A Xmas Song

"Here." I offered it to the woman.

Gnarled aged fingers grazed mine as she took it. I was surprised at the softness and warmth of her touch. I sat on the edge of the bed as she wrapped my far-too-large dressing gown around her grotesque body. I rubbed my chin and considered my next move while I waited for her childlike innocent eyes to look at me.

"Are you the ghost Marley mentioned?" I asked casually, much easier to do now I could only see her beautiful face.

"I am." She smiled warmly, her voice had a soft song-like quality.

"Who, or what are you?" The calmness was infectious as I relaxed in her presence.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past," she told me melodically.

"Long past?" I asked hopefully.

She lost her welcoming smile and scowled. "No, your past."

Damn. Why couldn't I have dreamed Disney'sMickey's Christmas Carol version? A few cartoon spirits would be far easier to deal with than this horror show.

"Why are you here?"

"Your welfare." Her smile returned but it was menacing and false.

"My welfare would be a whole lot better if you could just go."

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say. I jumped when she reached out and grasped my arm. It was both a light sensual touch while also being firm enough I knew I could not break free.

"Come with me," she said, pulling my arm.

With no choice, I stood up and towered over her dwarf body, but the grip on my arm didn't slacken. She tugged me towards the window. I gulped, this might just be a dream but jumping out of the eighth storey was not going to end well for me. I tried to resist.

"I can't... I'll die," I stuttered when my efforts to stop were futile.

She paused and peered up. I looked at her beauty, and an unexplainable peace washed over me. So enamoured by the sight I hardly noticed as she lay a hand on my chest.

"You may now travel with me." Without hesitating, she stepped through the window.

Surprising myself I went with her willingly. She made me feel anything was possible. Her touch gave me hope.

Outside the window, the city had vanished. The dark, foggy night had been replaced by a cold, clear winter's day. I was standing on the grass in front of my parents' home... my home.

"What the..." I trailed off in disbelief. Before me was my father and... me, or at least my seventeen-year-old self.

"You remember?" the ghost said.

"Of course." My eyes misted.

Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas is You' blared from a speaker positioned by an open window. Dad was on a ladder and I stood below him, passing up a colourful string of lights. We were both singing but my hormonally breaking voice mutilated the tune, causing us both to laugh.

I felt a tear track down my face.

"What is the matter?" the ghost asked.

"Nothing." I quickly wiped my eyes.

"Strange you have forgotten the love."

I gave a strangled sob, unsure why the people before me could not hear my pitiful cry. The ghost must have read my mind, her small hand found mine and our fingers intertwined. The touch was reassuring.

My mother came out of the house, carrying a plate of hot mince pies. Dad noticed her first, he gave a joyous yell and slid down the ladder. In two strides he was beside her. He wrapped her waist in his arms and moved behind, making Mum giggle as he kissed her neck.

I laughed seeing my younger face light up.

"Ebby, find yourself a good woman and you'll be happy for life," Dad said, hooking his chin over her shoulder and looking at my younger self. "Only do what makes you happy."

Loneliness washed over me; the ghost was right, I had forgotten the love of my family. I'd forgotten how much my parents loved me. I bit my lower lip to stop it trembling. If the guys in the office had seen me they would not have believed it as I alternated between laughing and crying watching the happy family.

"What is the matter?" the ghost asked again.

The memory of Tina's crestfallen face tugged at my subconscious.

I rubbed my face furiously and shook my head. "I let someone down yesterday. I shouldn't have."

The ghost cocked her head to one side thoughtfully. "Let us see another Christmas."

With a wave of her hand, the scene before us changed. My teenage self morphed into a twenty-one-year-old man. I was sitting on a low wall in the courtyard of my university. It was the last day of term, the ground adorned with festive decorations from a party the night before. On the wall beside me was Bella, my girlfriend at the time. She was crying.

This was a memory I'd rather not revisit.

"No, not this one," I pleaded. "Take me back."

"Hush," the ghost ordered.

"I thought you loved me," Bella said between sobs.

The young man next to her - me - pulled his arm away from her shoulders and his face hardened. "You did the right thing getting rid of it. We're too young; we're not ready to be parents."

"No!" Bella stood up quickly and glared at me. "You are not ready. You killed our baby."

She spun on her heel and ran away.

