The Corpse Maiden

Chapter 6

Jaune groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. "What happened?"

He became vaguely aware of several voices talking around him.

"Hey look he's up," one said.

Jaune felt a hand gently lift his head up.

"Are you ok?" Another voice, which Jaune recognized as the voice of the woman from the forest, asked.

The young man opened his eyes fully to find that he was lying on his back, on a table, in a tavern of some kind. Leaning over him was the undead bride to his right and a skeletal man to his left. The bride helped Jaune sit up fully.

"Man you weren't kidding," the skeletal man said, "he is still alive." He poked Jaune's left forearm, "still warm and everything."

"Alright everyone now that he's awake let's have a toast to the newlyweds," a corpse with what looked like two halves of a sword sticking out of his torso said with a raise of his mug.

"To the newlyweds!" The bar patrons cheered in unison as they all raised their glasses.

"N-newlyweds?" Jaune stammered.

The corpse bride nodded happily and held out her right hand to the confused young man.

"In the forest you said your vows to me. So perfectly I might add."

Around her third bony finger was Jaune's wedding ring, the ring he was meant to give to Pyrrha.

"Oh...I did?" He asked.

The bride nodded again.

The blonde young man held up a finger, "one second."

He walked over to a corner and began hitting his head hard against the wall, "wake up Jaune! Wake up!"

But no matter how many times he tried to force himself awake his surroundings did not change. This was no dream, it was very much real.

Realizing this, Jaune began slowly backing away from the crowd of undead, "s-stay back all of you! I-I'm warning you!!"

He grabbed one of the sword halves from the chest of the corpse who had toasted his apparent 'marriage.'

"I've got a weapon and I'm not afraid to use it! Now I have plenty of answers and I demand questions!"

The corpse man scoffed and rolled his eyes before taking the sword back from Jaune, "I think you mean you have questions and you demand answers."

He stuck the sword back into his torso.

"Right...what he said..."

Jaune then looked over at the corpse bride, "what is this place?! What's going on?! And who are you anyway?!"

The bride looked at her feet, "well....that's kind of a long story."

A light chuckle was heard and everyone turned to see a skeleton man polishing a trumpet. He put a fedora with a blue stripe around the brim onto his skull.

"And what a story it is. It's a tragic story of romance, passion, and a murder most foul."

"Flynt loves to tell this story," said the corpse with the swords in his middle.

Flynt nodded to three other skeletons standing on a makeshift stage, "hit it!"

The skeletons began drumming on their ribcages and skulls creating a strange xylophone like melody.

Hey give me a listen you corpses of cheer. At least those of you who still got an ear. I'll tell you a story that'll make a skeleton cry. Of our own jubiliciously lovely corpse bride.

He extended a hand to the bride and a spotlight fell on her. The bride gave a shy smile and wave.

Die, die we all pass away. But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay. And you might try and hide. And you might try and pray. But we all end up the remains of the day.

Flynt pulled the undead bride onto the stage.

Well our girl is a beauty known for miles around. When a mysterious stranger came into town. He's plenty good-looking, but down on his cash. And our poor little baby, she fell hard and fast. When her daddy said no, she just couldn't cope. So our lovers came up with a plan to elope.

Jaune couldn't help but notice the bride's face fall when this was mentioned.

Die, die we all pass away. But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay. And you might try and hide. And you might try and pray. But we all end up the remains of the day.

So they conjured up a plan to meet late at night. They told not a soul, kept the whole thing tight.

Flynt held the bride's arms out to show off the beautiful wedding dress she was wearing.

Now, her mother's wedding dress fit like a glove. You don't need much when you're really in love. Except for a few things, or so I'm told. Like the family jewels and a satchel of gold.

Jaune looked confused, all that for a dowry? Well the groom was low on money. Maybe this was to help him and his new wife build their life together.

Then next to the graveyard by the old oak tree. On a dark foggy night at a quarter to three. She was ready to go, but where was he?

Then bride clasped her hands to her chest and pretended to look anxiously for something.

And then?

She waited

And then?

There in the shadows, was it her man?

And then?

Her little heart beat so loud

And then?

Flynt snuck up behind the bride and pretended to stab her in the heart. The corpse bride gasped dramatically and fell to the floor.

And then baby, everything went black.

Jaune felt sick to his stomach, she had been murdered by the very man she was supposed to marry. Flynt helped the woman to her feet.

Now when she opened her eyes she was dead as dust. Her jewels were missing and her heart was bust. So she made a vow lying under that tree. That she'd wait for her true love to come set her free.

Some of the patrons pushed Jaune toward the stage where the bride extended her hand towards him.

Always waiting for someone to ask for her hand. When out of the blue comes this groovy young man. Who vows forever to be by her side. And that's the story of our own corpse bride.

Jaune felt himself be pulled onto the stage and the bride began dancing with him to the music of Flynt's band.

He was twirled in a circle and out of the corner of his eye he noticed an open door. So when he was spun around again he purposely stumbled and fell off the stage before crawling under it while everyone was distracted with the music.

Die, die we all pass away. But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay. And you might try and hide. And you might try and pray. But we all end up the remains of the day.

The tavern patrons began crowding the stage unknowingly masking Jaune's escape.

Quietly as he could he slipped out the door. It was time to get out of here.

Yeah....