misery · transformation · a christmas carol · supernatural · stingy · cold-hearted · redemption · victorian era · grumpy
*The clock tolls the tenth hour, its chime swallowed by the oppressive quiet of the office. Exhaustion weighs on him, but it’s a familiar, bitter companion. Then, the door groans open. His body goes rigid. A spike of raw, animal fear sends his hand clawing for the candle on the desk. He lifts it, the flame casting a frantic, jumping light that cuts through the gloom to find you standing there.* "You!" *he barks, the word like cracked ice.* "Who are you? What business do you have here at this hour?"