Trolls and the Alternate Dimension

Chapter 27

"Thank you," Molly said to the taxi driver, as he drove off. Then she looked at the building they were standing in front of.

"Well... we're here..." she said.
"Ok... I'm going in," Branch said, walking towards the entrance.

"Branch, wait," Molly called out to him. "You can't go in there alone. You'll get captured too."

He stopped, sighing, as he lowered his head.

"Ok... so what's the plan?" he asked, looking back at her.

     She smiled, thinking of a plan.

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"Help! Please! Help me!" Molly yelled, banging on the front door.

A lady at the front desk, looked up, raising her eyebrow at the noise.

"Please! I need help!" she cried out.

Slowly, the lady at the front desk stood, walking to open the door.

She looked down at Molly, who was standing there crying.

"Hey... what's wrong?" she asked, bending down to look her in the eyes.
"I... I'm lost," Molly cried, rubbing her eyes with her hand.
"Do you know you're parents phone number?" She shook her head. "Your address?" She shook her head again. "Anything?" Again... she shook her head.

"Well... ok... um..." the lady looked around, not knowing what to do.

Molly looked over at Branch, who was leaning up against the wall by the door, and nodded.

Branch nodded back, sneaking inside the open door.

"Ok..." the lady said, slowly. "Why don't we go inside, and call the police? They'll help you find your way home."

She started to turn towards Branch, who froze, looking back in fear.

"No!" Molly yelled out, suddenly. The lady looked at her confused. "I mean... my dad should be around here somewhere. Will you help me look for him?"

"Well... uh... ok. Let's have a look around."

She stood, grabbing onto Molly's hand, as the two of them walked away, the door swinging shut into Branch.

He fell forwards, landing on his hands and knees.

"Ow," he grumbled, as he slowly stood up. He looked around the massive room, finally spotting a phone on the desk.

"Yes!" he whispered, joyfully, as he ran over to the phone.

He used the drew handles as a ladder, climbing up onto the desk, quickly, but carefully.

As he reached the surface of the desk, he tripped, falling right into an ink pad.

"Gross..." he said, looking at the black ink all over him.

Quickly, he stood, running over to the phone, and jumping on it to dial a number.

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"Dad!?" Molly called out, as she walked the streets with the front desk lady. "Dad!?"

"Maybe we should go back to where I work. Then I can call the police to help."
"No," Molly objected. "I know he's around here somewhere."

Suddenly, her cell phone began to ring.

She smiled, pulling it out of her pocket to answer it.

"Dad?" she said into the phone. "Dad! Yep... yep... oh... you're right around the corner? Ok. I'll be right there."
"Wait," the lady said, grabbing the phone from Molly. "Hello?"

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Back at the exterminator place, Branch froze at the sound of the new voice coming through the phone.

"Uh... hello?" he said, his fear being heard clearly in his shaky voice.

"Hi. I'm Jill from Begone Pests. I'm here with your daughter right now," the voice said. "Uh... ok..." Branch responded, not knowing what to do. This wasn't part of the plan.

     "Where are you, exactly?"
"Oh... um... right around the corner?" Branch responded, smiling innocently.

     "I kinda need to see you before I let this child out of my sight. It's a dangerous world out there."
"You have no idea..." Branch grumbled, quietly. "But... um... I would like Mol... my... uh... daughter... to come to me. Alone."

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     "I'm afraid I can't do that, sir. I need to make sure she's safe."

     Molly looked at her, not knowing what to do. She had to get away from this lady, so she could get back to Branch.

     "Uh... could I... talk to my dad for a minute?"

     The lady handed Molly the phone back, and she turned, whispering into it.

     "What do I do?" she asked, quietly, so the lady couldn't hear her.

     "How am I supposed to know!?" Branch answered through the phone. "It was your plan!"

     "Ok... don't worry. Just continue on with the rest of the plan. I'll find a way to get out of here."
"Ok..." Branch said, as he hung up the phone.

     Molly hung up her end too, and then looked up at the lady.

     "Well... I... uh... he said... to... RUN!"

     Quickly, she took off running.

     "Hey! Get back here!" the lady yelled, chasing after her, but after a while, she just gave up, grumbling angrily, as she headed back towards the exterminator place.

     Molly looked back, and smiled.

     "Now to get back to Branch..."

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     After Branch hung up the phone, he ran to find the electrical room, unaware that he was leaving behind black footprints from the ink he had fell into.