Dancing with Shadows

Prologue

The 'I do's' were said.

The rings were exchanged.

The cake was cut.

All Jasmine wanted to do; as she was being twirled around the glossy dance floor by Uncle Travis, was to get into the hotel room they had upstairs waiting on them.

She and Derick agreed that they would abstain until their wedding night, and she was fairly bursting with nerves. Jasmine couldn't help but look about the room for her new husband. Her uncle was speaking to her, but she answered with uh-huhs and smiles as she tried to peak over heads and around bodies.

He felt like maybe they'd spent enough time entertaining the guests, and made his way to the most beautiful woman he'd ever lay eyes on. Derick was able to pick her out easily in the bright white dress with all its ornate embellishments. She was trying to look over her uncle's shoulder. He smiled knowing that she was just as anxious as he was.

She felt him near her, and knew that he was there to take her away. Travis stopped mid step, and took a step back. Jasmine turned around and felt the world shift below her feet.

Literally.

Everyone's eyes were wide with fright. Jasmine tossed her arms out trying to keep her balance on the moderate two inch heels. The hotel shook, the tables around the ballroom trembled. Jasmine reached her hand out to Derick. He took two tenuous steps forward, his own hand outstretched. The whole world narrowed down to trying to reach him. She needed to be with him while the world shook from the earthquake.

He could hear the screams and shouts all around them. He could hear the dishes clattering together. This was more than just a quick shake. Fear gripped his heart as his fingers finally touched with Jasmine's.

He breathed a sigh of relief when his fingers were able to gather her hand in his. He tugged her close to him. They needed to get somewhere safe, and in the center of the ballroom floor was far from being safe. There was a clinking above them successfully capturing both of their attentions.

She thought that they would be good when they finally came together, but the delicate tinkle that the gigantic chandelier made above them stopped her heart. She ripped her eyes from Derick's and turned them up to the ceiling.

Thousands of crystal prisms vibrated musically above the couple. Their faces turned up, fright clearly painted across their features. It was only the briefest of seconds before they realized the predicament they were in and tugged and pushed just a moment before he took the lead. Derick pulled Jasmine to his chest and turned her body around as he tried to get her away from the center of that decorative death trap.

The world slowed, the vibrations seemed to stop completely, but Derick knew that it was just a trick of the mind. He took a step forward and found himself caught in the copious amounts of fabric that made up the skirt of Jasmine's dress.

She heard his gasp in her ear, and knew that they may not make it to safety. With her heart in her throat, and her breath long gone, Jasmine looked up at Derick fully aware that this may be their last moments together.

"I love you," he said. He had to tell her one more time. Her eyes were full of unshed tears, and all he wanted to do was tuck her under his body and keep her safe. They looked up again to see the chandelier falling down upon them. Without another thought, Derick used every fiber in his arms to toss her across the dance floor in hopes that she clear the shards that would surely splinter away from the center.

His heart broke to see the way her eyes widened with knowledge of what was happening. Derick wanted so much more time, but he knew that this was it for him. The only thing that would make things easier for him was knowing that she would go on. That she would live.

Jasmine was tangled up in her dress. She tried to get to her feet. To go back to him. She saw the chandelier that she fell in love with. The damned chandelier that helped make up her mind on which hall to use for the reception. The chandelier fell from the fifteen foot ceiling onto Derick.

Red splattered all over. Red and bits of crystal flew across the trembling room. Jasmine couldn't do anything but stare at the mess in front of her. She could see his outstretched hand peaking from under the weight of the chandelier. All it took was for one of those fingers to twitch, and all her world went dark.