand. From my perspective I have already been judged, a verdict reached, and a punishment given¡± Jacob said, lifting the shackles on his arms to make his point.


    ¡°And yet you have not been judged, there has been no verdict reached, and no punishment given,¡± Andrew said, and then fell silent as he waited for Jacob to reply.


    ¡°I know the chains upon my person were forged by my misdeeds. They are of my own creation, and as I have been told numerous times, I can do nothing to save myself from them. Is there then a punishment through judgment that will be heaped upon me as well?¡± Jacob asked, horrified at having to endure more than the chains, the reminders, and the exhaustion.


    ¡°All may come to pass I am afraid,¡± Andrew said with a sympathetic voice.


    Jacob stood without saying a word for a long time. He felt anger welling up within him when he thought of enduring an even worse torment, but then he remembered the words of his prayer he had been uttering just moments ago. The words reminded him of why he was praying, of what he felt now for his fellow man, and his earnest desire to help someone, anyone. He had asked for a chance to use his torment to help just one soul in prayer, and perhaps his prayer would be answered. That would be worth all the punishment in existence, to save just one soul.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°I am ready,¡± Jacob said firmly, fully prepared to receive his punishment, already assuming his guilty verdict.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Andrew said, gesturing to his brother to proceed.


    A shelf appeared in the air next to Daniel, and on the shelf was a book bearing a plain torch. Jacob felt relief at seeing the plainness of the book¡¯s cover, grateful that there were no black flames on its surface. Daniel took the book and handed it to his brother as the shelf disappeared, before taking a seat on a bench facing Jacob.


    Andrew placed the book on the pulpit and opened it. A light shone upward from the book and an image appeared, and in its light shone a young boy of about eight years of age, sitting alone by a small fireplace. Jacob did not recognize the boy.


    ¡°The year 1793 you spent much of your time home alone with a nanny to care for you,¡± Andrew said as if he was reading from the book.


    Jacob was amazed to realize that the boy in the image was himself. He did not remember the specific moment, although he would have had a different perspective of it. His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of an elderly woman in the church with them.


    ¡°Charis, please tell us about young Jacob Marley in this particular year,¡± Andrew said to the woman.


    Jacob realized that this was the nanny from his boyhood, but he did not remember her very well. The woman answered Andrew¡¯s question with a steady voice, and as Jacob looked upon her she began to shimmer and change before his eyes. In moments, she was a young woman in the prime of her life wearing flowing white robes, and it occurred to Jacob that only he had seen her as an old woman so that he could remember who she was.


    Charis answered all of Andrew¡¯s questions concerning Jacob in that year. They discussed his character and personality, the difficulty he had with the frequent absence of his parents, and his relationships with friends, strangers, and family. They discussed educational pursuits and hobbies and eventually came around to church attendance and religious belief. They discussed at length all of these topics. Some Charis was able to answer in great detail, others with simple facts. Eventually, Andrew thanked her for her testimony, and without looking at Jacob she disappeared.


    Andrew turned the page in the book and a new image of the boy appeared in the light coming from the book.


    ¡°The year of 1794 was very similar to the previous year in most regards, except your mother was taken ill, and spent much more time with you than usual.¡±


    Jacob was struck to his core when his mother appeared before him, her back facing him as she testified of his actions in that calendar year. Jacob had longed for her affection in life and mourned her passing in his youth. He wanted her to turn and speak to him, but somewhere in his heart, he knew that was not possible.


    Andrew asked her all of the same questions, and her words were brutally honest, even incriminating herself as a neglectful mother in some regards. She showed no sign of remorse or guilt as if she had found peace with the concept. Jacob found himself crying at her words, buried memories surfacing. Many of longing and loss. Few of feeling mutually loved and cared for.


    Then she was gone, only to be replaced by Charis again, and the pattern continued year after year of his lifetime.


    Jacob began to realize that whoever had spent the most time with him within the scrutinized year was the person who was called to testify of him. The testimony was not for or against him in any way, but it was specific and honest to its core. He saw his mother a few times before she passed, and his father only once. He had several nannies or professors from his boarding school who appear, all in familiar worldly appearances before changing to their actual, glowing selves.


    Then Jacob began to see people testifying of his early adult years, just past his education when he became an apprentice. He had an early flatmate testify, followed by several business partners he knew before he met Ebenezer. Some of them were even fettered in chains like himself, yet they stood and testified all the same as if they had done so countless times before disappearing as quickly as they had come. Many of them testified of his income-driven mind, wishing to grow his power through his pocketbook.


