Corpse Bride
INTRODUCTION
Dear Diary,
I Victoria Belle will be getting married tomorrow. I do not love my husband, but if I dare say a word of unpleasantness, I will be punished by the queen and punished by my parents. "Arguing," My mother used to say, "is very un lady like." The same as playing music. "Too passionate" she says. But even thought I love listening to my own butler, James, play the piano, I want to play. With no one around me. To criticize me. Just play without being slapped or locked in my room. To have freedom. The freedom to be with my love Elijah Vendor.
Victoria Belle is the only daughter of a couple who hate each other. It is too hard for a twenty year old. In fact, her family doesn't even have any money. She is marrying her fiancé Barkis Simmons. He is a very demanding man looking for his way every single time. Loving him is a very hard task.
There is this young man named Elijah Vendor. He is very sweet. But he is a very poor, young too. He is 17. He would deliver fish and other food for Victoria's small dysfunctional family. They would both smile at each other time to time with crimson all across their faces.
1
Victoria sat on the piano chair that she was banned from. No one was around. Not even her parents. She looked at the keys on the piano. It had no dust or dimness on each key. She could she her reflection. Slowly and gently, her fingers touched the high pitched keys. It made soft sounds. She smiled, then all of a sudden, a slap came across her face with her mother in front of her. Victoria fell to the ground, covering her face with her hand. She was shaking looking up to her mother.
"You peasant! You are not allowed to be at the piano! You are not acting like a lady! Slip up one more time, and you are out of here. We won't have to waste another penny on you," She walked away. Victoria was still on the floor. Tears came from her eyes and she ran up to her room. She laid on her bed grabbing her diary and she started writing this:
Dear Diary,
I hate my mother with all of my hate ness She slaps me around leaving me in tears and solemn. My father, won't even care about me even if I was taken away from them . I hate my life, but not as much to destroy it. I love myself and Elijah, I wouldn't want to break his heart with suicide.
A tear came from Victoria's eyes and it landed on the paper. The doorbell rang. Victoria ran from her room and into the main entrance of the door. James opened the door. It was Elijah. She smiled and ran down the steps. She ran up to him, her hands sweating.
"Hello…Elijah. I-I was expecting to see you. I didn't know deliveries came on Thursday," She said. Elijah took off his hat looking at her.
"W-well, since it's your wedding day tomorrow, they sent me to deliver food to you all. You know…wedding rehearsals."
"Oh. I always dreamed of my wedding day. But not like this. I want to marry someone I love. Don't you think that's alright?" A flirtatious eye appeared on her face. Elijah blushed.
"Y-yes. It is absolutely right." A noise came from the west drawing room. It was her mother and father arguing the mother ran out of the room. She saw the two.
"What impropriety is this? You shouldn't be alone together! Rehearsals are important! Barkis is waiting for you," She yelled. Victoria walked to the room looking back at Elijah. Victoria's mother pushed her.
When Victoria walked in the room, she saw her fiancé's parents, her dad, and Pastor Boswell looking at her. She was super nervous. "You are getting married so I suppose you are a first timer," Pastor Boswell said. "I am a professional on weddings young lady. Do not make me angry." He pointed his finger in Victoria's face. She gulped.
"Alright young man, start making your lines." Barkis picked up the candle and said his vows.
"With this candle, I will light your way in darkness," Barkis picked up the wine glass that sat on the table. "Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine." Victoria remembered the vows because she practiced saying them to Elijah secretly. Victoria raised her hand.
"W-with this hand, I will lift your sorrows." Victoria glanced and saw Elijah standing in the door way. "This hand…I…I… I'm sorry." Victoria ran out of the room toward Elijah.
"Come with me." She said. She lead him to her bedroom. She grabbed her diary and walked out of the room. Elijah followed. Victoria and Elijah were walking down the steps when her mother stopped her by grabbing her wrist.
"Where on Earth do you think you're going?" Her mother said. Victoria glanced at her and then Barkis.
"Away from you." She ran with Elijah running out the door. Victoria was free at last. For now.
2
Dear Diary,
I am finally with my love Elijah. But for me to make it into this world I need money. My boyfriend Elijah is still working at the fish market, but I told him he needs another job to earn more money. So he is now a chauffer on horse and carriage. I am sure he will do well.
