Disappeared Parents

Branch was singing on the top of the troll tree when a Bergen came by. "Watch out Branch!" cried Grandma Rosiepuff.

She shoved Branch out of the way and felt the hand squeeze her to death. Branch fell on the flower and on to the ground. "Grandma!" he shouted but his grandmother was out of reach. Branch knelt on the ground and looked at his hands. His hair turned black and his body turned grey. Why did I sing? Why didn't I turn around?

He lowered his head to his hands. I will never sing another note again. Branch walked into the pod and into his grandmother's room. "Now who's going to take care of me?"

He accidentally knocked a picture frame down and it shattered. Branch hurried up and picked the photo up. He saw two blue trolls, one male, the other female and his grandmother. Branch folded the picture and put it in his pocket for safe keeping. He wandered outside the troll tree and sat down near the roots.

Suddenly a red troll with turquoise hair came up to him. "Hey kid. Where's your caregiver?"

"I don't have one ma'am."

The troll looked around the tree but couldn't see any other trolls around. "Well I guess your going to have to come with me then."

She led the little grey troll to her pod. "You can sleep here tonight."

"Thank you ma'am."

"Please call me Merry."

"Okay Merry."

Merry opened the covers for Branch so he could crawl under then threw them on top of him. "Goodnight kid."

"Night Ms. Merry!" the little grey troll cried out.

The lights cut off in the bedroom. The next day Merry had to go to work at the orphanage.

"I guess "take your kid to work day" is early now."

Branch chuckled a bit. Merry took Branch by the hand and walked him to the orphanage. She took him to a room full of troll children.

"Don't worry. You'll be seeing me. Trust me."

Branch looked at Merry then at the houseful of little trolls no older than eight running around the room.

"I know you want to hang out with me but I've gotta work. Besides I know you'll make some new friends here."

Merry gave the kid a few pats on the head. Branch looked at his grey color then back at the other trolls. He began to feel self-conscious about being the only grey troll out of probably two hundred colorful trolls.

"You'll get your color back, don't worry." Merry assured him.

She gave him a lunch bag. "Like I said before I'm going to be busy so I made you a lunch bag."

"Thank you."

"See you around alright?"

"Bye Ms. Merry!" Branch cried as he waved bye bye to his presumably temporary caretaker.

Branch walked over to a bed with a sheet, blanket, and pillow. "I wonder whose bed this is."

A pink female troll with light pink hair came over to him. "Hey kid that's my bed."

"Sorry," Branch murmured.

The pink troll grabbed his wrist and brought him to a bed where a small, fat, yellow troll was sitting reading a book.

"Hey, Ragweed, can he bunk with you?"

"Sure, Moxie."

Branch felt the girl pushing him gently to the bed. Branch unzipped his backpack and took out the picture of his parents. Where are they? Who are they?

Branch had a lot of questions about who his parents were but it was time for breakfast. Branch walked in the sea of colors who were bolting down the stairs in order to get the first taste of breakfast. After sitting down Branch took the picture out of his pocket again and closely examined the two trolls. He then saw something in the background. A tree. Then it dawned on him. The Troll Tree!

He wanted to leap in the air and shout but then he had a predicament. How was he going to find his parents when he didn't know where they were? Branch tried to remember something else about his parents but nothing came to mind. He felt something touch his shoulder. He looked up and saw his mother standing over him.

"Are you okay?" Merry asked concerned.

"I'm okay Mrs. Merry I was just looking at my photograph."

"Can I see too?" asked Merry.

She bent down to Branch's level and looked at the picture. "Wow! They look just like you, Branch."

Branch gave a sad smile. Merry quickly regretted saying anything about his parents knowing that she was all this little troll had. "I'm so sorry Branch."

Merry gave Branch a comforting hug as soon as all of the hug time bracelets went off. After hug time everyone went to school or work. Branch slipped his hand into Merry's as they started the journey to school.