"Bella," both my young and present self called after her.

The ghost must have done that funky hand-waving thing while I was watching Bella's total dissolution. The image before me faded and it became the newspaper office. Drunk coworkers were photocopying various body parts amid a raucous Christmas party.

I was now in my thirties, excitedly talking to Tina.

"Maxwell just said I was a shoo-in for the promotion." My hands gesticulated wildly. "And it's because of you."

Tina squealed and flung her arms around my neck. "I'm so happy for you."

"What is going on here?" the ghost asked.

"My boss asked me to fix up the staff party. I didn't know how to organise something like that. Tina said she'd help." I paused to sweep my hand through the air at the joyous activities filling the office. "She made it amazing, but I got the pay rise..."

I trailed off remembering how she had never once begrudged my success. How genuine she had been.

"One more, I think." The ghost flicked her hand.

This time I was not in the image.

Tina was in a parked car outside her parents' house. A large tree decorated in flashing blue lights stood proudly in their front garden. Tina looked scared. Harry, the idiot she had dated eight years ago, glared at her from the driver's seat.

"Get out the car," he growled.

"Please, just five minutes. Come in, say hello, then go," she begged nervously.

"I'm not fucking playing happy families. I only agreed to drive you so you'd stay last night. Get out before I make you." He leaned closer to follow through on the threat.

I balled my fists.

"They are just images of consciousness. They can not see or hear us," the ghost said softly.

I loosened my tightly clasped hands and made no move towards the couple. Instead, I rubbed my jaw and sighed. I wanted to smash that smug twat's face for frightening Tina, but I had no reason to doubt the ghost telling me I couldn't intervene.

Tina got out dejectedly and reached for a bag in the back as the bastard revved the engine. He pulled away before she could shut the door. It swung a couple of times then slammed shut as he sped down the road.

She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. Standing taller, she rolled her shoulders back, looking as if she was about to go into battle. The front door opened to reveal her mother.

"Come inside, it's cold." Tina's mum jumped when the fast disappearing car backfired. "Harry not able to stay?"

"Happy Christmas." Tina hugged her. "He has to get to his sister's."

"Maybe next year," her mum said looking wistful.

"Hopefully," Tina replied quietly as her mum steered them inside.

Anger built. No one treated my friends like that, especially no two-bit waste of space man. Unable to vent on the focus of my fury, I swung around to glare at the dwarf ghost.

"Enough," I snapped.

Her angelic face was shimmering, changing from youthful to haggard and back. Throughout the transitions, the glow persisted in a halo around her. I suddenly realised that damn halo held the power. I'm not sure why I knew that, but right then I could not be more sure of anything else. Whatever this tiny thing was, wrapped in my dressing gown, I wanted it gone.

Frustration boiled over, along with the myriad of emotions I had just suffered. My dead parents. My unborn child. The pain of Bella. Tina's fear. It was too much.

I didn't think, I just reached to claw at the side of the ghost's head. I tried to crush the light. The ghost resisted - if you could call it resisting. She slowly turned her head side to side and the light shafted around my fingers.

I needed to block the light. I stepped closer and threw my arms over the top of her head. I had no other option, except to smother the ghost.

"Take me home," I demanded.

The ghost flickered in my embrace, becoming smaller. The light faded into a soft glow and finally extinguished.

Utter exhaustion hit me like a tidal wave. Seeing I was in my room, with a welcoming bed, I curled up and fell into a deep sleep.

A kiss awoke me. A soft sensual kiss. My eyes flickered open to see Kerry's plump, pouty, and flawless expression hovering over me. A picture that would be perfect for her latest Insta update.

"Morning, baby," I said, stretching my arms above my head, refreshed, my nightmares gone.

"Well yeah, I guess it is morning." Kerry laughed.

My eyes automatically flicked to the bedside clock. I groaned audibly. It was only one-thirty. Damn.

Kerry leaned closer to kiss my neck. She slowly trailed her lips downwards, pausing to lightly suck and tease my nipple - a body part many women ignore - but not her; she was the epitome of sensual seduction. Her silky hair tickled my chest as she moved to give the same attention to my other nipple.

For no good reason, my eyes glanced at the clock again. What the hell? The minute digits were counting through time at an unearthly speed.

01:35

Kerry's tongue expertly swirled around my navel.

