~ The Other Side of the Storm ~

Chapter 12

( Did I rewrite this entire chapter after writing 3,000 words and also making some other chapters? Yup. )

"I-I can do this." Rose told herself, short of breath. She put her hand against a tree, trying to catch her breath.

As an older woman, that was harder to do.

She darted off again, and becoming slightly unaware of what was in front of her, fell face first into the ditch.

She groaned and rubbed her face then clutched her chest, "T-That definitely hurt." She rolled on to her back and noticed Branch, who was barely conscious.

Critz nuzzled Branch, hoping to keep him awake. "Avdiaidtabidhaiusn?"

Rose rubbed her head and shook herself out of her exhaustion, "What happened to you?"

She looked down at the open wound on his leg, "How did this happen?" She glanced down at the bandage on her own leg and removed it to put it on his.

A huge scar was revealed to be sprawled across her entire leg. It was a fairly new scar, like that day new.

She tightened the bandage on his cut, in hopes it would stop the bleeding. "What happened to you? We're you stabbed?"

Branch, as expected, didn't respond other than taking a breath that seemed more normal than before.

Just like every other dramatic and intense scene in history, it began to pour down rain.

Critz burst himself into flames, hoping to keep Branch warm. "Agsidyahdjalsha?"

"I'm going to go get the others to help! Keep him alive." Rose climbed out of the ditch and ran through the forest again.

~

"Mom!" Mandy hiked through the muddy ground, calling out for her mom, fighting some tears back. "I hope she's okay."

Verdana patted her back, "Rose is the strongest troll I know. She can do this!"

Biggie had similar fears to Mandy, "What if Branch is hurt? Anything could've happened to him." He bit his non-existent nails and picked up Acorn, hugging him like a stress toy.

"Biggie," Verdana put her hands on Biggie's hands, "He's fine." She smiled at him, hoping to boost his confidence.

Biggie whimpered, "But what if he's not?"

"Just don't think that way." Verdana pulled on Acorn's legs, trying to free him from Biggie's grip. "He seems like a strong troll, he can handle whatever is thrown at him."

Biggie squeezed Acorn tighter, "He's internally a very soft child though."

"Suffocating.." Acorn gasped for air.

Verdana rolled her eyes and kicked Biggie in the shin, "OUCH!" She hugged her leg and groaned in pain. "That was my bad leg!"

Biggie fell over and hugged his shin, "Why are you complaining? You kicked me!"

"I had an accident a long time ago. Blown out of a tree and fell right to the ground. Thought I died, but I miraculously didn't. I got so scared of endangering my son again, that's when I ran off." Verdana then, added that was the reason she limped often. Rose helped her get better over the years, but she doubted it would never be the same without surgical help.

"You abandoned your son?" That really shocked Biggie. They seemed so innocent.

"She was going to have me life with him forever, but I left him with his grandma and reunited with Verdana." Acorn held her hand and sighed.