Bridesmaid by Charlotte Murray (Lucent Dreaming Issue 9)

I think I was more excited than the bride.
Never had I felt silk against my pasty skin,
tightened at the waist in imitation of the
woman I might become. Shop thrummed
with words I’d never heard before – ivory,
cinched, floral, embroidered – but all
tasted of marshmallow.

And the shoes! Pointy and fine, silver
spangled, how I imagined Cinderella’s
slippers might be. Never had I thought of myself
as a princess before. I twirled with the bride
as she sipped champagne, and my mother
pursed her lips and said I’d have to be careful
not to trip. We would arrive

in a cart drawn by two snow white horses –
like the fairy godmother! I exclaimed –
and the bride giggled. Rustic, said my
mother. One night I heard them in the
kitchen late one night when I should have
been sleeping, screaming some other words
I’d never heard before.

After that there was no more talk of silk
or sequins, and on the day we arrived
by car – late – and I wore a scratchy
department store dress, a size too small.
No one cared if I stumbled. I slouched at the back
as confetti settled on my bare shoulder,
cold as snow.

Buy issue 9 today.

Lucent Dreaming is an independent creative writing magazine publishing beautiful, imaginative and surreal short stories, poetry and artwork from emerging authors and artists worldwide. Subscribe to Lucent Dreaming now, support us on Patreon and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Charlotte grew up in West Yorkshire and has a degree in English and Sociology from the University of Leeds. She currently lives in Liverpool and works as a Project Archivist in a museum. She has been published in the Mancunian Ways anthology (Fly on the Wall Press), was shortlisted in the Lord Whisky Animal Sanctuary Competition 2020, and had two poems shortlisted and one longlisted in the Hive Young Writers’ Competition 2020.
@charlouwriter | @walking.with.words