Johanna was sitting at her desk and was doing some sketch designs for her next work. Her daughter was over at Sarah's place for the day and was playing her new game console, which was fine. But Johanna had to stay home and work which was kind of a bummer, but at least she had the freedom of her home. Right now Johanna had to finish this design so she can be paid. She was concentrated on her work until she heard a snap. Johanna looked at her pencil and saw the lid broken, making her a little annoyed.
Johanna: Oh, great.
Johanna then rolled over to a small drawer set on the side and opened it, but was surprised to find the pencil sharpener missing. Johanna just made a confused look and stood up from her seat, before digging through the drawers from top to bottom, but didn't find the pencil sharpener. Johanna just looked up and glanced at the couch, where Tontu was sitting down and doing some kind of crossword puzzle. Johanna just walked over with her hands on her hips.
Johanna: Tontu?
Tontu: Hm?
Johanna: Where's the pencil sharpener?
Tontu: I don't know. Why?
Johanna: I can't find.
Tontu: Oh. Well, it wasn't me.
Johanna: I know. And Hilda couldn't have taken it because she has her own...
Johanna just walked back to her desk and looked at her work. She needed this done soon and needed a pencil sharpener. Johanna glanced at her room door and remembered how there was more stuff in there, because of her new troll habit of hoarding. Maybe she could just go out and buy a new one, which was only 3 dollars. Johanna just shrugged for whatever and walked over to the kitchen, grabbing her purse on the table. Then she turned to Tontu.
Johanna: Tontu.
Tontu: Yes?
Johanna: I'm gonna head out and get a new one. I'll be back soon.
Tontu: Alright.
Johanna walked down the hallway and took her coat off the wall with her hood to avoid the sun. Johanna put them on and walked out the door.
Johanna parked the car along the curb and switched off the engines the turn of her key, stepping out of the car. Johanna then walked over to the store and entered inside, where the bell dinged for those upon entering. Johanna scanned her surroundings and saw about 12 other people in the store, which did sound like a problem but Johanna will be quick. Johanna took a deep breath and placed her hands in her pockets before walking to get the pencil sharpener. But suddenly Johanna didn't looked to see and bumped into someone, making them stumble and look at each other.
Johanna: Oh, sorry about that.
Woman 1: Oh, bug off! Big nose!
Johanna flinched as the woman spat at her and she walked away with a pout on her face, leaving Johanna feeling a bit bad. Johanna just brushed it off and simply walked towards the art supplies. She reached the aisle, down the aisle and towards the art section, where she saw the sharpeners. Johanna looked at them and saw the simple kind, but her eyes did catch this new one that looks electric. Johanna was now thinking if she should buy this one because it wouldn't have to be moved and would stay in one place, which won't get lost.
Woman 2: Is that her?
Woman 1: Oh, yes. The recluse who has Pinocchio's nose!
Johanna just turned to her left and saw the woman she bumped into with others who were looking at her with glares. Johanna was cringe for her? And did she call her a recluse because she was wearing clothes that hid her face? Johanna just turned away to the shelves and tried to ignore her, but she didn't stop there.
Woman 1: Does everyone see this?! She's got a bug nose! She's Pinocchio!
Johanna: Can you please stop that!
Woman 1: Why should I?
Johanna: Because you're being very judgmental!
Woman 1: Hm. Well, excuse me! Pinocchio!
Johanna: I said shut up!
Johanna then turned to her as she spat, but as she shifted to face the woman her hood flung off her head, revealing her troll face appearance. But only to the woman, but to everyone else that stood nearby. Johanna immediately realized and her face froze in fear now that she's been caught.
Woman 1: You're...a troll?
Johanna: Uh, I...um.
Woman 1: I knew it! You're a freak!
Johanna: No-
Woman 1: No?! What makes you think you're one of us?! Since the trolls were allowed in the city, you'd that it'd be okay to join them?!
At this point Johanna was now beginning to become rather impatient with this woman.
