The Bayou Bride

October 29th, 1859 Louisiana: The Devereaux Plantation

A fall wedding is what 15-year old Lucinda Devereaux has always wanted. She will be married to the man of her dreams, 20-year old Charles Parley. The wedding is in two days but it felt like an eternity to her. Their wedding will be at the plantation right beside the bayou. Magnolias floating around and a beautiful white dress that was fit for the occasion. Everything was perfect except...She felt a chill...all day.

October 30th

Lucinda was filled with happiness, but the chill within her that morning was intense. She did not know what this meant. So she spoke to one of the few people that will understand her: Mary Devereaux, Devereaux's slave. She was an old woman and while many of the slaves knew she believed and practiced voodoo, the only person in the Devereaux family that knew she partook into this was Lucinda.

“What is wrong Lucinda?” said Mary.

“I...I felt a chill yesterday and I have been feeling it all of this morning. Something is not right.” said Lucinda.

“Hmmm.”

“What?”

“Let me see what is going on here”.

Mary grabbed Lucinda’s hand and got her mirror. She cleaned the mirror before having Lucinda touch in order to make sure she didn’t see any other visions.

“Now baby, put your hand on the mirror. Press hard and do not take it off until you reach 15 seconds”

“Why 15?”

“I go by the age of the person”

Lucinda was worried. She was shaking. Hoping that it was nothing, but she could not stop. She needed to know what was going on. Finally, she pushed her hand onto the mirror and took it off after 15 seconds. Mary grabbed the mirror and began looking at the prints. She did not look worried at first, but after the 15 seconds, her eyes got big. Very big.

“Oh no…”

“Mary, what’s wrong?”

“Oh baby, I am so sorry!”

“Mary, tell me!”

“It is done...the tragedy is in motion”

“Mary! Tell me now!”

“I can’t tell you...but...go to bed”

“But…”

“Go...to...bed…”

Lucinda walked away angry, yet worried. Mary would not, nor could not tell. She was suspicious. Lucinda was walking to her room when she heard a noise. She opened the door and...It was Charles...in bed with Lucinda’s sister! 18 year old Olivia Devereaux. The three were in shock. Lucinda screamed. Charles chased after her. Olivia cried. The whole plantation was in an uproar.

“Charles, how could you?!”

“I am sorry Lucinda!”

“We are supposed to be married tomorrow!”

“Lucinda...I don’t want to get married...to you.”

“What?!”

“I am sorry Lucinda, I care for you but I love Olivia. We are to marry tomorrow”

Lucinda seen red. She ran away in tears. She eventually stopped and fell by the bayou. She felt a hand on her. It was Mary.

“I am so sorry baby” said Mary.

“He is marrying Olivia tomorrow. On my wedding day. I…”

Lucinda cried and could not even speak. That is when Mary jumped in.

“You have until tomorrow to take care of things.”

“Like what?”

“Revenge.”

Lucinda was not one who would partake in revenge, but it all changed that night. Mary had a plan. It was sinister.

“If you agree to this plan, you will have to...take your own life.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, it will work, but you will have to die.”

“Okay”

Lucinda shook Mary’s hand. The plan was in motion. As Lucinda walked slowly to the plantation, Mary cried. It will be done. Lucinda walked into her room. Olivia was looking at the wedding dress. Lucinda snuck in and took the wedding dress. Lucinda put on the wedding dress and did her makeup. Tears were flowing down her face. Her mascara was running. She walked down the whole house in her dress. Humming the wedding song. Her voice was loud. It was then she saw Olivia in bed.

“Lucinda, what are you doing?”

Lucinda did not speak; She was singing.

“Hear comes the bride…”

“Lucinda?”

Lucinda got her knife and took it to Olivia. Screams came out of her

“All dressed in white!”

Blood splashed onto Lucinda’s dress. Olivia screamed in agony.

“Lucinda...I’m... sorry! Forgive Me.”

“I...Do” said Lucinda.

October 31st

Lucinda still had the bloody dress on. She had a glass of whiskey. Everyone looked and saw Lucinda and became frantic. Charles saw Lucinda.

“Lucinda, what did you do.”

“Have a drink Charles.”

“Lucinda…”

“Have this drink!”

Charles had a drink of whiskey. He began shaking.

“Good.”

“What happened”

Lucinda gave a sinister smile. With her quiet tone, she finally spoke.

“Here comes the bride…”

Lucinda walked up the stairs. Chales slowly followed. Everyone panicked.

“All dressed in white…”

Charles blacked out. He saw the lifeless Olivia. He briefly tuned out Lucinda.

“Marching to thee sweet love united for eternity!”

Charles looked at Lucinda.

“How could you?”

“I never could; but you made me”

“You won’t get away with this”

“I’m not away. I am here. As are you...for eternity”

“What are you talking about?”

“That drink you just finished? It had some of Olivia’s blood in it, as well as mine. I cursed you with Olivia’s last emotion: fear, my last emotion: disturbed, and yours:loneliness.”

“You are insane! Help somebody! Help.”

“You will live on for eternity, but you will be lonely for the rest of your life. Nothing you do will stop this, you are forever here!”

“Lucinda!”

Lucinda walked and hummed the wedding song. She marched down the stairs, while everyone frantically came upstairs dealing with the tragedy. Lucinda looked over at Mary. Mary looked back at her. Lucinda walked into the Bayou in her wedding dress and sang the song as she drowned herself.

Present Day

On October 31 since that infamous day, Lucinda comes up and walks around the house and through the garden. Singing the song. Many people from all over the world have traveled, hoping to see the distraught “bride”. It is said that Lucinda does not want weddings on the plantation on October 31st because that is when she is to show up. Weddings can happen on the plantation however. If someone were, and few have, to have a wedding, she caused chaos. It was reported that when a couple did have a wedding on October 31st, she killed the bride and cause the groom to fall to his death. Some have seen her crawl out of the bayou singing the wedding song. Some have seen her hold a bloody knife within the bouquet. Some have even seen her sister asking for her wedding dress.

Charles to this day “lives” on the plantation. Forever he is stuck there. When he sees marriages happen, it is a lifetime reminder that he will never find love and will forever be stuck to where loved and lost forever.

Here comes the bride!