Trolls and the Search for the Missing Mom

Chapter 6

     "Poppy! Poppy!" Branch yelled, as he ran towards her, holding the rolled up paper from Peppy's pod in his hand.

     She was sitting at the lagoon, looking out into the water. She looked at Branch, when she heard him calling her.

     "Hey, Branch," she said, smiling a little. She seemed much happier now, but she still wasn't quite back to her overly positive self.

     "Look what I found!" Branch shouted joyfully, sitting down next to her, as he unrolled the paper. Poppy looked at it, confused.

     "Ugh... cool. But... ugh... what is it?"
"I think it's a map to your mom."

     Poppy's ears perked up, as she looked at Branch.

     "Really? My mom!?"
"Look. It says her name. It must mean something."

     She looked up at him again, smiling.

     "Thank you, Branch!" she said, hugging him tight. "You're the best!" She pulled away, her smile fading a little.

     "But... where did you get this?"

     Branch's eyes widened, as he looked at Poppy. He did not want to tell her, he stole it from her dad.

     "Your dad... gave it to me..." he lied.
"He did?"
"Yeah. I had a talk with him, and he said you deserve to know the truth about your mother."
"You talked to my dad? But, Branch... you're terrified of my dad."
"Yeah... well... I would do anything for you."

     Poppy smiled, hugging him again.

     "Thank you, Branch. This is the best thing anyone's ever done for me."
"Yeah... well..." Branch said, blushing, as he rubbed the back of his head.

     She took the map from him, looking at it.

     "So... if we follow this map, we find my mom?"
"I believe so. Yes."
"Wow... I gotta thank my dad!"

     Branch's eyes widened again. Quickly, he grabbed onto Poppy, as she tried to run to her dad's pod.

     "Maybe thank him later," Branch said. "We should leave right away, if we want to find your mom."
"Your right, Branch. I'll go pack my stuff."

     She kissed Branch on the cheek, and then ran off towards her pod.

     Branch watched her for a moment, and then sighed, looking down at the map in his hand.

     "I am so dead..."