Trolls and the Search for the Missing Mom (remake)

Chapter 26

     Poppy walked, looking up at the colorful leaves above her. It was beautiful in the grove, and she would get to be with her mother if she stayed, but then what would happen to Trollstopia? To her friends...

     She walked, seeing several Synathins playing together. She smiled at the babies, who ran around chirping, unable to speak yet in their early stages of life.

     "What am I gonna do?" she mumbled to herself.

     Slowly, she lowered her head, her ears drooping, as she sighed.

     "Should I stay or should I go now?" Poppy sang softly, lifting her head to look around again. "Should I stay or should I go now? If I go, there will be trouble. And if I stay it will be double. So come on and let me know... should I stay or should I go?"

     She sighed, as she continued walking, not knowing what to do.

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     Branch paced back and forth, worried about Poppy. She had left hours ago, and still hadn't come back. What if something bad happened to her? What if she was out there scared, alone, and lost? What if she was hurt!?

     Suddenly, a drop of rain fell down onto him.

     He looked up at the sky, the clouds dark, as it suddenly began pouring hard.

     Branch was immediately soaked, his hair falling down over his face, wet.

     Quickly, he ran under the tree house above him for shelter, but continued pacing, still worried about Poppy. Even more so since it was now raining.

     "You coming in, Branch? It's raining Kitty Critters and Cuddle Pups out there," Pansy called out the window of her tree house. Branch shook his head, continuing to pace, as he bit his nonexistent finger nails. He was too worried about Poppy, to go inside.

     'BANG!' thunder suddenly roared from up in the sky.

     Branch jumped at the sound, looking up.

     'Great...' he thought. 'Another thing to be scared of...'

     'BANG!'

     "AHHH!" he screamed, huddling up against the tree, as he sat down on the ground. He had always been afraid of thunder. Ever since he was little. Nothing traumatic had happened involving thunder... he just didn't like it. Never did... never will.

     Now though... seemed worse than ever. Not only was he scared of the thunder... but he was also scared of losing Poppy.

     He was so worried about her. He had no way of knowing if she was safe. Was she out there huddling under a tree for protection as well? Was she scared too? Branch's heart ached at the thought.

     His fear for her almost outweighed his fear of the storm brewing around him.

     'BANG!'

     He jumped, beginning to shake in fear, as he whimpered softly.

     Slowly, he reached into his hair, pulling out his blanket.

     He gazed down at it, tears in his eyes.

     'Everything's gonna be ok,' he heard his grandma say. It's what she would always say, when he was scared or sad.

     Slowly, he wrapped the blanket around himself, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath, remembering his grandma.

Flashback
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