Prologue

The voice of the town crier pierced the silence that hung about the town. "LORD BARKIS BITTERN BITES THE DU-UST! THE DEAD RETURN TO THEIR GRA-AVES!" he shouted. Little heads poked up from beneath the coverlets. Mothers and fathers peered cautiously out their windows to see if his words were true.

And they were.

The streets were once again empty, grey and empty, dim. Doors slowly creaked open to reveal anxious faces and men in their nightcaps wielding guns and swords. Their own shadows terrified them. That was to be expected, however; how else would one react to the bedlam that had broken loose not three hours beforehand, when the corpses had roamed over the streets in a ghastly procession towards the church? They could only imagine what had become of Pastor Galswells!

(Now, 'pastor' really wasn't a proper title for him, considering he was Anglican, but along with the Industrial Revolution had come a sudden surge of inside immigration and while the city remained almost entirely Anglican, a small few of the citizens, including the fish sellers, the Van Dorts, had converted to the ways of Calvin and Luther, or brought with them their Catholic roots. The staunchest of the Anglicans were totally opposed to this religious intrusion and continued to call the man Father Galswells despite the majority's playfully mocking renaming of him. This is unimportant, of course, or at least it is now, but it is an interesting tidbit to know.)

Pastor Galswells was unharmed physically, but emotionally? Well, of course the poor man was quite a wreck. It's not everyday that one is told to keep quiet by an animated skeleton! He was the first to wander into town, clutching his shepherd-like crook and wearing his nightie, muttering prayers and Hail Mary's. At the center of the town, beside the large, iron statue that marked the place, Pastor Galswells yelled from the cobblestones, "Lord save us all!", and then fainted. It wasn't long until he was taken in by a late middle-aged couple of considerable wealth.

The others who had witnessed the almost marriage between Victor Van Dort and the corpse bride, Emily, had fled the moment violence broke out. They too were on their way home, shaken by the experience. None knew of Lord Barkis' fate until they caught the latest headline on the wind. Lord Barkis Bittern bites the dust? Surely the dead had murdered him! But then again, would they? Had they not attended the wedding so that they could spend a little more time with their deceased loved ones? Grandfathers and lovers weren't capable of such malicious behavior! No, some other force must have ended Lord Barkis' life.

Victor Van Dort.

It made sense, after all. The young man had turned his wedding rehearsal into disaster! Hadn't they heard tell that he'd caught Maudeline Everglot's dress on fire? An arsonist! A liar! He'd faked his death, hadn't he? An adulterer! Marrying another woman despite his engagement to Victoria! And now he was a murderer, a filthy, stinking murderer. Some held their heads higher, convinced that he would burn in hell for what he'd done. Some prayed for his immortal soul. Together the group arrived in town. All were filled with false assumptions.

Hildegarde, Victoria's maid, was the only one who'd not retreated from the church when Lord Barkis arrived. While all the others had jumped from their pews the moment steel began clashing, Hildegarde had sat very still. She'd watched the entire scene from her lonesome spot at the back of the church, beside the unlit, red offering candles. The shadows were deep there. Still she sat, still bewildered by the spectacle which had played across her eyes. The corpse girl! She'd vanished! Or rather turned into a thousand tiny butterflies! Such a trick Hildegarde had never seen, and truth be told, it would be a new sight for anyone to see. Emily was free. She'd gone to heaven.

It was a long while before anyone spoke.

"Victor," Victoria whispered, nuzzling her head into her love's neck.

"Victoria," Victor whispered.

They were together at last and only Victor, Victoria, and Hildegarde knew it.

But sadly, all good things must come to an end.