The Never-Ending Wedding

When Samantha and Ryan discovered the ideal location for their wedding—a remote, historic mansion in the countryside—they were overjoyed. It featured a stunning ballroom with tall windows overlooking the valley, expansive gardens, and magnificent chandeliers. It fulfilled a dream.

They were given a tour by the caretaker, Mrs. Holloway, an elderly woman. "You two are courageous," she uttered, her tone bearing an odd burden.

Ryan laughed. How come you say that?

Mrs. Holloway was hesitant to respond. Numerous couples have attempted to get married here. However, some claim that the mansion dislikes letting them leave.

Samantha chuckled uneasily. "Well, the exception will be us."

The superstition was dismissed by the couple. When the wedding day finally came, the location was stunning. The soft melody of a string quartet and the aroma of roses filled the air as their friends and family gathered. Everything felt ideal as Samantha approached Ryan down the aisle.

Then the lights began to flicker.

There was silence in the room. Above, the chandelier wobbled a little. Samantha felt a sudden chill that made her breath catch. However, she ignored it and concentrated on Ryan's kind grin.

They made vows to each other. They were pronounced husband and wife by the officiant. The ballroom soon came alive with celebration as the guests cheered and the music started up again.

Samantha excused herself to freshen up as the evening went on. Her heels clicked on the polished floor as she moved through the mansion's dimly lit halls. She turned a corner and saw a woman standing at the end of the hall with a lace veil covering her face and wearing an antique wedding gown.

Samantha stopped. She forced a laugh as she said, "Oh, are you one of the reenactors?"

The woman remained silent. Rather, she slightly raised her head. There was only a wide emptiness of darkness beneath the veil, no face.

Samantha let out a cry and staggered back. However, the corridor was deserted when she turned to look again.

She found Ryan as she hurried back to the ballroom, shaking. "There's a problem," she muttered urgently.

Ryan scowled. "What do you mean?"

"I noticed something. Someone. She pivoted, looking around the throng. "A lady wearing a wedding gown."

Ryan laughed. "Half of the guests are dressed up tonight, darling."

"No, this was not like that. She—she was faceless.

Ryan's face darkened, but the music abruptly ended before he could react.

The visitors muttered in perplexity. Above them, the chandelier flickered violently before going out completely, leaving the room in complete darkness.

The voices then began to speak.

Soft murmurs that overlapped and grew louder. They were surrounded by incomprehensible words from all sides.

Samantha took hold of Ryan's hand. "We must depart. Right now.

The murmurs became hollow, icy laughter that reverberated throughout the ballroom.

The lights then came back on with a flicker. As though they were not there at all, the guests stood motionless, their faces expressionless, their eyes fixed on Samantha and Ryan.

Ryan gave her hand a squeeze. "There's a problem," he muttered.

The doors to the exit were gone when they turned toward it. They were replaced by a tall mirror that reflected the ballroom, but the guests in the mirror were rotten, their wedding gowns frayed and discolored by time.

And the bride without a face was standing behind them.

The murmurs came back together to form the words, "The wedding never ends."

The bride, who had no face, stepped forward and reached out with skeletal hands as Samantha screamed. Ryan dragged her to a side door after pulling her away. They fell into the darkness as he pushed it open.

They were outside when they woke up, the mansion behind them eerily quiet. However, there was a problem.

Their wedding attire was discolored and old. The sky was a strange gray, and the trees surrounding them were overgrown. On the ground close to the mansion's entrance was a newspaper. Ryan's hands were shaking as he picked it up.

It said 1924.

The headline, "Mansion Closed After Couple Goes Missing on Wedding Night," appears beneath it.

As realization dawned in their eyes, Samantha and Ryan exchanged glances.

They had never been gone.