The Dead Groom's Bride

Helpless like a lost kitten

Bolin opened the door and was greeted by numerous ogres waiting on them. He stepped outside eyeing the wall of ogres he's about to take on.

He counted five of them three times his size and knew he have his work cut out for him, but he also must get Ling Ling out of the mansion.

He rushed out and pushed the first one away, kicking the other one while he screamed for Ling Ling to escape.

"Go, get out of here! Find a way out the garden, you'll be safe with my family."

Ling Ling ran as Bolin took on the ogres on his own. Three of them stayed to face Bolin while the other two chased after her.

Ling Ling was a lot lighter and faster on her limbs than the heavy ogres running after her.

Ogres were never meant to be fast, they were muscles, brute strength. They have uneven gaits that prevented them from being limber.

Ling Ling left her pursuers behind, bursting out the main doors and out to the garden running through the shrubs and bushes when the same tiny spirit joined her on the ground. It was Mei. Tiny little Mei who came back for her.

"This way!" Said Mei as she reached for Ling Ling's finger tips.

Ling Ling held Mei's hand and allowed her to whisk her away. She ran with the tiny spirit until she noticed Mei was leading her to a different direction.

"Where are you taking me?" Ling Ling asked.

"To safety." Answered Mei in her tiny squeaky voice.

"No, we can't go that way. Bolin told me to find a way out on the garden." Ling Ling yanked her hand away.

Mei snapped her tongue. "You seriously trust that henchman? He works for that frog, you know!"

Ling Ling hesitated and debated whether she should trust Bolin or a spirit she just met. "Wait, how do I know you're not wanting to eat me?"

Mei paused, appalled, insulted, and irritated. "What do you take me for?" She grimaced, "do you think I'm that kind of monster? I don't eat humans, you fool! Besides," Mei gave Ling Ling an appraising look. "You're skinny as a stick, I doubt you're even be tasty at all. You'll probably just give me indigestion."

The sound of heavy footsteps crept in between the shrubs and the vibration of the chasers' feet told Ling Ling the ogres are not too far away. Ling Ling squatted immediately as she tried to find cover in the scrubs.

"What're you doing?" Squeaked Mei.

"Trying to hide!"

Mei lifted her head and listened, hearing the silent cracks of twigs snapping under their pursuer's feet.

"Shit!" Mei snarled. "I'll distract them while you run away, okay!"

Ling Ling swallowed with a bob of her throat. "Okay."

Mei pounced while Ling Ling dashed through the dark vegetation barely looking where she's going when she felt something underneath her sandal.

It was branch that had fallen from a tree that canopied above. It rolled under her foot simultaneously as she stepped on it.

Ling Ling felt a sharp snap on her ankle, followed by an intense pain that made her gasp. "Ouch!"