As for me, I and Elijah are living in a small house near the old Harrisburg Cemetery. A weird location you may say, but it's all I can do since I don't have enough money for a real home.
Elijah was cutting fish at his part time job. He and the other men on the job were talking. "Well, I don't know Eli, me boy. You should just ask her straight from the heart. You know, when I proposed to my wife, she dropped all the way to the ground. A busty and big woman can make a big ground noise when she fall," One of his friend says. Elijah took out the ring he made himself out of gold from his pocket.
Meanwhile at the old house. Victoria was washing dishes when she heard a peculiar noise.
"All's well it ends well." The noise she heard. Victoria grew quiet and more cautious. But when the noises stopped. She began washing dishes again.
The sunset came and Elijah was walking back home through the cemetery when he took the ring he was going to give to Victoria out of his pocket. He started saying the vows he heard at the rehearsal. "With this…hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty for I will be your wine. For now… I ask you to be mine!" He yelled. He saw a stick in the ground that looked like a hand. He put the ring on the stick. Then all of a sudden, the wind started to blow and the crows made noises. Elijah looked back while the stick moved. The wind grew stronger and the crows made even louder noises. Then, the stick hand grabbed Elijah's hand and dragged him into the ground. Elijah pulled himself up and grabbed his hand that was in the ground. The stick was so strong, he fell back even though he was very strong. He started yelling Victoria's name. "Victoria!" He called. "Victoria come save me! Someone! Help!" His yelp was very loud. Victoria could hear him along the road. She dropped the dishes and ran outside following Elijah screams. Victoria ran like the wind. Looking carefully, she tried to find Elijah in the darkness. Then she saw him struggling to get away from the hand. She grabbed him pulling him away. The root of the hand grew longer and the ground started to crumble. They both got away and the hand was still around Elijah's wrist. It was a whole arm in bones! Victoria and Elijah gasped. The ground shook and the wind was at tornado speed. And a body rose from the grave with head first. The body's other hand grabbed the dirt from the Earth's surface to stand up. It was a corpse. That was wearing a wedding dress! She took out her hand with her eyes looking like she was seeing though him. Her eyes were so wide and big that her pupils looked like black freckles on a face. Walking toward him, Victoria ran up to the corpse and started hitting her. The bride hit her so hard, she fell to the ground knocked out. As for Elijah, he started to run toward the bridge to town. Looking back the corpse was right behind him! He slipped and fell on the hard concrete. He got up with blood on the side of his head. He was okay. Elijah looked toward the woods and no corpse to be found. He turned around then…the corpse was standing right in front of him. He backed up until he bumped onto the ledge of the bridge. The bride got closer and whispered the words: "You may kiss the bride." She kissed him softly when he fainted and blacked out.
3
Voices were going non-stop in the background. A shake came from a town villager. Victoria was lying on the ground. Then she woke up.
"Are you okay?" An old woman asked her. She struggled to get up.
"Where's E-Elijah?" Victoria said. The town villagers helped her to her home. Victoria was laying in her bed when the old woman tucked her in bed. "Where's Elijah?" Victoria asked once again. The old woman looked at Victoria with a puzzled look in her face.
"You mean Elijah Vendor? Oh dear, he was reported missing early this morning." Victoria rose from her bed quickly.
"What?" She asked.
Elijah was passed out when the corpse bride woke him up by slapping his cheek softly. "Well he must be still sleeping." The bride said. Elijah opened his eyes.
"Where am I?" Elijah asked. A skeleton got in his face and said, "Well hello! A new arrival!" Elijah screamed and got up from the floor.
"Who are you people? Where am I?" Elijah asked. He looked at everyone in the room. They were people. But they were dead. He stepped back when he bumped into a skeleton.
"Hey watch it." One said. The corpse walked up to him.
"Elijah, you're in the underworld." She said. He eyes opened wide.
"No. No, no, no! This isn't the underworld! This is hell! I've died and went to hell! Victoria! Victoria!" The corpse shook him.
"No silly! You're not dead! And this isn't you-know-what. I brought you down here because I wanted you to meet my close friends. We're having a reception!"
"A reception? Who's getting married?" The corpse laughed and so did everyone else.
"Me and you!" The corpse showed his wedding ring to her. He gasped.
