Living in a Frog World (Male OC x Anne Boonchuy)

Part 1: Chapter 17: The Legend of the Moss Man

After Anne asked Frank about his arrest and his time in juvy, the tension between the two increased. More so than it had in the past. Frank became quieter, and as Anne observed him, it was clear that his past was bothering him. More so than she ever thought it was. However, what bothered her the most was his comment.

He went to jail, but didn't steal the shoes? Anne didn't know what that meant, and Frank didn't want to talk about it. Now Anne isn't the smartest girl in the world, but thanks to her watching cheesy cop shows, her mind started conjuring some ideas. And none of them were good.

But for now, all she could do was look at the back of her friend as they walked through the woods. Frank had made a leather strap that went across his chest from his right shoulder to his left hip. On the back was a horse-shaped hook that fit the handle of his new scythe. Now he was able to carry it on himself without having to hold it.

The two humans were with Hop Pop and his grandkids. Anne and the old frog were carrying baskets on their backs while Sprig and Frank were carrying their own. Hop Pop's basket was full of berries that were green and red, with Polly resting on it as she rode.

"Now remember, green and red, be well fed," Hop Pop said, picking a berry with that type of coloring from a bush. He then gestured to a bush with blue and red coloring. "Blue and red, instantly dead."

Having already picked a lot of the green and red berries, Sprig shoved them into his mouth.

"Oh, wait. Or was that, 'Green and red, instantly dead'?"

Sprig instantly opened his mouth, rolled out his tongue with the berries on it, and pushed it off. He then followed his grandpa, tongue still hanging out.

Behind them, Frank and Anne looked around the area together. Frank, looking like he was in a bad mood, scanned the barrier bushes and started picking some. Anne was not too far away, looking at the ground, and picking mushrooms.

"Yup, that's a mushroom," she said, before looking back at Frank. Deciding to try again to see what she could learn, she cleared her throat. "You know, there's this old Thai saying that grandma loves to say to me. 'Bāp kèā thxd ngeā yāw'. It means 'Old sins cast long shadows', but I never knew what that meant."

"It means your past can ruin your future if you allow it," Frank told her, not taking his eyes off his work. "But you forget Franky boy's old saying: I don't want to talk about my past."

"Okay," Anne said, sighing sadly. She turned back to continue picking mushrooms when a twig snapped a few feet in front of her. Anne looked up, and caught a glimpse of a large figure rushing through the woods. This startled Anne, who gasped in surprise. "Did you guys see that?" She asked, turning back to the others.

"See what?" Frank asked as he plucked purple and green berries. Hop Pop and the others walked further away.

"There was something in the woods," she told him, standing and pointing in the direction she saw the figure. Frank stood up and looked in the direction she was pointing, but saw nothing.

"I don't see anything," Frank said, before returning to his berry picking task.

Frowning, Anne turned back to where she saw the figure. Once again, there was nothing to see. For a moment, she wondered if her head was playing tricks on her or if Hop Pop had put something in her food.

However, something else rushed past in the woods to her left. And this time, Anne gasped when she heard it making a growling sound.

"What the heck?" She asked, equipping her bow and pulling out an arrow. With weapons in hand, Anne walked into the bushes to see what the creature was.