The church was nearly empty, the pews echoing with a strange stillness, but some snaked their way in as the ceremony began. The two brides stood side by side, their forms glowing faintly beneath the dim lights, exchanging vows that sounded like fragments of ancient knowledge and distant galaxies. Rich flipped through his notes, then gave up entirely and spoke from instinct, his voice bouncing awkwardly off the stained glass. There was something solemn about it, even if he felt he had reached the end.
When it came time to make it official, Rich sighed heavily, his patience worn thin by the surreal weight of it all. “Well… congrats,” he said, almost in a huff, raising his hand in a gesture that was part blessing, part surrender. The two sexy aliens smiled as more lizards gathered. The aliens clasped hands, their union sealed in a way that seemed far beyond anything the old church walls could contain.
Rich stood there for a moment after they left, staring at the door as it slowly creaked shut behind them. Something in him shifted, like a final page turning. Without another word, he walked to the front of the church, turned off the lights, and locked the doors. As the echo of the latch settled into silence, Reverend Rich Cornstarch muttered to himself, “That’s it. This is the end,” and stepped out into the quiet streets of Brewington, leaving St. Ray’s behind him. The doors closed forever.
Some believe Rich Cornstarch retreated to the Morrison Hotel after that to live like a monk in quiet prayer and contemplation. Rich listens to "The End" by The Doors every night before bed.
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