Chapter 4: Ghost of Christmas Future

As Holly opened her eyes, the warmth started to fade, the chill of the void playing at her skin. The comforting glow of Madison’s presence was replaced by an eerie silence.

“Hello? Anyone here?” She called out, her voice echoing.

No response.

“Great, alone in the void again.” Holly sighed, folding her arms over her chest.

Suddenly, a shift in the air caught her attention. A white blur moved across the emptiness.

“Uh, hi.” Holly greeted, shifting awkwardly.

The figure didn’t respond. The white blur became a figure draped in a flowing white cloak, its edges rippling softly against the darkness of the void. Beneath the cloak, a tight-fitting black dress clung to her body, highlighting a narrow waist and a pair of large, perky breasts. The deep hood obscured her face entirely, leaving only an impenetrable darkness where her features should have been.

Skeletal arms extended from the cloak, the bony fingers tipped with long, pointed nails. The cloak itself seemed alive, the fabric shifting and curling at the edges like tendrils of smoke, reaching out to caress the void around her.

She stood completely still. There was no sound, no breath, no hint of life within the depths of the cloak.

“Are you the ghost of Christmas future?” Holly asked, her voice trembling.

The cloaked figure remained silent, its presence more overwhelming than the dark void around them. The air grew colder as it approached, its steps seemingly weightless, like it was gliding rather than walking. She lost all she had left of Madison’s warmth, and the cold began to seep through her skin, covering her breasts in goosebumps once again.

“Can you speak?” Holly asked, taking a step back.

Still nothing.

“Okay, then.” Holly nodded, taking another step back. “I guess you’re not much of a talker. Well, if you are the ghost of Christmas future, then I guess I’m not done with my journey yet. So, let’s keep going, I guess.”

The cloaked figure extended its hand towards her. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and placed her hand in hers. Its touch was icy, sending a chill down her spine. It tightened its grip and pulled her closer, its face still hidden in shadow. She could feel the coldness emanating from it, her skin prickling with goosebumps, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck standing up.

“Where are we going?” Holly asked, trying to ignore the feeling of dread growing in her stomach.

The cloaked figure remained silent as they were transported away from the Space Between Moments and into the future.

It was the same room as before, her bedroom, but it was different. The furniture was the same, the desk cluttered with papers and textbooks, the bed pushed against the wall, the dresser in the corner, but it felt different, older. The air was thick with the scent of sex and cum, the sheets stained and crumpled.

Older Holly was lying on the bed, her legs spread open, cum leaking from her pussy and running down her thighs. Her hair was a mess, her eyes red and puffy, her cheeks streaked with tears. She was naked, her small breasts bare, her nipples hard, her skin covered in a thick layer of cum. She looked exhausted, her body trembling, her breathing shallow and ragged.

“This is ... this is horrible.” Holly whispered, her voice breaking. “Is this what’s going to happen if I embrace the sparkle? If I sleep with random guys for money?”

The cloaked figure didn’t answer, its silence almost deafening.

“Why would you show me this?” Holly asked. “I look miserable. I look like ... like I’ve given up. Like I’ve lost control of my life.”

Still no response.

“Why are you showing me this?” Holly demanded, turning to face the cloaked figure, her anger rising. “What’s the point?”

The cloaked figure extended its arm, a single, slender finger pointing at the bed. Holly turned and looked, and her blood ran cold. She watched her older self stand up, her legs shaking and walked to her desk, cum still dripping down her thighs. She grabbed a bottle of pills, the label worn and faded, and took a handful, tossing them in her mouth. She picked up a bottle of liquor, some cheap vodka, and drank directly from the bottle, swallowing the pills.

“I ... I can’t believe it.” Holly choked out. “I’m taking pills, and I’m drinking. I’m...”

Her older self opened the drawer of the desk, pulled out a small box, and walked back to the bed, sitting on the edge. She opened the box and stared needle inside, her hands shaking, tears running down her cheeks. She loaded the syringe with liquid from a small bottle, the glass reflecting the dim light of the room. She tied a rubber strap around her arm, her fingers trembling as she found a vein. She pressed the needle into her skin, slowly depressing the plunger.

“Stop!” Holly yelled at herself.

Her older self slumped onto the bed, the needle falling from her hand. Her eyes were glazed, her breathing shallow. The box of needles slipped from her grasp, the contents spilling out on the floor.