    Then there came the years when the person Jacob had spent most of his time with was still living, and in those instances, Jared would appear and witness for his actions in that year. Andrew would ask him the same questions he asked everyone else as if Jared had been the sole companion to Jacob in that year, and Jared answered as readily as Jacob¡¯s mother had answered.


    Finally, it was done. Every year reviewed, every year analyzed, even down to the smallest personality trait. No specific sins or transgressions were discussed. No crimes against mankind or discussion of punishment or torment. All that was discussed was Jacob and his life, in its entirety, and what he did and did not do with the life he had been given.


    Then it was over. The benches facing Jacob disappeared, the book with the torch disappeared, and in no time at all Daniel and Andrew were standing in front of him as if nothing had transpired.


    ¡°Jacob, we will break to deliberate¡± Andrew said before disappearing.


    ¡°Today is the sixth anniversary of your death,¡± Daniel said before leaving to join his brother wherever he had gone.

 Chapter Eleven

    Daniel and Andrew were gone, and Jacob was alone in the church once more. So much was going through his head that he could not focus on a single thought. His fatigue made thinking all the more difficult, and it was not long before he felt the familiar urge to move come over him. It was small, and he knew he had some time before he had to obey its command, but it was there, all the same. A constant reminder that he would never know peace.


    A door opened and closed in the back of the church, and the minister came in with a large crate in his arms covering his torso and most of his face. He did not appear to notice Jacob and walked through him to set the crate down on the last pew in the back of the building. Jacob was lost in his thoughts as the man passed through him and took the minister''s entrance as his queue to leave.


    As Jacob was about to walk through the main doors of the church a voice called after him.


    ¡°How did it go?¡±


    Jacob turned around to see that the minister was the only person in the room with him, and he was sifting through the crate of books without looking up. Jacob continued to look around for the source of the voice before the minister spoke again.


    ¡°How did it go, Jacob?¡±


    Jacob looked at the man as if he had seen him for the first time. He looked like any other minister he had seen before, wearing a standard black robe with a white collar. He was cleanly shaven with short brown hair, and there was nothing remarkable about him. He did not glow as a heavenly messenger or bring any sense of wonderment from his presence. He did not appear to be ethereal like himself or recently deceased in any way.


    ¡°I ¡­ do not know¡± Jacob replied hesitantly, puzzled at this strange turn of events.


    The minister still had not looked up from his work, intent on organizing the content of the crate on the bench. Jacob could see several books in the crate with names and dates on their binding in uniform penmanship. The minister appeared to be separating and organizing them into piles, but to an unknown method.


    ¡°Why?¡± the minister said plainly, not looking up from his work.


    The books coming out of the crate seemed to be multiplying, and now there was far more in the piles the minister had created than could ever fit inside of the crate. He was still pulling the books out by the armful before organizing them into piles.


    ¡°I am unsure of the goal of such scrutiny, and have no examples to form comparisons, so I truly do not know.¡±


    The man laughed softly at Jacob¡¯s response.


    ¡°I suppose that is a fair observation, and given your skills in life, I am unsurprised that you would come to such a conclusion,¡± the minister said.


    The compulsion to journey, to move without peace, had been growing steadily in Jacob, and he was finding it difficult to resist the urge. He was intrigued by the man who appeared to be a mortal, yet who had a vast knowledge of transpired events and could speak to the souls of the dead with common knowledge, yet the pull was too strong.


    ¡°Go, if you must,¡± the minister said, never looking up from the piles of books he was still organizing.


    Jacob was even more surprised that the man could see into his heart and witness the turmoil billowing inside him, even to the point of knowing he had to move on. Jacob had many questions he wanted to ask this man, but he could resist no more, so he walked out the door into a desert.


    Jacob could not feel the heat around him, yet the scene was still a surprise that caught him off guard. He was stunned into silence for a moment as he took in the winds whipping sand into the air, and the dunes and hills around him. He could not see anything but sand in all directions. The church was even gone, leaving no trace it existed in any way.


    Jacob began to walk without purpose, having no direction in particular given to him in his urge to wander. He struggled up the dunes, feeling the steepness of the terrain without actually touching the ground. His chains dragged upon the ground without leaving a mark, being somehow weighed down by the sand it could not physically interact with.


