#corpse groom

Don't play with things your mortal mind can't comprehend.

Never make promises you can't keep.

There's an old graveyard within the mountain top to which people used to pay respects to.The spirits are said to reside there in ever slumbers, but overtime the legends faded and twisted to something much darker. You know not how true this is but the fear enough that they might've actually been tricked into worshipping something evil was enough for the shrine to lose followers.

Slowly people and future generations stopped going to the cemetery up the mountain. Slowly it had started to be forgotten. Slowly people forgot about it. Until finally there was no more shrine maidens or priests that took care of it. People stopped going altogether after that. Eventually most didn't even believe it was there anymore. Most didn't care and didn't bother to go see if it was true. The ones who did believe the tales didn't go either too scared of the demons that lurked there still to this day, written off as an urban legend.

Most were.

But you weren't.

As a child you'd often run from home none too interested in the duties of a woman that your parents tried to teach you and mold you to be. One day after they figured out all of your usual hiding places, you ventured deeply into the woods and stumbled upon the old walls of the garden surrounding the old cemetery and the shrine abandoned next to it.Old rocks crumbling away slowly from the elements and overgrown by vines. The state of the inside was like a gold mind for a curious child such as yourself as you climbed over the wall. Giant grass and wild flowers growing up and taking over the stone walkways that cracked badly with neglect, and covered the long since crack tombstones with words too fades to make out anymore.

Tiny footfalls were the only things that sounded around the garden as you toddled around in awe at the pretty place. The old shrine was still there as well waiting for use as the child's tiny form walked up and pushed the nearly falling doors open with a loud creak to poke your head in. Only to cough and sneeze at the amount of dust accumulated inside. But what might've been the most mysterious thing in the garden was a giant old wooden shrine gate jutting out of the earth. Misshapen by the elements over time and overgrown like everything else around the place.

You had found your new hiding place.

From then on you'd sneak up to the mountain to your secret haven to escape. No one ever suspected this place was where you'd be running to. And so you're childhood was bliss hours spent playing away with your adventures and discovering new things whenever you went. Your parents were horrified whenever you came back dirty and bringing back frogs and snails from your adventures scolding you for such unladylike behavior. You did grow out of it by the time you got into your teens. But you still went when your parents' pressuring got too much. It was only then you became aware of what a shrine truly was.

It was explained to you by one of the elders when the old woman caught you sneaking back through the forest late in the day. She scolded you harshly about journeying where demons lied in wait in their shrine.

A shrine huh?

It seemed wrong to just trespass on an ancient shrine without at least leaving offerings to the olden deities. What you didn't realize was that would be your undoing. For when you returned to your secret sanctuary a few days later, you brought a bottle of sake for an offering. Seemed appropriate. You left it in the shrine's crumbling small temple..but it seemed like no one was occupying it because the bottle remained untouched other than dust. You had figured this proved that the superstitions weren't true at all and you didn't have any need to worry about anything after all. If there was any spirits here they most certainly weren't demons. What you had failed to notice was that even though the bottle remained unmoved, the same within had been drained over the course of a few days.

For the moment you set the offering upon the threshold of that forbidden sanctuary, unimaginable forces stirred from deep within the earth.

You were unaware of their presence. Sometimes you felt like you were being watched and at first you thought someone had discovered where you've been running off too but always found yourself alone. Eventually you brushed it off as paranoia and just the animals that were around you. You chalked the disappearing food and flowers also to the animals getting hungry or taking the flowers as building material for their nests and burrows. However some strange things would happen. One instance you were in search of roses but couldn't find any to take back home with you, however you suddenly found a rose bush growing near the entrance you never saw before. You chalked it up to not paying good enough attention. Another time you were reading and a humongous wasp had landed on your arm causing you to shriek only to be stunned as it was repelled backwards from your sleeve. As if a strong force had slapped it away...You only could conclude that your arm waving must've thrown it off and your scared brain was playing tricks on you.