“What is this?” Holly whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. “What are you showing me? This isn’t what I want, it can’t be. This is ... This is...”

“Ready for round four?”

A man’s voice interrupted her thoughts. She spun around and saw a tall, muscular man standing in the doorway, his cock hanging flaccid between his legs. He was naked, his body covered in tattoos.

“Yeah, okay.” Older Holly replied, her voice emotionless.

“Come on, babe, you can do better than that,” The guy said, stepping towards her. “Say it like you mean it. Come and ride my cock.”

“Okay, I’ll come and ride your cock.” Older Holly repeated, her voice flat and monotone.

“Good girl,” The guy said, lying back on the bed. “Get on top, and ride my dick.”

Older Holly straddled him, her knees on either side of his waist. She guided his cock into her pussy, slowly sinking down, taking his full length inside her.

“That’s it,” The guy groaned, grabbing her hips. “Fuck, you’re tight. You’ve got a great little body.”

Older Holly began to move, riding his cock, her tits bouncing, her nipples hard. She closed her eyes, her expression blank, her movements mechanical.

“Shit, babe, you’re gonna make me cum again,” The guy moaned, his hands digging into her hips. “Keep going, keep riding my cock.”

Older Holly continued to ride him, her movements becoming faster and more frantic, her breathing labored.

“Fuck, here it comes,” The guy grunted, thrusting his hips up, his cock buried deep inside her pussy. “Take my cum, babe, take it all.”

He exploded inside her, his cock pulsing, his seed filling her. Older Holly sighed as he filled her pussy with his cum, her movements slowing, her eyes opening, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“That was good, babe,” The guy said, stroking her ass. “It’s like fucking a teenager, you’re so tight.”

Older Holly gasped and then fell forward, her body convulsing, her eyes rolling back in her head.

“Whoa, shit,” The guy cried, trying to catch her. “What the fuck? Are you okay?”

“Oh my god,” Holly whispered, her heart racing. “Is she...?”

The guy rolled her off him, and he scrambled to his feet.

“Holy shit, I can not be here when another one of my girlfriend’s OD’s,” The guy exclaimed, looking around frantically.

He grabbed his clothes and quickly dressed.

“I’m out, you crazy bitch,” He muttered, running out of the room.

Holly watched her older self convulsing on the bed, her body covered in a thin layer of sweat, her skin pale, her eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling as she gasped for air.

“What the hell is this?” Holly said, her voice trembling. “What happened to her?”

The cloaked figure raised its finger and pointed at the calendar, the date circled in red, December 25th.

“It’s Christmas Day,” Holly whispered, her blood running cold. “She ... I die on Christmas.”

The cloaked figure nodded.

“This can’t be happening,” She said, her voice breaking. “There’s no way ... This can’t be what the future holds for me. There’s no way I would let it get this bad.”

She looked back at her older self, her body twitching, her skin growing paler by the second.

“Please, stop it,” Holly begged, her tears flowing freely. “I don’t want to see any more. I can’t ... I can’t watch myself die.”

The cloaked figure floated towards her and touched her hand, and everything shifted.

She heard a crow cawing loudly, amongst the thick fog and trees, as they reappeared somewhere outside.

“Where are we now?” Holly asked, looking around.

She could barely see through the heavy mist that surrounded her, but she could make out the shapes of tombstones and the silhouettes of trees. She walked forward, her feet crunching on the dead leaves that covered the ground. She saw the cloak of the ghost moving through the fog in front of her, and she followed it, her heart pounding.

As the fog cleared, she saw the cloaked figure standing in front of a gravestone, its head bowed. She moved closer and saw the words engraved on the stone:

Holly Winters

Born: August 13, 2006

Died: December 25, 2028

Beloved daughter and friend

“This can’t be real,” Holly whispered, her legs giving out, collapsing to her knees. “This can’t be real, this can’t be real. This can’t be my future. I’m not ... I can’t...”

She stared at the tombstone, her heart breaking.

“I’m not meant to die like this. I’m not meant to end up here. This can’t be it. This can’t be how my life ends.”

She looked up at the cloaked figure, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Please, tell me this isn’t real. Tell me this is just some sick joke, or a nightmare, or something. Tell me I’m not going to die alone and broken on Christmas Day.”