branch angst

run away

my eyes widened in pure fear as the curtains opened to reveal me and my brothers. i was grey again, and everyone could see me. poppy, could see me.

the whole crowd was silent, unless you count the countless whispers washing over the audience. i felt like a clown performing only to humiliate myself.

the lump in my throat grew twice the size, i felt unable to breathe. my eyes were watering and i didn't know how much longer i could hold myself together. so, i ran for it.

"BRANCH!" i heard john dory yell behind me as him and my other brothers began to chase me.

i kept running. i ran out the back door of the stage. i ran down the stairs leading to the parking lot. i ran across the parking lot and into the forest. and i kept running.

my feet were bare, so every step ached in pain as i stepped onto sharp sticks and jagged rocks. i heard my brother's pace slowing down. despite my exhaustion, i kept running. it was going to be me who left them this time. i just wouldn't allow them to have that satisfaction.

by this point my breath was quickening and my chest was heaving up and down dramatically. but, i think i'd lost them. i could no longer hear their footsteps chasing after me, so i took that as a sign. i was free!..
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i was lost.

completely and entirely lost. i know that's the point of running away!.. but i had to go back at some point, right? i mean.. poppy was waiting there for me! and floyd.. and- ugh.

what am i thinking? this is their fault anyways! if they hadn't been yelling then maybe i wouldn't have gone grey- IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE VILLAGE!!

i tugged roughly at my ears and slumped down on the log next to me. my chest was still heaving and my mouth was completely parched.

i'm so stupid for not bringing anything with me. how would i get water? and food?

i let out a loud sigh.

those problems are for future me. however, present me is very tired and wants a nap. so, i laid sideways on the log, and took a nap.
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john dory pov:

"BRANCH?" i called out into the forest, cuffing my hands over my mouth to make my voice louder.

i was stumbling around bushes and knocked over trees. my heart was practically beating out of my chest and i couldn't seem to find any clues to where branch might be.

my baby brother was gone and it was all my fault!

well.. it can't be all my fault. everyone else was fighting too!

"look what you did john!" clay exclaimed accusingly while throwing his hands up in the air.

"hey! it's my fault just as much as it is yours!" i shot back, pointing my finger at clay dramatically.

how come i didn't feel that way?? i could blame my brothers all i wanted but yet i knew who's fault it really was. but that didn't mean i wasn't going to defend myself!!

bruce joined in exasperatedly. "no john. it's your fault. if you had never brought up the stupid perfect family harmony then the fight never would have began in the first place!"

i looked over to floyd, thinking he would back bruce up but he didn't. floyd was searching frantically for branch. he was checking under every log, behind each bush, and up every tree. although i doubted branch would fit under a log, i admired floyd's loyalty to his brother. but that certainly didn't mean i wasn't worried for him!!

"floyd, chill out man! your stressing out too much." i said simply while checking behind a tree to find.. you guessed it!.. nothing.

floyd looked at me like i just killed a person. dramatic much? "how could you not be stressed!? our brother's missing for christ's sake!"

i couldn't think of much of a response so i crossed my arms grumpily and let floyd continue. i guess if we were ever going to find branch, floyd was our key.

"i hate to say it guys.. but it's getting really late. we should really be heading back t-" clay started his sentence before floyd quickly cut him off.

"our brother is out there. alone and vulnerable!! who knows what kind of creature is after him!? no, i'm not leaving until we find him. but by all means, you guys can go back to the bunker, relaxing, while branch is out here in the cold with nobody to protect him." floyd said tensely.

i looked down to see his fists clenched. jeez.

clay looked hurt, but that expression quickly turned to anger. "stop trying to play the role of 'best brother', floyd! because this is your fault just as much as it is ours! and if you're going to act like the hero, then go ahead! nobody is stopping you. but like any sensible troll would, i'm heading back to rest."

and with that, clay turned around in the direction we came from. me and bruce eyed each other before following clay.

floyd was so totally right!.. but how could you expect me to be here all night? i'll admit it, i'm a coward. but being a coward is much better than being dead.

before being fully out of floyd's view, i turned around, sighing.

"floyd, you should really just rest. i promise, first thing in the morning we'll come back to find branch."

floyd looked hesitant, but he seemed to come to his senses. "alright you win."

finally floyd got up from where he was and followed me and the rest of my brothers back to troll village.

i stopped suddenly. everyone looked at me alarmed, but before anything could be said i reached my arms out wide. taking the queue, everyone walked into my arms, allowing for a group hug.

this wasn't my best moment. but you've got to give me some credit here. i was a kickass big brother.

well, sometimes, at least.

so... i was thinking that maybeee branch would get caught by velvet and veneer. (who escaped prison). BUT. i want you guys to let me know what you think of the idea first!!! so PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, comment your opinion!!