    As Jacob walked he thought about the trial of his life that he had experienced. He thought of the words the most important people in his life, year after year, had said about him. He thought of their perspectives and opinions and how so many of them were intertwined with so many concepts.


    All of it was confusing to him, yet the most confusing was the book attached to his chains. He knew what was within the pages of that book. He had seen them be written. He had been forced to read them repeatedly, to memorize them, to see nothing else in his vision except them for the course of a year ¡­ so why was that book not used in the trial of his life?


    Jacob pondered long on the concept.


    The desert appeared to have no end as Jacob had traveled its expanse for months while only seeing sand. He saw life in the desert, much more than he imagined he would see, but all of it ignored him as any mortal would. Jacob began to wonder how long the deliberation of his trial was going to take. He already knew that time was meaningless in death so the deliberation could in all rights take a day or a decade, and it wouldn¡¯t matter either way.


    Jacob began to see a figure in the distance standing just over the rise of a dune. The figure was blocked by a wall of sand as Jacob descended the dune, but he felt no restriction come upon him as he adjusted his path to intercept the figure. He would repeatedly see it at the peak of each dune so he knew he was heading in the right direction, and he walked for more than a day before he finally reached the figure.


    Jacob was amazed to see that the figure was the robed specter standing with its back towards him. The figure was standing in what appeared to be a large man-made alcove in the sand. The stone wall of the alcove had deteriorated in the strong winds of the desert, pouring sand into the broken parts of the wall. In the center of the alcove was a half-buried stone with eroded writing carved into it. It was plain to Jacob that this was a burial site of some kind, although he had never before seen its like.


    The figure seemed to be staring at the ground in front of the stone as if it was seeing past the sand and stone into something far below. It did not move or react to Jacob¡¯s presence, although Jacob was not foolish enough to believe their meeting was simple circumstance.


    ¡°Why am I here?¡± Jacob asked the figure, knowing now that there was a lesson in all things he experienced.


    There was no response or reaction from the specter, it just continued to stare at the ground at its feet. Jacob could feel the need to move on slowly creep into his heart, and he pushed it down. He wanted to know more, to be taught and learn more about the word of God, about goodness and happiness. He was surprised by this feeling.


    ¡°Specter, my urge to wander comes upon me, yet I wish to learn anything you can teach me. Please teach me before the pain becomes unbearable¡± Jacob said pleadingly.


    ¡°You wish to limit others through the product of your own limitations. Do you not see the irony in such oppression?¡± the specter said at last in a reproachful voice.


    The voice was that of a woman and held authority and power as naturally as breathing. The specter¡¯s glowing hand came to her shoulder to grab her dark robe, and she threw it into the air where it turned into sand on the wind. No longer repressed by the dark robes, the woman standing before Jacob radiated like the sun. She had brilliant hair which cascaded down her back and held her scythe in her right hand as if she held a scepter that weighed next to nothing.


    Jacob was struck in awe at her presence and fell to his knees in respect.


    ¡°Rise, Jacob, I am not one deserving of your adoration. I am but a servant of our Lord as any others you have met on your journey. I am simply no longer holding my true self back from you as the others have hitherto done¡± the radiant woman said with a voice that somehow sounded as loud as thunder, and as soft as a whisper at the same time.


    ¡°Why are we here?¡± Jacob asked breathlessly while raising to his feet.


    He resisted the impulse to remain on his knees in her overpowering presence.


    ¡°I do not remember bidding you ask questions of me, but we are here because I was commanded to speak to you on a matter of some import. I rarely visit the desert¡¯s beauty and decided we could converse here¡± she replied.


    There was no reproach or harshness in her voice. No feeling of superiority. Yet she spoke with power and plainness that was almost refreshing.


    ¡°I await your teachings ¡­¡± Jacob realized he did not know what to call the woman now that she was not appearing as a dark, foreboding specter.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°My name is Rehema, and I am not here to teach you. I am here to form an agreement with you, an agreement that may benefit many souls, save your own. I was sent here in answer to your prayer, Jacob.¡±


    Jacob did not know what the heavenly being meant at first, but after a moment he realized that she was speaking of his prayer in the church all those months ago before he found himself in this desert.


    ¡°I prayed for many things that day ¡­ Rehema ¡­¡± Jacob said haltingly.


    He was not entirely comfortable calling such a holy being by name and did not want to ask questions unbidden again.


