When Crows Surround

A/N: AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! -screams frantically- WARM FUZZIES! Thank you so much for your VERY lovely reviews, gracefuldead56, Janette Morgan, Fishwoman the Randomgiver and Adlea Evanstar and Adlea Evanstar! Now I must shut up, or you will never be able to read the next chapter! And you'll find Victor is… not quite dead, lol. :) Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own the movie Corpse Bride or any of the characters that come out!

Not Quite Dead, Is He?

It was as if someone had switched the slow motion button as the cup slipped, and half of the poison slipped into Victor's sytem as well. Victor, eyes wide with shock, only tasted wine on his lips as the other half of poison splashed down on his clothes and shoes and onto the floor, making him slip and fall on the floor.

Emily was also moving in slow motion, her eyes wide with terror and a hint of satisfaction as her dead hands tried to grasp at Victor's shirt so it would prevent for him to fall. Unfortunately, she touched air as from the other side a slow gasp escaped from the crowd, along with Victoria's. The bones and corpses' jaws dropped in shock as Victoria screamed in horrifingly, running in slow motion towards Victor's fallen body.

But this happened only in one second.

"VICTOR!" Victoria screamed as she ran towards Emily and Victor. Emily gave out a gasp of shock of her own as she saw the suprised and horrified expression that Victor now wore. All the crowd watching them looked at Emily, Victor and Victoria with round eyes, leaning forward as they wondered if Victor was dead or not.

Victor, who looked a bit bewildered at what just happened as he suddenly felt a stab of pain strike his gut. He gave out a weak moan as he tried to get up. He could see Emily and Victoria's faces looking down at him and he heard their shouts. But slowly it was getting fainter, fainter. He felt numb and he couldn't move. It was as if his body became suddenly weak. He closed his eyes before he could think why.

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"Victor! No! Victor!" Victoria shouted as she bent towards Victor's face, which was turning paler and paler. Emily, satisfied and guilty at the same time, only looked at Victoria with pity as Victoria started to sob rather miserably. Victoria's hand reached out towards Victor's cheek and touched it, as if making sure Victor was still alive. And he was. Victoria knew because she could still hear Victor breathing, rather fast.

And this annoyed Emily very much. She wanted Victor's heartbeat to stop. And she knew if it didn't, then she had lost. Victor would be taken by 'Little Miss Living'. And she just hated the idea of it.

"Elder Gutknecht! What is happening to Victor?" Emily said with a huff as Elder Gutknecht looked down at her and at his special poison, which was pooled down on the ground near Victor's feet. He sighed and then once again looking up at Emily, he looked at her with a mixture between a frown and pursued lips.

"My dear, he is dying. But-" he started but Victoria, hearing this, gasped so loudly and horribly it made Elder Gutknecht wince.

"D-Dying? Why is Victor DYING? Please, someone, tell me what's going on! Tell me how to save him!" Victoria spoke and all the dead crowd sitting on the seats shrugged. Some looked up at Elder Gutknecht for some advice. But it was now Emily's turn to shout.

"Now your all 'Victor!' all over him again! What happened to your 'Lord'?" Emily shouted angrily as she glared at Victoria. Victoria glared back, now looking extremely hurt. "I was forced to marry!" Victoria shouted back as she tears started to flow in her eyes. Emily only gave a huff again, glancing back at her to-be husband. But something was wrong. Victor wasn't dead yet. Why?

A cough alerted Victoria and Emily's attention towards Elder Gutknecht. Elder Gutknecht looked rather sternly at the two living and dead woman and then pointed towards the puddle of wine. Emily and Victoria, though annoyed and angry for being disturbed in their argument, managed to look down at the puddle of poison beside Victor's unconcious body.

"Unless Victor drinks all of the wine, he cannot die."

A/N: I'm sorry for letting you hang again but I'm in a hurry! I will write again very soon, I promise! Please review!