John Dory
Sitting at the steering wheel, staring out at the passing fields, John Dory let his mind wander as Rhonda, his house bus Armadillo, carried him and all his possessions to who knows where. Last week, he had decided to return home to where he left his brothers and Grandma. After the argument that broke out between him and his brothers occurred, he was the first to leave. He heard Spruce and Clay mention that they were leaving too, but didn't take them seriously. He expected that they would stay with Floyd, Branch and Grandma, but when he returned home, no one was there to greet him. His old house that he once shared with his family was overgrown with moss and leaves, and appeared to have been unlived in for many years. Despite the place's condition, John Dory refused to accept that they were gone and ran around the house and the yard, calling for his family. But, as he came to accept, no one was there.
He remembered searching the house, desperate to find any of his family's possessions, but didn't find much. All that seemed to be left and worth keeping were Clay's funderdrawers that he wore during their last concert, Spruce's ripped purple vest that he tore off the day he said he quit, Branch's pair of glasses he wore during performances, and a cracked picture of John Dory with his brothers, the words BroZone written above.
Forcing his mind back to the present, John Dory looked over to see said picture, leaning against the wall. Standing up, he walked over and picked it up, running his hands over the image. Sighing, he returned to his seat, the picture still in his hands. He took a minute to study each of his brother's joyous faces.
The picture was taken right after he and his brothers got the opportunity to perform onstage in front of a real audience for the first time. Before, they just recorded their songs and performed for their grandma and small groups of trolls. But being a star had always been John Dory's dream, and in his haste to fulfill it, he became so obsessed that he lost his brothers. Honestly, he didn't blame them. How could he? He remembered that night they broke up vividly, and years being on his own has given him plenty of time to reflect on his past and realize that it really was his fault.
How he wished his brothers were with him. When he first set off, he was excited at the idea of adventure and danger, but soon, he found that being alone was, well, lonely. But, being the stubborn troll he was, he refused to return home, and continued to live in isolation. However, a month ago, John Dory finally pushed his feelings aside and decided it was time to return home. But he was too late.
Glancing at the picture in his hands, he couldn't help but wonder what had become of his brothers. Did Spruce and Clay really leave? If so, where did they go? Did they leave together or did they also go their separate ways? What became of Floyd and Branch and Grandma?
Tears filled John Dory's eyes as his questions consumed him. The thought that had been haunting him since returning home resurfaced, of how, if the place was abandoned, that must mean that his two youngest brothers and Grandma were dead. There was no other option. He could only hope that Clay was alive, but he had no way to find him. He did have a pretty good guess that Spruce was alive though. Standing back up, John Dory walked over to his desk by his bed, gently placed the picture down, and picked up a postcard showing a sunset that said 'Wish You Were Here.' There was no return address, no name, but he had a feeling it was from Spruce. He was the only troll John Dory knew who talked like that. Besides, believing that at least one of his brothers was still alive was better than nothing.
Laying down on his bed, his thoughts drifted to when they were still together. Spruce was the closest in age with John Dory as he was the second oldest. He could remember the joy he felt and finally getting his first brother, that he begged to be the one to name him. Without much thought, he decided to name him 'Spruce.' He couldn't remember why this was the name he chose, but with one look at his first brother, it just seemed to be a perfect match.
Next came Clay. Once again, John Dory was thrilled to have another sibling, and as soon as Clay hatched, he fell in love once again. The three of them spent four years together before Floyd came. During that time, Clay was always teasing his older brothers and playing pranks on them, Spruce enjoyed exercising and flirting with girls, while John Dory enjoyed singing and dancing with them. Spruce and Clay seemed to get along the best, but overall they enjoyed each other's company and did everything together.
When Floyd came, the brothers decided to start their own little band. Taking charge of the idea, John Dory came up with the name BroZone, began writing songs for them to sing, and came up with stage names for his brothers: Spruce being Heartthrob, Clay the Fun Boy, Floyd the Sensitive One, and himself as The Leader. For the next few years, they had fun singing songs together and performing for Grandma and friends. Anxious to get out and become a star though, John Dory began to devote his time to improve his songwriting skills and brought up the idea of recording their songs in order to get the attention of someone who would be willing to showcase their talent. But time and time again, they were rejected, and John Dory began to take more control over his brothers.
When Floyd was thirteen, Branch was born. Immediately, John Dory knew that Branch must have musical talent, as all his other brothers do. So, a couple months later when Branch did indeed prove to have gained his family's musical talent, he was given the stage name of The Baby, also known as Bitty B. John Dory loved giving Branch singing lessons when it was just the two of them, and from what he could remember, Branch had an incredible voice, even at such a young age. The first recording that included Branch immediately gained the attention of someone who was willing to showcase the brothers. For the first year of his life, performing was all Branch knew; that, and how his brothers loved to fight.
John Dory looked down in shame. Branch was only a year old when he left him. If he was even still alive, would he remember him? It has been years after all. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, he decided that it wouldn't do to get lost in his thoughts. Setting the postcard by the picture of his brothers, he stood and decided that they would stop for the night. Returning to the steering wheel, John Dory pressed the brakes, slowing Rhonda down.
He ended up parking Rhonda in the shadows of a spruce tree as he left to search for food to store. He'd only gone a few paces when a bright light suddenly engulfed him, transporting him to a strange room and leaving Rhonda behind.