"Would you please stop poking me!?" Branch yelled harshly as Synth poked his face for what had to be the hundredth time in a row.

"Sorry, bro," Synth apologized, still continuing to poke his finger into his friend's cheek, seeming intrigued by the normalness off his light blue skin. "It's just so... weird, yo..."

"Yeah, yeah! It's weird... I'm weird... everything is weird!" Branch yelled out in pure rage, slapping the techno troll's hand away from himself. "Now quit poking me, and help me figure out what is happening!"

Synth blinked, staring right at Branch in complete shock from his outburst. He had never heard the little pop troll yell like that before...

"Geez... sorry, bro..." he finally apologized, taking a small step away from his friend. "I didn't realize it bothered you so much..."

Branch sighed, his ears drooping slightly as he turned away from Synth in shame...

"No... I'm sorry, Synth..." he sighed in disappointment. "I shouldn't of yelled. I'm just... I'm completely freaking out." He looked back up at his fish-like friend, his eyes filled with sorrow and regret. "I have no idea what's happening to me..." he continued softly. "And it's terrifying..."

"I'm back!" Poppy announced, walking into the room with her arms full of ghost hunting equipment from Branch's basement. "This stuff should help us figure out what's wrong with you, Branch..."

     She walked over to the light-blue pop troll, scanning him head to two with one of his parents' machines.

     "Hmm..." Poppy muttered softly to herself, looking at the screen curiously. "This thing says your vitals are normal... your heart is beating at a normal pace... and your breathing seems to be consistent... according to this... you are perfectly healthy..."

     "Well, that's a relief..." Branch sighed in relief.
"But..." the young pink troll continued. "It's also detecting a strong ghost presence in the room... coming directly from you..."

     "Great..." the blue pop troll sighed, flopping back onto his bed. "So I'm alive... but I'm also dead? How does that even make sense!?"

     He groaned loudly in misery, covering his face with his hands, trying desperately to hide his shame...

     "Well... I know what could help..." Synth said, earning himself a curious look from both of his friend's. "Finishing our video game!"

     "Ugh!" Branch groaned in frustration, covering up his face once more. "I'm so doomed! Once my parents find out..."
"They're not going to find out, Branch..." Poppy quickly interrupted in a firm tone. "We'll protect you."

     "Yeah! Kill that ghost! Kill it dead!" Synth suddenly shouted out at the top of his lungs, once again distracted by the video game he was suddenly playing once more...

     "Well..." Poppy sighed, rolling her eyes in annoyance at the fish troll, before quickly turning her attention back to Branch. "I'll protect you..."

     "Thanks, Poppy..." Branch sighed as he sat back up, looking sadly over at his best friend. "But I don't want to bring you down with me... do you know how much trouble you'd get in if my parents figured out you were harboring a ghost?"
"Not nearly as much trouble as you'd be in, Branch," she responded. "That's why they're not going to find out. I'll make sure of it..."

     "Branch! Branch!" a familiar voice suddenly rang excitedly through the hall, causing both pop trolls to turn, instantly seeing Thorn run into the room, a massive smile plastered on his face. "Come quick! The phantom portal is working! It's actually working!"

     The little blue troll gulped at his father's words, looking at the older green troll with wide fearful eyes.

     "It... it is?" he stuttered softly in pure and utter terror, thinking about how this news would surly seal his doom if his father found out that he had somehow fixed the machine... "Do... you know what made it come on?"

     "No," Thorn answered, causing a sigh of relief to escape from Branch's throat. "But it's working! Come see! Maybe we can even destroy our first ghost together! Just you and me!"

     Quickly, Thorn grabbed hold of his son's hand, yanking him right out of the room, causing a small yelp of terror to escape from the young child's mouth.

     "This..." Poppy muttered softly to herself with a quiet sigh as she watched Branch disappear into the distance with his father. "Is not good..."