Chapter Text
Branch let out a quiet cry, mouth open with a small squeak out. He sat by the once place called home. The troll tree lost all its life after the escape, no troll to care and maintain it. Pod drops like flies with no resident and no way for stability.
His brother was all gone, nowhere were they going, his grandma he knew gone, he watched it happen with the figure bedside his best attempt to cover his eye. But it was futile, seeing as his grandma struggled before the hand brought her out the safety of the cage.
His cries were covered with haunting cheers around him.
He felt a small tug, the figure beside him went up to the storage and kitchen. While transparent, and weak to the touch of the skin, able to tug items to the open bag. Branch knew he would have to carry all that. But all he wanted was to sleep for eternity.
Branch gave a solemn cough, choking up with bottled emotion he can’t identify. It was so unfair.
Imaginary friend, that’s what little Branch is seeing. His chubby leg stood up wobbly after dangling on a high chair by the counter of the kitchen. Across him his three brothers bickering one another. The clank of plates and messy ingredients spread more places than within the boiling water.
Walking up to it, Branch can see it transparent.The portrait of all his brother and a troll that look like the imaginary friend. It was a troll, its green hair pointing upward, its eyes hidden in goggles, the spectator was smirking. Branch returned him with a toothy smile.
“It you” the spectator mumbled. Its hand placed on his hips, leg floating. How long has it been floating there, unmoving.
“Do you have a name?” Branch wondered out loud.
“I dunno”, he answered.
“Do you remember anything?” Branch again. His brow furrowed, looking up excitedly. Branch can be like one of the detective characters like in Clay stories.
“I, Dunno”, again the specter answered in the same tone.
“Can I call you JD” The figure still before letting out a chuckle. “Sure why not”
Branch eyes lit up to that.
Branch felt his feet off the ground seeing as his brother Floyd pulled him away. Away they went leaving the spectator looking at them, face still smirking slightly wider. Today was more than he anticipated.
Branch waves at him, Floyd looks up, frowns, he holds close to Branch. Putting a mental note to take off the portrait before Spruce gets to it first.
The spectator smiled. JD, yeah that sounds about right.
JD looking around his new existence around the room. The room walls seem bare, marks of previous photos used to hang. JD scratched the back of his neck. This isn’t good, he knew he was something to them but he can’t tell what it is, his mind fog every time he tries to remember. The itch of wanting to know but your mind is resisting like it protecting you from remembering something horrifi-
He’ll figure it out. Find the reason why only one troll can see him. Reason why his hand and body is transparent, and why the heck is there blood seemingly coming from his middle. He can’t remember anything but it didn’t make him wish to go back to the darkness. There was nothing, it was quiet and almost comforting.
Shouting and chattering, more so from an elderly troll suddenly entering the kitchen, causing the rest of the brother to freeze as John held his laugh moving forward. Her hand held a card as she wore a purple poker cap. He felt a string pulling his throat, guilt and emotion still exist even after death. The purple troll shoves them away before fixing a dinner, grumbling lack of seeking help runs through the family.
The purple and yellow bicker one another, yellow one hand cross looking elsewhere as the purple trying to get his attention, he seems reasonable, holding his shoulder mouth ready for another grand speech before yellow swats away favoring sitting down to end talking to him.
On trail, Floyd shakes his head holding on to the toddler. Branch giggled at the sight of his family, he turned to see JD, he let a small smile direct to him. JD nodded back.
They all sat in their designated chairs. Purple gave a solemn look at the extra chair on the table, as sound tapping came from the yellow troll on the wooden table - head rested on his hand as he closed his eye. Floyd seems to answer every question Branch ever thinks of, distracted by one of his hands rubbing his palm comfortingly.
The toddler Branch is a bright one, well for a toddler at least. The yellow one was more book smart than he is in craftsmanship. He knows it. Remembering that troll attempts to craft what seems to be a….he can't even tell. The yellow one gave up after a few days storming off before shoving all items into the storage room.
JD sat down. For a Moment. He can’t feel the wooden texture and sink right through if he wasn’t focused enough
Moving away as the purple troll joins them, pot steam as all trolls sniff air, mood seems to lighten up. JD stays close around the table. The night was spent recollecting those people seated, all laughing, all under the bridge.
The figure was done, dragging in the bag, it come to then, it green hair now seem to te the only living thing even from Branch. His color almost faded to gray. JD hand reaches out inviting them to escape the trolls tree.
Branch sucked it up, taking the bag, wiping his tear. He looked to the figure, the figure gave a sad smile, nodding.
Branch returns the nod. He can’t do it alone.