"If anyone here has a reason why these two should not be joined together in holy martimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.."

    The man in the back stood up. He saw a wash of masked horror come over the deeply lined face of the old southern baptist minister. He heard the rustle of people in the pews near him as they turned to look. But he said nothing. He turned and walked out the oversized double doors that led into the church foyer. A silent sigh of relief issued from the remaining congregation. As he left he heard "Then by the power vested in me by God and the state of Nor.." and then the doors clicked together and all was silent.

    His shoes issued a muted and echoed clacking noise as he crossed the tile floor of the foyer. He ignored the tables decked in white and the stares of the people filling the punch bowls. He had been invited out of pure courtesy, he knew that. He fully expected the looks of surprise he had gotten when he arrived. But he had to come, it was his way of saying goodbye.

    He drove back to his downtown hotel in silence. He had the nicest room in town, all the way up on the 23rd floor. He had personally requested it. He didn't return the rehearsed salutations of the bellboy running the elevator and instead grunted his room number. He got off the elevator and walked down the plush carpet of the hall to his room. He slid his keycard through the lock and went in, leaving the lights off. He retrieved the small complimentary bottle of vodka from the minifridge and walked out on the balcony. He drank it down in two swills and stood outside for a long time. It eventually got dark. He watched the lights come on in other buildings and the cars down below on the boulevard turning on their headlights. He knew it was time. He pulled himself onto the metal railing and stood up, the wind blowing his hair into his face. He took one last look over his shoulder and whispered something softly to himself. Then he stepped off the railing into nothing.