Lost and Found

Chapter 44

Jo stared down the misty aisle. Flower petals littered the red carpet before her. She stepped forward, her heart pounding as the music pushed her forward. Another step. Another. Ahead of her, on the stage, was a priest and a shadowy figure. She couldn't see him yet. The waltz continued, guiding her closer and closer.

Jo struggled with the bouquet in her hands, the white roses smelled wonderful, but they were strangely heavy. She could feel her heart beat against her chest. Her palms were sweaty and her legs trembled. She couldn't tell if she was happy or scared, there was something all too familiar about this.

The priest looked down at her expectantly. Meeting his gaze, she continued up the steps, and turned to face the shadowy... groom?

"We are gathered here today, to witness and honor the joining of Miss Jo Wilson and..." he turned to the shadowed man. A light switched on from above, and Jo felt a tsunami of relief hit her when the shadow fell away to reveal Alex's soft face. "...Mr. Alex Karev," he began.

Alex's gaze was unflappable, certain, and full of love. She licked her lips nervously. See, the thing was... "Ow!" She felt a sharp pinch on her finger and pulled her hand up to see. A thorn had pricked her finger. The small red droplet ran down her finger and fell onto the pure white roses she held in her other hand. As it touched one petal, it wilted, turning brown and then black as it it spread to the other flowers in the bouquet. "What?" Jo looked to Alex, but he wasn't there anymore. In his place was someone who terrified her.

Paul.

"No!" she dropped the bouquet.

"You can't marry him, Brooke," he said, his voice low and grave. "You're married to me."

"No," she shook her head. "No!"

Paul laughed. His face morphed and distorted, becoming something she could only recognize as evil, monstrous. Then the ground shook, and they both stumbled. Paul grabbed her, and she tried to get away, but the ceiling was falling in on them. "Let me go! Let me go! Paul, please..." she squirmed, but his grip was tight. She couldn't move. Debris fell around them. Something hit her from above. She looked up and saw light.

"Jo." Alex's voice called, faint and far away. "Jo!"

"Alex," she felt physically and emotionally crushed as things kept landing on her. "Ale..."

"-lex," Jo breathed. "Al...lex" she called between breaths as her eyelids fluttered. What happened? Something pinched under her nose. Her body felt sore and stiff, as if she hadn't moved in a long time. And her abdomen felt like someone had reached inside and squished everything just for the hell of it.

Her finger. She tried to lift her hand to look at it, but it was heavy. Something warm and solid wrapped around it. She stared for a moment, her blurry vision and muddled mind unable to process anything.

"Jo."

There it was again. Alex's voice. Calling her. But it wasn't far away anymore. It was there. It was right beside her. "Alex," she rasped, trying again to wake up.

"Jo, I'm here. I'm right here... I love you and I'm not going anywhere."

She thought maybe she saw him, but her eyelids struggled to remain open. Her thoughts were clouded. She felt a vague fear, like maybe a monster was hiding under the bed. But monsters weren't real, were they?

Her world dimmed and went black against her will. She slept. Jo dreamed again. Of earthquakes and roses, of monsters and wedding rings. "Alex." she snapped awake.

"Jo," he said. Again so certain and calm. Like everything was going to be alright. But it wasn't. She stared into those warm brown pools of calm. "Jo," his hand brushed stray locks out of her eyes. "It's okay. You're okay."