He held his back against the door. 

He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to go out there. Out there is where the millions of staring eyeballs are. The eyeballs will stare and judge him for his crimes against the world. He didn’t want to do this.

He forced himself to look up and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, but it was wrong and distorted. His reflection was well-dressed, with tired but contented eyes and a smile too wide plastered on its face.

That wasn’t him. That couldn’t be him.

He was terrified.

He felt much more like a rat caught in a trap with a feral feline towering over him. And that claw keeps inching closer and closer and closer…

He was hyperventilating. His lungs tightened. His heart felt as if it were about to give out.

He looked down at his hands. 

They were thin and his fingers were slightly longer than he swore they used to be. He remembered a long time ago where he’d fumble with elevator buttons or would sometimes cut his fingers when cooking… Those memories feel like they happened a lifetime ago.

No, he told himself. These hands, this body I’m in, must belong to someone else.

Was this it? Was he changing? Was someone doing this to him? Is this some twisted prank?

Suddenly, there was loud knocking from the door behind him.

He gasped and held his breath, making himself as quiet as he could possibly make himself.

A muffled voice called, “Hello? The uh… The bride is waiting for you.”

He didn’t answer them. He didn’t want to go out there. What if something horrible happened out there? What if he screwed up? Or maybe it’s a trap! A trap she set to keep him like this forever!

“Are you… gonna come out? Any day now?”

Against his better judgement, he found himself opening the door.

On the other side, he saw a being with bright, blue eyes. It smiled.

“Oh, hey! You- You actually came!”

He remained silent, staring down at them. He couldn’t speak. He can’t.

He could only manage to step down the aisle. Step by agonizing step.

She was there, smiling. She didn’t have her glasses on. He made his way to her side. It was where he… supposed he belonged.

Someone began speaking, but he couldn’t make out the words.

He was still terrified. The moment this was over, he was all hers.

But didn’t he want this? Didn’t he want to not be himself anymore?

He didn’t know.

He couldn’t know.

“... I do,” He heard himself saying.

She smiled.