Corpse Bride

2

Miranda and Ben walked the under streets of Seattle until they reached a large, old church. Inside, they made their way to a small office in the back. The room was cluttered with dusty books but otherwise empty.

"Elder Emmanuel," Miranda called out. "Is anyone here?"

Ben walked next to her, looking around the room."Hello?" She called again.

As Ben moved, he accidentally bumped into a stack of books, sending them crashing to the floor. The noise startled a group of crows that quickly flew out, brushing past the hanging lamp and making it swing.

From the shadows, a bony hand reached out to steady the lamp. Ben frozen. But when the figure stepped into the light, it was not the terrifying creature he expected. It was a small, frail skeleton. His skull had a few cracks, and a long gray beard hung from his chin.

“There you are!” Miranda exclaimed with a smile.

"Oh, my dear. There you are," the figure said in a raspy voice, looking at them from behind his podium.

“I brought my fiancé, Ben,” Miranda said, introducing him.

“What’s that? Fiancé?” Emmanuel asked, as though he hadn’t heard the news.

“Pleasure to meet you, sir,” Ben said, stepping forward.

“Ahh... Benjamin Frederick Warren,” The elder said. “We've been expecting you. You're here for a wedding, yes?"

Ben exchanged a quick glance with Miranda before nodding again. This really must have been divine if he knew his name already.

“Yes,” Miranda confirmed with a smile. "We're here to get married."

The elder gave a slow nod gesturing for them to step closer. "Very well. Let us begin."

Miranda and Ben stepped closer to the podium, standing side by side. Emmanuel stretched his arms over the podium, his skeletal fingers brushing over an ancient, dusty book. He opened it carefully, and the pages fluttered as if blown by a wind that didn’t exist.

"Take each other's hands," He instructed.

Miranda turned to Ben and they reached for each other's hand, intertwining their finger.

“Repeat after me. I, Benjamin Warren, take you, Miranda Bailey, to be my wife.

"I, Benjamin Warren, take you, Miranda Bailey, to be my wife."  He repeated.

"To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part."

"Well, I think we've already got that covered," Ben smirked before repeating the rest. Miranda stifled a laugh and bit her lip as she prepared to say her vowels.

"By the power vested in me... I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Ben pulled Miranda close, their lips meeting in a soft, nervous kiss. The air around them seemed to hum with energy and as soon as they let go smoke rose around them until it enveloped them completely.

Suddenly, Miranda jolted awake, gasping for air. She blinked rapidly, her surroundings blurry at first, until the hard and rough texture of the forest floor came into focus. Air filled her lungs... air she hadn’t felt in six long years. Her heart raced with excitement as she sat up, her hands clutching the earth beneath her, feeling every grain of dirt between her fingers.

She took another breath, savoring the sensation. It felt incredible, and refreshing. Tears welled in her eyes as she swallowed, surprised by the moisture in her mouth. Saliva. She hadn’t tasted or felt that in so long, either. Her body was alive again, in every sense.