"I'm sorry to tell you this but I didn't marry you." The music stopped every dead person looked at him.
"What do ya' mean you didn't marry her?" A zombie that was accidentally cut in half spoke. "You currently just said your vows, put the ring on her finger and kissed her!"
"No, no! I didn't want to marry you! I was practicing to marry my true love Victoria" Elijah yelled. The corpse shed a tear and ran away into the back of the building. Elijah tried to go after her, but the zombies blocked his path.
"You've done a terrible thing to her." A skeleton said. Elijah was terrified. The people drew closer.
"I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Every dead person that charged toward him stopped.
"Wait a minute." A small little dead girl said. "How did you not know that you were getting married? You must have amnesia, let's give him a potion that will give you your memory back!"
"I'm sorry but you can't do that." Elijah said.
"Why not?"
"I will die since the potion would be poisoning… and I live up… there." He made a gesture. The music in the background stopped again. The people gasped.
"Upstairs?" A woman asked. "Upstairs? I've never heard of this upstairs."
"That's because you died a long time ago upstairs." Elijah corrected her. She looked at him.
"Tell me, what is it like?" He looked at her.
"Dark. Dark and gloomy with weird people." Elijah said.
"Right…" A skeleton said in the background.
"What do you know?" A zombie asked.
"Because I remember upstairs, I died 58 years ago. In 1863." It was 1921 at the moment.
"An old resident! How wonderful!" Elijah ran over to the skeleton. "Tell me, what is your name?"
"Bone Jangles." He said. Elijah was confused. How could someone's name be Bone Jangles?
"Well, can I speak to the corpse again please?" Elijah asked. He walked toward the door.
"I'm sorry man. But you can't do that." Bone Jangles replied. Elijah ran right pass him. The corpse bride was playing the piano on a low pitched key.
"Um are you mad at me?" Elijah asked. The corpse looked at him annoyed. "Look I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was supposed to do."
"Really? After saying those vows to my face, putting a ring on my finger, I'm surprised by your boldness."
"Your dead. I-I mean you were in the ground. And all this time I didn't know you. Heck, I have a wife to be and I'm planning on being a father."
"Victoria's pregnant?"
"No, no. She will be after we get married and get things settled. We live near the cemetery-Evans Cemetery-"
"Where I was buried. You know, this isn't the first time this situation happened to me. John cheated me out, then it was Nathan, then Charlie." The corpse looked at Elijah dead in his eyes. "
Elijah started to stand up and then stopped. "What is your name? I don't want to call you 'corpse' all the time."
"It's Emily."
"Emily, do you know how to get upstairs?"
"No!" Victoria yelled. "He can't be dead o-or missing! I just saw him yesterday!" She went mad. Running back and forth, sweating and screaming, like she lost her grandmother. The old woman tried to calm her down.
"Listen child! He's missing! Policeman sent out a search warrant in the morning and we're still looking for him!" Victoria was startled. "Unless you want to get arrested for disturbing the peace for asking everyone in town and bothering them, be my guest!" The little old lady walked out. Victoria grabbed her winter coat and ran to the police station. And when she got there she caused trouble.
"Quick! Send out search parties, dogs anything!" Victoria yelled.
"What is all the hullabaloo?" A police officer asked.
"My husband, Elijah Vendor, is missing!"
"Oh he's dead we couldn't find him in town no where. And if he did leave he must've gotten killed sooner or later." The door opened.
"Victoria!" A voice yelled. She turned around it was her mother. "So we meet again. And your husband is not with you."
4
"Why do you need my help?" Master Boswell asked. He was one of Emily's role models. And he was a very old skeleton.
"Because I need a spell to get upstairs." She said.
"Why go back up there when you belong down here?"
"Please?"
"Fine." He said. Emily smiled. A worm popped out of her eye. Elijah gasped.
"Don't do it Boswell she will betray you!" The worm yelled. She shoved it back in her eye.
"Maggots." Emily laughed. Boswell cracked a crow's egg.
"Make sure when you want to come back, say 'hopscotch'."
"Hopscotch!" Emily laughed. The golden air swirls around Elijah and Emily. Then the upstairs world was around them. Elijah ran to the cemetery house with Emily following him.
