The red petal fell gracefully to the ground from the dying rose. The petal was picked up and put into a box by a young girl, along with bits of the stem and many other petals. The girl had tried drying the rose, but it hadn’t worked. So whenever a petal fell, she saved it in the box, to remember the grand occasion.

It had been a week ago, her older sister had gotten married, and the young girl had been the one and only bridesmaid. They looked so happy, the bride and the groom, standing there at the alter. You could tell they really did want to spend the rest of their lives together, and they did. Their wedding was a success, not a single thing was out of place, not one complication, nothing was amiss. The service passed, the vows were exchanged, the rings were given, their lips were kissed and they were married. The after party went perfectly, the food was fantastic, the drinks were amazing, the gifts were given and they were happy. The bridesmaid gave her sister a vase, painted with flowers and vines. The bride gave her sister a rose, a single white rose, from her bouquet. Hugs were given, kisses were received and laughs were too soon to be forgotten.

Finally, late at night, a limousine came to take the newlyweds away to their new home. They were going to start, and end the rest of their lives together. For the rest of their lives they never left each other’s sides.

The party ended and the bride’s family was the last to leave. They saw to the cleaning up and other trifle matters. At last, the girl got into the car with her mother and father and drove away from the party. As they got unto the highway, there was traffic, which was strange, for it was so late at night. As the bride’s family’s car inched forward, they began to see the sights of an accident. A white car, no, a white limousine lay flipped in the ditch. The father puller over and the whole family ran out of car, past the danger tape and ignoring the policemen that surrounded the area. But they all stopped when they saw the bodies pulled out of the wreck. It was the bride and the groom, their necks were broken, their blood was spilt, there was no need for the ambulance. At the horrific sight, the bridesmaid dropped her sister’s present. The white rose fell gracefully to the ground, and landed in the pool of blood. As she knelt to pick up the now red rose, she looked into her sister’s face. She looked happy, she hadn’t known what had just happened, she was blissfully ignorant. Also embedded in her hand, was a sharp bit of pottery, the sister pulled it out and a little blood fell from the deep cut. The bit of china had a few small flowers and a vine painted on it, the bride must have been holding her sister’s vase when she died.

The minister said they would part in death, but they hadn’t. The father was yelling, the mother was sobbing and the girl was in shock, the bride was gone forever. Their wedding had been too beautiful to have not attracted destruction...

A tear rolled down the girl’s cheek as she picked up the last once white rose petal and the bit of pottery and place them in the box. She picked up the box and shut it. She brought it to her sister’s new home, she hadn’t been buried yet, she was still lying in the open casket with her groom. The girl picked up her sister’s limp, cool arms, and placed the box of petals and pottery on her chest. She crossed her sister’s arms again and touched her sister’s cold, clammy cheek. Another tear rolled down the sister’s cheek and hit the now still bride’s eye. The bride still smiled, but she now had a tear in her eye.

Later that day the couple would be moved underground, under a tree, under a stone that read;

“Dearly beloveds & Dearly loved

Son and Daughter

Brother & Sister

Husband and Wife

Death could not part you

Nothing ever will.”