    ¡°Be at peace, Jacob Marley. I know the intent of your heart and you need not be afraid. Yes, you did pray for many things that day, but I will explain so your confusion may be somewhat abated. As you have most likely observed, things like time and deadlines are meaningless now. There was no specific moment when what you call judgment began or ended. Your prayer was part of the process, as was your wondering, your thoughts, your intents, your reactions, and everything that has or will come in life and in death.


    ¡°Nothing that has transpired is linear, and we can view it all in any direction necessary to complete our task of advising and educating you. To that end, your prayer has been included in our task, and we want to know if you meant it.¡±


    ¡°If I meant what?¡± Jacob asked softly


    The woman pointed at an exact duplicate of Jacob which appeared in the sand next to them. He was on his knees in supplication, covered in chains, and it was clear that Jacob was witnessing the moment he had prayed in the church as if it was recorded in complete detail and projected for him to see.


    ¡°Please let these chains be a testament to someone, anyone, that they may pave the way for even one soul to be saved from my fate, that their love may be spread to others ¡­¡±


    The voice and image trailed off and disappeared as quickly as it had come.


    ¡°Did you mean it, Jacob?¡± Rehema asked fervently.


    ¡°Yes, with all of my heart I meant it¡± he quickly replied.


    ¡°And this?¡± she said as she pointed again. Another image of Jacob appeared of when he had been talking to Daniel and Andrew.


    ¡°¡­ if I could help one person, even if it did not lessen my damnation so much as the weight of a farthing from these cash boxes I drag about ¡­ I would do so.¡±


    The image faded away as before.


    ¡°Yes. Yes, even if I gain nothing from it ¡­ I would want to use my burden as an example to help even one soul to avoid my fate¡± Jacob replied.


    ¡°Do you think the hearts of men are so easily turned? How many miracles did Christ wrought among men, yet still they did not believe.¡±


    ¡°I believe it would work-¡± he started to say, but she cut him off.


    ¡°You believe?¡±


    Jacob stood in silence for some time, realizing that Rehema was searching for something from him. Then he realized what he was missing.


    ¡°I have faith ¡­ Rehema, I have faith that there is someone who can be changed, someone who can see my suffering and learn from it¡± Jacob replied firmly.


    She smiled at him, a warm smile.


    ¡°Very good, Jacob. You have learned. However, know that there is only one you have impacted enough in life, only one that would recognize you and uphold your memory in more than this ¡­¡± she pointed to his chains ¡°¡­ and would heed your words.¡±


    ¡°Ebenezer Scrooge ¡­ yes ¡­ he would be the only person who would hold any esteem for my memory, and even that would be limited to my business acumen¡± Jacob replied sadly.


    ¡°I believe you are correct. Ebenezer is the only soul of whom you could sway, and if he does change there is much he could do for his fellow man. Do you still wish to proceed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I meant what I said. No matter how difficult, no matter how harsh I must be, no matter what I must do or say to strike the fear of this afterlife into his heart ¡­ I will make him know my torment so that he may have a chance and hope of escaping that same fate.¡±


    There was a warmth in the voice of the angel when she spoke to him.


    ¡°Jacob, your words lighten my heart ¡­ yet I fear it will not be enough. We do not know the future in the mortal world, or exactly how someone will react to a specific situation, but it is possible to predict how Ebenezer will react to your testimony¡± Rehema said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jacob asked with confusion.


    ¡°There are two concepts that help us determine how people will react to a situation. Much like a parent who knows their child well enough to predict their actions; our experience recording the vast number of lifespans and actions of mankind across all mortality help us know how people react to situations.¡±


    ¡°And the second concept?¡± Jacob asked


    A book appeared in her hand which looked exactly like Jacob¡¯s book from his judgment with Daniel and Andrew. She opened the book and images appeared in the air above the book. Although Jacob did not recognize most of the people floating before his eyes, he understood the concept enough to realize these were people in Ebenezer¡¯s past.


    The images moved quickly, none staying for more than a few seconds. He saw fleeting moments of his only friend as he was as a boy, suffering under a father who was not only neglectful as Jacob¡¯s had been, but abusive. He saw that boy grow up far from family, alone, finding comfort only in education and labor. He saw him as a young man looking longingly into the eyes of a beautiful woman, love plain on his face. Jacob saw Ebenezer burying his sister before her time, the only family he had truly loved in life. Her death in poverty changed how he looked at life, and his desire for the safety and security of finances outgrew the love of the beautiful woman. In time, bitterness slowly crawled over Ebenezer, and a thickening of his heart formed, decades in the making.


