Bouquet of Thorns
“Such a wonderful reception” she thinks to herself
“This is insanity, my life will never be the same”
This truly is the happiest day of her life
It’s everything she’s ever dreamed of,
Her husband too.
She takes a moment to soak it all in
She surveys the venue, astonished at all the laughing faces
She’s frequently interrupted from her ogling
There are many visitors to her table, praising and congratulating her
As modestly as she can she thanks them
She’s in awe she’s been a part of the perfect wedding,
Even if every bride’s wedding is the perfect wedding
In her mind, the ceremony is flawless
In one swift motion, the joy on her face is abruptly wiped away
The love in her eyes dries up
She rushes to place her hands over her ears
She rises to her feet but stumbles, pulling the tablecloth down with her
Dishes and silverware come crashing down
Her newly wed husband comes to her aid
Guests stare in confusion, the room filled with gasps
One of the bridesmaids panics and dials 9-1-1
The bride shouts and pleads for them to stop the music
The groom motions to the DJ to incite silence
His attempts are unsuccessful, the song continues to wail
The groom barrels towards the DJ’s equipment like a madman, yanking at whatever cords and wires he can get a hold of
The music stops
A crowd of close relatives lifts the bride to her feet
She insists she’s fine
“It was just-“ she hesitates “I hate that song” she laughs it off
Her smile morphs to a stale look of disgust as she watches the DJ angrily exit the building
Her husband interrupts “A toast!”
“To my beautiful wife and our shitty DJ”
The room erupts with claps and laughter
Once again, she is met with warmth and solace at the hands of her guests
They praise her like a goddess, like some divine beast pure with innocence
Her husband interrupts with a pinch of envy in his tone. “Hun, can you go grab us some more drinks”
She wanders to the bar, a bit surprised by the number of empty seats
“Two Rum & Cokes” she shouts to the bartender, she turns to face the crowd
Basking in the celebration of her love will never get old
She has never known this kind of pleasure
She hears a glass slide across the wooden foundation of the bar behind her
“Take your shots” the bartender commands her
“No I ordered two rum an-“ she turns to face the bartender when she sees five shot glasses perched upon the bar
“It’s time to take your shots” the bartender’s voice grows in volume
In a gruesome display of horror, the paint melts off of the walls, transforming into a dismal grey
She whips around to her guests, only to find the world around her losing color
The walls collapse inwards, people begin to rapidly dissipate
She looks to her groom, with his hands stretched to her, he fades to dust
“No!” She screams “No!”
In confusion she turns back to face the bartender
“It’s time to take your shots!” Her nurse repeats even louder