Princess Wiggle butt, Daisy’s puppy, stuck her nose in the air sniffing the wind. The breeze had stirred the dandelion clocks that floated to the ground, making her sneeze. Achoo shake, achoo, shake, went the puppy, wiggling her butt.
“Bless you Princess Wiggle butt,” said Daisy fussing her puppy’s ears.
The excited puppy pulled gently on her lead and headed across the grass, leaving a cloud of dandelion clocks behind her. A sea of yellow dandelions, several gone to seed covered the field.
Princess Wiggle butt, loved to be outside, running in the field wagging her tail. As she walked, her nose would be twitching, sniffing everywhere. Smelling out clues, Princess Wiggle butt wanted to know who or what had been around.
Old gnarled overgrown trees boarded fields near by Daisy’s home, ivy clinging to bark, tall trunks reaching skywards. A haven for birds, chirping tunefully, perched high on branches. Brightly colored butterflies fluttering amongst the leaves, Daisy loved these beautiful creatures. She hated noisy bugs, disturbing the peace with their buzzing and squeaks, hidden from view.
Anyone venturing into this area soon came out with eyes streaming, noses running. Strange smells of sulfur and rotten eggs deterred most people. The ground was uneven, protruding tree roots, moss-covered rocks. Slippery leaves littered the floor where rotten, fallen trees made homes for multicolored fungi.
Rumor had it that a grumpy old troll lived in a tumbled down barn. Large footprints had been left in the muddy ground, they didn’t come from boot or shoe, but a troll’s foot print no one had ever seen.
Princess Wiggle butt barked and pulled on her lead, chasing a blue winged bird towards the field edge. Her owner Daisy almost tumbled head first into the mud as she desperately tried to hold her back. Daisy scalded Princess Wiggle butt, who just sat there with her head on one side looking back at her. She was such an adorable puppy dog that Daisy rubbed her chest, stroked her silken ears before heading back across the field.
Behind the overgrown trees hidden by nettles, a pair of beady blue eyes watched and waited without making a sound. A long boney finger uncurled to scratch his unshaven chin, the troll was hungry and looking for dinner.
The wild berries and roots did not satisfy the hungry troll. What he craved was meat, red meat, and he watched hungrily as Daisy and Princess Wiggle butt disappeared across the field. The trolls empty belly rumbling loudly.
Daisy said to Princess Wiggle butt,
“quick Princess run, sounds like a thunderstorms on its way.”
Perhaps the weatherman got it wrong today there isn’t a cloud in the sky. The sun felt warm on her bare head.
Humpfry the troll, needed food soon, the cold wet earth beneath his hairy feet, made his hunger worse. Maybe he could catch a fish he thought. Trolls are not very good at thinking. He had always been good at fishing in his younger days. Perhaps a fish would satisfy his hunger, the problem was there were no rivers, streams or lakes close by. Told you trolls were no good at thinking. Humpfry glanced again to feast his eyes on the animal with the wagging tail.
“Grrrr, grrrr, grrrrr, I want meat.”
Humpfry trundled back towards his ram shackle dwelling he shared with his wife Fernetta. He grunted in her direction and rubbing his belly demanded?
“Where’s my dinner?” the wagging tail a mere memory of what might have been. He licked his lips and the slobber dribbled down his grubby vest.
Fernetta stirred a huge black pot on the open fire.
“I’m making soup again” she said.
Fernetta made a terrific soup from the berries and plants, full of flavor and goodness. She had caught a bird and cooked it whole, feathers and all, and hoped the morsel of flesh would satisfy Humpfry, who was always hungry.
Humpfry liked to suck all the meat and marrow from the bones, there wasn’t much left now as she had made soup with them for the past five days. She had found some dandelion leaves in the hedge bottom and some curly toad-stools, it wasn’t much to feed her hungry man.
The shed she tried to make comfortable and pretty with wild flowers wilting in a milk bottle. Chill wind came in through cracks around the windows. The smoky fire left sooty smudges on the ceiling, but it was home.