Sometimes you would be doing nothing but weaving a flower crown to place it onto your head before looking at your reflection in an old pond giggling at how the soft petals tickled your skin. Imagining yourself as a princess and waiting for your prince to compliment you-

"pretty-"

You had jumped out of your skin at the sound of a man's voice and whirled around only to see that there was no one and nothing there. .. Your mother might've been right about your imagination running wild. You didn't bother to notice the large reflection of a man with rainbow eyes softly gazing at your retreating form from the pool before rippling away. Another time you had fallen asleep for a nap but jolted awake swearing you felt a hand caress your cheek and a man's voice speak out.

"You're beautiful."

You jolted awake, a hand slapping your cheek where the touch was felt, but once again you were all alone except for the chirping birds and a squirrel running away from you. You stared at the nothing then looked at the open romance novel next to you...You stopped reading romance novels after that. You had no idea of the eyes peeking at you from the shadows before closing and disappearing once more. However you hardly let these things detour you from your one sanctuary. Smiling and placing a small home made woven flower wreath as an offering under the old shrine gate you were sure the squirrels would just take for their burrows.

A little groan Cascades across the tombstones.

You had jumped turning around in surprise at the man's voice once more but again finding no one there. Alright. Time to leave. You left right after, being sure to pick up the pace from the feeling of eyes staring down your back as you retreated home.

*******""

A vow is your word.

A promise. An undying oath. A something you ultimately agree too.

Remember that what you will. Do not take lightly the things spoken as a contract with words for there are things you can not undo.

You jumped as a thunderclap in the distance overhead echoed throughout the sky. Your head looked up instinctively and stared at the still lit up sky and the dark grey storm clouds that scattered across it like some shattered jigsaw puzzle. The sight of it worried you making a frown appear on your perfectly make uped face. The chilly wind blowing over you making you shiver and the veil flow in the wind and over your face.

A hand reached up to push the lacey veil away from your face to give a clearer look at the looming figure in front of you.

The stories you've heard about the ancient cemetery, the tales and whispers and rumors. Hone to decadence and luxury in the days of yore, now abandoned and mostly forgotten. The aura of mystery and lost inheritance tainted by misfortune and blood mixed with greedy ambition. It's shadow loomed over your form blocking most of what's left of the moonlight, casting the eerie darkness over your beautiful white dress. None of the rumors have done it justice, only instilling more creepiness to the overall visage. The whole place looked like the stereotypical image of a ghost story made. Old worn shrine. Creaking creepy metal fence. The old rock pathway leading up toit full of cracks and had weeds growing in the crevices. This place was obviously abandoned for most of its existence. 

You've had many fond memories of this place growing up as a child. You remember flocking here in search of solace and peace when no ond else would give it to you. It had felt that way for many years. The garden welcomed you, almost sought you out whenever you were to come here to pray and give offering to the twin deities the garden was said to belong to. Elders always scolded you for going to the abandoned place saying that it was dangerous filled with poisonous plants and wild animals. The real superstitious ones told you that it was full of ghosts that would spirit you away from this world if you weren't careful. You never believed that..The part about the spirits being evil. If there was spirits here then they weren't evil or just went around minding their own business. They certainly never bothered you anytime you were there.

However tonight maybe they were onto something as the red moon shown bright.

The moon shined red as blood tonight as shadows moved.

Quiet night. Unholy night of beasts. Feasting their sights upon the stray women who dare stay out at night when the full moon rises, lighting the pathway for the beasts to claim their prey. Gnashing teeth, snarling fangs waiting to take a bite into innocent flesh where the terrible claws miss. Waiting to snatch you away down into their dark abyss never to return. She was none what so ever concerned about traveling alone tonight. She had better places to be and anyone who dared be foolish enough to tangle with the night would never be heard from again. One look at it would deter most creatures away. But hier business was not with them.

You shivered in the wind that picked up clutching your hydrangeas closer as you rubbed your shoulders in a vain attempt to bring what limited warmth you had back to your body.

Partially through what was left of the limited moonlight, you passed by some wild trees that made your stomach flip but it came a different feeling.

The feeling of being watched.