Johanna: No...You-
Woman 1: Why don't you just go back into the woods where you belong with them if you think you can
Johanna now had enough. Something inside of her just snapped like a bone that kept her from losing her mind, that changed Johanna. She just made a cold and raging face that glared at the woman with her teeth showing as she clenched them with each other. The woman just stopped spatting and made a frightened face, feeling her hands shake in fear as Johanna looked at her like an angry troll after someone had ranged a bell.
Woman:...Uh. Get-
The woman didn't get a chance to finish when Johanna suddenly jumped her, tackling her to the ground in a fit of rage. Johanna let out a loud roar and pinned her to the ground, making her shriek in fear that echoed throughout the store. Everyone nearby or heard the scream rushed to it's source and saw Johanna, now a troll, pinning the woman who offended her to the ground. The woman screamed loudly and tried to get away, but Johanna was stronger. Then suddenly, Johanna launched at her with her mouth and bite down on her right hand, sinking her sharp teeth in and making her scream.
Woman 1: Let go! LET GO!
But Johanna didn't and instead continued to comb down like a savage. No knew how or why this was happening, but perhaps out of troll behavior. The woman just looked up and saw nobody around, no one to help her. But it made it worse when Johanna bit down harder to the point Johanna felt the ends of her troll teeth touch each other through the woman's hand, making her scream louder. But what happened next was so bizarre, it was unthinkable. Johanna bit down hard enough that the woman's screams became louder like her hand was on fire. But then Johanna just tore away and yanked something off the woman's hand, that made her scream louder than usual in pain. Johanna looked back and saw the woman crying in agony with a chunk of her right hand completely gone.
Johanna looked into her mouth and felt it inside her. Johanna had bitten a chunk of the woman's hand clean off. Johanna just opened her mouth and let the piece of flesh fall out of her mouth and onto the floor, before struggling to get up. Johanna felt her body shaking from the fear and horror before she turned back and darted away from the scene, down the aisle and leaving the woman who insulted her behind. Johanna dashed through the store with her troll speed and ran past a ton of people, who saw her run past them with faces of confusion and concern. Johanna then reached check out and busted out the doors, stepping outside and throwing her hood over her head to block the sunlight before running along the sidewalk to her right.
Johanna dashed down the sidewalk and pasted only a couple people who didn't see her face because she had her hood over her face, blocking her appearance. After running for about a couple minutes Johanna stopped and looked to her right, seeing an alley where it was pretty dark. Johanna immediately ran down it and took off her hood. Johanna reached far enough in the alley and stopped near by a dumpster, stumbling behind it and resting her back against the wall before slouching down on her bottom. Johanna put her legs against her chest and buried her face into her knees, sniffling and whimpering with tears. Johanna was thinking about what happened and what she had done. She bitten off a chunk of flesh, clean off from the hand of a woman who was insulting her. Sure she didn't stop, but didn't deserve what she got at all. All Johanna could do was just cry in guilt and shame for her violent actions. She was a monster.
Kaisa: Johanna?
Johanna immediately felt her fear shot and looked up, seeing a familiar face before her. It was Kaisa, the librarian. She was looking down at Johanna with a worried face for her, worried about Johanna terribly.
Kaisa: What...What happened?
Johanna: What happened?! I'll tell you what happened! I BIT OFF FLESH OF A WOMAN'S HAND BECAUSE I'M A MONSTER!
Johanna went back into another fit of sobbing and buried her face into her knees, crying so hard. Kaisa just looked down in deep shock at what Johanna said.
Kaisa: You...bit flesh off a woman's hand.
Johanna: Yep! I don't know what happened! I just came out of myself and I tackled her to the ground and chewed it off! She wouldn't stop insulting me, and it just happened! She was right! I'm a freak! A beast! A DISGUSTING MONSTER! AND I DESERVE TO BE SHATTERED INTO RUMBLE!
Johanna just leaned back into her knees and cried all over again, but very hard then before. She sobbed so badly and felt hard lumps forming inside her throat. Kaisa just watched from her distance and made a large frown. Kaisa remembered how Johanna was the sweetest person when she met her and didn't deserve this no matter what. Kaisa just walked over and sat down next to her, placing her arm over her shoulder as she cried and leaned against Kaisa. For about what felt like an hour, they both stayed like that until Johanna began to slow down and her crying dropped down to a minimum. When it was time, she looked at Kaisa with red and puffy eyes from crying so much and sniffled quietly. Kaisa just took a breath before looking at Johanna straight into her eyes.
