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

Part 1: Chapter 19: Bizarre Bazaar

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After another trip to the archives, one that wasn't hindered by Sprig deliberately putting the family in danger, Frank, Anne, and the Plantars were on the road back home. However, their visit to the underground library was more or less a disappointment.

"Well, that was a waste of time," said the patriarch of the family, Hop Pop. As the kids sat back on the saddle, he was driving Bessie down the road.

"Ugh, you said it. Can't believe there was nothing in the archives about my music box," Frank said, looking over the box from his grandparents' thrift shop. He and Anne rarely, if ever, allowed the box to leave their room whenever they weren't around. It was the only place to keep it safe from thieves and people wanting to take or break it. On their second trip to the archives, they decided to bring it along to see if any book in the underground library had information about it.

"So, you really think this is your key to getting home?" Sprig asked as he and Polly looked at their reflections in the box

"Well, it zapped us here, so, yeah. It's pretty much our only lead," Anne said, taking the box from Frank. She then repeatedly opened the music box's lid to see if it did anything. "I'm really looking forward to finding someone who can help me fix this thing."

"Don't worry, Anne. We'll figure it out eventually," Hop Pop said. Then all of a sudden, Bessie came to a screeching halt on the road. "Whoa!"

Frank looked down at what was blocking their path. When he saw it, he had to rub his eyes to ensure he wasn't hallucinating. What was walking across the road in front of Bessie were very strange and—ironically—cartoonishly looking, tiny creatures. They mainly consisted of fruits or fuzzballs that had legs and eyes.

"Hey, get outta the way, you... Whatever the heck you are!" Hop Pop shook his fists at the creatures.

"Oh, hey. What are they? These things are cute." Sprig said as he watched the creatures.

Frank looked in the direction the little beings came from and saw them hopping out of a hole in a tree. "Hmm?" He hummed to himself before jumping off Bessie's saddle and walking towards the hole in the tree.

"Frank! Frank!" Anne called out to him on the saddle. "Don't put your hand in there."

"Oh, please. What's the worst that can happen?" Frank said, looking into the hole. "Although...I do see something..." he trailed off before slowly reaching his hand inside the tree. The others watched nervously as his fingers went in before his palm disappeared into the hole. Frank continued to reach inside before...

"AAAAAAAAHHH!!!" He yelled in pain.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" The others yelled in fear and horror.

However, when Frank pulled his hand out of the hole, he showed them that it was completely fine and unharmed. Then he started laughing uncontrollably. Realizing that he was messing with them, the others glared at him, with Anne picking up a rock and throwing it at him. Hitting him in the chest. "NOT COOL, DUDE!"

"OW! Hey, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it," Frank said, still laughing. "But seriously, there's something in the hole."

He reached back in and pulled out what looked to be an egg. But it wasn't just an egg. It was a reddish black egg that appeared to have been decorated with painted lines, and there was even a strange hourglass symbol on it that resembled the one on a black window.

"What is that?" Anne asked as Frank brought over the egg.

"Don't know." He held it to his ear and shook it to determine if it contained anything. "It looks like a cascarón," Frank said.