It didn't start out that way. At first it was just an aspect in the back of your mind you brushed of as paranoia of the shrine's old ghost stories echoing in your mind. The feeling first came around when the sun had just started to set and it wasn't strong enough to warrant anything more than a two second thought and hand waving them off. However thing's changed. The sun soon disappeared over the horizon to be kissed good night by it's counterpart, the moon, and the walking woman was glad that it was a full moon, for it brought moonlight strong enough for you to see the pathway as your feet continued to walk. With it came the feeling but tenfold. You've only felt this way before back at home when your too clingy fiance wouldn't leave you alone, that same feeling also returned with the feeling of being followed, but every time your head snapped over your shoulder towards the Darkness behind you....

There would be nothing.

Literally nothing. Nothing but the cold wind starting to pick up. You brushed it off as just your paranoia getting the better of you and you set your jaw against the wind. There was nothing there anyways so what did you have to worry about?

Someone following you and dragging you back home. Your family would make you marry the most obnoxious man ever and you would never be able to come here again. You'd be damned if you weren't going to give your offerings one last time. And at least say goodbye to your childhood sanctuary.

The overgrown weeds hugged the hem of the bridal dress she wore. A ghost of white in the darkness. A warmth settling in with invisible eyes as you approached the closest stone. It's carvings long since worn away to where you could barely make it out but as always you bowed against the wind and leaned down to place the hydrangea you've brought as a final farewell gift to the deities whom lurked here if any lurked here at all. As if pleased with your gift, the wind temporarily stopped in its path. This was it. Once you returned, the ceremony would already be ready to start and you'd be a taken woman. It was a miracle you were able to sneak out this long.

"Farewell. I appreciate all you've provided for me in my time of solitude."

A hand reached out to brush away some of the overgrown vines from the cold stone. A barely visible carving of a moon was visible in the limited moonlight. You had once asked one of the superstitious elders about it and he had explained the legend of how there had been two deities long ago. One of the son and one of the moon. The moon deity once had everything he could ask for including a mortal wife and children out of his own, however he abandoned them all out of jealousy to eternally chase his brother the sun. That's why supposedly you had solar and lunar eclipses where the moon would be more visible even during the daytime. You didn't think the eclipses were the responsibility of deities but if the rest of the legend was true then it was certainly sad. But you wished your fiance would be jealous enough to leave you.

"I wonder if I was more brash if he would've left me too?", you mused out loud to yourself.

Nothing but the lonely wind and crickets chirping answered you.

You didn't speak at first. Slowly standing up. Wind blowing the veil around you. The blood moonlight giving a reddish glint to the olden shrine.

You snorted at your situation despite yourself being angry. "I still can't believe my family saw anything in him. He couldn't even say his vows right at the rehearsal...I guess that was because he was imagining saying them to someone else the whole time." A different version of you he wanted most likely.

"What was his vows anyways? I bet they were so bland and and boring." You snickered thinking about his bumble at the rehearsal before you cleared your throat before in a bad impression of his voice you spoke in a cheesy lovestruck tone. "My beautiful love. Bind our blood in ceremony and let me share your name." A hand outstretched to no one as you fake acted out processing your love to an invisible imaginary person. "Under the stars of the heavens, I solely swear, that this hand will always be kind and never cruel. That my voice will only speak truth. That this life is now forever yours." The outstretched hand pretended to take the imaginary person's hand. "Now as yours is mine."

You could hear imagine the look on his face if you told him how predictable his Making you smile and continue. Your engagement ring slipped off your finger as you pretended to use it as the wedding ring presenting it to the stone.

"Bind our souls to infinity and I will promise you love and devotion through sickness and health and beyond the realms of death." You continued to speak remembering the details of the day like it happened yesterday. "I will love you in all your forms now and forever. Through several lifetimes and back." Your voice was low and smooth now speaking it like you meant it with pride. "From now to infinity." You held the ring up as if actually presenting it to someone. "Unyielding. Untainted. Undeniable. With this voice I promise you my love and heart. With this ring, I ask you to be mine!" You held up the ring- only to accidentally again trip on your train and slip. "Crap!"

You ended up landing on just your knees his time. Both rings again falling to the ground and rolling away from sight. Not that you really cared about that as much as you cared about the soreness this goofy outfit was causing you.

You hissed slowly moving to stand back up. "Ugh. I keep tripping over my stupid dress."