Kaisa: Johanna. Don't ever. EVER. Call yourself a beast ever again. You are not a beast! And you'll never will be.
Johanna: But, but I hurted her!
Kaisa: I know. But you didn't mean too. That's not who you are, and you'll never be like that.
Johanna just sniffled. She didn't truly feel any better, but Kaisa's words helped. Johanna just leaned against her and sniffled quietly as she could with Kaisa wrapping both arms around her, hugging Johanna closely. They both rocked back and forth in comfort, hoping that this couldn't get from bad to worse.
It was a normal day and Hilda, Frida, Sarah, David, and Trevor were at the playground and were on the merry-go-round. After playing at Sarah's house on her new game console they went outside after Bagsy and Kelly wouldn't leave them alone, bugging them the whole time. They were talking to each other about what's been going on for their day off. Frida mentioned about her discussion with the committee, who finally had a sense of empathy, Hilda had introduced Alfur to Sarah, and David and Trevor had been reading the 9 live comic series. Now they were talking about troll treasures.
David: You have a pile of berets in your room?
Hilda: Yep.
Frida: But don't you only need one?
Hilda: I guess, but now I'm a troll, I've got into the habit of collecting things.
Sarah: And it's berets?
Hilda: Yeah. Why?
David: Nothing, I thought you'd collect something else.
Trevor: Maybe it's the troll habit that made us collect a specific thing.
Everyone just looked at each and shrugged for whatever, thinking that Trevor could be right.
Sarah: Well, I've been collecting cans for some reason as my troll treasure. How about you?
David: I've been collecting toy race cars.
Trevor: Oh, me too.
David and Trevor just looked at each other with surprising faces, not knowing they knew that about each other. David and Trevor just blushed and smiled smally, scratching behind their heads. Sarah, Hilda, and Frida just looked at them and made confused faces. Suddenly the kids heard the sound of mocking laughter coming from behind them. Looking back, they saw Kelly and Bagsy coming by, with a couple other kids behind them from school. They were all looking at the gang and making bullish faces, like bullies. Hilda, Frida, David, Trevor, and Sarah just made pouts on how Bagsy and Kelly couldn't just leave them alone.
Kelly: See! We told you! The freaks are hanging together because they have no one else to spend time with!
Sarah: What is up with all of you guys?! Can't any of you leave us alone?!
Bagsy: Why not?
Hilda: Because it's mean and rude!
Frida: Hilda's right! Can't you guys just please leave us alone?!
Kelly: Why would we ignore or leave alone a couple trolls who live inside the city when they clearly shouldn't!
Hilda: Excuse us?!
Now they were annoyed. They all got off the merry-go-round and formed a line, making glares at them for their insults. But Bagsy, Kelly, and the kids behind them didn't back down. Instead Kelly and Bagsy stepped forward.
Sarah: Please go away.
Bagsy: Or else what?! You'll rip our heads off? Oooh, we're so scared!
David: You better be!
The bullish kids just looked at them with straight faces before they looked at each other, then howled with mocking laughter.
Bagsy: Us?! Be afraid of you! Yeah right!
Kelly: The only thing that you guys would be able to scare away is a bunch of stray cats!
Sarah: Luke. Kelly. Stop it.
Kelly: Can it!
Hilda, David, Trevor, Frida, and Sarah were now becoming gravely annoyed by these kids, especially Bagsy and Kelly. They just felt anger rising, but not the average kind of anger, but a new and insane amount of anger. The kind that makes you wanna choke someone to death or kill them.
Frida: Back off!
Bagsy: No! But why don't you back off, you brainless freaks!
Trevor: Shut Up!
Kelly: No you shut up!
David: We said shut up!
Bagsy and Kelly: Shut up! YOU LOW LIFE, PIECES OF MONKEY POOP!
