"Oh shit!" the man called out, getting to that point himself. Then, he slowly pulled out of her and rolled over on his back, panting. Clarke lay down next to him at the edge of the bed, covering up with the sheet.
Sex has been the best stress relief for Clarke as it gave her a sense of empowerment over the feeling of self-worthlessness instilled by her mother. Her mother has never proud of Clarke and whatever she does has never ever been good enough.
***
Clarke walked down the aisle with flower petals at her feet. She looked down, trying not to trip on her long gown in her high white heels. It was easier said than done, but she tried her very best not to wobble or lose her balance. Everything about her wedding day was perfect. The chairs were all white and decorated with yellow and orange flowers, and every single person had walked down the aisle to the music at just the right pace. The whole thing was evenly spaced. But as she got to the end, she realized the man standing there was completely faceless. She couldn't tell if he was excited to see her or if he was about to object to their union.
But she shook it off and finished the walk, standing there facing the unknown man. She could feel the perfect even smile on her face as she looked at the hole where his face should be. The preacher stepped up and asked who gave her away to the man. She waited patiently, but no one stood up for her.
The preacher leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Where's your father, dear?" The old man smelled strongly of earwax, but his voice was sweet. It was what he asked that made a fear come over her like never before.
"I don't have one," she admitted, looking around, feeling the heat of embarrassment on her face. "He left when I was a baby." She wasn't sure why she said that out loud, but maybe it would make her look less at fault for not having anyone to give her away.
"Surely you have a mother then, dear. I'm sure she could do the job just fine," the man said, looking around as if her mother would just appear and make it all better. But if Clarke knew anything, she knew her mother would only make things worse.
"No, please, there must be another way," Clarke begged, looking apologetically at the crowd. "Can't I just give myself away?" And then Clarke saw her and froze. She would give up anything not to deal with her. Mrs. Bennett was so angry she had begun morphing into a half dragon, half human creature of some kind, and fire was spewing from her nostrils. That was the moment Clarke knew it was dream, but it didn't make it any less terrifying as the woman stomped towards her.