"Now stay in here." Elijah stated. Her placed her under the covers of the bed. Then he walked out of the house, locking the door.
Elijah ran everywhere in town until he had the slightest idea where to look-Victoria's parent's home.
When he reached the house he looked up at Victoria's room window and decided to climb the grape vine.
A knock came on Victoria's door.
"Elijah!" She yelled. She opened the door. And he walked in. "I missed you so much! The police reported you dead today!" Elijah was dumbfounded.
"Dead? What do you mean dead?"
"No one can find you." Victoria looked at him.
"I'm glad I found you." Elijah whispered and then they shared a kiss.
Then all of a sudden crows started making noise and the wind and lighting went crazy. Emily was standing on the porch where the room was connected to. Elijah gasped.
"Who is that?" Victoria asked. As she looked closer she remembered. "That's that corpse!"
"Don't worry! She is completely unharmed!"
"Unharmed? Look at her face! She is a zombie!" The corpse grew closer to Elijah and Victoria.
"Elijah?" Emily grabbed him away from Victoria. "Who's this?" Victoria was startled.
"Who is she?" Victoria asked Elijah. He looked at Emily.
"I'm his wife." Emily said and showed Victoria her ring. Victoria was furious and scared at the same time.
"Elijah?" Victoria asked.
"Elijah?" Emily asked. Elijah looked at Emily.
"Look Victoria, she's dead. I would never marry her." He made a gesture with Emily's skeleton arm. Emily grew angry. She grabbed Elijah.
"Hopscotch!" Emily yelled. They started to fade away. Elijah reached his arm out to Victoria but then his hand went away.
"I can't believe you did this to me!" Emily walked around her bedroom. "You brought your soon to be wife around and then criticized me when she was there? How could you? And then you act like just because I'm dead doesn't mean I can't have love! My chance was taken away from me!"
"Listen Emily," Elijah became a man. "you have heard my story and I will say it again. I said my vows to Victoria, you came to kidnap me and take me to your underworld with all of these dead people! Haven't you noticed already Emily? Reality check, I am alive you are dead there is nothing you can change about that!" Emily looked at him.
"Fine. If you want to be that way." She took off the ring. "Here is your stupid ring." She threw it at him. "And when your lover dies, just remember, she is dead and there is nothing you can do about it." Emily walked away. Elijah grew mad and went to Master Boswell.
"What can I do for you my friend?" He asked. Elijah hesitated for a minute.
"I need to go back upstairs." Elijah stated. Master Boswell's dark skeleton eyes widened.
"Weren't you up there a minute ago?"
"I need to go back. I don't belong here-"
"No one belongs here, lad." Master Boswell. "The people came here because they died by a mistake. Chef Chen, he was accidentally stabbed in his own back, literally. I, myself, came down here right after my first son was born. I was devastated when I found out I was dead." Boswell pointed his skinny finger in Elijah's face. "And as for you, go apologize to Emily. She helped you get upstairs and you repay her for this? She was killed by her one true love. All she wanted was love and you had to take that away from her."
"That's not true!" Elijah snapped. He walked closer to Master Boswell. "I broke my back to get that ring on Victoria's finger and she was wearing it! Me and Victoria love each other and she can't live without me!" The back door opened. It was Emily.
"Elijah," Victoria started. "I'm sorry. I should have never did this to you. You're right, I am dead and there's nothing you can do about it." Elijah looked at Master Boswell. There was a moment of silence.
"No. It's not you fault." He put the ring on her finger. "Emily, for your sake, will you marry me?" Master Boswell and Emily, herself were surprised as Elijah was.
"U-um, I d-don't know." Emily said. She started shaking. Then she kissed him. "Yes I will."
5
The town bell ringed. Bone Jangles was on the street telling everyone that Elijah and Emily were getting married. Again. "Listen everyone! The ceremony will be taken upstairs!" Everyone gasped.
"Wow. It's been a while since I've been up there." A zombie said. Bone jangles laughed.
"It's been a long time since anyone has been upstairs. But now that's about to change." He grabbed Elijah while he was walking past them. "My boy Elijah is going to plan the wedding. So Master Boswell is going to be the pastor." Every clapped their hands. Emily and Elijah smiled. He stepped forward.
