"Trolloween Fright Night"

"On the night of Trolltober 31st,
the full blood moon rises,
which marks the beginning of the autumn harvest,
but it is also said,
as many of you already know,
to be the only night of the year when all dark spirits,
evil creatures,
and deadly monsters come out to cause mischief and mayhem to all trolls and trollings who cross their path,
muwahahahaha!!!"
Poppy evil laughed, with a flashlight shining on her face, in a dark pod, making the trollings she was telling the story to gasp and shudder, many hugging on to one another. Branch was watching behind the group of trollings, chuckling and rolling his eyes at his girlfriend's antics.
Poppy then turned the lights back on in the pod, flipped her flashlight off, and continued on a lighter note,
"however this is only speculation and lore,
but it gives us good reason for celebration which we are always happy to comply with.
So that's why we dress up in costumes,
carve pumpkins,
and trick-or-treat to ward off or at least appease the dark forces that be. Anything is said to be possible tonight, so be careful...
But most importantly have fun!!!"
And with that poppy finished her story for the little trollings who eagerly headed off to prepare for the exciting night ahead. While Branch clapped for his girlfriend, slowly making his way to her after all the trollings were gone.
"Great story, like always, babe", he said, giving her a warm smile and a quick, endearing hug.
"Aww thanks babe!", she said eagerly reciprocating the hug, "now, are you excited for tonight!?!"
"Isn't that dressing up and trick or treating more for trollings, Poppifer?" He said facetiously and chuckled a little in the process.
"Ha-ha very funny Branch", she said sarcastically, "you know what I'm talking about... Does the annual scary story bonfire ring a bell!?!"
"Right... If I remember correctly the last bonfire you threw was a total disaster with Biggie being scared sugarless."
"That won't happen again, Bridget promised to dial it back on Bergen scary stories in the future, besides, she can't make it tonight anyway"
"What about Barb..."
"She promised she would also dial it back on the gore and maiming, oh come on Branch, this is going to be the best Trolloween bonfire ever!!! Especially now that we're all united again...
And this will be our first Trolloween bonfire as a couple too."
And with that she went up to him and gave him a peck on the cheek which of course made him blush, dorkily smile, and made any hesitations about the whole thing he may have had melt away on the spot.
"Alright... When should I pick you up milady", he said, bowing ,offering his hand to her, and in a faux, exaggerated British accent which made Poppy giggle.
"Around 7:30 would be great my good sir", she said, playing the part as well by taking his hand and twirling into him, "so we can get there a little early before it starts at 8." Both finishing their little show by giving each other a peck on the lips.
*later at the Bonfire*
The bonfire had so far been a huge success, representatives from all the tribes told really great scary stories, and the snacks and singing were phenomenal. Prince D told a story titled, "Doppelgänger", which was about an evil twin of one's self that caused trouble while the good, real, version of the troll was blamed for it. Cooper especially liked this story, not realizing the irony behind it that his twin brother was the one telling it.
Delta Dawn told the story, "Harold", about a sentient, killer scarecrow that terrorizes two farmers.
Trollzart told the story of "The Headless Spider Rider".
King Trollex told a story about an evil, sentient turntable, that sought to wipe out all trolls for good so technology would rein supreme.
Even Queen Barb told a story called, "High Critter Beams", about a killer in the back of a critter mobile only being stopped from killing the driver by the high beams being flashed by the critter mobile behind them.
Last, but certainly not least, it was Queen Poppy's turn to tell a scary story to represent the Pop trolls.
"Okay everyone, this one is going to make you wet your pants!", Poppy said eagerly in front of all of the trolls, rubbing her hands together, with an evil smirk on her face.
"Oh this ought to be good", Branch said sarcastically, crossing his arms, and looking at his girlfriend with a sly smirk on his face.
"What, you don't think I can tell a good scary story?", she said with a hand on her hip, in a sassy pose, and in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Well if this story is anything like the other Pop troll "scary" stories I've heard before, then I don't expect this one to be any scarier than the others, which weren't really scary at all." Branch replied, giving her a gesture that was similar to the one he gave her when he made the "silver platter" comment on their first whirlwind rescue mission together.
