Deep breaths. Deep breaths. One, two, three, four five. Everything is going to be okay. Everything is fine. I just have to keep telling myself that, but it isn't that easy. You can tell yourself anything and I guess after awhile you have to believe it. You have to believe it to keep yourself sane. Why am I still so conflicted over being in love with Creek? I feel like I'm cheating on Poppy, but we're done. We don't mean anything anymore yet I have this overbearing pain that keeps coming up. I threw away my entire life and all my friends just for one Troll and I'm starting to wonder...was it worth it? Creek has been gone the entire day and I have no idea where he is. It's not like I can ask anyone where he is. I sit up in bed and play with my fingers. It's so quiet and lonely without him here. I'm starting to feel like I need him...like I'm depending on him. I've never depended on another Troll before, I've always been able to do things on my own but I feel like more and more I've been leaning on Creek for support. My thoughts are interrupted by a loud clanging or banging. I hop out of bed and throw some clothes on and hurry out into the main room of my bunker. My mechanized lift is coming down and Poppy is on it. Poppy? Well not Poppy, a grey and dulled version of her. Seeing her like this is like a bullet to the head.
I really should not care anymore about her but I'm a Troll and I have feelings. I feel horrible for how she's being affected by my new found relationship with Creek but I can't control how she feels. I need to move past her and what we had and her showing up in my bunker announced isn't helping the situation. She's tapping her fingers together and is shaking. I can instantly tell that there is something wrong and she needs to talk to me about something but what would it be? I hope she isn't here to just complain and wine to me. I've heard enough of that from her and she's heard enough of that from me. I have to collect my thoughts and think of something to say before the lift reaches the ground. I run out of time to come up with anything prepared or witty and the lift reaches the ground. We stand in silence for a brief moment and exchange a glance filled with so many emotions. Betrayal, pain, hurt. She opens her mouth and begins to speak but is choked up by tears. I take a few steps towards her, showing her that I am interested, sorta, to talk to her and hear what she has to say.
"Branch..." Poppy squeaks. I know she's scared and she's nervous, but so am I.
"What is it?" I ask her, taking another step forward.
"It's about Creek." She answers.
"I don't want to hear it." I say, turning away from her. I don't have time or even care about this. I feel bad that she's hurt and she's upset but I don't want to get into an argument. I already feel horrible enough about what's going on and I'm not going to be put on another guilt trip. Poppy follows me and grabs my arm, begging me to listen to her. "I'm not going to stand here while you make me feel bad. I don't want to hear anymore about how we should be together or that Creek did this or i said this. This isn't the time!" I forcefully push Poppy off, nearly sending her to the ground.
"I don't care about that!" Poppy lies. "Creek said he's going to Bergen Town and he's going to send all the Bergen's here to eat us!" Poppy screams, waving her arms around like a psychopath.
"The Bergens...they don't care about us anymore." I reply. "If this is some attempt to make me not like him or for me to take you back, it won't work. Stop spreading lies." I don't think Poppy could be lying but this doesn't make any sense. The Bergens don't care about us anymore. They're all happy and over everything so why would she be saying this? if it's a lie, it isn't a good one.
"No, he said that he was persuasive and it would happen and that it was the third part of his plan!" Poppy explains. "He's had this plan all along and he said he was great at manipulation. It's been this sick plot to break us up, usurp me and then destroy Troll Village!" This information comes crashing down on me like a pile of bricks. She keeps talking and the more she goes on, the more disturbed I become. This is actually starting to make sense. Creek creating some convoluted revenge plot against Troll Village? He did betray us so I wouldn't put it past him to do something like this. I'm going through so many emotions and so many feelings, but most of all - I'm mad. I've been lied to. Manipulated. Cheated. I let this asshole take advantage of me in so many ways. But I have to find out if this is true first. I need to set my emotions aside.
"I...I need to talk to Creek." is all I can manage to say to her. I look around my bunker and take a moment to think. I can't be too safe, and I'd rather be safe than sorry. "Lock yourself in my safe room." I begin. "There's a red button under my bed. Press it and the bed will lift; revealing a door. Open it up, go inside, lock yourself in and don't come out until I come back." I explain as I usher her to the bedroom and demonstrate the steps I'm explaining.
