" Victor, darling? Would you like some tea?" Victoria asked from the kitchen.

" Yes, please." A faint voice said from the living room. Victoria Van Dort shuffled around in the kitchen, filling the teapot with water and putting it on the stove. She walked out into the living room and saw her husband, Victor, staring out aimlessly into the gray city. They had been married a year, with their anniversary a week ago and he had gone from happy to very depressed. Victoria feared that it was because of Emily, the corpse he had accidentally married.

" Victor, are you all right?" she asked. He nodded, but refused to look or say anything to her. She got out of her chair and knelt down on the floor in front of him.

" What is wrong, darling?" she asked again.

" Nothing is wrong, dear." He replied and, after putting on his coat, he walked out into the cold night.


Victor walked to the outskirts of town, past the bridge, and stopped in front of the church. He looked up at the ornate glass windows. The detail in the one above the entrance took his breath away. It was gorgeous. It showed a woman with an arrow through her heart, but the most beautiful smile on his face. The woman's smile absolutely took his breath away. He smiled a little, remembering what Emily had said about the view in the Land of the Dead when he tried to run away from her.

" You could've used the stairs, silly." She said, pulling him up and over the bars. He bent down over his knees and panted, attempting to catch his breath.

" The view is so lovely. It just takes my breath away. Well, it would, if I had any." She said and chuckled at the last sentence.

He took one last look at the window, then turned away and head towards the woods. He continued through the brush and trees, sticking out, threatening to cut him. Victor walked faster as he began to realize how cold and numb his feet were. He reached the old oak tree and sat down on the stump in front of the makeshift tombstone he had made for Emily. It read:

Rest In Peace

EMILY

My Corpse Bride

Forever Will You Be In My Heart

He swiped away a tear that was threatening to fall. He missed her and loved her. He loved Victoria, too, but Emily was just…Emily. There was no other girl like her. He had promised her and he was more determined than anything to keep that promise.


After an hour, the door to the Van Dort home opened, letting in the cold breeze. It quickly shut, and Victoria looked around the corner to see Victor settling back in his chair. She set down her cup and trudged up to him.

" Would you like to talk about it?" she asked.

" I need to keep my promise." He replied and he got up and went through the kitchen and up the stairs. Before heading up, he gave her the biggest smile he had given her in a long time.

" I love you, Victoria." He said.

" I love you, too." She replied. He gave her one last smile before hopping up the stairs. She walked into the kitchen, put her cup in the sink, and took out some fish that she was preparing for dinner. She reached for the big butcher knife, and then realized it was not there. Horrified, she looked all around for it. She gasped; realizing that the only place it could be was the one place she hoped it wasn't. Without a moments thought, she ran up the stairs and pounded on the bathroom door. After a deep breath, she opened the door and entered. Upon seeing what she saw, she dropped to her knees and cried, for there, on the floor he lay, knife in his heart. She picked up the note on the floor, which read:

Victoria,

I needed to keep my promise.

Victor