Everyone instantly gasped from Bagsy and Kelly's choice of words. At that moment Hilda felt something Pexploded inside her, the will to stop herself from lashing out just popped, causing her to shout like a wild animal.
Hilda: THAT'S IT!
But it wasn't just Hilda, but her friends too. All Frida, David, Trevor, and Sarah felt a fuse blown inside of them. They all jumped towards Kelly and Bagsy like savages and tackled them to the ground harshly. David, Frida, and Sarah tackled down Kelly and Trevor and Hilda tackled down Kelly, attacking them. The kids behind them immediately screamed and all ran away from the situation. But the troll kids went wild. They began to punch, kick, claw, and shake them harshly out of retaliation. Bagsy and Kelly both began to cry and scream in fear and agony.
Sarah, David, and Frida were attacking Kelly with all their might. They were punch and kicking, and Sarah even bit her sister's arm. Trevor began to ruthlessly kick Bagsy as hard as he could and started to stomp on him with troll strength. Hilda started to punch Bagsy as hard as he could, in the nose and in the mouth, thinking how it could knock out a tooth. But suddenly Sarah grabbed her sister's arm and held it out, before she elbowed it so hard that they heard a loud bone crack. Sarah had broken her sister's arm. Kelly let out a loud high pitch squeal and grabbed her arm in response.
The kids immediately stopped what they were doing and looked at the injured boy and girl, who were on the ground and severely hurt. They all stood up and looked down in horror for what they've done. Kelly had her arm broken and Bagsy lost a few teeth. They both laid on the ground and cried and wailed in pain for their injures. The troll kids looked at each other and made horrified faces for what they've done, causing them to step back nervously with grave fear. Sarah was the most shock, after hurting her brother and sister. The kids looked at each other and began to Talk tear and shake in fear, before they all took off running away from the playground and trying to escape from the scene.
They dashed through the city streets and felt themselves beginning to cry in shame for their actions. They just wanted them to stop teasing, not harm them so bad. They just kept running and didn't really have any idea where to go. But they stopped running to take deep breaths from so much, looking at each other with frightening faces. Tears were streaming down their faces and they were panicking like never before. They didn't know what to do, or thinking if anyone had seen them attack Bagsy or Kelly. They were in so much trouble.
Anton: Kids? Frida?
The kids immediately felt shivers up their spines by the voice. They turned around and saw all their parents standing right before them. Eli, Anton, Erika, Andy, Karen, and Sarah's mother and father. They were holding bags in their hands from the farmer's market and had bags in their hands, but didn't expect to run into their kids. But concern and worry grew on their faces upon seeing the fear, panic, and horror on the kids faces. They placed their bags down and looked at them with worry.
Eli: Kids what's wrong?
The parents took steps forward, but the kids didn't waste time before they just rushed to their parents. They all reached them and wrapped their arms around them so hard, before they hugged them too in return. But the only who didn't hug was Hilda, who looked around and didn't see her mum anywhere, but as Karen was hugging her son, she looked up at Hilda and saw her by herself and was suffering. Karen just opened her arm and offered Hilda a place in her arms, which Hilda saw and rushed to her, letting her hug her. Suddenly the kids began to cry so hard, like never before.
Karen: Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's wrong.
Hilda: Sorry! We're super sorry!
The parents just made confused faces.
After the kids told their parents what happened, they took them back to Frida's place and comforted them some more until they calmed down. When they were done, the kids explained what happened. How they were at the park and Bagsy and Kelly showed up with a bunch of other kids, where they insulted them and they attacked them out of nowhere. The parents were emotionally shocked by this news and knew this wasn't something that they would truly do. They figured the best thing they could do was to get an answer, from the library. They all got into cars and drove across the town for answers, except for Sarah's parents. They needed to help Bagsy and Kelly, which was understandable because they were their parents, and left Sarah tagged along with the gang to the library. Upon arriving, they walked up the steps and into the building, and didn't see Kaisa anywhere, but knew where she was. They walked to the second floor and entered the secret room, where they saw Kaisa down there. She heard them come in and looked up to see them, which she nodded yes to for permission to come down in response. As they walked down the steps, Hilda glanced at the chair near the desk and saw her mother sitting down with her head looking at the floor.
