Into the Shadows of Arcadia

Adventures in Trollsitting 1

The night stirred with activity, far from the expected silence. An owl's hoot pierced the solitude, punctuated by the rapid panting of an unseen intruder. Eyes fixed on a house, the intruder darted towards it, it's urgency palpable as it bounded from bush to pole. Scaling the structure with surprising speed, the mysterious figure ascended to the roof and peered through a window, where a young girl slept soundly. Unsatisfied, it moved to another window, left invitingly open. With a pleased chuckle, it entered the room, scanning its celestial-themed walls before settling its gaze on a sleeping blonde child, cradling a bunny. Stirred by movement, the baby awoke, revealing himself to be none other than Claire's baby brother, Enrique, who cooed at the intruder. With a toothy grin, the goblin reached out to him, balancing effortlessly on the crib's ledges. 

As daylight broke, Jim and Toby observed from afar, watching their reflections dance in the window as they witnessed the scene unfold.

"Check that baby out."

"Vespa 300 GTS Super. Single-cylinder catalyzed four-stroke Quasar engine. Hmm... Can you imagine me going down the road on that? Wind whipping through my hair, Claire holding tight to my back..."

"And me, cruising in the sidecar next to ya."

Jim gave a small glare, however, it didn't come out threatening, instead, it was the adorable glare that still gave off a meaning but was not harmful.

"Oh. You imagined you and Claire alone, didn't you?"

Jim moved away from the window, letting out a large sigh as Toby stepped between Jim and the window they no longer had their focus on.

"What are the chances of your mom getting you one for your birthday?"

"Only slightly worse than me winning the lottery and buying it myself."

"How much you got?"

"Only 328 bucks and 32 cents. [scoffs] By the time I have enough, these things will drive themselves."

As soon as Jim finished his sentence, an image in the window had caught the Trollhunter's eyes. A small figure - other known as the Goblin - had jumped on the roof that was fortunately in Jim's view. In the Goblin's arms, was baby who had cried after being swiped from his home.

"Do you see that?"

Jim gestured urgently towards the window's reflection just as the Goblin dashed away. Startled by Jim's sudden movement and gasp, Toby turned to follow his friend's pointed finger, only to find Jim looking elsewhere. Toby's gaze lingered on the scene outside, where the leader of the strange creatures hurried across a power line, ensuring no humans had witnessed its departure.

"Goblin!"

"What?"

Jim taking off in the same direction that the Goblin had been going. Toby turned quickly as his friend disappeared. He watched as Jim ran after the evil creature.

"It's a goblin, with a baby!"

"Come on, Jim! It's just a bird!"

Jim pursued the kidnapper into an alleyway, determined to catch them. The Goblin's repulsive laughter echoed through the narrow space. However, Jim halted at the alley's edge, realizing the Goblin's agility far surpassed his own. Scanning the surroundings, his gaze fell upon a small stuffed animal abandoned on the concrete. The camera focused on the bunny as Jim's feet entered the frame, his hand reaching out to tenderly pick it up. Meanwhile, Toby finally caught up to his best friend.

"Chill out, man! This trollhunting is making you hallucinate! I mean, what would a goblin want with a baby?"

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out."