A Strange Woman

[TheFeatheredÆtheling]

(The following is a short story based upon a dream I had last year.)


"A Strange Woman"


During the liesurely, intoxicating escape of a vacation, a man is most susceptable to all manner of folly.

One day during a particularly lively vacation, I met an exceptionally mysterious and enchanting woman. She had skin as white and smooth as the finest porcelain and dark, velvety hair that came down to her shoulders. Her figure was flawless - every feature being remarkable comely. Her voice also was passionate and inviting, though I honestly had no interest in what she said. Her every aspect seemed to draw me into her world. It was evident by her manner that she was not a virtuous or good woman, but I allowed myself to be bewitched by her ethereal charms. After a brief evening of trite conversation which had not enough substance to relate here, we went to a hotel and engaged ourselves in passionate sport for the night. Little did we know that our amorous engagement had not gone unnoticed... for nothing truly goes unnoticed.

I awoke the next morning in the arms of this strange woman. Looking into her seductive, green eyes and feeling the warm, pleasant sensation of her perfect form against mine, I thought to myself that I might surrender all I knew and loved in order to keep such pleasure.

I might have remained with this woman in bed all day, but I remembered that I was to meet my father and mother at the bar downstairs at eleven o'clock. My companion and I had only fifteen minutes to make ourselves presentable, and I made sure that her exit from my room was undetected by my father and mother. Upon meeting them in the bar at the appointed time, I introduced the woman as a new acquaintance, but the formality of this introduction was slightly unsettling to me. After a brief discourse, my parents informed me of a wedding that was scheduled presently and insisted that I go thither with my friend. I immediately acquiessed (in that peculiar manner of one bearing a guilty concience), and the four of us departed for the event.

The wedding ceremony was being held in a small chapel with lofty, white walls, dark wooden pews, and a simple but handsome valted ceiling. All of my dearest relatives were present at this occasion, and every one of them greeted my lovely friend and me warmly. I took a seat with her in the rear, right side of the room amid the sound of pleasant conversation. While sitting next to my beautiful companion, I noticed her sensual and graceful form (for clothing could not hide her splendour), and my thoughts wandered back to our scandalous encounter. My mind impregnated by thoughts of lust, I was suddenly stirred from my fantasies by the minister's voice calling for the bride and groom to come forward to the lecturn. To my astonishment, someone took my hand and began to lead me up toward the altar. "Am I to be a part of this ceremony?" I thought to myself with trepidation. I noticed that my lovely friend, in like fashion, was escorted toward the altar. My companion and I stepped onto the stage, but no one followed us. Alone with the minister we stood; smiling faces beamed all around, and the sound of congratulations filled the air. A feeling of terrror siezed my mind, and I broke away and rushed toward my parents, who were obviously the organizers of this event. A momentary hush swept through the room at my unnatural break from this bizarre ceremony, and whispering and laughter commenced throughout the audience. A voice exclaimed, "running away already?", and other such jocular taunts sounded as I approached my father and mother. "What the hell is going on!" I growled with suppressed desperation. "Why", my father said, "you are to be married today, congratulations, Son!" "What?!" I replied in disbelief, trying to maintain my composure. "I didn't ask this woman to be my wife!" I sneered, "I don't even really know her!" "Last night," retorted my mother, "you committed fornication with her at the hotel. Therefore, according to all that is good and true, you are obliged to marry her." A blank, stony expression formed over my face, and after a long pause, I replied, "very well." I finally realized that I had been entrapped by my own lecherous sin, but before I returned to the altar, I awoke.