The Dead Groom's Bride

The strange nameless man

Ling Ling waited to wake up. Any time now, she murmured to herself but nothing happened, she remained trapped in her dream without any promise of waking up soon.

Again, she began to panic chasing the fog through the halls until it thinned and she can see everything solid.

Ling Ling became one of those lost spirit who got ripped away from her own body and it was all Mrs. Lao's fault.

She walked around the mansion until she made it to the same living room she passed out earlier.

Mr. and Mrs. Lao sat in their luxurious sofa murmuring in silent conversation with their guests. Weird guests.

She saw two unfamiliar men, one of them wore a crazy outfit filled with bird feathers sticking out of his clothes and a necklace made of real bones. Ling Ling would rather think of those bones as chicken bones than human bones.

Ling Ling determined right away he was a witch doctor and the Lao's must've hired him to perform the enchantment on her.

A soft growl escaped her lips, she was more than upset with the Lao's. She had not expected them taking advantage of her that way.

Another man sat with them, there was something so different about him. He wore a traditional hanfu as though he was in cosplay. Everything about him was out of place, his long sleek hair that fell passed his shoulders, his wide brim straw hat that concealed most of his face, and the angelic glow that seemed to coat him permanently.

He was mesmerizing, ethereal, like a god, or a high born spirit.

Ling Ling was hypnotized, she admired the glowing man until he turned abruptly. The stranger pointed his stare at her behind his wide brim straw hat and stood on his feet.

This alarmed her, she had not expected to be seen, not by a living but something told her he's not ordinary.

Mr and Mrs Lao along with the witch doctor were all oblivious to her, except for this man. This man who's now making his way towards her.

He stopped just as he got close enough and something about his entire body trembled and shook admiring Ling Ling.

"Ling Ling?" He whispered softly, pain and yearning resonated deeply in his voice.

Ling Ling stared at him blankly. Fright and uncertainly dominated her mind. Whatever this man is, he gave out energy that is not human. He could be a god, or an angel, or some spiritual creature but Ling Ling was overwhelmed with anxiety frozen as she debated whether to stay or to run away.

"Ling Ling..." He whispered again with assurance in his voice as began to reach out for an embrace. But Ling Ling was overcome with an intense sense of nostalgia, a sense of familiarity she couldn't put her finger on.

"How'd you know my name?" She asked bewildered.

It was strong and it was confusing she had never seen this man before. She flinched darting her eyes for an immediate escape and willed herself to run for the door.

"Don't go!" The nameless man called out to her, but it had been a too late.

Ling Ling ran out the door, down to the driveway – out the gates and spilled into the streets.

What began as a familiar street slowly changed into something more magical, brighter, lively. What used to be ordinary houses and shops began reshaping into something more animated.

Vividly painted houses decorated with all kinds of traditional ornaments lined the streets instead.

She slowed down bewitched at the slowly changing world around her.

Ling Ling looked up, eyes wide and glittering, dazzled by magic when shadows rose from the ground and molded into creatures she only read in books.

Before long, she was being pushed around by the crowd of spirits walking around her. Some of them noticed and some are oblivious to her.

Ling Ling dodged around until everything became clearer and the humans were not humans anymore but they're spirits.

She had joined the magical world of the spirit world.