01:37

01:38

She gently massaged my abdominals. Teeth and lips playfully sucked and nipped.

01:40

01:41

Blood pooled in my groin.

Hands joined her tongue, stroking and kneading my hips. Her hair continued to taunt my body.

01:47

01:48

Fuck no. No more.

I knew what was coming if I let her continue. My cock wilted at the memory of the excruciating pain. I must act now before she finally castrated me.

I sat up abruptly and caught her shoulders. She gasped then giggled as I smoothly flipped her over and I pinned her wrists either side of her head. I leaned down and kissed her forcefully.

It only took a moment for her to open her mouth and welcome me. Our tongues danced and explored. After I had had my fill I closed the kiss and shifted my weight enough to kiss her elegant neck. She moaned. By controlling her pleasure I felt confident I could stop the next spirit's arrival. I was no fool, if I didn't cum they would have no power over me.

I traced my tongue over the small implant scar under her arm before trailing kisses across the globe of her glorious breast. Her breathing deepened with each touch.

I permitted myself a glance at the clock as my lips found a hard nipple.

01:48

Good, it was working.

Kerry arched her back, begging with her whole body. I focused my attention on her other nipple, my fingers pinching and teasing the one I had just abandoned. She wound her hands into my hair, pulling me closer as I ran my teeth over the perky nub of flesh between my lips.

With her nipple in my mouth, I shifted my weight onto my elbow. Releasing the other breast I traced a hand lightly down her body, sweeping it back and forth to caress all the skin I could. I gently scraped my nails over her firm stomach and afford myself another time check.

01:48

Kerry spread her legs and pushed her hips a little off the bed. I released her nipple and kissed her again. She moaned into my mouth as my fingers teased her pussy lips. She was so wet I could feel her slick already. This was perfect; I didn't want time to move forward.

I slowly stroked along one puffy labium. Her legs spread wider, and her fingers found my shoulders as I continued down the other side. She vibrated and whimpered with need - it sounded divine.

With a single finger, I circled her engorged clit. She shifted her hips in a vain effort to move my touch to where she wanted it most.

Without a moment's hesitation, I plunged two fingers into her warm, wet cavern. Kerry yelped and thrust up to meet me, but I had already pulled my hand free. Bringing it upwards I broke the kiss and offered my soaked fingers to her luscious pout. She quickly opened her mouth. A delicate hand caught my wrist and pulled my digits in. Her tongue swirled and sucked them clean.

She finally let me go and I dipped my fingers into her drenched pussy again, though this time I let her watch as I tasted the juices myself.

"Fuck me, please fuck me," she begged.

01:48

No way, José, this wasn't about my pleasure. Whatever I was doing was working, only an idiot would've stopped.

Ignoring the pleas, I moved down the bed and between her spread legs. The scent that wafted up was intoxicating. I paused to enjoy the glistening folds.

"I need your cock. Just fuck me." She pushed her hips up.

My hands firmly gripped the inside of her thighs, holding her still. Not on your life, love. My cock was not coming out to play until well past two am. I dropped my face to her pussy. She bucked and cried out as a small orgasm rippled through her body from merely my touch.

Forcing myself to go slow I let my tongue glide up and down her lower lips. She quivered and groaned. I felt like a god. I nibbled and kissed, and smiled hearing her whimpers.

Spreading her lips with two fingers, my tongue circled her desperate clit. She might be a seductress but I was no naive virgin either. I'd studied sex and a woman's body with such gusto I'd probably have a PhD, if any university awarded them. In confirmation of my expertise, each time I grazed that engorged flesh another small orgasm shuddered through her.

Sensing she was at the edge of her tolerance I enclosed her clit and feasted. I sucked as she screamed. I moved down a little and pushed my tongue into her pussy. The walls tightened and pulsed around me as I drove deeper. The air filled with cries of ecstasy as her orgasms continued to mount in a crescendo.

Returning to her clit I massaged it with my tongue. The space allowed me to slide two fingers inside her soaked pussy. Turning my hand, muscle memory alone found the spongy area I sought. Hooking upwards, I worked her G-spot in time with my relentless tongue.

Kerry sobbed in bliss. Wetness sprayed out, coating my face. Glorious, the taste was glorious. I'm addicted to a woman's cum.

