Bride

by Kyle Alexander Romines

  “What must we do?” asked the man who had previously addressed the crowd.

  Lightning flashed outside the tavern, casting the hall in pale light. My moment had come at last.

  “Frankenstein must be stopped—tonight. Together, we are stronger than anything he can conjure against us. We must root out this evil and destroy it.” The crowd cheered in support of the idea, raising their fists in the air and shouting. “Go to your homes! Gather your friends! Take up torches and pitchforks! Tonight, we take justice into our own hands!”

  As the mob marched from the tavern into the sweeping winds, I lingered behind. I emerged and stared up at the specter of the lonely castle sitting under the full moon.

  I had promised Victor that I would be with him on his wedding night. It was time to make good on my word.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I had been born on such a night. My eyes fluttered open for the first time, greeted by the pale glow of lightning and fading sparks from the machines. I awoke surrounded by the storm, knowing nothing of myself. Victor had torn me from death’s embrace. Perhaps it would have been better if he had let me sleep.

  Storm clouds enveloped the moon as I approached the castle across a windy field, the trees at my back. Somewhere behind me, an army of angry villagers marched through the forest intent on the same destination. There was no stopping the events I had set into motion. My betrayal of the creature was the final test. I had passed the point of no return. Justine was gone. Only the monster remained.

  The rains fell as I neared the castle, and what began as a light drizzle soon swelled into a torrential downpour. One raindrop after another slid down my face, washing away the cosmetics that concealed my true self. I did not care. I no longer needed the disguise. I stripped off my gloves as I started up the castle steps, revealing the pale skin underneath, and cast them into the storm.

  It was brightly lit inside, draped in wedding decorations, a joyous display utterly divorced from the grim reality that existed beyond its walls. It was an illusion, much like Elizabeth’s willful ignorance of Victor’s nocturnal proclivities. Despite the occasion, a gloom hung over the halls. The servants fluttered in and out of rooms, looking downcast as they made last-minute wedding preparations for what was obviously an expedited affair. They likely knew the mood outside the castle better than the family who lived there. I had known them by name once. Now even their faces were foreign to me. I stole a skeleton key without being noticed and made my way through the castle.

  I visited Elizabeth first. Her room was located at the end of a long hall, a good distance from the rest of the family. I peered around the corner and watched as one of the maids emerged from her room, leaving the door ajar. The sound of Elizabeth singing to herself carried softly from within. I eased the door open and stepped into the room. There was no one else inside. We were alone.

  Elizabeth’s footsteps echoed in the adjoining chamber. I slid behind her closet door and watched through the shutters. Moments later Elizabeth returned, admiring herself in a full-length mirror beside her bed. Her wedding dress was stunning—almost as much as the bride who wore it. How could Victor ever prefer me to someone who looked like that?

  The creature had been right about one thing. Elizabeth had to die. She was the only thing truly holding Victor to this life. She was also the only person who refused to believe that Justine killed William. Unlike the others who had experienced my wrath, Elizabeth was innocent. She was good. Elizabeth had treated me with only kindness since the moment we met, and yet, watching her, I felt nothing but rage and envy. Justine was truly gone.

  Elizabeth’s smile faded as she looked at her reflection, a private display of doubt. My hand inched the closet door open, making a slight noise. Elizabeth glanced up, startled. I remained where I stood, silent. Elizabeth looked nervously around the room until her gaze fell on the closet. Suddenly, there came a knock at the bedroom door. Elizabeth jumped slightly and turned her attention from the closet.

  “Yes?” she asked, stepping away from the mirror. “Is someone there?”

  “It’s only me,” a voice replied, and when Elizabeth opened the door, Alphonse was standing in the doorway.

  Elizabeth brightened at once. “Uncle Alphonse!” she declared, throwing her arms around him. At first the gruff old man seemed surprised by the embrace, but after a moment he held her close.

  “You look beautiful, my child,” he said. “I wish Caroline were here to see you now. How she used to dream of this day.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “I believe Aunt Caroline intended that Victor and I should wed almost from the moment I came to live here.”