"We'll see about that... Branchifer", now... this was a challenge, so Poppy grabbed her flashlight and got into position to tell her story.
"This story revolves around the legend of the Immortal Vampiric Trolls, the trolls that feed on the blood of the living and innocent..."
"You mean myth, vampiric trolls don't exist", Branch interjected.
"I did not misspeak, dear Branchifer, they are "Legend" because they have not been proven to exist or not exist", she exasperatedly retorted through her teeth, shooting Branch a playful glare in the process before continuing. "They are creatures of the night, with immense power (flexes muscles) and long, sharp fangs (makes fangs with her pointer fingers) , that roam the night in search of prey, but the scariest thing about these creatures is they look like any other grey troll for the most part, except for their bright red eyes..."
Poppy creepily gestured to her eye and every troll was on the edge of their seat, Branch even had to admit this story was pretty good...so far.
"But by the time you notice this it is usually too late..." Poppy was cut off by a blood curdling scream coming from Smidge. Smidge collapsed on the ground, curled in a ball, and clutched her neck with her hands.
Poppy ran over to her friend, "Smidge, what's wrong!?!", on closer inspection Poppy saw a small pool of blood forming from where Smidge's hands were clutching her throat.
"Something bit me!!!", Smidge screamed.
"Don't worry Smidge, we'll go get that treated right now with Dr. Moonbloom, it doesn't look too bad, just calm down, it'll be okay", Poppy said, putting a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Don't worry about me Poppy...", Smidge almost seemed to hiss out. She also seemed to pale a little in color, even though her back was to Poppy.
Despite this, Poppy could tell something was wrong with her friend.
"The real troll you should be worrying about...
is YOU!!!"
Smidge said turning around to face Poppy with bright, red eyes and long, sharp fangs.
Smidge forcefully jumped on Poppy, making her fall on her back on the ground, putting Smidge on top of her, pinning her down.
Smidge then barred her fangs before plunging them into Poppy's soft, pink neck.
Poppy was able to choke out, "EvErYoNe RuN", despite blood filling her throat from the deep puncture wounds, making most of the trolls around the bonfire scatter, screaming for their lives.
Except for Branch.
He screamed his Girlfriend's name and tried to make his way through the frantic crowd to Poppy.
He finally made it to Poppy, but he was met with a red eyed, and long, sharp fanged version of his girlfriend.
He was terrified and in complete shock.
"Too late, my dearest Branch", she said with a hungry fanged smile,
"Now...
I would run if I were you."
She said hissing and running towards him with vampiric Smidge following suit.
Being the survivalist he was, Branch did as advised.
He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, whenever he stopped to catch his breath, he was met with another one of his friends with bright, red eyes and long, sharp fangs.
Everyone around him was being "turned" in front of his eyes and so fast.
He was terrified.
Trollie Mollie was he terrified.
He feared for his life and he felt like all the people he cared about had become bloodthirsty monsters.
He just kept running, which soon brought him to a part of the forest he wasn't so familiar with, which was really saying something, as this is Branch, "the paranoid, survivalist hermit with 10-11 years of fully self-stocked supplies from this very location" we're talking about.
It was a little clearing, and in this clearing he saw the carcass of a spider with a small hooded figure hunched over part of its long neck, feeding on the spider's blood through a 4-holed puncture wound.
Hearing Branch, the figure turned around toward him. The cloaked figure had bright, glowing red eyes and long, sharp fangs that were drenched in blood as well as most of the figure's face making it almost indecipherable.
The hooded figure hissed at Branch, sending him running again, but this time he soon ran into all of his vampiric friends, including his now vampiric girlfriend at the front of the horde.
All of them stared at him with fanged grins and red eyes.
"There's no use in running, Branch", Poppy said, making her way away from the coven toward him, "Join us, then we can be together for all EtErNiTy", Poppy said offering him her hand.
Faced with a dilemma, Branch quickly formulated his possible options in his head.
He couldn't kill them because, for once in his life, he wasn't properly prepared with tools to wound the immortal.
Not to mention, he couldn't bring himself to harming his friends, especially his girlfriend, Poppy, even if they were blood thirsty vampires now.