    All of this had happened before Jacob had met the man, and he had never known of the hardships his friend had endured. He openly wept for Ebenezer, knowing that he was his only friend in life, and he had never taken the time to ask the man of his past.


    ¡°Jacob, the second concept is we know of Ebenezer¡¯s own, painful, past. His heart is hardened towards others, and some would say rightfully so. He will be shaken by your visit, he will think on it, maybe change his ways for a few days. However, then the memory will fade and he will return to his narrow lifestyle of financial pursuit. This is what makes him feel safe because it grounds him. It will take much to soften his heart again.¡±


    Jacob was silent for some time. He had thought his horrendous appearance and testimony on how to avoid his fate would be enough to change the heart of anyone, yet he had forgotten how hard his heart was when he had died. He had changed, and it saddened him that it took death and damnation to improve who he was.


    ¡°I want to try. I cannot add regret and the unknown to my torment, even if it will be pointless in the end.¡±


    ¡°Very well then. Are you ready?¡± Rehema asked.


    Jacob suddenly had an idea.


    ¡°Rehema, am I allowed to use the information from Ebenezer¡¯s past to help him? Would that soften his heart enough that he could change his ways?¡± he asked,


    ¡°Possibly, but you wouldn¡¯t have the time, Jacob. It would take far too long to break down the walls he has erected through a single conversation. Not to mention his own resistance to discussing the topics that cause him such pain. Your torment will only allow you to stay with him for a brief period of mortal time, minutes even.¡± she replied.


    ¡°But you are not restricted as I am, and time is irrelevant to you, is it not?¡±


    Rehema only nodded in response.


    ¡°Does your instructions to help me include limitations on how I am to testify to Ebenezer?¡± he asked her earnestly.


    Again, she responded without words, shaking her head with a guarded look on her face.


    ¡°Then I respectfully ask for your help in using Ebenezer¡¯s memories to aid in his conversion, so that he may have the greatest opportunity to change.¡±


    Rehema was silent for a long time, contemplating with a hard expression on her face.


    ¡°I think we should help him,¡± a voice said from the air.


    Daniel and Andrew appeared instantly as if they had been present all along and were only now showing themselves. Jacob did not know which had spoken.


    ¡°As do I,¡± a second voice said as Jared appeared next to the boys.


    The three new arrivals were all looking to Rehema as if the decision was ultimately hers. She stared at them each, in turn, contemplating the request. This continued for quite some time before she finally let out a long sigh and spoke.


    ¡°I suppose we have not been restricted from helping in such a matter, and we are already allowing the veil between worlds to fall ¡­ but we must not appear as our true selves.¡±


    ¡°I agree, and I already have a plan to disguise who we are and still aid Jacob,¡± Jared said to Rehema.


    She nodded for him to proceed.


    Jared turned to Jacob.


    ¡°We will help you, if not in the way you would have imagined. Daniel and Andrew will use information from Ebenezer¡¯s book of life to show him moments of his past, this will help him see where he came from freshly in his memory. Then I will show him his influence on those around him in what he perceives to be his present time. Finally, Rehema will show him the most likely outcome of his future if his path is not altered. We will use the great symbol of Christ¡¯s birth as a focus of our teaching since that is a familiar context with many teachable moments in his memory, and falls on the anniversary of your mortal demise.


    ¡°How shall we appear to Ebenezer?¡± Daniel asked the group, although he was looking at Jared since he was the one explaining the plan.


    Rather than responding, there was a moment of silence where no one moved and everyone seemed to be focused on something. Jacob looked from face to face, puzzled. Then the angels all acted normally again, and Daniel spoke.


    ¡°I see what you mean, yes, that will work.¡±


    As he finished speaking, Daniel and Andrew seemed to shift, morph, and merge until they were a single entity. They wore white robes, a brilliant candle burned brightly on their head, and a large cone with a handle floated in the air at their side.


    Jared seemed to become taller and grander, much taller than a man could be. His green sash became a large fur-lined robe, and his white curly hair turned a dark brown with a matching beard. A holly wreath set with shining icicles appeared like a crown on his head, and a large torch appeared in his hand. Oddly enough there was also a scabbard at his side without a sword to accompany it.


