Steps

She stood in front of the old sandstone church, her blood pounding through her veins and her breath catching in her lungs. She was here, she had come, there was no turning back now. Taking a deep breath she forced her feet to move, feeling her heart jolt with each step she took. Weaving absentmindedly through the passing cars that she did not hear, walking gently over the freshly mowed lawn littered with small blooming flowers that she didn't see, up to the carved iron doors that stood solidly shut between her and the crowd. She knew it would be a substantial crowd, made up of various friends and family members come to pay their respects, and she knew that she had to join them. She knew this, yet still she hesitated.

She wasn't quite sure how long she stood there, in front of the door, her stomach churning and her throat threatening to constrict. She had to go inside, they were expecting her. She had no regrets, no unresolved drama, and yet she couldn't stop the anticipation from crawling through her body and gnawing at her insides. Finally, the door swung open.

"Come in," the priest said, ushering her into the church. "They're waiting for you."

Slowly, very slowly, she made her way through the doorway and into the gap between the rows of pews filled with the men and women who watched her enter. Her gaze wandered around the grand interior, roaming over its exquisite tapestries and magnificent stained glass windows, and she couldn't help but contemplate the events that had brought her there.

She remembered the day clearly, how could she not? She could recall with deadly precision the words that had tumbled nervously from solemn lips, the way her heart had stopped. She hadn't thought it possible for a few little words could turn her world completely upside down, she hadn't realised that one little moment could change her life so dramatically. The following weeks had been a frantic blur, eventually clearing away to reveal her standing there, unmoving, in the middle of the church.

The eyes in the room were expectant. Gradually, she lifted one foot and placed it in front of the other, repeating the process in a daze. Her eyes passed over the crowd and the faces she recognised; her parents, her brother, her best friend, each loved one gave her a small reassuring nod as she passed, a silent gesture of support. Step by step she walked down the aisle, until she finally came to a stop after what seemed like an eternity.

The church was silent as she stood at the front of the room, she could feel the prickling, burning gazes of the crowd on her back. She stared resolutely forward, desperately fighting to keep her composure, but she knew she couldn't stay like that forever. Bit by little bit, she began to turn her head, shifting her gaze across the richly decorated walls until it rested on the one she had come to see.

She couldn't help it, she cracked. Seeing him there before her, looking so beautiful and serene dressed in that prim tailored suit, the tears that had been brimming spilled over. She had told herself, promised herself over and over that she wouldn't cry, wouldn't break down in front of everybody. Yet here she was, standing at the front of the church, in front of the whole crowd with rivers of salty water flowing freely down her face. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she was surprised the entire room couldn't hear it, pounding so loudly it almost drowned out the priest's words.

Almost, but not quite.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God and in the presence of these witnesses, to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony..."

Author's Note

Something I threw together for English class. The task was to write a short story with 1-2 characters about the concept of "change", and had to be set within a 10 min period. Feedback appreciated, and I'm notoriously bad with proofreading so if you see any typos it would ge great if you could point them out too.

Reviews

[Sharpdeath]

It's very meaninful and has quite a good feel to it. Seeing as I am also bad proofreading, I found no mistakes. It's very good though, and it apparent that you've got quite a future in writing, whether for your close family, or maybe on a larger scale.

[Jesse Jacques]

at first i thought that she was going to a wake for someone that had died and that she knew. good job switching the story around. really creative and no spelling or grammar mistakes.wonderful job.

[Cricket Kidd]

Nice! I think this is a good way to portray change.