"Branch, I - " I cut Poppy off before she can finish. No time for goodbyes, no time for apologies, no time for anything. I don't want to take the risk of Bergens actually coming her and busting up the village. I have to make sure everyone is safe. "I'll be right back." I say to Poppy, spinning around and hurrying my way out of my bunker. I secure it in every possible manner to make sure nothing can get it.
I hustle into Troll Village; filled with ongoing festivities and parties. In the town square stands a large alarm bell to warn the Trolls of incoming Bergens. After the dramatic event that was Poppy and I's wedding, I doubt anyone will listen to me if I ring it. I dash to the back of the Troll Cafe building and climb up the escape ladder to the roof - with a large rock clenched tightly in my hair. I position my aim and launch the rock perfectly and it strikes the bell with a defending ding. The bell begins to rapidly ring back and forth, alerting all the Trolls. Complete chaos and pandemonium ensues as the entire village of Trolls drops everything and begins to run around frantically. Trolls are screaming and crying - unsure of what's to come. I probably just caused a riot to ensue, but I can't let anything happen to my village. Despite all the drama that has happened between Creek, Poppy and I, I can't let that get in the way of what really matters. What matters is that the Trolls of Troll Village are a community and we are a unit. We work together and support each other and someone has breached that system. I have to talk to Creek and set things straight. Poppy couldn't have just made up that entire tale on her own...could she?
There stands Creek's house - with the lights on. He's in there. I have to talk to him. I'm too scared to go in but I need to. I just found out a whirlwind of information that just doesn't seem plausible right now. I firmly knock on the door and call out for Creek, but he doesn't reply. I take it into my own hands and I enter his house which is lit up by candles everywhere. I advance into the living room to find him meditating. The room reeks of incense the horrible combination of all the scented candles. He doesn't acknowledge me, he just sits there with his eyes closed. I know he can read auras and he can sense thing and he knows I'm here. He begins to read out my aura but I cut him off by smacking a couple candles on the ground; causing them to shatter everywhere. Creek lets out a sigh and opens his eyes at me. His expressionless placid face shifts to a suggestive smirk. He stands up fixes himself up and just smiles at me...waiting.
"Did you tell the Bergens to come and eat us?" I ask Creek, breaking the seemingly never ending silence. He doesn't respond, he just stands there, smirking like a douche. "What was this Creek? Was this all a plan? To make me fall for you, to destroy Poppy's life all in the same of revenge?" As I say it out loud, I can't believe this could possibly be true. It sickens me just to hear the words come out of my own mouth.
"So the little bird sang?" Creek says as he begins to pace around me. "I admit, it is a a bit extreme. I'd say it wasn't really the most thought out plan but it did work, didn't it?" My heart seems to stop, my body becomes numb and I feel faint. Creek just confessed to everything. He played me, lied to me, ruined me. He never cared for me, for Poppy, for anything. He's a heartless bastard and I let him use me.
"You used me. You fucking used me. You're...you're a monster." I tell Creek. "Did you even love me?" I shout. "Did you?!" I scream, punching Creek across the face. "Answer me! Fucking answer me!"
"I...I do." Creek mutters, shielding his face from me.
"You want?" I scream at him.
"I love you." Creek says to me. This bastard has the nerve to say this to me? He has the nerve to say that he loves me? Is he joking right now? I can't believe the crap I'm hearing right now. This isn't real. This can not be happening right now. I cannot even think of the words to come up with right now.
"You don't. You don't!" I shout at him. I'm so filled with rage and anger, I begin tearing his house apart. Throwing candles down, kicking furniture over and knocking things down. "If you loved me, you wouldn't have lied! If you loved me, you wouldn't have wanted to hurt me or the people I care about! If you loved me you would have never have done any of this!" I stop in my tracks, nearly falling over. I take a few deep breaths but it isn't helping.
"I do love you." Creek cries. "I didn't at first, but I began to like you. And I do now. I now love you. I do Branch, I love you. I wanted you to be mine. I got so far into it and got so caught up in my anger against everything...against Poppy...I couldn't go back." He explains.
"Did you think that after you destroyed the village I'd still love you?" I ask him.
"I didn't think you'd figure out the truth!" Creek shouts back at me.
"That's your excuse!? It was fine because you didn't think I'd find out!?" I go to punch Creek again to realize a fire starting in the corner of the room. All those candles I knocked over got caught in his curtains and nearby plants. As if things couldn't get any worse, we hear a loud thud in the background. A deafening silence falls over the the entire village. The Bergens...they're here.
