Love or Law

Tricks with no Treats!

Hello everyone! I have returned with tales brought to you from a mysterious land far, far away called My Brain! It is a scary place full of these evil creatures called Distractions and even worse, the dreaded WriterBlockers! Never-the-less, I persevered and trudged through the thick Fog of Memory Loss and the sunny valley of Its Gorgeous Outside and I Refuse to be Inside (it's a mouthful I know!). I have finally returned and present my findings to you! Enjoy!

After Mushu and Crickie left the tent, Mulan gathered her supplies together and slipped out into the night. Most of the men were asleep by now, huddled around the campfires strategically lit throughout the camp. Very few of them had left their tents up, preferring to have a little extra time in the morning with one less thing to do. Besides, it was a beautiful night to sleep outdoors. Ling was no exception. He was curled up on his bamboo sleeping mat near a campfire, snoring quietly, completely oblivious to the world around him.

But not for long! Mulan thought.

Moving as quietly as she could, Mulan edged her way around the campfire until she was just behind Ling, staying in the shadows and trying to avoid stepping on anyone or waking anyone else up. Crouching silently, she reached into the small pouch she had tied to her waist and pulled out several small, straight sticks. Using some scrap twine, Mulan quickly tied the sticks together and, for her final touch, tied a feather to one end.

Slowly, slowly she reached with the stick over Ling's shoulder and began to gently tickle his ear. He didn't move. Even when she angled the stick so the tip of the feather actually entered his ear; he didn't even twitch! Stretching out even further, she attempted to tickle Ling's nose. She kind of brushed the feather across his whole face in the process and she thought she saw his nose twitch a little at the sensation, but when she quickly pulled back in case he woke up, he didn't move.

Mulan sat thinking for a moment then decided to remove the feather from her contraption. Using just the stick, she gently prodded Ling's back. When that didn't get a reaction she ran the stick up and down his spine. Still nothing! With a small growl of frustration, she jabbed Ling hard in the center of the back and immediately felt guilty about it. He would definitely have a bruise. Weirdly enough, he still didn't even twitch.

Now Mulan was worried. Had Ling somehow died within the last few minutes while she was trying to torture him? Mulan may have wanted to make Ling suffer a little but she hadn't wanted to kill him! Holding her breath, she listened for Ling's distinctive snore and was rewarded shortly after. Thank the Gods he was still alive! Now she could get back to trying to play her trick on him.

Her plan was to wake him up then, once he was awake, she would begin. Mulan would wait for him to lay back down and then she would make her move. She would throw rocks to make rustling noises in the nearby bushes. She would make hissing, whispering noises and draw sharp sticks across rocks to make scraping noises. Basically, any noise that would cause a grown man to shiver and wonder what was hiding in the night, she would create. Mulan's revenge was going to come in the form of a few sleepless nights. If she could ever get the silly man to wake up!

Suddenly she noticed that Ling wasn't wearing shoes. Excellent! Mulan edged around Ling until she could reach his feet. She ran the stick up and down first one foot and then another, hoping for some sort of response. Nothing!

A rustling noise interrupted her next plan of attack. She shrank back into the shadows and watched as Yao and Po stumbled into the light of the fire, huffing and puffing fiercely. As Mulan watched them, a germ of an idea took root. An idea that brought a mischievous, slightly evil grin on her face that anyone in the camp would know meant trouble. If she couldn't scare Ling, there were always other options!

Me: "Oooh, Mulan you are evil! I don't think Mushu can beat your performance..."

Mushu: "Well give me half a chance and I will not only beat that performance I will dance circles around it, turn it upside down, inside out and give it a twist! I wasn't even in this chapter!"

Me: "Don't worry Mushu, you'll have your chance to prove yourself! Promise!"

(He's so sassy!)