"Everyone, get ready! We need to make everything perfect!" Elijah yelled. The dead people ran to their places. Elijah smiled and walked away when these three zombies walked up to him. The three girls giggled.
"You're not going to a wedding looking like that." She one of them. Elijah observed himself. His shirt was torn, his pants were dirty and his shoes weren't shiny anymore. He frowned. The three took him by the hand and fixed him up.
He looked way better than before. Emily saw him while walking through a little alley.
"Elijah I've been looking all over for you!" Emily said. She leaned in and kissed him. He blushed. The three zombie girls giggled.
The rainy night before her wedding, Victoria ran to Pastor Boswell's house. She banged on the door until she heard him opening it. His eyes widened. "Ms. Belle? Why on Earth are you here?" He asked. She was out of breath.
"I need to ask you something very important." Victoria told him.
"What is it?"
"Can the living marry the dead?" Lightning came crashing down. The pastor's eyes were big.
"Why do you ask such a thing?"
"Elijah Vendor is marrying a corpse!" Pastor Boswell grabbed Victoria by the hand and dragged her to her house.
"Let me go!"
"You need to have a discussion with your parents!"
"My parents aren't going to care! All they want is Barkis' money!" Pastor Boswell stopped.
"What do you ever mean child?" Victoria snatched her hand away from the pastor.
"Barkis just wants me for my body, he doesn't want me for looks. My parents only want his money."
"I don't believe you." Victoria blushed her clothes to get some of the dirt off. She flipped her hair that was in her face.
"Fine then," she replied. "Don't believe me. But when you tell me to say my vows, I won't make them official."
"But it's essential!" Victoria started to scoff.
"Please. To be honest with you Pastor Boswell, I'd rather die alone than to be with that man. He'll probably kill me if I don't do what he says."
"Nonsense! I know Barkis, he's a very good gentleman!"
"Pastor, they are all lies! Lies, lies, lies! I thought you knew better but I guess you don't." Pastor Boswell grew angry at what Victoria said. He grabbed her arm and this time he didn't let go. He dragged her all the way to her home. He banged on the door until her mother answered, her eyes opened.
"Victoria! You're supposed to be in your room!" Pastor Boswell threw her into her mother's arms. She felt her mother's nails dig deep into her skin out of anger. "I'm so very sorry Pastor Boswell. We thank you for your patience with our insecure daughter." She closed the door gently and slapped Victoria across the face. "How many times have I told you? You are getting married and that's final! I don't care if I have to strap you onto your bed and roll you down the aisle! You will marry Barkis!"
Victoria sat in her room where the doors to her patio were boarded.
That very next day, at the very specific time, Victoria was in her wedding dress. Her eyes were big and her palms and face were completely pale. Her maid, a very tall, skinny, frail old lady stood behind her lacing the back of her veil. "Dear, I know this is very hard for you…but please cooperate with us. We're only trying to help you."
"Help me with what?" Victoria snapped. "All of you are trying to ruin my life. All I wanted is to get help so I can save Elijah…that's all I wanted."
"Victoria, love, please-"
"Ellen, you don't understand. There is a thin line between love and control. I love Elijah but you all are controlling me, trying to make me love someone else." The old woman was finished. She sighed.
"Well dear, if you really love Elijah, follow your dreams. That's all I have to say." Victoria's mother busted through the doors.
"Everyone is downstairs! Start walking with your father! Now!" Victoria glanced at Ellen. But the woman didn't give an expression at all. Then the evil mother and the innocent bride went out the door.
Every dead person that Emily knew was up in the regular world. They all were headed to Pastor Boswell's church. And when they got there, there was a lot of commotion. "Stay back! All you demons from hell! This is a holy area and-"
"Quiet down, we're in a church," One zombie said. Pastor Boswell's jaw dropped, then he ran away.
Unfortunately, Victoria's wedding was already finished. Her reception was in her house. Everyone was silent. "Everyone please quiet down!" Lord Barkis yelled. There was a long pause. "Thank you! I would like to have a toast to my dear Victoria. Let all of our dreams come true." Barkis tapped Victoria's glass. Her eyes were bloodshot and her mouth was closed.
"Here comes the bride!" One zombie cooed. Emily walked down the isle with a bouquet of dead flowers in her hand. She looked beautiful, her azure blue hair shined in the moonlight, her light blue dead skin sparkled and her smile filled Elijah's heart.
