She walks down the isle, smiling, but through her smile she feels a pain in her chest that she can't explain. She tries to push it aside, today is a very happy day, she must be happy. She reaches the end of the isle and turns around to stand in her place. She watches as the flower girls come down joyously throwing their rose petals on the white runner, giggling and smiling at all the people as they do it. Then the organ begins to play and the crowd stands as the doors in the back of the church swing open and there stands the beautiful bride. Her white gown is flowing around her and her smile is radiant, nothing could top the beauty that was captured in that single moment. There are ooo's and ahh's as she floats down the isle, a bundle of joy with underlying nervousness visible to her blushing bridesmaids. When she gets to the alter the groom takes her hand and the two exchange intimate smiles. The ceremony begins. As it progresses the crowd is drawn into the events that unveil themselves.
The ceremony ends and the bride and groom, now a happily married couple, practically run down the isle with joy bubbling over. The bridal party descends the isle, smiling and happy, but there is one bridesmaid who through the smiles and joy on her face still feels a pain in her chest that she can't explain. As the evening goes on the pain grows stronger and stronger. The smiling, the happiness, it's all too much. The reception ends and the newlyweds take off in a fast car for the honeymoon that every bride dreams of. The guests disperse and head home, laughing and talking about how beautiful the ceremony was. The bridesmaid walks inside and watches as the reception hall is torn down, the beautiful decorations that they spent months looking for and making, hours of work just gone, the happiness that had filled the room only moments ago is just...gone.
She walks to her car and drives back to the hotel. As she enters the lobby, she notices it is empty, all she can hear is the ticking of the clock. She goes to her room and changes before deciding to go for a long walk along the waterfront. She pulls on a hoodie and wanders the twisting halls looking for a way out, a way out of this lonely, quiet building. Her heart aches again, but at the same time she almost feels like there is some odd connection with the pain in her heart and the absolute loneliness of the hallways. She wanders around and suddenly realizes that she is completely and totally alone. The feeling begins to overwhelm her, she is alone, all alone. The pain in her chest turns into a stabbing pain, she walks faster frantically searching for a way out of the hallways that have now become like a trap of loneliness. She runs, past the room doors, down long corridors, there is no way out. She is trapped and alone, she screams and no one hears her. She collapses on the floor in a terrified, shaking heap. She is alone...and she always will be.
She awakes from her sleep. She feels her whole body shaking and tears are streaming down her face. She breathes a sigh of relief, "It was only a dream." She whispers to herself. She pulls her blankets up around her and breathes in and out deeply. Although she tries to fall back asleep, she can't. The pain in her chest is all too much, the feeling of loneliness and fear that has overcome her is too much for her to bear. It is in this moment that she realizes that she has never felt so...alone.
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