Chapter 9

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"Branch!? Branch, where are you!? Branch!?" Poppy called out, looking desperately for her friend. She had lost sight of him, as the wind carried him through the trees, and now she couldn't find him anywhere. "Branch!?"

     She stopped for a moment, looking around. The little grey troll was nowhere to be seen. Where could he have gone?

     "Branch!" she called out, her voice shaking with worry. "Answer me!"

     No response...

     "Come on, Branch..." she muttered, tears forming in her eyes, as horrifying thoughts of what could have happened to him swam through her head. "Where are you..."

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     "Ugh..." Branch groaned, slowly waking up from the fall. "P... Poppy..." he muttered, his eyes still shut, as he lay on a hard rock ledge not far from the peak of the cliff. "Poppy..."

     Slowly, his eyes began to blink open, his vision blurry as he looked around, trying to figure out where he was... what had happened...

     He sat up, rubbing his head, as his memories began flooding back to him.

     "Poppy!" he gasped, his eyes widening, as he jumped to his feet. "Poppy!?"

     Was she ok? Was she safe? It was the only thing he could think about... what if that wind went back for her!?

     Branch looked up, seeing the ledge of the cliff he had fallen over pretty high above his head. Definitely far out of his reach.

     "Poppy!?" he called out, cupping his hands over his mouth. "Poppy!? Are you up there!?"

     No answer...

     What if something bad happened to her? What if she was thrown over the cliff, just like he had been, except she wasn't lucky enough to land on the lede?

     "Poppy!?" he called out louder. "Poppy, please!"

     Nothing...

     He backed up slowly, trying to see more of the top of the cliff, but as he stepped back, his foot fell right over the ledge.

     "Whoa..." he yelled, quickly regaining his balance, and turning around.

     His eyes widened in horror, as his heart sank down into his stomach.

     "Oh no..." he muttered, looking off into the void beneath him.

     He was above a large canyon, a small river flowing roughly at the bottom of it. Even worse... the ledge he was on was beginning to crumble.

     "AHHH!" he screamed, backing up quickly until his back was against the cliff wall. "Help! Poppy! Help!"

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