I recently did a course with FutureLearn called Start Writing Fiction with The Open University. On the course we were required to write three assignments. This was my second one. At the time it wasn’t titled but I did have a title in my head for it and that title was Secrets Of The Past. I hope you all like it.
Jackson sat on his sofa watching the time ticking by on the grandfather clock in front of him. When he had purchased that clock from a junk sale a few years back he never knew it would be such a significant detail in such a huge storm playing out in his mind. At 2pm today he was getting married to Troy and yet he didn’t know how he was going to say those vows truthfully when he had lied to him throughout their entire relationship. Or kept things back as he preferred to think. The clock ticked past 10 minutes to 1 and Jackson stood up. He looked at himself in his sophisticated black wedding suit in the mirror and sighed. He knew he couldn’t keep back the sin of his youth forever. Troy deserved to know exactly who he was marrying so he phoned him and asked him to come over.
When Troy arrived Jackson thought he looked so handsome in his understated black wedding suit.
“It’s lucky I don’t believe in all that seeing each other is bad luck before the wedding.”, Troy smiled,
“What is it babe?”
“Sit down for a minute please.”
“You sound serious. Are you having second thoughts?”, Troy replied but he sat down.
Jackson sat next to him and took his hand in his.
“When I was 16 …”
“Wait a second, you brought me over to discuss something that happened eleven years ago …”
“It’s important … I was dating this guy Craig. And we were out drinking one night and Craig had stolen his older brother’s car.”
“Ok.”
“But then we were in the car and suddenly we heard like a bump and when Craig got out there was a guy lying there in the middle of the road. He must have been around our age now. He was dead.”
“And you both went to the police?”, Troy asked hopefully.
“No … no, we just … we just drove off.”
He felt Troy pull his hand free.
“I was scared Troy.”
Troy got up and paced the floor a few times.
“I need to get out of here.”
Jackson grabbed hold of his arm.
“Please, I love you.”
Troy pulled his arm loose and rushed out.
Jackson stood looking out to their loved ones. He knew he had to announce that the wedding was off. Troy clearly hadn’t did so. As he began to speak, Troy walked in and joined him at the top of the aisle taking Jackson’s hand in his.
“You changed your mind?”
“I needed time to think.”
“And what did you come up with?”
“That that’s your past and us, that’s your future.”
Jackson smiled and rubbed the top of Troy’s hand lovingly as their wedding ceremony began.
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