  The corners of my mouth folded into a deep scowl at the sight of the pair together. Alphonse had been like a father to me after my own passed away. Now he regarded Justine as the woman who murdered his child while Elizabeth was set to become his daughter-in-law. I couldn’t kill her now, not with him so close. It would break him.

  “I might not say it as often as I should, but I love you very dearly, Elizabeth. You are the daughter I never had. Victor hardly deserves you.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Soon I will be your daughter in name.” She pulled away from the embrace. “Has Ernest arrived yet?”

  Alphonse shook his head. “I sent a messenger into the city to find him, but he has not returned.”

  “What about Penny?” Elizabeth asked, unaware I was standing only a short space away.

  “No one has seen her.”

  A frown crept over her face. “They should have been here by now. Do you suppose something has happened in the city?” She sighed. “I can’t help feeling something terrible is about to happen.”

  Alphonse put a gentle hand on the back of her neck. “I’m sure everything is fine, my dear. These are merely wedding jitters. They will soon pass.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Alphonse,” she said, sounding relieved.

  He nodded. “I’ll be waiting for you downstairs.”

  Elizabeth kissed her uncle’s forehead and he departed the room. When Elizabeth turned her back, I slipped past her without making a sound.

  Enjoy your reprieve while it lasts, I thought. I wasn’t finished with her yet.

  Alphonse roamed the corridor like a ghost. He did not so much as glance up while I trailed behind. At last he came to his room, where he entered and left the door open. I hesitated and followed after him. The room was dimly lit, with only two candles for illumination. Alphonse stood under the mantle with a drink in his hand, staring up at a portrait of himself and his wife side by side, their hands on young Victor’s shoulders. They all looked utterly content in the picture, a reminder of better times.

  Alphonse exhaled sharply and turned away. He stopped when he saw my silhouette.

  “Who’s there?” he demanded. “Show yourself.”

  I remained in the shadows, aware my paints and powders were gone. I didn’t want him to remember my face like this.

  “I wanted to see you one last time,” I said.

  “Miss Moritz?” he muttered. “Elizabeth will be pleased you’ve come. What are you doing here?” he asked when I did not answer.

  “I didn’t kill William,” I said. “I wanted you to know.”

  “What are you saying?” he asked, confused.

  “I loved him, like he was my own brother. I loved you all.”

  Alphonse froze. The glass dropped from his hand and shattered on the floor. “Justine?” He backed away. “This isn’t happening. It isn’t possible.”

  “Ask your son,” I answered. “Everything that has happened was his doing.”

  Before he could reply, I shut and locked the door from the outside with the skeleton key I had taken from the servant. Alphonse banged loudly from the other side of the door, shouting to be let out, but I stood firm.

  “Forgive me,” I whispered.

  I found Victor in the den, waiting for the ceremony to begin. He stood facing the fireplace, his back to me, looking down at the familiar pocketwatch in his han
ds. His trim black suit seemed almost austere in comparison with Elizabeth’s wedding gown.

  Lightning flashed outside the stained-glass windows, and he turned to face me, leaving the pocket watch on the mantle.

  “I knew you would come.”

  “How serious you look,” I said. “I would have guessed you would be happier on such an occasion.”

  “I haven’t been happy in a long time.” There was a hint of regret in his face. “Do you remember the first time we danced? You had just spoken for the first time since the night you awoke. I had thought the damage your mind had suffered was too extensive, but then you spoke, and I thought for an instant something of Justine had remained.” The castle walls shook with the force of thunder outside. “I can see now I was wrong.”

  “It’s over, Victor. The villagers are on their way. They know everything.”

  The fireplace crackled behind him as harsh rains pelted the windows. Victor’s voice was soft. “This was always going to happen. I see that now.”

  “They will tear down the walls of this castle to get to you if need be. You will never be safe in Geneva again. You must leave now, while you still can.”

  “There’s nothing left for me out there,” he said, and I noticed a pistol sitting on the table beside him.

  “Is that for me?”