As she spooned the lumpy soup into a bowl, her own tummy grumbled with hunger. She had not had a proper meal in days, instead all the food was given to Humpfry. When his belly was full, he would thump it, emitting a loud burp. Fidgeting in his chair, he would lift one leg and a squeaky fart would escape, turning the air green. Looking across at his wife his belly wobbling, a daft grin on his face, he would nod and say,
“Ah that’s better.” “That was a good one, tuneful.”
Lying back in his chair contented he would fall asleep.
Fernetta would escape the green fog going out foraging for mushrooms and berries. Eating a few to curb the hunger pains of her stomach.
Normally she stayed close to the shed, not wanting attention from the humans living outside the wood. Today she was cold, longing warmth, the sun’s rays on her skin. Stepping over roots and tangled undergrowth she made her way towards shafts of light filtering through the trees. Mushrooms grew large here, Fernetta stooped to gather them.
She heard a loud rumble, coming from the shed, guessing Humpfry was farting in his sleep. She took a big gulp of fresh air, before turning back. Humpfry would want his tea when he awoke and she better be there to fix it.
Daisy arrived home safely with Princess Wiggle, placing a large bowl of fresh water on the floor for the puppy to drink. Filling the kettle for her coffee, Daisy put potatoes in the oven for super. Switching on the television to watch the evening news headlines.
Breaking news a strange green cloud had appeared over waste ground, scientist were already on site taking samples for testing. There were strange odors too and everyone was advised to stay indoors keeping windows closed. Toxic fumes sometimes escaped from the chemical plant but today’s scare was nothing to do with them.
Daisy looked out of the window. There definitely was a strange look to the sky, not dark and grey signaling a storm, but definitely an eerie greenish glow. Daisy went upstairs to close all windows she didn’t want to breathe in this fowl smelly air. Princess Wiggle butt curled up in bed, covering her nose with a paw, not wanting to smell it either.
Daisy drank her coffee watching television, a new drama series, had started which she found interesting the plot slowing starting to unfold.
The television screen went blank at that precise moment. Grabbing the remote Daisy pointed and clicked it at the screen.
Crackling back to life Daisy watched as two figures, their heads covered with a blanket were lead towards a police vehicle. Turning up the volume as a presenter face appeared on the screen, Daisy curiosity stirred, images from the field danced before her, she knew that place.
Breaking news, the mystery of the green cloud unfolds. Police discovered two people, believed to be trolls, in a derelict barn moments ago. Police are also seeking a woman and dog seen near the woods earlier today. A photo-fit picture, looking very similar to Daisy and Princess Wiggle butt filled the screen.
The trolls believed to be the only surviving pair in the country, will be kept under observation in the local hospital. Believed to be suffering from abdominal pains, doctors are doing all they can to make the trolls comfortable.
Stay tuned for further updates as we receive them.
Daisy sat staring at the screen, her mouth gaping, their looking for me she thought.
Utterly amazed at what she had just heard, she rubbed her eyes, trying to rid herself of the image.
Flicking to another news channel she watched again as two figures disappeared into police vehicles.
Normal programs resumed and Daisy still stared at the screen in disbelief. Her walks with Princess Wiggle butt would never be the same again.
Daisy recognized the field, even through the green fog. Yellow tape prohibited access until further notice to Wakefield woods.
Troll soup, fermenting in Humphry’s stomach, had caused the fowl smelling gas. It was not toxic, just green.
As dusk turned into night, a storm broke, washing the area with heavy rain. The morning brought warm dry weather, the air clear.
Picking up the newspaper, Daisy scanned the headlines, “Trolls found in Wakefield woods.”
Daisy sat down with a plop on the sofa, Princess Wiggle butt at her side, to read the article.
The article gave her description, she was wanted for questioning.
She was innocent, it was a mistake, sure they didn’t blame her for the green fog. Nervously with shaking hands, Daisy picked up the telephone, calling the police, hoping to wake from this terrible dream.
