Alone by the alter

where it all went wrong

POV 1 John

It was a beautiful spring day, blossoms glided down from the trees, sprinkling everything in a light candy pink. everything was perfect, from the sky to the people staring up at me as I stood next to the alter. even the soft wedding song was played perfectly to the tune of my soon to be wife walking down the cobblestone ills.

she took careful and slow steps as she made her way up to me, and when we faced each other I lifted the white vale which concealed her pale face. she smiled and took my hand in hers to ready ourselves for the life changing vowels we were about to hear and consent to.

the preacher smiled to us and began his speech.

"dear beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of John Hamish Watson and Mary Elizabeth Mostan, Should anyone here present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace"

I turned to look over everyone just to make sure they were happy for this to take place, gladly the only voice I heard was a soft cough from the audience behind.

the preacher smiled and continued "forever hold your peac-"

I cocked my head to the side slightly as the preacher has stopped mid sentence, I followed his careful gaze to a man standing in black holding something behind his back.

The man spoke in booming voice. "you shan't marry, it has been forbidden! Mary Mostan this wedding shall burn in flames!" the man aimed the gun at Mary and fired, and in those few seconds I tried to jump and save her but it was all but too late, the bullet had gone straight through the middle of her forehead. "Mary!" I shouted catching her in my arms before she fell to the cold, hard, ground.

screams erupted as more shots were fired. I didn't move I stayed by Mary's side until my sister was dragging me by my feet away from her. she was screaming at me but all I could hear was muffled shouts, all I could focus on was the pain of the loss I had experienced before me.

why didn't I die instead? why does this always happen to me?

---

heavy breaths repeated one after the other, after the other, as I felt the cold stone of the chapel walls hit my clothed back. my sister seemed to cling to my side as though if she were to let go the whole world would come toppling down on her.

I wrapped a shaky arm around her to keep her close and safe and to also keep my sanity which was threatening to shatter within my brain, ready to spill over and finally infect what was left of my mind.

My sister looked up at me with red and teary eyes. "we'll be ok... we have been through worse... just listen to my voice" I whispered barely believing in my own words, but it only mattered if she believed in them. She buried her head in my chest with quiet sobs of fear and morning.

We held each other until the sound of police sirens echoed through walls

I drew out a long breath of relief knowing that now we would probably be saved. soon after I could feel myself being lifted up and taken to the ambulance outside to check if everything was ok... I was broken... I wasn't ok, although I'll forever pretend to be ok, so my sister doesn't worry and maybe this way I can forget it and move on with my life. doctors cant fix a vase that was been shattered into so many pieces that it is nothing more than dust, so why do they have to know about what they cant fix?

they draped a soft and warm blanket over my shoulders and whispered to me with a gentle and empathetic voice, they told everything was going to be ok, though I didn't believe their act for a second, I just sat on the edge of the ambulance and stared into the darkening afternoon streets, though I noticed a cab emerge out of the emptiness of those streets, and pull up to the curve with a halt. A tall man dressed in dark colours with long Belstaf coat draping behind him. The tall man climbed out of the cab with a stoic expression plastered across his cheeks. though his eyes were everywhere at once, frantically taking in everything around him in until they stopped on me, our eyes locked together and that's when I noticed a familiar loneliness within his eyes, it made me snort with such horrible sense of cliché.