Hilda: Mum?
Johanna flinched with that familiar voice and looked up to see her daughter standing before, with her hands folded and making a worried faces.
Johanna: Hello, Hilda.
Hilda: What are you doing here?
Johanna: I...I've messed up.
Hilda:...Me too.
Johanna just looked up and saw her looking down in shame, realizing why she was here too. She might've attacked someone herself. Johanna just sat up straight and opened her arms out, offering her daughter a hug. Hilda looked up to see. She looked at her mother's face, who gave her an assuring nod for yes, letting her know she can trust her. Hilda just rushed to her mum and wrapped her arms around her waist, which Johanna closed her arms around Hilda as they both hugged each other. The other parents watched from a distance and were so glad that Hilda was getting real comfort from her mother. But then the parents looked to the left and saw another familiar person sitting on the floor and looking down in shame. It was Alva, raven leader of the sparrow scouts. She just looked up and saw them looking at her with worry.
Andy: Alva? Why are you here?
Alva: I...I attacked somebody.
Erika: You what?! Who?
Alva: It was some teenager throwing eggs at the sparrow scouts building. When I tried to get him to leave, he wouldn't stop insulting me and I just...lost control.
Alva just looked down and made a depressing face, feeling horrible for what she did. Everyone just looked at her and saw remorse on her lowered eyes, concluding she just had the same problem like the kids and Johanna.
Andy: You don't have to speak more.
Alva: Thanks.
Alva just looked at the parents and made a small smile as a way of showing their appreciation. But then Kaisa suddenly walked over with a book in her hands, looking at everyone, who looked back at her for what she has to say.
Kaisa: Okay, everyone! I've done some reading and I think I've founded out why this happened.
Sarah: How?
Kaisa: Well, I've read that trolls have violence in their behavior. So, whenever they become greatly annoyed by something they get really angry and will respond aggressively.
Hilda: Like Bells.
Frida: Or trespassers on their turf.
Kaisa: Exactly. Blood thirsty violence is in their biology and instincts. And now that we're trolls, we've gained this violence in our behavior, too.
Everyone just looked at each other with uncomfortable faces, not liking how the kids, raven leader, the librarian, and Hilda's mother now have cold blooded instincts of trolls. The person who was shocked the most was Hilda, she let go of her mother and took steps back, standing in the middle of the room. She looked down with a face of fear and despair. Hilda was nice, and now she has violent troll behavior without any way to reverse it. She really was a monster.
Hilda: So, that's it...We're monsters! ALL OF US ARE MONSTERS!
Everyone just gasped by Hilda's words, including Johanna. She stood up from her chair and approached Hilda with a soft face.
Johanna: No, Hilda. We're not monsters.
Hilda: Yes! Yes we are! In fact, I'm the most deadly monster of them all! I'm a freak! A beast! A DISGUSTING MONSTER! AND I DESERVE TO BE SHATTERED INTO RUMBLE!
Hilda then buried her face into her hands and whimpered quietly while Johanna just looked with wide eyes and closed mouth, remembering those were the excat words she said. She couldn't let her daughter suffer. Johanna just placed her hands on her cheeks and looked at her in the eyes as tears streamed down Hilda's cheeks, thinking maybe she could say the same to comfort her.
Johanna: Hilda. Don't ever. EVER. Call yourself a beast ever again. You are not a beast! And you'll never will be.
Hilda: But, but, I hurted-
Johanna: I know. But you didn't mean to. You're not a monster, or a freak, or a beast, and you'll never be any of those things.
Johanna made the same face as Kaisa did when she comforted her, now it was to comfort her daughter. Hilda just looked up at her mother and saw comfort and tenderness in her eyes, showing that she'll comfort her no matter what happens. Hilda just sniffled and leaned against Johanna's front as she began to break down in tears, out of relief. Johanna just hugged her daughter as she cried and kissed her head in response, trying to comfort her the best she could. They didn't know what they'll do. But after today, they'll figure it out. Just like they always do.
To Be Continued In:
Cracked Troll