He could run, but then they would still get him eventually. If the stories he had heard were true, Vampiric trolls were superhuman in every possible way so escaping them would be nearly impossible.
Even if he did escape them, he would live out the rest of his mortal life without his friends and the troll he loved more than anyone else.
They may be monsters now, but he would rather live the life of a creature of the night with them for-forever than live a mortal life completely alone again. He had already lost most of his biological family, he wasn't going to lose his chosen family too.
"I'll do whatever I have to do to stay with you, my love", Branch said in defeat, taking Poppy's now pale, pink, outstretched hand in his.
Poppy pulled him closer,
dipped him,
and barred her fangs getting ready to bite his neck.
Branch obliged but couldn't bring himself to look Poppy in the eyes as she was going to turn him.
She began to lean in...
... but then right before her fangs were about to pierce his neck,
She closed her mouth and planted a big kiss on his neck instead.
This took Branch completely by surprise making him jump out of Poppy's grip, stumble awkwardly back, and blush like crazy.
"Poppy, what the hair!?!", Branch said in outrage and embarrassment, making Poppy bust out laughing and the rest of the nest behind her follow suit.
"Woo, we got you good, Branch!", she said, still trying to stop herself from laughing.
"Wait you planned this!?!", said Branch.
"Ugh, duh, yeah Branch, I knew you were a difficult one to scare, so this time I wanted to make sure you got the fright of your life... Or should I say unlife!" Poppy said this last part in a Transylvanian accent and mimicked shielding herself with an imaginary cape.
"So the pale skin..."
"Was Satin and Chenille's makeup work."
"The fangs..."
"Fake", Poppy said, popping one of her's out.
"The eyes..."
"Contacts that Barb so generously provided", Poppy said finger gunning Barb to which Barb finger gunned back, "Thanks bestie!"
"And..."
"All of Trollstopia and the Troll Tribes were in on it", Poppy said defiantly, "That's what you get for saying I can't tell a good scary story, Branch", Poppy said, bursting into laughter again with the rest of Trollstopia and the Troll Tribes joining in.
Even Branch joined in laughing because he could always appreciate a good prank, especially when it was one orchestrated by the beautiful, pink love of his life.
"Okay, okay, I'll admit it, you got me good", Branch said to Poppy after the laughter had died down and they were all walking back to Trollstopia/Pop Village, his hand holding hers, "I especially liked the dead spider body detail, that must have taken forever to construct."
"What are you talking about, Branch?", Poppy queried.
"The dead spider carcass in the clearing with the cloaked figure, it looked so legitimately real."
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about Branch, we didn't do this "spider scene" thing you're describing, maybe you were just so scared you imagined it." Poppy giggled leaning her head on his shoulder.
Branch knew he didn't imagine that scene, because it terrified him so much the whole thing could be played out in his mind over and over again like a VHS tape. He knew Poppy was telling the truth too by her tone and serious, incredulous face. Which now made what he had seen that much more puzzling and frankly quite scary. He knew Poppy was stubborn though so he knew there was no need in pressing the subject any further as it wouldn't answer his questions and concerns anyway, so he decided to brush it off, "Yeah, you're probably right, Pops", Branch conceded, leaning his head lovingly against Poppy's.
Little did the couple know that someone, or more rather, something, had been watching them the whole time on a low hanging tree branch,
It was a young, female, gray, cloaked troll with a tail, and long, sharp black ombré claws/talons. She peered down at them with bright, glowing, yellow eyes, and smiled, revealing long, sharp fangs.
"Oh what fools these mortals be", she said before laughing and transforming into a bat, flying off into the night.
The end
Barb and Delta's stories in the one shot are based on some of the "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark '' by Alvin Schwartz . Trollzart's story was based on "The Headless Horseman'' story by Washington Irving. The vampire troll in the clearing and in the end of the story is my OC Willow Woodwind and the line she says is from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream". The fanfic cover pic is also my art, but the quote on the piece is from one of my favorite 80's vampire flicks, "Fright Night". If you haven't seen it and love vamps as much as I do, I would highly recommend it.
Happy Halloween Everybody!!!