AMACon 3: Oikos, a 30 day drabble challenge

Day 23: Reality

Maine was waiting inside the car. She checked her makeup for the nth time and gave herself a satisfied smile in the mirror. She brushed off non existent lint on the silky white fabric of her gown and picked up the bouquet beside her. Any minute now, she'd be exiting the car and taking her place behind the door to walk towards her future.

She went through her vows again in her head. She was worried she'd be so overcome with emotion at the altar that she'd forget everything she wrote down last night.

Someone knocked on the on the door of the car. She brought down the window a little.

"It's time." Patchy told her.

Maine opened the car door and looked up at the stairs leading from the sidewalk to the church. This is it! It's finally happening. I'm getting married to Alden Richards! Ok I have to remember to breathe and to try my best not to cry as I walk to my forever.

She fixed her gown and tightened her hold on her bouquet.

"Wait!" A male voice shouted behind her.

Maine turned around and saw a young sandy haired guy barreling towards her from the street. Oh my god! Deranged fan alert. She looked towards the church door and frantically started waving at the people there.

"Stop! Don't do this!" he cried as he ran up to her and grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing?" Maine cried wrenching her arm free.

"I'm here to make everything right!" He said grabbing her hand, "You can't do this, you can't go through with this. You don't know what your doing." The stranger pleaded with her.

"What are you saying? Who are you?" Maine looked wide eyed at the man in front of her as she inched backwards away from him.

The church doors flew open and Alden came rushing out towards them.

"You have to believe me. This isn't true. None of this is real! Come with me and leave while you still can." The guy pulled Maine towards him and cast a wary glance at Alden who was approaching them.

"You! What are you doing here? Didn't I take care of you already?" Alden yelled.

"What? What is going on?" Maine looked around confused.

"I know this is going to sound crazy but you have to believe me. The guy in front of you is not Alden. He's an impostor. They planned this whole elaborate scheme to get you." The guy tightened his hold on Maine.

"What?! You're crazy! Do you even know what you're talking about? Who are you?!" Maine struggled to remove herself from the guy's grasp."

"Believe me because, I am Alden. I am Alden Richards. He stole my identity. I'm the one you're supposed to be in love with. You only forgot. Because they made you forget." The guy suddenly let her go. "Ask him! Tell him to tell you the truth."

Maine looked bewildered and her gaze went back and forth between her supposed groom, Alden and the guy she was sure she'd never seen before, who claimed he was Alden.

Groom Alden looked at her and extended his hand out, "Does it matter who I am? The important thing is that you love me. You are in love with me. Now forget all this and let's get married."

"She is my wife! Don't take her away from me." The guy claiming he was Alden blocked the way in front of her.

Maine shrank back from both of them. This was not happening. She felt like she was trapped in some kind of twilight zone.

She put her hands to her ears and screamed.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Love!" Alden's voice came through her thoughts.

She slowly opened her eyes. She saw the face of a very concerned Alden looking down at her.

She quickly sat up, noticing she was in bed. Oh my god. It was a dream. It was just a dream. She looked down on her hand and noticed her wedding ring. She was still married. She looked over at her husband. "Alden? Love? Alden Richards?"

"Yes?" He looked at her confused.

She suddenly hugged her husband tight. "I just had a really bad dream. A nightmare actually. I dreamt that it was our wedding day but some guy I've never seen before crashed it and kept insisting he was Alden Richards and you weren't. Then you or someone who looked like you confirmed that he was right."

Alden laughed at his wife and embraced her, "Well I'm still me, Alden Richards, your husband." He pressed his lips on her forehead, "I think you've been watching too many sci-fi horror movies lately."

"Ugh! I promise no more late night weird movies before going to bed." She kissed her husband and snuggled up to him. "I'm so relieved it was all a dream and I'm still your wife, Mrs. Maine Richards."

Alden's arms slackened around her, "Who's Maine? You're Divina...Divina Richards."