Trolls and the Search for the Missing Mom (rewrite rewrite)

Chapter 12

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The day went on rather smoothly, Poppy and Branch making great progress through the forest as they held each other's hands, the young queen hyped to finally meet her mother for the first time in forever...

But... their luck had just seemed to run out as the couple suddenly came upon a raging river, the water flowing down it so loud, it was all the two pop trolls could hear...

     They looked at the water streaming past them in a roar, Branch instantly knowing there was no way the two of them could possibly swim across... the current was just too strong. It would wash them both away in an instant...

     "Hmm..." the little blue pop troll muttered softly, pulling out the map from his hair to look at, determined to find a solution to their newly discovered problem... for Poppy... "There must be a way around this river..."

As Branch looked at the map, plotting out their next course of action, Poppy glanced up, watching as the sun yawned, slowly beginning to lower from it's spot in the sky...

"Branch..." she said in a slightly worried tone, still staring up at the sun as it fell lower and lower, the brightness of the area decreasing dramatically... "The sun will be setting soon.. we need to hurry..."

But Branch didn't answer... he hadn't even seemed to hear her... he was just too focused on his mission... his mission to make the love of his life happy... he was going to find a way past this river... they were going to find Poppy's mom... it wasn't an option... it was a necessity...

     Poppy looked at him for a moment, seeing the concentration on his face, before letting out a soft sigh, beginning to look around for a way to get across this hazard...

Maybe if she helped figure out a way forewords... they would find her mother faster!

A large smile uncontrollably coming across her face, the young queen suddenly noticed a path formed from a few rocks going through the water, leading all the way to the other side...

     "Look, Branch!" she exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the rocks she had just spotted. "We can cross there."

     Branch looked up from the map at the sound of his girlfriend's statement, instantly realizing with great horror what she was proposing....

     "I'm not so sure about that, Poppy..." he said, his nervousness being heard in his slightly shaking voice. "It doesn't seem too safe..."

"Don't be ridiculous, Branch," she scoffed with a slight chuckle. "We'll be fine. Look... even that little guy is crossing perfectly fine."

     As she spoke, Poppy pointed up at a Flopper Hopper who was jumping across the stones, nearing the other side of the river...

     It took one last big hop, about to reach its final destination, when a massive fish suddenly jumped up out of the river, swallowing the tiny critter in one big gulp...

     Poppy and Branch stared with wide eyes in complete and utter shock, traumatized by what they had just witnessed...

     "S... see? " Poppy said, chuckling quietly as she turned back to Branch with an innocent grin. "Perfectly safe..."

     Branch blinked, his mouth hanging open in shock, his horrified eyes still locked on the river where the appalling affair had just occurred...

     "Nope... not doing it," he finally stated, looking back down at the map.

     "Come on, Branch," Poppy whined, slightly stomping her little feet on the ground below her. "It's the only way across... and we have to find my mom!"