Corpse Bride

1

Ben stared into the open flames of his campfire and exhaled slowly. In just one week, he would be getting married, and the nerves were creeping in more than he expected. He and Simone had been together for eight years, and over time, it had almost become expected that once he became an attending anesthesiologist, they would tie the knot. He had grown tired of her constant hints about marriage, weddings, and proposals, so last year, he finally asked the question. Now, as the wedding day approached, he found himself sitting here, a week away, wondering if this was truly what he wanted

With a sigh, Ben stood and kicked some dirt over the fire, watching as the flames slowly died. Deciding to go for a walk, he grabbed his backpack and headed for the trail.

As he walked, Ben muttered under his breath, practicing his vows. "Simone, I promise to..." He trailed off, struggling to find the right words. He should have been wrote this but he didn't know what to say. Obviously, he was committed and loved her, but he needed more. Thinking of something else he started again.

"Simone, I promise to love you, always. To cherish every moment, to laugh with you, and to hold you close when life gets hard. You're my best friend, my home, and my heart."

Ben paused, pulling the wedding band from his pocket and holding it up. "With this ring, you will be mine," he finished softly, bending down on one knee and placing the ring on a hand-like root.

Suddenly, a sharp, icy wind whipped across his face, making him glance around. Two dozen crows were perched in the trees above, their dark eyes locked on him. Without warning, something cold and strong wrapped around his right arm and yanked him downward.

"What the hell?" Ben cursed, struggling as he pulled back with all his strength. He stumbled backward, landing hard against a gnarled tree.

Gasping for breath, Ben looked down at his arm, realizing he had pulled out the thing that had grabbed him. His eyes widened in horror as he lifted his arm and saw what was clutching his wrist, a half-decayed skeleton arm, twisted with roots and dirt.

"Ah, what the fuck!" he yelled, flinging the skeleton arm away in disgust. It landed a few feet away with a thud.

Just then, a loud pounding echoed from the ground in front of him. He turned back toward the hole, eyes wide as the earth began to crack and split open. His heart pounded as the figure emerged, a corpse, dressed in a tattered, once-elegant wedding gown. Her veil hung crookedly over long, brown hair that fell just past her shoulders, while her big brown eyes locked onto him with a chilling intensity. Her curvy form moved toward him, and though her skin was greyish and lifeless, there was an eerie beauty about her, a haunting presence that sent a shiver down his spine.

"I do," Miranda said firmly.

Ben’s breath hitched as pure terror surged through him. What the hell was happening? He stumbled backward, desperate to put distance between himself and the corpse bride, the dead lady. His boots slipped on the loose dirt as he scrambled to his feet, his mind racing for a fucking way out.

"Stay back!" he shouted, panic rising in his throat. His eyes darted around for an escape, but the forest seemed to close in around him, trapping him in this nightmare. Making a cross with his fingers Ben yelled to stay back once again.

But she kept coming, her gaze never leaving his. Her tattered dress dragged across the ground, her veil trailing like a ghostly shadow. Ben backed up even more, nearly tripping over a root, his heart hammering in his chest. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, though he was scared out of his mind.

This was insane. He was literally being chased in the woods by a dead bride. What black man goes in the woods anyway, this was stupid, stupid. The crazy thing was If she wasn’t... dead, she’d be kind of... beautiful. The absurdity of the thought made him choke out a nervous laugh.