Without Me, There is No You ~ Short Story

Rachel paced back and forth as she waited for her sister to return. She was so excited and extremely nervous at the same time. The day she had dreamed of was finally here with the man she had always loved. She was so deep into her thoughts that she had not noticed her sister come into the room. Her sister called out to Rachel, "Are you ready?"

"Yea I believe I am." Rachel replied as she grabbed her veil and bouquet. She followed her sister out into the hall as she waited for the music that would cue her entrance. She stood in front of the double doors filled with anxiety and excitement when she heard the music begin. Smiling, Rachel slowly walked through the open doors. She walked which such pride and beauty that everyone in the chapel stared at her with admiration. Her gown draped her body perfectly while her jewelry only added to her beauty. Her hair flowed over her shoulders with her veil barely concealing her face.

Rachel walked toward her future husband never taking her eyes away from the man that she loved so dearly. She was in awe at the fact that she would be so lucky as to spend the rest of her life with such a wonderful man. Rachel was a step away from the altar when she suddenly heard a loud sound followed by a sharp pain in her back. Rachel stopped completely and glanced down at her torso noticing blood beginning to seep through her dress. She looked up at her fiancé only a moment before she blacked out and fell to the ground.

Travis moved to run to his future wife's side when he was stopped by a commanding voice coming from the man holding the gun. Travis looked into the face of the man that had just shot the woman of his dreams and started running toward the man with such rage in his eyes. Before Travis could get half way to the guy he shot him in his the chest barely missing his heart. The blow from the bullet hit Travis with such force it knocked him to the ground.

The gunman walked past Travis and headed towards the bride when her father stood in his path. The gunman stared her father in the eyes as he spoke softly and hatefully, "Mr. McKinney, move before I shoot you and your wife." Mr. McKinney reluctantly backed down and let the gunman near his daughter. The gunman kneeled down next to the bride and turned her over onto her back. Rachel opened her eyes to see her ex-boyfriend from two years ago staring at her. Rachel weakly tried to push the gunman away when he leaned in to kiss her.

"Rachel, please just kiss me one last time before you die. Please just give me that."

"Kiss? You just shot me Rick," Rachel responded in a weak voice. Rick shhh Rachel and told her that he did it out of love. "I couldn't bare to think of you living the rest of you life with another man. Rachel you must understand how much I love you. I love you enough to kill for you. Now if that means killing you, then I will do it."

Rachel was speechless as she listened to the words coming form Rick's mouth. She suddenly had a flashback to the day when she broke up with Rick and he threw her out of a second story window. Rachel began to cry as she realized that she would die and Rick would be the last face she ever saw. The tears began to flow from her eyes even more when she noticed that she could not see Travis near. Rachel called out to her father for questions. "Daddy, where is Travis? Where is Travis daddy?" Rachel's questions of worry for her future were only answered by silence.

"Don't worry about him. It's just me and you now," Rick replied. Rachel began to cry uncontrollably when she suddenly heard sirens in the distance. She began to smile with the hope that she might survive. Rick looked Rachel in the eyes, told her he loved her more than he could ever explain, and then shot his self in the head. Rachel screamed as Rick's blood and body fell onto her body.