Bride in the blood stained dress

The two men lay prone on a hill. John scans the area with binoculars while Nick sights through a sniper rifle. They are quiet, knowing better than to talk outside the compound's protective walls. This is a job that must be done. Despite all the precautions taken, sometimes they just wander too close. That's why the two men are here. They'll clear up and stragglers in the area and keep the compound safe.

John nudges Nick gently, indicating a woman shambling out of the trees. A tattered veil trails behind her, catching and tearing on branches. Nick snorts softly, watching the woman in the blood-splattered wedding gown pause as she finally exits the forest.

Rose smiles to herself as she adjusts the veil a final time. Today is the biggest day of her life. Today is her wedding day. She's finally marrying the man of her dreams, Alex. 

The only thing missing is some guests. With the recent riots not everyone could make it. Rose understands that but she still wishes that all of her friends and family could be here today.

The carefully selected band didn’t even show! They aren’t answering their phones either. Still, it could be worse. Rose's smile never falters as she nods to an usher. The wedding march is piped through the church’s sound system as she starts the walk towards her husband to be. At least they have a stereo for some music.

Alex stands tall and proud in his Marine dress blues. His eyes grow misty as he watches his bride approach. A part of him feels guilty but he pushes that part down. This is his wedding day. He was given leave and he hasn’t been recalled. His unit must be handling the riots fine without him. 

What chance do unarmed and unorganized rioters have against the Marines?

The preacher smiles at those assembled before him and begins to speak. “Dearly beloved, We are gathered here today…..”

Rose and Alex stare at each other, their hands clasped. The world has faded to just them, no one and nothing else matters.

“If anyone here objects to this marriage….” The preacher jumps as banging sounds on the heavy church door as the guests turn to look. “well….I’ve never actually had anyone object before….” He mutters under his breath to some laughter.

An usher quickly stands and rushes to open the door. “Likely just a latecomer,” Alex reassures his bride who is looking queasy and nervous. She nods with a smile, trusting him utterly.

The usher opens the door, then screams and turns to run. He doesn’t get far, something...someone pounces and begins to violently tear at his back. Blood splatters the church walls, splashing obscenely over a statue of the Holy Mother. 

“....It’s…..is….is that the band?!” Rose whispers as Alex pushes her behind him. 

The guests scream in panic at the grisly scene before them. They stumble backward, pushing and shoving as the rest of the seemingly demonic band appears in the doorway and rushes forward.

The band attacks any guests they can get their hands on, tearing at flesh with terrifying howls of enjoyment at the taste of raw flesh. Alex draws his Barreta 92FS one-handed, pushing Rose behind him.“We have to go! There’s too many….I fucking knew I should have packed an extra mag!”

He sights down the pistol, firing three rapid shots into the center mass of the cellist. The cellist rocks back, howling before rushing forward again. “What the fuck….what the fuck….” He mutters before shooting again. This time taking the thing down with a shot to the head. “13 shots left…” Alex whispers, knowing that even if every shot is perfect…. He doesn’t have enough. There are too many guests.

His eyes narrow with concentration as he keeps firing, his breath even and calm despite the panic hovering at the edge of his consciousness. His bride is here and he’s not sure he can protect her.

10 bodies lay before the altar by the time the pistol’s slide locks back. Empty. He’s empty and there are more of those...things coming.

It wasn’t enough to protect Rose. Alex holsters the pistol on pure instinctual training and grasps a heaving candlestick. He will not go down without a fight!

Rose screams as Alex pushes her back, towards the back office. He’s breathing hard as he slams the door, dragging a heavy end table over to further block it.

 “...th...the line is dead!”  Rose looks at him with wide eyes as the receiver drops from her limp hands. Alex leans against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment. “It’s fine. We’ll wait it out. I won’t leave you.”

He takes Rose into his arms, comforting her. He knows he’s made a grave mistake, a mistake that will cost them both their lives. He can hear the wedding guests growl at the door, slamming themselves against it. It’s like they can sense there’s prey trapped inside. Like they can smell the humanity of those within. 

This office is a dead end. The window is too small to escape through and there’s only one exit. Which is now blocked by those who came to see the happiest day of his life…

Alex takes Rose into his arms again, kissing her deeply. “I do.” She blinks in confusion. “That was the next part.” He takes a pair of golden rings from his pocket. “I, Alexander Hall, take you, Rose Butler, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I will love and honour you all the days of my life."

Rose smiles at him, tears in her eyes as she slips the ring onto his finger. "I, Rose Butler, take you, Alexander Hall, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I will love and honour you all the days of my life."

She sobs softly as he slips the ring onto her finger and kisses her deeply. Rose clings to him, jumping each time a body thuds against the office door. 

“I..I have something I need to tell you.” She whispers. “I was going to wait until after the wedding but…. Alex, I’m pregnant!” Alex looks at her, a brilliant smile breaking across his face. “Oh..honey!” The happy expression fades as the door jumps as another body hits it and starts to splinter. 

Tears roll down his cheeks as he looks at the door and back to his beautiful bride. The bloodied and torn hands reach in through the gaps of the door, reaching for them as howls fill the air.

Can he really let his bride die so painfully? So horrifically? Alex kisses his wife a final time, holding her tightly before he moves behind her and swiftly breaks her neck. At least she won’t suffer. 

Alex collapses onto the floor, sobbing as he cradles his wife’s body. He looks up as the door finally breaks, the end table doing little now to stop the onslaught. 

He smiles at Rose as she twitches and growls, rising up to glare at him with hunger in her eyes. “I love you, honey…” He gently strokes her face, further words drowned in a gurgle of blood as she tears his throat out.

Nick’s finger hesitates on the trigger of the rifle, then loosens as a man exits the thicket of trees. He’s dressed in what once was Marine blues and he stops next to the woman. They look at each other before turning and shambling into the sunset, away from the compound. “They’re no threat.” He whispers to John.