The way he was looking at me made me feel like I was going to pass out. Or maybe it was the corset or the fumes from all the products they used. Maybe it was my friends and family sitting 20 feet away holding their breath with me. My mother is beaming though, somehow unaware that half the room's respiratory system is on pause.
Ironically, the other half is coughing up a storm, comforted by their role in this. I groaned thinking of all the random incest-born illnesses that his family carried and how they're treated within their ranks. Something tells me these people aren't the type to be flexible and creative with their disabled kin. If anything, they seem like the type to further debilitate their family members for a higher status. How could anyone live under that, able-bodied or not? I turned my attention to the stitching of my dress, forcing these thoughts from my head.
My eyes went everywhere but his, though I could still feel them on me. The first few rows tittered with excitement to my left but I tried to tune them out. As the pastor spoke, I attempted to turn my face away from all of them, to pull a full Exorcist, to break my neck entirely and die on these old wooden steps.
I finally dared to look at Herencia's face and saw that it was tear stained. I quickly looked away. Seeing her pitying me only made it worse.
I could feel his breath on me and I cringed away from the smell, even more grateful that I had opted for a heavy veil. I prayed and prayed under my breath. Please, if there is any divinity in the world, let him die of a heart attack right now!
I pleaded throughout the entire ceremony but no luck. By the power vested in him, I was sold.
He went to lift my veil but beat him to it. I held it over us as he went to kiss me, hoping the fabric would hide my look of disgust. I lowered it back over my face a second later, curtain-calling the moment, and let him pull me down the stairs.
Both families rose to congratulate us. All his family heard was the I do and all my family saw was that I didn't. Except for my mother, of course, who mistook my tears of devastation as excitement.
I nearly pushed her off of me when she went in for a hug. How could she do this to me? How could she not see the pain he caused me? Rena intervened before I could start shouting at my mother, but she didn't begin with a congratulation or an apology, she began with condolences.
"It'll be okay, love. Remember our plan," she whispered in my ear during a tight embrace, as my mother was still directly behind us. When she pulled away my eyes were completely round, silently begging her to get me out of here as fast as possible.
Mostly everyone had left the pews, only close family remained. I gravitated towards the wall, anxious to put as much space as possible between us. I tried to group my family in front of me, hopefully blocking him from seeing my face.
Now that it was official, I began to go feral. I stopped blinking and my hands started to curl up like claws. A low growl came out of my throat and I saw one of my uncles turn around in concern. My mother didn't notice, but Rena and Noël could see what was about to happen.
I've done little things before: lights going out here and there, storms swelling, that kind of stuff. My friends have heard stories, maybe even got a glimpse at some point, but I've never had something like this happen to me before. To say I was wary of what came next would be an understatement.
From the corner of my eye, I saw something drip down from my chin and land on my dress. It fell from my cheek like a tear, but I wasn't crying. When I looked down, a honey colored droplet sat pronounced on the white silk. A few more fell. I thought it was my makeup melting off in the Louisiana heat at first, but it was too thick. Almost like wax. Then my head started to burn and stretch, like my hair was being ripped upwards, making my temples scream in even more pain. Reaching up, it felt like ropes of hot melted glass were collecting in thick streams that dripped down my back and shoulders, soaking my dress.
By this point most of my family were backing away in horror. A few of his relatives caught my image and turned to grab their neighbor. The liquid was pooling at my feet and Herencia jumped onto the pew just in time. Lucky for her that she did because the second it hit the wood it started to sizzle. I glanced down to see smoke rising from the wet floor. This is new.
I turned to Rena, now flanked by our close friends, who are speechless in terror. Not her though. Nothing surprised her about me anymore.
In a strangled voice I whispered, "Run."