  He shook his head sadly. “I thought I could, but I can’t. Do what you came here to do. I deserve it.” He spread his arms, welcoming my vengeance.

  I took a step closer, and then another. “Do you think I want to kill you?” I asked. “I don’t want to be alone anymore, Victor. I am tired of carrying this pain.”

  “How did it come to this?” he asked. “When did everything go so wrong?”

  My hand inched closer to his face, when suddenly a scream rang out behind me.

  Elizabeth stood across the room in her wedding gown, flowers in her hair. Her gaze swept over me, taking in the sight of my undead skin. Terror-filled eyes traced the scars exposed by my dress. Each of us was a bride of Frankenstein in our own right, her in her white dress and I in mourning black.

  “What are you?” she stammered, clearly horrified.

  “Elizabeth,” Victor said, full of concern. “Stay back!”

  “Victor, what is this?” she asked as I turned on her.

  Victor seized my arm. “Leave her out of this. She’s done nothing to you.” I pulled free of his grasp and tossed him aside with ease. Victor landed on the carpet beside the table. I advanced toward Elizabeth, who backed into the wall, leaving her with nowhere to go.

  “She’s what’s held you back from me,” I said to Victor. “Can’t you see that?”

  Alphonse came running into the room, moving as fast as his aged legs could carry him. When he saw us, he ground to a sudden halt.

  “Stop,” I warned him. “Don’t come any closer.”

  “Please,” Elizabeth whimpered, trembling with fear as I drew nearer.

  I wrapped my fingers around her throat.

  “Don’t do this,” Victor said. When I looked at him again, he was on his knees, holding the pistol.

  “Are you going to shoot me, Victor?” I demanded. “Me?”

  The gun shook fiercely in his hands, and for a moment the only sound came from the storm raging outside. I waited, my grip steady on Elizabeth’s neck. Thunder reverberated beyond the castle walls, and Victor dropped the gun, defeated.

  “I can’t.”

  “Victor,” Elizabeth said, reaching out to him from across the room.

  I tightened my grip, lifting her from the ground, consumed by the hatred and rage I had carried for so long. Elizabeth kicked weakly against me, to no avail. Victor had taken everything from me: my life, my heart, and my humanity. All I had to do now was squeeze, and I would take it all from him.

  “Justine,” Gerhardt’s voice called, and I froze.

  Gerhardt stood behind me, standing alongside Ernest, who looked at me with complete astonishment.

  “Justine?” Elizabeth muttered, and a look of realization spread across her features.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” I told Gerhardt through clenched teeth.

  He remained where he stood. “I’m not giving up on you.”

  “Justine is gone, Gerhardt. He took her from us,” I said, nodding at Victor.

  “That doesn’t make this right. Listen to me,” he said as I held Elizabeth in the air, my gaze trained on her. “You don’t have to do this. Penny—Justine—whoever you are, it doesn’t matter. I know there is still good in your heart.”

  “It’s too late for me,” I said, tightening my grip on Elizabeth’s throat. “He made a monster.”

  Gerhardt shook his head. “We’ve all done things we regret. We all need forgiveness. It’s never too late to make the right choice.”

  I stared into Elizabeth’s pleading eyes and hesitated. My hand shook wildly. I believed I had killed Justine—pushed her down so far inside me that she would never resurface—but she was with me even now, despite everything I had done. I thought that her humanity was a weakness. I had tried not to feel anything, thinking my emotions held me back, but now at last I understood how much strength it had taken for Justine to show kindness and mercy.

  Where does it end? I wondered. Victor and the creature were locked in a never-ending cycle of hatred and revenge, with nothing but death and despair to show for it. Maybe it was time for me to make a different choice. Maybe being a monster was about something other than the way I looked or the way I had been created.

  I slowly lowered Elizabeth to the ground and relinquished my grip. She fell to the floor, clutching her throat. I expected Victor to rush to her side. Instead he looked up at me with disbelief, his eyes red.

  “Justine,” he said, his voice quivering. “It is you.”

