Branch paced anxiously in the questioning room, waiting in terror for an officer to come interrogate him...

     He didn't even know why he was there... what had he done wrong? No one would tell him...

     His heart raced in terror as he nervously bit at his nonexistent fingernails, pacing back and forth in the small room he was locked in...

     Suddenly, the door began to creak open, Branch turning to see who was entering...

     "Oh great..." he muttered softly at the sight of the troll who was now standing in front of him...

     Out of all the offices they could have chosen to send in there... they just had to pick the one that hated his guts... Officer Sparkleton...

     "Sit..." Sparkleton commanded harshly, pointing to a small metal chair that sat in front of a table.

     Branch gulped, slowly walking forwards as he was told, fiddling nervously with his fingers as he looked up at the officer in fear...

     Slowly, the light blue pop troll sat down, Sparkleton instantly taking out handcuffs to lock him to the table.

     "Now..." the red glitter troll said, sitting down on the opposite side of the table. "Care to confess?"

     "Con... confess?" Branch questioned, still having no idea what was going on. "I... I don't know what you're talking abo..."
"Stop the lies!" Sparkleton interrupted, slapping his hands harshly down onto the table, causing Branch to jump slightly in fear. "We've caught you red handed, scum. You aren't ever getting out of here..."

     Again, Branch gulped, shrinking down in his seat, the handcuffs strapping him to the table preventing him from moving away from the threat...

     "I'll ask again..." Sparkleton said in a calmer tone, sitting back down. "Do you want to confess..."

—————

     At the front desk of the police station, a grayish-green rock troll sat filling out paper work on their newest inmate, preparing his uniform for when he got out of questioning.

     Suddenly, the front door flung open, a familiar pink troll quickly running in, in a panic.

     "Queen Poppy," the receptionist greeted, placing his pen down onto the desk. "Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for Branch Astinlake," Poppy said in a shaky voice, walking right up to the man at the desk. "I need to see him..."

     "Well..." the receptionist said, straightening out his papers. "That particular inmate is in questioning at the moment. But visiting hours start at 9:00am, so you can come back then."

     "No..." the queen of pop denied, shaking her head slightly. "I... I need to see him now. He's my husband... he's not supposed to be here..."

     The green rock troll sighed, looking up at her with a sorrowful face.

     "I'm sorry..." he apologized. "But like I said... you can come back tomorrow morning..."

     "That criminal won't talk..." a voice suddenly shouted out from behind them, his tone angry and harsh.

     Both trolls turned, seeing Officer Sparkleton walking up, stomping forwards furiously as he crossed his arms.

     "Jerry... put a note on his forms to increase his prison time..."

     He looked up, finally noticing Poppy.

     "Queen Poppy..." he said. "I assume you're here to see your husband..."

     "I am..." Poppy replied, stepping away from the desk to approach him. "What is all this about? Why is he here?"

     "Remember that thief I told you about the other day?" he asked, Poppy nodding in reply. "Well turns out... it was Branch this whole time..."

     The queen of pop gasped, not believing the words she was hearing.

     "No... that... that can't be true..." she said. "He would never..."
"Well he did," Officer Sparkleton interrupted. "He was caught with all the stolen items out in the middle of the forest."

     Poppy just couldn't believe it... Branch... the troll she loved more than anything else in the world... was a thief? That would explain why he was always going out so late at night... and why he wouldn't tell her what he was doing...

     No... this wasn't true... there had to be a reasonable explanation for this...

     "How... how long are you going to keep him here?" she finally asked.
"Well... the sentence for stealing is five years," Officer Sparkleton explained, Poppy gasping in horror at how long he was saying Branch would be trapped here against his will. "But since he's refusing to admit what he's done... he's looking at 10 years..."

     "What!?" Poppy gasped. "No! You can't do this!"

     "Well he did the crime..." Sparkleton shrugged, turning to walk away. "So now he's gotta do the time."

     Poppy couldn't except this... there had to be a way she could help...

     "Wait!" she called out after the red glitter troll. "Let me at least talk to him... please. I know he'll tell me the truth..."

     Sparkleton stopped for a moment, sighing before turning back to the queen of pop.

     "Fine..." he agreed. "You have five minutes..."