    Rehema¡¯s scythe disappeared and the black robe appeared around her again, yet the hood was thrown back.


    ¡°Of us, you may only tell Ebenezer that he shall be haunted by three spirits over the course of three nights, each appearing when the last stroke of twelve ceases to vibrate. What else you say to help him head our words is at your discretion¡± Jared said.


    ¡°I bid you one more boon upon this quest, Jacob¡± Rehema declared, holding a hand up to signify the importance of her next words. ¡°Just before you depart from Ebenezer¡¯s presence, I shall permit the veil between worlds to be rent, that you and Ebenezer may briefly see the collective multitude of souls living as you have lived in damnation. The moment will be brief, but powerful in its impact, to you and Ebenezer both.¡±


    Rehema lowered her hand to signify she was finished, and Jacob bowed with his hand on his heart to show his gratitude for such a gift.


    ¡°By the way, it is the seventh anniversary of your death,¡± Rehema finished while pulling the hood up over her face. With the hood in place, her countenance changed. A foreboding aura, cold and rigid oozed from her presence. No longer was she a holy manifestation of divinity, but a specter of death


    The air around the group began to shimmer and stir, and before long they were all floating in the air above a lanterned street. The street was very familiar to Jacob, and it took only a moment for him to realize he was outside of his old home. There was a familiar man with a walking cane walking towards the house a few blocks away.


    The twins spoke, their voices blending together in unison.


    ¡°You can allow Ebenezer to see you at your discretion, but you only have until midnight to give him your message before the incessant desire to continue your journey will overcome you. Then we shall do what we can. We pray that Ebenezer will heed our words.¡±


    The three spirits disappeared, and Jacob moved toward his business partner¡¯s front door. More specifically the knocker attached to the door.

 Epilogue

    Jacob had held off the urge to leave Ebenezer¡¯s room for as long as he could, but his strength eventually failed him. As he left the open window of Ebenezer¡¯s room he shared a horrendous moment with his friend, viewing the countless souls experiencing the helpless torment of damnation. Jacob hid his own emotions from Ebenezer, and within moments the scene was gone.


    Jacob felt poorly that he had startled his only friend in such a way, but it was the only method Jacob believed would convince the stubborn man to listen to the angels and change his ways. Jacob said a small prayer to this effect as he pulled his chains down the street.


    ¡°I have done all I can to help Ebenezer, more than I have done for most. The decision is now in his hands¡± a voice whispered to Jacob¡¯s soul.


    The voice was soft and barely above a whisper, but it was clear and pure. Jacob knew who the voice belonged to, yet he found himself asking the question all the same.


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life¡± the voice replied.


    The words were instantly recognized by Jacob who had studied the New Testament at length, and he knew who was speaking to him. Jacob wanted to hide, knowing his chains were plain to see, his sins bare, yet there was nowhere he could go to hide from that voice.


    Jacob looked around, trying to see the source of the voice, and as he looked around he saw a humble church appear in the air nearby. He floated through its doors and found himself in the familiar surroundings of the church building he had been in numerous times. He looked around for the source of the voice, yet all he saw was the minister standing at the pulpit.


    Jacob looked around the room as he approached the pulpit, then looked to the minister and their eyes met. Jacob had not yet looked into the eyes of this man, and the moment he did so he knew his Redeemer stood before him.


    Jacob fell to his knees, pulling his heavy chains as he fell, bowing his head before the Master of all.


    ¡°Jacob, why do you fall down and worship me now, when you did not speak to me before without prompting?¡±


    ¡°I did not recognize you,¡± Jacob said, still looking down.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I was distracted by my torment; my chains, my exhaustion, and my journey¡± Jacob replied


    ¡°All fitting symbols for the distractions of the world. Tell me, Jacob, what are these?¡±


    The Savior, who still appeared as a minister at the pulpit, was holding up two books, one in each hand. One of the books was from Jacob¡¯s chain that he had been carrying with him for seven years, the other was the book of his life that Jared had held when they first met.


    ¡°One is the record of my transgressions against my fellow man, the other a record of my life as a whole¡± Jacob replied.


    ¡°May I read them?¡±


    The words cut Jacob to his core. He starred in horror as his Savior and Redeemer who had suffered for all mankind, opened the book containing his sins and transgressions and started to read. Jacob could not watch, he could not see the hurt, the shame, the pain in those perfect eyes. He covered his face with his hands and sobbed.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Then he felt arms encircle him and uplift his soul. He felt love, warmth, and understanding seep into his core. He looked up with a tear-soaked face into the eyes of his Redeemer and saw a smile of love. Jesus stretched out his hand, his pierced hand, and helped Jacob come to his feet.


