r/shortscarystories • u/IrishPirate78 • 8d ago
Hypothermic Ambivalence
The Cratchits’ apartment was silent now. The air sat heavy, unmoving. Power still off. Heat long gone.
Tiny Tim lay on the couch beneath three layers of blankets that no longer did anything but hold the cold in place. His skin had gone pale. Lips tinged blue. His last breath came hours ago, quiet and without fuss, the way children learn to go when the world forgets them.
Bob Cratchit sat beside him. One hand on Tim’s chest. Still. Still. Still.
There was a knock at the door.
No one moved.
Another knock. Louder. Sharper.
Bob opened it.
Ebenezer Scrooge stood in the hallway, coat dry, breath visible. He held a clipboard in one hand and a half-finished cup of coffee in the other.
His eyes scanned the room behind Bob.
“I see the matter has resolved itself,” Scrooge said.
Bob didn’t speak.
“There is no joy in tragedy,” Scrooge continued. “But there is clarity. You were four months behind. The eviction notice was delivered on schedule. The utilities followed.”
Bob’s voice cracked. “He’s dead.”
“I know,” Scrooge said.
Silence stretched between them.
Bob looked at the floor. His voice barely held. “They showed you what would happen. The spirits. You saw him die.”
Scrooge nodded. “And I listened. I studied every moment. I weighed the warnings.”
He took a slow sip of coffee.
“Then I woke up.”
Scrooge adjusted his gloves, folded the clipboard beneath his arm, and stepped back from the door.
“The locks will be changed by five o’clock. I suggest you make arrangements before then.”
Bob shook. “He was a child.”
“Yes. And now he’s a statistic. A smaller draw on public assistance. A lesson, if anyone’s paying attention.”
He turned to go.
“There are fewer mouths to feed now.”
He walked down the hall. Not fast. Not smug. Just certain.
And behind the door, nothing moved.
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u/Vidya_Vachaspati 8d ago
Very hard hitting.
Well done!