"Mommy! Mommy! Look what I found!" the giant yelled, running over to an even bigger giant. She held out Branch, who stared up at this new giant, his ears drooping in fear, as he whimpered softly.

The bigger giant looked at Branch, slightly disgusted.

"You shouldn't touch rats, Molly," she said, scrunching her nose.
"He's not a rat," Molly said. "And look! He can talk! Say something, little guy."

Branch looked up at the giant, wide eyed, as he whimpered in fear, too scared to say a single word.

"Come on. Talk," Molly said, but Branch didn't say a word.

"Yeah, yeah. Very nice deer," the bigger giant said, pulling a small device out of her pocket, and beginning to poke the screen with her finger.

"Mom! Put down the phone!" Molly yelled. "I'm serious! He talks! I heard him!"

The giant named 'mom', looked back down at Branch, giving him the stink eye, and he gulped, shrinking away slightly.

"Ok, sweetie. No more candy for today," 'mom' said.

Molly looked down at Branch sadly. Why wouldn't he talk? She knew he could.

"Can we keep him?" she finally asked, looking back up at her mom.
"Please, Molly. It's a rodent. You know how I feel about rodents."

     She slapped Branch out of her daughter's hands, and he immediately jumped up to his feet, beginning to run, but Molly picked him back up before he could get anywhere.

"Please, mommy," Molly begged, holding Branch tightly in her giant hands. "You got me that gerbil cage for my birthday, but never got me an animal to put inside of it."
"That wasn't a gerbil cage," 'mom' said, scrunching her nose in disgust. "It was a cage for your pet rock."
"Rocky is boring," Molly whined. "All he ever does is sit there. Please, mom. Let me keep him. Pleeeeeeeaaaaaase!"

'Mom' looked back at Branch, as he gulped, trying frantically to get away.

"Fine," 'mom' groaned. "But I better not ever see it running around my house, or it's going to meet the bottom of my foot." Branch whimpered, shrinking down a bit.
"You won't, mom," Molly promised. "I'll take good care of him."

Her mother looked back at her phone, gasping sharply, as her eyes widened in shock.

"I'm late for work!" she yelled, before looking back at her daughter. "Think you can get home on your own?"
"Umm... well..." Molly started.
"Take a cab."
"But, mom... I'm eight. How will I pay?"
"Here." She handed her daughter a stack of money. "Keep the change."

She walked away, leaving Molly alone with Branch.

     Molly sighed, and then smiled slightly at Branch, who was still terrified.

"Guess it's just you and me," she said, as she started walking towards the street.

—————

Meanwhile, Poppy had befriended the hawk that snatched them, and all the trolls were now flying on it's back, looking down from above for Branch.

"Look! That's the girl who took Branch!" Poppy yelled, pointing as she saw the girl climbing into a taxi, Branch still trapped in her hand. "And there's Branch! We have to follow them! Thanks for the ride, Mr. Hawk," Poppy said, patting the hawk gently on the head.

The hawk squawked, as if saying your welcome, continuing to fly.

"Now let's get down there."

They all jumped off of the hawk, using their hair as parachutes to gently float down to the roof of the taxi.