    No longer was he in a dark robe, but a brilliant white robe; brighter than the sun, brighter than all light in existence. He had a beard and long hair now, and both were as white as his robes. He picked up the two books and held them out to Jacob. Jacob took the books and saw on the cover a new signature. Jesus Christ was written in red, the color of blood, across the cover of each book. Jacob opened the cover and saw the same signature on the first page, and the next, and realized that every page carried the signature of Christ, the red symbolic signature of his atoning sacrifice.


    ¡°My Lord ¡­¡± Jacob stammered through his sobs.


    ¡°Jacob, I have paid the price for your sins and transgressions, yet you still stand before me in chains,¡± Jesus said.


    Jacob realized that Jesus had not asked him a question, and at first, he was unsure of how to respond.


    ¡°Jacob ¡­ you have read my words¡± the Savior said, prompting him further


    Jacob thought of the New Testament that he had read, practically memorizing its pages in his journey across the world. He thought he understood.


    ¡°But I was told I could do nothing to save ¡­ myself ¡­ from ¡­ this ¡­ torment ¡­¡± Jacob said slowly, pausing between words as he realized exactly what he was saying.


    Tears came again to his eyes as he realized how true the words were. He could not save himself, and he had believed it so fully that he had dismissed the scriptures on repentance and salvation, believing they could never apply to him, especially in death. Jacob tried to speak between sobs, but emotion overcame him. Yet the Savior knew his heart and knew he understood.


    ¡°Jacob, do you believe in me?¡±


    ¡°Yes ¡­ Lord, I believe¡± Jacob managed to say.


    ¡°Then give me your burden, and I shall make you light.¡±


    Jacob saw the outstretched hand with the holes in His perfect, radiant, flesh. He saw the face of his Master, he saw the love and desire to help him, and he realized the Savior was talking about his chains.


    Jacob looked down at his wrists where he was shackled in chains, and he realized that there was no lock on them. The shackles were around his wrist, but nothing was holding them on. The same appeared evident on his ankles. Numbingly Jacob grabbed the shackle on his left wrist and pulled, and the shackle came off without effort. Jacob stared in amazement, the full impact of what had just happened slowly dawning on him. Without hesitation he ripped the chain from his right wrist, then the ones from his ankles, unwinding and pushing the chains off of him as fast as he could.


    Jacob stood there holding the four shackles, feeling the weight of the chains on the shackles, and not on his body. Then he saw the outstretched hand of the Savior, and with tears in his eyes, he handed the shackles to him.


    ¡°These chains are your guilt, they are the weight of your sin, and you could have taken them off at any time through believing in me and my sacrifice,¡± Jesus said.


    Jesus took the shackles and latched them onto his perfect wrists, and he bent and placed them on his perfect ankles.


    Then Jacob¡¯s eyes were opened. The chapel was no longer around them and they were standing outside in a large open field. Behind the savior was a mountain, but as Jacob looked upon the mountain he realized that it was a mountain of chains. The mound stretched into the sky and the distance as far as he could see, endless links of chains attached to shackles at the Savior¡¯s wrists and ankles.


    This was the weight of the world, the weight of the atonement that the sinless, perfect, Savior ¡­ carries for all.


    Instantly the mound of chains and the meadow was gone, and they were standing in the chapel once again.


    Jacob stared at the wrists of the Savior, no longer able to see the chains upon them. Chains He had not forged in His perfect life, but which He had taken upon himself out of love. Tears welled up in his eyes as he contemplated the magnitude of what the Savior had done for him and all mankind.


    Jacob realized that he was now free of his burden, free of his guilt, and free of his exhaustion and fatigue. He felt his head and found the cloth was gone, his jaw restored. He saw the wrinkles on his hands were gone, and he felt in his prime again. He was wearing a white robe and had a joy in his heart that overflowed all other emotions.


    Jacob wrapped his arms around the Savior, kissed his cheek, and whispered. ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡±


    The Savior returned his embrace for some time, then he pulled him away and held him at arm¡¯s length with a smile.


    ¡°Go now my brother, and rest. See your family for you have much to discuss. In time, I will call upon you to help save other souls from their burdens, as has been done for you.¡±