Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up EVER AFTER

by TISH BLACK

You know, the people who write “they lived happily ever after” aren’t the people living the ever after. They don’t know. They just stop the story after the wedding and assume that marriage makes everyone happy and that happiness sticks around forever.

My father had promised my hand in marriage to whoever could rescue me from the ogre. A sensible transaction; without a daughter, his family line could not continue, and a man strong, brave, and clever enough to defeat an ogre is the kind of blood you wantinyourfamilyline.Ofcourse,Ididn’tknowIwasbeingsold tothehighestbidder,Ihadmorepressingconcernsatthatmoment. I wasn’t the only girl the ogre had stolen. Five of us huddled together for warmth at the back of the ogre’s cave, devising a plan ofescape.

Ifanything,thisguyruinedourplan.It’samazingthatweall still managed to escape.And rescue him from the ogre on the way out.Thisguywasabetterstorytellerthanarescuer.Hisrecounting of the events didn’t sound familiar to me, but my father bought it, sotheweddingwasplanned.

My fellow captives became my bridesmaids. We all agreed tha that the flowers were lovely, the dress was lovely, the groom was lovely, the castle was lovely. Yes, it was a much lovelier place to be held captive than an ogre’s cave. So, we huddled together and devisedalovelyplanofescape. And so, there was a wedding and the bride did live happily ever after. Just notwiththegroom.