Martha

Chapter 1 Prologue of a Failed Wedding

Chapter 1
Prologue of a Failed Wedding

Inside a luxurious Rolls Royce limousine parked in front of St. Hedwig's Cathedral, the daunting bride waited. A little bit nervous, the blonde looked at herself in the mirror and bit her lower lip. Soon, with a trace of happiness, her rosebud lips curved up graciously. Tidying up the veil on her head, the smile fading into a deep sigh.

For a moment she held back her tears, as it wasn't the best moment to think of her dead parents. Nostalgia lumped in her throat, despite she had promised herself to suppress all kind of mournful memories in this special day... her wedding day.

Her blue eyes gleamed to recall the horrid event. She was only six when both died in that plane crash. Ever since she had to be strong, forcing herself to never cry as she was too young to realize then, and when the time came, it was too late for her to miss them. But she did and soon she learned.

Her lips curved up with resignation. It was her wedding day and everything had to be perfect, however, she knew that if alive, they would be proud and so happy. She'd become a dazzling young lady and soon would be married to one of the most charming -and wealthy- man in Germany, Alfred Steggard.

It had been a while and the groom hadn't arrived yet. "Wasn't he supposed to arrive first?" She asked the chauffeur, willing to break a deafening silence that killed her while she waited.

"That's the tradition, ma'am", he replied in a broken English. "He must be stuck in the traffic."

That was the answer she hoped to get, the most logic one, yet not the most satisfactory. Uneasiness knotted in her stomach and itched under the skin. "Yes, he'll arrive soon. Alfred had never been late to an appointment in his life... never." The bride mumbled, more to convince herself than to make a statement.

Time ticked annoyingly on her wristwatch. Another fifteen minutes were gone and it wasn't a matter of expectation or a surprise factor. Something was wrong, she knew.

In the cathedral, the guests stirred up. People's faces dropped, body language changed from festive to astonishment, perhaps anguish. It wasn't sure to know from the distance she was at. "Argh! I need to get out of this car now!" She opened the door herself and hurried out the limousine.

Rolling up the ruffles on her skirt, the bride hustled inside the church amongst the mumbling crowd. Some stared at her with pity while others turned their faces away. The phrase, 'something's wrong' hammered in her eardrums. A cold blow hit her chest and breathing became heavy.

Her suspicions were confirmed in the moment her mother in law plummeted by the altar and the bridesmaids screamed and wailed. Her aunt's eyes, swollen with tears spoke first then she did. "Martha, my dear, something horrible had happened..." Phrases like "Alfred... died... accident... sorry... you must be strong..." came as an intermittent dialing between Hell and her ears.

The whole world dropped to her feet and for a moment everything around her froze, and she heard nothing but her throttling heart.

"Nooooooooo!" a bellowing bride threw herself to the chapel's marble floor. For a moment, her body was unresponsive. Her arms and legs, even her brain were numbed. Her chest ached, it was impossible to breathe. Everyone around her tried to comfort Martha, but how? Sadness and it's dark hollowness soon turned into anger, red burning anger, and despair.

First life, God, fate, Satan, each one or all of them conspired to snatch her parents away and now... why her beloved Alfred? Why on her wedding day! In a sudden outburst of rage and impotence, Martha tore her veil and tossed it away. She pulled her pearl collar off her neck breaking it in pieces. The round sea gems rolled all over the floor with a low clicking and repetitive sound.

The bride looked like a ghastly figure; hair disheveled and make-up dripping black as tears ran down on her pale face. People stared at her as she walked towards the altar with heavy steps. Standing by the pulpit, she gleamed up to the Jesus Christ's crucifix, remaining silent for a few seconds and then she let escape a long, poignant night pitched scream. A possessed Martha hurled away every candle, vase, and ornamentation placed in the church for her wedding. She cursed the name of every saint she knew. "Get out of here! Everybody!  Get out!" Like a mad woman, she yelled to the guests still inside the church.

It was too much for her and soon she dropped to her knees again. Everything around her became a blur and then pitch black. She wasn't any longer able to hold herself up and the bride plummeted to the church floor.

I'm currently editing Martha... New parts will be added and I'm ready for a re-write.
Hope you like this new version of Martha.