2-22-05 Weddings in Purgatory 6 The End

I weep...it comes in torrents. This fake smile I’m wearing makes it look like they’re tears of happiness.

When the priest starts talking, the sun turns black.

“Do you, Sofia, take Gabriel...”

The earth starts to shake. People are scattering like mad, running for cover. But the wedding party seems oblivious, we all wear the same empty smiles.

“I do.”

In a second, we’re up to our up our shins in locusts. It looks like we’ve been wading through a swamp of the things. I look over at Jess and his face is covered in them. He’s oblivious, smiling at my bride and me.

“Do you, Gabriel, take Sofia...”

And then a dark cloud moves directly above me. Like a dragon, it belches flames. I’m on fire, my skin’s peeling back, and the stink of burned muscle overcomes me. Everybody’s smiling. Even when the hail starts pummeling us, they keep smiling. The happy couple’s future looks bright, doesn’t it?

The hail hits hard for what seems like eternity. And then silence...

There’s a ring in my hand and Sofia’s bony finger is outstretched. As I begin to slip it on, I hear one last tremendous noise from the sky. I pause and look up and see a battalion of meteors--keyed in on me--crashing through the earth’s atmosphere. My empty smile begins to fill.
I’ve got a family somewhere. Please make it be real.

The End