  He started to approach me, but Gerhardt stepped forward and punched him in the face. He grabbed Victor by the collar and held him close. “You bastard,” he said, shaking with anger. Victor didn’t lift a finger in protest. Finally, Gerhardt sighed and shoved him back. “You’re not worth it.”

  “I’m sorry,” Victor said, rubbing his jaw.

  “What have you done?” Elizabeth asked, glancing from one to the other.

  Gerhardt tossed the journal at her feet. “He stitched together the monster that killed William and let Justine take the blame for it. Then he dug up her corpse and brought her to life to marry the thing. Go ahead, see for yourself.”

  Elizabeth’s gaze widened. “Victor, tell me it isn’t true.”

  All eyes fell on him. “I can explain,” he started, but one look from Alphonse was enough to silence him.

  “How could you?” the old man asked. “You let me believe Justine killed your brother, when all along it was your doing.”

  I ignored the scene, my attention set on Gerhardt. He never stopped believing in me. Our eyes met, and I started toward him. Suddenly, Gerhardt’s expression faltered. When I followed his gaze I saw that Ernest had his rifle trained at my chest.

  “What are you doing, Ernest?” Gerhardt asked.

  Ernest looked only at me. “It is true,” he muttered. “I saw you die. You shouldn’t be standing here.”

  “Put the gun away, son,” Alphonse said.

  Ernest didn’t flinch. “You killed Father Wilhelm. You murdered the villagers.”

  “You don’t understand,” I said, but he pulled back the hammer.

  “You’re an abomination. You belong in the grave.”

  “Those are Wilhelm’s words, not yours,” I said. “I know you, Ernest. It’s me—Justine. ”

  “You’re lying,” he said through clenched teeth. “This is the work of the devil.”

  Gerhardt rushed him, and the gun went off in the struggle. The bullet shattered the nearest window and wind and rain swept in. Without warning the fireplace and the candles went out, casting us in darkness.

  Ernest tore the rifle free and trained it again in my direction. Shouts rose above the thunder before he could pu
ll the trigger. The mob approached outside the window, their torches glowing through the rain. The mass was even greater than I had anticipated. They parted on two sides, and a group in the center used a log as a battering ram against the gates. The castle shuddered under their assault.

  “They’re here,” I said, alarmed. “You must leave, now.” The mob would raze the castle and everything inside to the ground.

  “They’re not going anywhere,” a familiar voice said, and a chill raced down my spine. Lightning flashed outside, revealing the haunting form of the creature standing in the shadows. Every head in the room turned toward his monstrous frame. “Now you will both endure my wrath,” he said to Victor and me, shaking the mane of wet black hair as he charged.

  Ernest swung the rifle toward the creature, who batted it aside with one blow. The creature reached for Ernest, who stood rooted to the spot in fear, but I grabbed his jacket and tugged, pulling him back. The creature’s fingers missed Ernest by inches.

  “Justine!” Gerhardt shouted, moving to help. Snarling, the creature lunged toward Gerhardt, and I leapt to meet him.

  “Go!” I shouted to Gerhardt as we struggled. “Help the others to safety! Go now!” It took all my strength to restrain the creature.

  As the others fled, Victor lingered behind for a moment longer before turning and running, leaving the two of us alone.

  The creature sneered. “You are abandoned.”

  Though clearly weakened by the wounds I had inflicted, his intense rage gave him savage strength. I could feel him overpowering me. He grabbed my forearms and swung me toward the fireplace. My head cracked the stone surface as I crashed into the wall.

  “Did you really think you could kill me so easily?” he demanded. “Now you can watch as I murder all those you care for.” He grabbed me by the neck and held me in a chokehold, whispering in my ear. “Even now, the villagers have entered the castle. Perhaps they’ll do my work for me.”

  I let out a brutal cry, and with all my strength thrust us both against the wall. The creature’s body absorbed the impact, and I stumbled free. He sprang after me, but I dove to the ground and grabbed the pistol Victor had left behind. We stared at each other in the darkness for a long moment, and suddenly the sound of footsteps approached. I looked away, and when I glanced back, he had slipped into the shadows.