Once again, morning had come and Branch was wide awake unlike the others.

"Wake up! We have to look for Biggie." Branch hopped around the group, waking them up.

Hickory pulled a leaf over his face and groaned, "Noch fünf Minuten, Mama."

"It's too early, the sun isn't even completely up!" Poppy pointed her finger at the dark sky.

"So? Biggie could be out here dying and you just wanna sit here because it's dark?"

Hickory sat up and stretched, "no, it's because he's probably d-"

Guy shoved his hand in Hickory's mouth to shush him, "silly Hickory! Of course Biggie's not! You should wake up more before you say such ridiculous things."

Hickory slapped Guy's arm and wiped his hand on the grass, "I regret coming along."

"I'm leaving in five minutes, with or without you guys." Branch walked over to a tree a bit further from the group to wait.

Poppy jumped up and ran after Branch, "I'M AWAKE!"

"ME TOO!" Guy scrambled off the ground and practically sprinted over on all fours.

"Have fun! I'm heading back to Trollstopia." Hickory waved to them and turned around.

"No you're not." Guy wrapped his hair around Hickory's leg and reeled him over to the trio, "you can't leave. You're one of the bOyS now."

"One of the who?" Hickory brushed the dirt and grass blades off his lederhosens as he stood back up.

Branch grinned, "the bOyS! We're all soft men who've gone through either physical or emotional trauma in the woods."

"Or both." Guy referred to Branch.

"I haven't gone through any trauma out here, though.." Hickory raised his eyebrow at them.

"Yet." Guy added, giving Hickory an evil smirk.

Hickory's eyes widened and his face went pale, "oh." He crouched and walked behind Branch, hoping for some protection from whatever was out there.

"They're just teasing, it's not that dangerous out here." Poppy elbowed Hickory gently.

And as expected, a low growl was heard from the bushes nearby.

Hickory dropped to the ground and covered his head, shrieking.

Poppy pulled Hickory off the ground and scoffed, "come on, guys! It's too early in the day for predators to be out, it's probably something cute like a mouse or a squirrel or a—"

A creature with a similar appearance to a kangaroo, but it's tail and hands were pointy and sharp like knives hopped from the bush.

"IS THAT A KNIFEAROO?" Poppy jumped back, getting her hands ready to hairate chop the creature.

"HOW CAN AN ANIMAL HAVE KNIVES ON ITS PAWS?" Guy urged everyone to continue walking backwards, cautiously.

"But knifearoos are only hostile if their baby is harmed, something must've angered it.. or someone.." Branch's face lit up, immediately thinking Biggie did it.

"What baby? Are they made of knives too?" Hickory covered his face, "don't answer that."

A baby knifearoo which had knives for horns on it's head as well popped out of the pouch and growled ferociously.

"We can't fight them! They literally have knives attached to their body." Poppy rushed behind a tree and signaled them to hide with her.

Branch walked backwards to Poppy's side, watching the creature eye them. "Another animal couldn't have angered it, they don't have any predators. It had to have been a troll!"

"BIGGIE!" Guy exclaimed, shaking Branch, "I knew he was alive!"

"It doesn't matter who aggravated it, can we run away?" Poppy grabbed their hands and ran off, dragging them behind.

"What about Biggie?" Branch looked back, "we need to make sure he's okay!"

"We don't even know if it was him! Keep running!"

Branch stopped running and pulled away from Poppy, then ran in the other direction and dug through the bag.

"BRANCH!" The others shrieked. They were too scared to follow, but too concerned to not follow at the same time.

"COME BACK!" Poppy screamed at him.

Branch pulled the knife out and dropped the bag on the ground.

"PUT THE KNIFE DOWN! REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME YOU HELD A KNIFE IN YOUR HAND?" Guy referred to the suicide attempt.

Branch rolled his eyes, "I'm not going to kill myself." He pointed the knife at the knifearoo's chest, "keep your stabby tail and hand things away from me and my friends."

The knifearoo didn't seem to care. It stuck its tongue out and pointed it's tail knife at Branch's chest.

"Oh." Branch nervously chuckled and took a step back, only for the knifearoo to move closer, "I didn't mean to threaten you!"

Hickory had an idea that would at least get Branch to safety.
"Someone needs to distract it so Branch can get away!"

"Who though? It would have to be someone fast." Poppy tapped her chin a few times before looking up at Hickory.

Guy had the same exact thought, staring at Hickory.

Hickory looked behind him, wondering what they were looking at, "Why are you two staring at me..?" Realization kicked in and he groaned, "Oh."

Finished September 7th, 2020