Narcissus

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Super short chapter. Proofread this whilst drunk so take it with a pinch of salt :)

-

There was a soft glow inside the Church as we stood still, a chorus of voices humming the same old tune. But my eyes were not on the plain walls of the Church, nor on the elderly man that spewed from his bible, and it was not on my young Fiancee that stood beside me. It was on the woman standing two rows diagonal to me, with high, arched cheekbones and a strong, stoic look on her face. She turned to me momentarily and smiled softly. It reminded me briefly of a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald, 'It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced - or seemed to face - the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favour. It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression that, at your best, you hoped to convey' I was the Nick Carraway to her Jay Gatsby, in all my awe and wonder. Elise Elderflower held a quality of otherworldliness that many wished to emulate. She had the archaic features of a queen, with her tall frame and golden hair, complimenting those secret-keeping eyes and skin white as snow. I could have carried on my description of her for hours, but it was then that a hum of conversation broke my reverie. The service was over, and the very woman I was thinking about was heading for me adopting a slow, sultry stride bursting with confidence; a confidence that you could only be born with, "Elizabeth! I must speak with you straight away!" She announced dramatically, "It's a matter of extreme importance!"

"Oh, gosh, right, yeah. I won't be a moment, dear." kissing Marcus briefly on the cheek, I allowed myself to be led away by a gentle hand on my waist until we stood at the back of the church, mostly concealed by a large wooden cross.

"How are you?" Elise asked gently, her face breaking out into a radiant, charming smile, sweeping me off of my feet. It was not something I was quite yet used to - seeing her smile. But it had quickly become my favourite thing. The slim white dress she wore stood out amongst a background of grey stones as my breathing increased erratically and I found myself seeing double as I panicked.

"What's wrong? What did I do!? Why did you call me over here?" I heaved.

"Oh, you haven't done anything wrong, darling," she waved me off flippantly, her term of endearment enough to send me into a spell of dizziness, "You just seemed rather bored by your lovely... man, Fiancee, whatever, so I thought I might rescue you,"

"Oh, thank god!" I wheezed.

"Yes, well, you're welcome," she sniffed, "Whatever he is, I really don't know how you stand him,"

"No, I mean thank god I hadn't done anything wrong," a laugh slipped out, "You terrified me,"

"Ah," she cocked her head and stepped forward, resting a slender, muscular arm on the body of the cross, "I've been told I have that effect on people."

A slow, erratic exhale escaped my lips, and I took a moment to breathe, "Elise..."

"I love it when you say my name."

"And I, you," I sighed, realising she wasn't going to listen to me.

"Better than Bethie," she smirked, glancing down at her nails in a display of simple arrogance.

"Elise," I sighed, but no more words came out. I mean, she wasn't wrong.

"How has your day been?" Questioned the older woman, feigning to change the subject.

"Same old, same old." I shrugged. Then silence descended. I took the opportunity to zone out and just observe her for a moment. It briefly flashed across my brain that I was truly the luckiest person just to exist in her presence. The thought of dying and spending the rest of my life floating before her, just watching how she drifted around with the grace of a ribbon in a soft wind crossed my mind. Oh, how I wished I could just never leave this moment. Stay with the golden sun upon my back through the stained glass windows and her soft eyes gazing at me with a tenderness I almost didn't recognise. I hadn't seen that look in a long time. A small, soft, earnest hand slipped into mine as Elise and I strolled out of the church. Glancing down, Isla's large, crystal eyes stared back up at me with an innocence I truly envied.