Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

The Bride and Groom

He was tall and thin, and quite handsome. In reality, he wasn't really all that tall, but he was thin enough that, by comparison, he seemed tall.

He was wearing a black tuxedo, complete with black bow tie and cumberbund. On his head he wore a perfectly positioned, perfectly proportioned top hat.

He was a handsome young man - clean shaven, neatly trimmed hair, and just a hint of sideburns at the top of his ears. His lips were thin and pale, but turned into a happy smile, and his black eyes were watery with the glow of perfect love.

Out of the corner of his eye he peeked at his bride standing beside him. He had never seen a woman so beautiful, so graceful, so elegant. It was hard for him to believe that on this day, this very special day, she was his.

He had waited so long for this moment.

Her gown was purest white, unstained and unblemished. The train was laid perfectly behind her. Her veil had been lifted, allowing him to see the beautiful blue-green eyes that also glistened with a teary-eyed happiness. Her lips were red, but she wore only the minimal amount of paint on her face. He loved her natural beauty; he had seen far too many brides who looked positively plastic.

The cameras flashed again and again, and the happy couple stood straight as statues, loving being at the center of attention. The happy throng of people laughed and cheered, and the couple's joy was complete, to be sharing this precious moment with so many wonderful people.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them was cleft in two, as though by a giant knife. In horror, he watched his bride being separated from him by a giant rift in the floor.

Her eyes, too, were filled with dismay as the perfect couple was separated by a gap that widened moment by moment. He tried to speak, but could find no words to express his grief. He heard her speak, but her words were hard to hear as she was being wisked away. He strained his ears, and at last heard these strange words: "Until the next wedding, my love..."

What? What did that mean? Until the next wedding?

Suddenly hands grabbed him and lifted him from his place of honor, high above the wedding cake. The caterer gently brushed frosting and crumbs from his tuxedo. Then, carefully, she laid him in a cardboard box, surrounded by crumpled tissue paper.

As the lid closed, the unhappy groom could only remember that at least on this one day, this very special day, she was his.

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