You scrambled to grab your hem again and look around for the ring. Where'd they go? You looked around for the ring and eventually found them laying just in front of you in the grass. Ah. There they are. You were half tempted to just leave them there but your family would be angry. Your hand reached out to them-

Until something grabbed your wrist-

It was like the air itself had wrapped around your wrist and PULLED! You yelled out as you arm was tugged forward and you yelled as your other hand shot out to brace yourself against the ground. A horror feeling shot through your body as you looked up and saw..

Literally nothing there.

The moonlight illuminated the area in front of you and you could see nothing but you felt an iron grip on you arm. You couldn't help but let out a little yell of fright before you started pulling back in a panic. Pulling back and yanking at the otherworldly grip keeping you in place. Your other arm flying out to grip your arm and pull back as hard as you could. Pulling, yelling, and fighting back as nothing gave. Panic filled your form as you inch by inch manage to strain your arm back near yourself but the crushing grip never gave. It still felt like there was a fist made of air clamped around your wrist. What was going on?! What was this?! The wind howled around you blowing the veil around like some bridal cape. The clouds increased in the sky and the bloody moon oozed it's light down on misfortune.

THUMP-

Your mouth dropped in horror as the ground under your knees moved, as of a great beast was disturbed by your presence. The ground rumbled and shook as you teetered and looked at the ground in horror. Pupils the sizes of pins as you gave small gasps and yelps as thunder crashed overhead thunder reigning through the sky and cold wind swirling around. Until the monster under the dirt finally ceased and all was still again. You gasped out and sat there panting heavily as everything just..

Stopped.

As if it didn't even happen. You panted looking around yourself but not seeing anything. What the hell just happened?! You tried to yank back again mouth dry and heartbeat thudding in your ears as the grip still was present unwilling to let you get away!

BAM!!

Dirt tumbled away from the ground. All sense of safety vanished. All fear at once swallowing you as a fist smashed up from the dirt and snatched the exact spot on your arm that the air had been holding. Your voice shrieked out quickly swallowed up by the howling wind and echoing throughout the garden as more emerged.

A second hand erupted from the ground in front of you. Eyes going small as something from the depths battered it's way from beneath the surface. A feeling of ice injected itself into your veins as it pushed out from under your feet. Dirt pushed up with each deep push upwards. Cracks formed between old roots and rocks. A shiny ring slowly rolled away from the jostling-

Only to be snatched up as a large hand burst from beneath the soil.

Body froze. Jaw opening. Eyes wide as the moon. Digits old and worn flexed out feeling against the newly disturbed dirt until it receded back. It retreated a few inches back down into the depths of the abyss leaving a disturbed dirt mound behind. Your mouth hung agape seeing the two hands until the second one shot back up flinging dirt and grass over your body. It's claws firmly cementing itself into the crowd before whatever it was came up.

You shrieked once more. Wind howling. AND THEN THE GROUND BEGAN RISING UP WITH MORE FORCE. Ground gave way as the giant rose up from his slumber. The mountain rising to form as first and clumps of grass fell from it's back disturbed from the movement. A few stray roots snapping like little weak threads as whatever it was rose in a similar fashion to someone rising from their slumber and was asleep on their stomach. The form only rose higher and higher dragging you up when the grip didn't relent. You sobbed out as you semi stood up thanks to the iron grip the hand still had on you.

Her eyes were staring up at the blackened face of a figure that was the tallest person she had ever seen. The poor remnants of a suit barely cling onto the body in places, torn and exposing exposed bones or missing flesh in those areas, dirt staining it grey and tumbling off his body. There was silence as the chilling wind blew long strands of hair about itself, then one by one two orbs opened themselves up catching the moonlight reverberating off the shining irises that dawned upon your horrified expression.

"I do."

You once again screamed out not even phasing the man as you pulled and yanked on the unrelenting grip on your arm. "W-Who are you?!"

"Hmm. Good question. I don't suppose lawfully wedded husband would be a good start?" The corpse responded exposing long since missing flesh. 

Your hyperventilating lungs breathed- GASPED for air. Lips. Trembled. Body shook. Tears welding up. "I-I.. Can't accept."

"I'm afraid you have no choice but to honor those vows. Because now-" The grip became all the more deafening upon your skin. "Not even death will do us part."