Chapter 3 - Something Borrowed
"Victoria," Victor said assuredly, after the ghostly maiden has kissed him on the bridge. "I know it's you."
"Please, call me Emily now," she replied cheerily. "It's my middle name."
"Well they're both lovely names, but if you insist."
"But did you recognize me?"
"You spooked me is all, wearing your wedding dress," he confessed. "But of course I recognize you, even dressed like that, and with your hair down."
"Come along, Victor," said the eloping bride, holding out her hand for his. "We're running away together, aren't we? You promised me, in your letter."
"So I did."
They made their way back to the town side of the bridge, Victor holding the girl's clammy hand. She was chilled to the bone, but still fondly grasping his hand and seemed happy as a lark.
The town looked different at night, lit up by streetlights in shades of luminescent green, bright orange, and lovely purple.
"There's a story," Emily said, "that if you cross the bridge at night, it might lead you to the Land of the Dead."
"The afterlife?" Victor asked doubtfully. "But do you believe in such things?"
"I assure you I do, my darling. I absolutely do."
"It appears that's where we've arrived then," Victor said, looking around. They stopped at the local restaurant and inn called The Ball & Socket - a strange name to Victor, but no matter.
"We'll have a room for the night," Victor announced as the two of them walked into the lobby.
"Follow me!" said a skeletal old man. "I'm Bonejangles, but you can call me Grandpa. So nice to catch my granddaughter Emily running off with this naughty little boy - what's your name?"
"Victor, sir."
"Victor and Emily, the newlyweds! Well I own The Ball & Socket joint, so you two can stay here and live with me as long as you want."
"Thank you, Grandpa," Emily said as she embraced Bonejangles in a hug. "It's so nice to finally see you again after all these years."
"Emily dear, I never left!" he cackled. "Now follow me to your room."
The two followed Bonejangles up the rickety stairs to their new room. He opened the door for them. "In fact," the skeleton said, "I already took the liberty of packing up your things from your rooms and bringing them here! Except," he added, suddenly sorrowful, "that Emily has to wear that bridal dress around in the Land of the Dead because that's what she died wearing. Those are the rules."
"I may as well keep my suit on then," Victor said.
"The two of you dressed like that serve as a reminder of the tragedy of youth," Bonejangles said.
"Sir, don't we need two different rooms?" Victor asked confusedly. "For propriety's sake?" he added.
"Nonsense! You two can share. Now when you're ready come down to the dining room and have dinner. We're all waiting for you," he laughed as he disappeared behind the door, shutting it behind him.
The door clicked shut.
"This is a disaster!" Victor blurted and threw himself on the bed, bouncing up and down.
Emily sat herself at the vanity mirror and started to brush the tangled knots out of her long bluish hair with her hairbrush, singing to herself, "La la la la la."
"We've eloped without any money and ended up down the street at Grandpa's house, living at a bar!" Victor cried. "I don't know how to be married! I don't know what to do!"
Emily stopped brushing her hair and looked over at him with a sad frown. "Don't despair, Victor. We'll make it somehow. As long as we're together."
Victor looked at her. She hurried over to him and sat beside him on the bed. "Oh Victor, you've borrowed something from me. You've borrowed my heart. And I've borrowed your ring," she said, fanning her fingers through the air. She took a comb, stood beside him, and ran it through his dark hair. "There, all better. Now we're ready for dinner."
Victor quickly tried to put on his best air and held out an arm proudly for Emily, who took it. He escorted her down the stairs to the dining hall.
"Congratulations!" the crowd shouted at them.
Emily gave him such a loving smile that he finally passed out and fell to the floor of the bar.
"I think he's fainted," he heard her voice.