When she walked up to Elijah and Master Boswell, Elijah was speechless. "Tonight we are gathered here because two people fell in love with each other," Master Boswell said out loud. "Are you sure you want to drink this, child?" He whispered. Elijah nodded.
"For Emily's sake…" He said. Emily smiled. Elijah placed the ring on Emily's finger.
A loud moaning came from the main dining hall, in Victoria's parent's house. Lord Barkis looked around, trying to figure out where the source of the noise is coming from. "Victoria, do you know where that noise is coming from?" Barkis asked her.
"No, Barkis I don't know."
Victoria's father, who was drinking some of his soup, sat there silent. Then all of a sudden, a large eye drop in the bowl. "There's an eye, in me soup!" One lady screamed.
Victoria's father turned around and saw a skeleton, Bone Jangles, smiling with no eyeballs. He screamed. Everything went crazy. People ran away from the dead people and Lord Barkis hid under a table. Victoria didn't realize he was such a coward. Barkis pulled her under the table with him. "Victoria, let's grab the money and get away from here!" Victoria was confused, she had a puzzled look on her face.
"Money? What money? We don't have any money. This whole house belongs to the poor house."
"The, the POOR HOUSE?" Victoria grew angry and stood up after she got from under he table.
"Well excuse me Barkis if my family isn't to your qualified standards!" Barkis stood up to her also.
"You lied to me! I thought you were rich!"
"Well our guesses were perfectly matched!" Victoria walked away. Lord Barkis grew furious.
"And for the final touch…" Master Boswell said. "Elijah , you may drink the poison." Emily had an uneasy look on her face. Elijah picked up the cup and started to drink it until Emily stopped him.
"Elijah, I can't let you do it…" Emily confessed. "I lost my chance a long time ago, and you shouldn't take your life for my mistake." Elijah stared at her. "Besides, Victoria is here…" Elijah looked over and saw Victoria standing in the middle of the isle.
Everyone gasped. Emily made a gesture to Victoria for her to walk to them.
"I want you two do be happy," Emily whispered. She placed he ring in Elijah's hands and Victoria's hands on his.
Then Lord Barkis busted through the church doors. Everyone turned around to see him. "Victoria! C'mon we have to go-" Emily stared at Barkis. "E-Emily?"
"Barkis?"
"You know him?" Elijah asked.
"I thought I left you!" Barkis yelled.
"By death…" Emily said. Everyone gasped.
"This woman is frankly delusional!" Barkis ran and grabbed Victoria by the wrist. "C'mon Victoria, we need to get out of here-"
"Get your hands off of her…" Elijah threaten. Barkis scoffed.
"And what are you going to do? Kill me?"
Elijah ran to him and hit him. Then the two broke off into a fight. One of the zombies threw a sword to Elijah. Barkis grabbed a sharp knife. Barkis cut Elijah's arm deeply which made him bleed a lot. He fell to the ground. "Elijah!" Victoria yelled.
"Now tell me Elijah, can a heart break when it stops beating?" Barkis asked. He placed his knife higher and charged toward him, until he hit someone. It wasn't Elijah. It was Emily.
Emily grabbed the knife and pointed it at Barkis. "Leave…" She whispered. He stood there. "LEAVE!"
"Fine…" Barkis said. He walked to the table that held the poisonous drink. "Let me have a drink before I leave this horrid place." Unfortunately, Barkis didn't know it was poison. He gasped for breath, trying to save the last moments of his life. Until his heart stopped.
Barkis again woke up being a zombie. All the other zombies were mad because of what he did to Emily. "Let's get 'em boys…" Bone Jangles said. Barkis screamed and started to run away. But he didn't make it.
Emily looked back at Elijah and Victoria, who were looking at each other. Elijah glanced at Emily. "I hope you too have a wonderful life," she said. Emily hugged Victoria and Elijah.
"I'm sorry for what Barkis did to you," Elijah apologized. Emily shook her head.
"No it's okay. Finally I'm free…" Emily floated away into butterflies and left away in the moonlight.
Elijah looked at Victoria and wrapped his arm around her as they watched Emily fly off into the moon.
And so they lived together peacefully, without her parents, or anybody else.
O.o….The End….o.O