Little Inklings 2025

servicewent on. His wifewas wearing his grandmother’s white dress. Danny heard the priest saying prayers, and giving blessings. He saw the rocky island standing alone in the waves of the pristine, silver sea shimmering in the dancing rays of sunshine. He saw all the guests seated on the lawn. He saw his parents sitting in the front row. Danny tried to put the thoughts from his mind. He could hear the priest say “for richer or for poorer”. He saw his wife say “for better or for worse.” She wore that ring on her finger. The one that Danny had cursed to the end of the universe, the one that made Danny feel sick. The ring that signified that day he was trying to wipe from his memory, the day that signified all the grief and pain and suffering of years before. “In sickness or in health.”He saw the beachhouse, adorned in bunting. He saw the sea again; the shimmer slowly fading to a dull glow of light reflecting off of the water. Danny left his beer on the railing. The voices haunted him as he stumbled down the path. He could still hear the voice of the priest. Danny felt the pain rising like a tidal wave, until he was swimming in pain. He saw the ocean once more; he envisioned himself swimming in it. He felt the pattern of the stroke - one-two, one-two, one- two - the heartbeat as he put his ear to her stomach. Danny kept walking along the path. He was nearing the church. He didn’t care anymore. He saw his wife again, but differently this time, much differently. He was fighting back tears now, but they came flowing down his face. “To love and to cherish.” But he was now behind the rows of people looking into the church. To his back there was the cliffside. He looked down the aisle. The pain was unbearable. He was sobbing now, but nobody seemed to notice him. He saw the groom through the door of the church. He couldn’t breathe, even with the light sea breeze blowing in his face. He saw his wife in the church doorway, her palms outstretched, the groom with his palms on hers. He watched the groomstare straight into her eyes, with themost love hewould ever give, and he said, “Till death do us part.” ***** Danny swamacross the sea, away from the rocky island standing alone in the dark, murky sea. With every breath he took looking behind him, he saw the immense waves crashing onto the jagged rocks. Danny kept swimming, straight on into the bay. He saw the sandy beach, and beside it the waves merging with the seawater pool. Danny had done this swimmany times before, but now it felt different to how it had a decade ago. His stroke went: one-two, one-two, one-two. Staggering onto the sand of the beach, Danny let out a deep sigh, looking back over his shoulder at the sun rising over the rocky island standing alone in the middle of the clear, blue sea. 39