She was in one long, incoherent orgasm as I heard Big Ben ring out a chime. The fluid continued to spray as she came harder. I drank all I could, savouring each drop like nectar.

Satiated, I went to pull back, but her thighs closed like a vice around my head. Fuck, this was hot.

I lapped up her squirt and continued to thrust my fingers. She shook, screamed and bucked never letting my head go.

Okay, I was starting to need oxygen. As incredible as it was to be the cause of the hysterical girl's ecstasy I was feeling woozy. All those gym workouts to maintain her figure had given Kerry surprisingly strong thighs. Weakness made my pumping fingers stop and slip out of her pulsating cunt, yet still, she came. I was drowning in the continual squirt.

Fuck! This is what dying of water torture must be like.

The second chime of Big Ben rang out.

Unable to breathe I lost consciousness.

With a sob, I dragged air into my starved lungs. Immediately I was wide awake and sitting up.

Ready.

I gripped the blanket under me and scanned the room. My whole body on edge, as I searched for the danger I knew lurked in my room.

Nothing.

Huh?

My room was still... well... my room. Kerry was missing but everything else was the same. The bedside light emitted a low glow; heavy curtains concealed the window, and my clothes lay neatly folded on the bucket chair.

I sighed with relief and scanned the room again. That's when I noticed the light seeping under the door. I didn't leave the living room light on. Did I? Curiosity may have killed the cat, but I didn't want to waste electricity. I got up and cautiously moved towards the door, half expecting a monster's hand to grab me from under the bed. But nothing happened.

I slowly opened the door.

The sight that greeted me made me gasp and step back.

Two small children sat on my living room floor, between them was a large pile of Lego bricks. The slightly taller child, a girl, studied a sheet of instructions, describing a colour and shape to the smaller boy. He rooted around in the pile then held up a tiny piece of Lego, making the girl squeal with joy.

It looked like a happy textbook Christmas morning scene, confirmed by the large, brightly decorated tree proudly filling the corner of the room. But what the fuck were they doing in my apartment?

A snore made me jump. It came from a yellow Labrador sleeping against the radiator. The dog's tail lazily thumped as it dreamed of chasing rabbits across open fields.

"Kids, sing with me," a woman's voice called from the direction of my kitchen.

She sounded familiar, but before I could work out who it was, the sound of Mariah Carey flooded the room as a radio was turned up. The two children started singing loudly and the unseen woman joined in. The cacophony of noise didn't let me decipher the voice enough to identify who she was.

I stepped into my living room, unnoticed by the merry children. A pleasant smell of cinnamon and sage wafted through the air. Moving towards the kitchen I was so focused on finding out whose Christmas I had invaded I almost walked into a rather large man who suddenly appeared before me.

I stumbled, only stopped from falling by landing on the arm of the sofa. I lifted my head to look up at the imposing figure.

What I assumed was the second ghost smiled down at me. He had a jovial round face and ruddy cheeks, a wreath of holly sat on his head. He was clothed in a long dark red robe with white fur lining the collar and cuffs. As peculiar as he looked, for a giant of a man, he seemed quite friendly.

"I am-"

I held up my hand to cut him off. "Christmas Present. I know. I know. I have read the book and watched the films."

"Hold my robe," he replied with a chuckle.

Now if a giant appears in your apartment, and that very same apartment has been invaded by a model 2.4 family - with a dog - you tell me if you'd refuse that giant's order? In case you're wondering, I didn't either.

The moment my hand touched the soft red material I was outside flying through the air. Clearly, my dreams were not coherent as this appeared to have become The Snowman. I half expected Aled Jones to start singing about walking in the air.

We raced through the cool crisp air, though I didn't feel cold. Below us, the city was eerily quiet. Roads normally filled with frustrated commuters were empty. Office buildings stood in darkness with none of the usual bustling activities.

The giant changed direction and headed towards Hyde Park. He took us lower and I closed my eyes, ready for what I was sure would be a fatal impact. Instead, we landed lightly on our feet. I quickly took stock of my limbs to confirm nothing was broken. Satisfied I was unhurt, I looked up.

A few feet away a man was holding the back of a bicycle. On the bike sat a young boy, his face studious with effort as his small feet turned the pedals. The man jogged behind, giving lots of encouragement. Their combined speed increased and the man let go and stood watching the child wobble away.