Bob Guza chews his pencil earnestly and sits behind his large mahogany desk, deep in thought.
"I wonder," he asks aloud, "What the best way to end this scene would be? Should I have Jason say 'I'll take care of it' before zooming to a close up of Steve's chiseled face, or should I have Sonny say 'Jason, I know you'll take care of it', before zooming to a close up of Steve's chiseled face? There's such a subtle distinction between the two, I don't know which would be more powerful".
He stares up at a large, framed photo of Steve Burton for guidance. Studying it intently for a moment, he eventually beams and says, "Steve, I KNEW you'd know what to do! You're so right, it makes sense for Sonny to say the line, because it shows how important Jason is to Sonny and, ergo, ipso facto, the whole show."
Thrilled with a job well done, he excitedly types out the final line of his scene and starts to pack his belongings before he hears a strange noise from under his desk.
"Hello? Is someone there? Is it...did Christmas come early and bring Kelly Monaco under my desk? Heh. Heh. Heheh."
A regal looking woman steps gingerly out from under Guza's desk and imperiously says, "No, you pervert. It's me."
A wave of recognition passes over Guza's face and he groans, "Oh, god, it's you. The ghost of Glory Montana or whatever your name is. Can't you just leave me alone and haunt me when I'm not at work? This is embarrassing".
She rolls her eyes and gestures for someone else to come out from under the desk. A friendly looking man appears and glares at Guza, who reciprocates with a confused stare. "Am I supposed to know you?"
The man, far too politely, extends a hand and says "I'm--or, rather, I was--Doug Marland".
Guza continues to stare blankly.
"I wrote for As the World Turns and Guiding Light, and GH. I actually created the Quartermaines".
Guza shudders. "Ugh, that was you".
He starts to continue, but is interrupted by another person entering the room, this time through his door.
"Bob," the ghost of Gloria Monty says coldly, "I believe you've met Claire Labine".
"You're dead?" he asks.
"No, I only wish I was after seeing what you did to my show," she answers ruefully.
Guza clears his throat. "Um, anyway, I was just getting ready to go--"
Gloria Monty's ghost stares at him and says, "Don't you even want to know why we're here?"
"Not...not really, no".
"We're concerned, Guza," Doug Marland's ghost chimes in. "What you've been doing on the show lately is a bit beyond the pale."
"Doing?" Guza repeats lamely.
"Killing Alan. Killing Emily. And now killing Georgie. It's like you're ruining everything that viewers have come to love about the show".
"Oh, please. I haven't ruined Jason."
The two ghosts and Claire Labine exchange glances. "This," Gloria Monty's ghost says, "is going to be harder than I thought".
"Are you familiar with Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol?" Claire Labine asks.
"No, I don't listen to country music".