In The Wild

Chapter Eighteen: Autocracy

Poppy woke up in the hospital. She had been there for a few days now. Even though the doctors insisted Viva that Poppy was perfectly fine, Viva made her stay there for over three months. But Poppy didn't really care about that.

She was more concerned with why Branch didn't visit her.

" Where's Branch?" Poppy would ask.

But Viva would always change the subject. She would talk about how great it was being queen of all the trolls and would tell Poppy how "Trollstopia" was going. Viva said it would be the capital of the Troll Kingdom. She described it as a utopia of trolls.

But Poppy knew that was further from the truth.

Poppy stopped Viva during one of these talks.

" Viva, what's really happening?" She asked.

" What are you talking about-"

" There's no way " Trollstopia" can actually be like what you're saying."  Poppy said with

" Poppy -"

" Viva, tell me the truth!" Poppy demanded.

" I've already told you." Viva replied. " Everything is fine."

" You're lying!" Poppy shouted." There's no way that all the trolls are "fine" with you as queen!"

" What does that mean?" Viva asked." Are you saying I'm a bad queen?"

" Yes!" Poppy exclaimed.

Viva then gave Poppy a slap as her response.

" You don't know anything about being a ruler." She said

" Well, I know you can't force everyone to do what you want!" Poppy retorted.

" Yes, you can," Viva stated." And we will."

Then Viva walked away.

Poppy felt the cheek that Viva slapped and asked herself.

" What does "we" mean?"

. . .

That night, Poppy was restless. She had never been so scared of Viva in her entire life. Poppy still had no idea what Viva was doing, but she was sure it couldn't be good.

Then she heard a loud noise. It was like some equipment fell over.

Since she was awake anyway, she decided to look around.

She crept around the quiet hospital and found.....

.....Nothing.

" To be honest, I don't know what I was expecting." Poppy said.

Then, she felt arms grab her around the waist.

Poppy readied herself for an attack, but then she saw someone she had missed for a long time.

" Branch!" She shouted." I missed you much! Where have you been?!"

" I'll tell you soon," Branch said." But now we need to get you out of here."

" Yes, please!" Poppy grabbed Branch's hand and followed him out of the hospital.

. . .

" So where were you?" She asked.

" Well, um....." Branch stuttered." I don't know how to say this."

" So just say it!" Poppy exclaimed.

" I tried to visit you, but Viva said that she's  " tolerated me enough " and that I was a " bad influence " on you.

" What?!" Poppy shouted." That's insane! If anything, I'm a bad influence on you and-"