Frog Catching

By Japor and Lice

Chapter 1

Crunch! The leaves twist under my cherry-red boots, snap! A twig broke below my feet. “Angie, can you please not yell? It’s midnight!” Arnold stage whispers. My big brother Arnold is what mummy calls a debby downer. Mud caked his brown hiking boots, and he was shaking from the cold. 

“I’m just trying to get Denise!” I reply, flustered by my brother's anger. I found my new pet frog Denise this morning but she ran away from me.

 Arnold sighs. I saw it in his eyes, something was not right. Does he not believe me? “Hmph.” I look away and cross my arms, caught up in my own thoughts and accusations.

 Arnold looks over at my mad expression, some sort of pity crossed over him. He's too sensitive.

 I look up at the black-blue starry night sky. The moon and stars provide some sort of ominous light over us. I love the night, the sky, the crickets, the moon, the silence, and just well… everything. Arnold however prefers the day, I suppose that's why it took so long for me to get him to come look with me. Or maybe he's just tired.

 I turn my head downwards and spot a pond. My mind immediately goes to Denise. Frogs like ponds... maybe that's where Denise is?

 Without warning, I run towards the pond. The loud crunch of leaves follows me wherever I go. The whimsical night breeze hits my face and body as I run, providing a nice cooling feeling. I run in a few circles just to savor the moment before I head back in the direction of the pond.

 I sit on the slippery cold rocks and squint my eyes, looking for that miracle green slimy back of a frog. Listening for the deep croaking sound they make. I was so focused on the pond I didn't even realize Arnold was sitting beside me.

 “Angie… pant… You can't just …pant… run off like that?” Arnold half-whispers while breathing rapidly.

“I can and I will Arnie Barnie~” He hates it when I call him that.  He looks at me with a cold glare then scoffs, I smile and giggle a little. 

“I came here to find Denise but I didn't see her,” I say with a frown.

Arnold turns to me, “Angie, I doubt we'll find her anyways.” I shot him a glare, of course he thought that. 

Arnold gets up and grabs my hand. His hand was damp and slippery from the rocks. I almost thought it wouldn't hold me for that long.

 I got up and brushed the dirt off my pants, took a deep breath, and kept moving.

 We walked for what felt like an hour and stopped at a stone well. I hopped up onto the top of the well, my brother sitting on the opposite side. I stared down into the darkness of the well. It felt as if there was no ending to that well, as if no water lay on the bottom. Just, well- darkness. I looked away from the well, the dark nothingness in the well making me feel dizzy. I wanted it thrown up in the dark nothingness, just to get rid of this weird dizzy feeling! 

“Arnie Barnie?” I looked over at my big brother, my normally annoying boring unafraid brother, who was now shaking. 

“Angie, I don't think we should be h-HERE?” Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, I see Arnold's foot slip out of the corner of my eye. I see him lose balance, my mind races and I freeze. Not being able to help him will be my biggest regret. But, without moving, I watch as he falls headfirst down the well. 

“ARNOLD?” I say, gazing down where he fell. In a state of panic, I froze before I could help him. He was gone now, in the well. I put my hands on the inner side of the well, trying to hold on and not let the slippery stone get the best of me. I grip my feet on the side of the well to stabilize myself while I get a better look.  I gazed into the dark well, listening for a sound, anything, but I didn't hear a thing.

 Now normally any sane seven-year-old would get help……no she would help…..I love Arnold so I'm going to get him! I slowly lower myself into the well, my feet already feel like they’re about to freeze,  

“Well Millie,” I say to her, Millie is what I call my hoodie. “We're going in,” I finish as I jump into the dark nothingness.

CHAPTER 2

I curl up in a ball and close my eyes, it felt as if I was in an endless void, the cold making me shiver.

 Suddenly, I hit something hard and shaky, as if it was falling apart but holding me at the same time. For a split second overwhelming relief washes over me, this was not an ideal situation to be at the bottom of a well – but at least I wasn't stuck in an infinite void. 

I open my eyes slowly, Heat flooding through them as they move, I flinch. I manage to open my eyes and they immediately widen as I realize my surroundings. Around me was an old abandoned village, cold concrete floors, and terrifying monsters roaming around. this place looks like a real hellhole, full of demons and bones and whatever… What a wonderful place to be!

 I jerk up and realize what broke my fall- a pile of bones. A feeling of horror came over me and I shiver. Quickly turning my head, I searched for Arnold. 

“AHHH!” I feel a sharp pain in my ankle as I trip over a bone. Tumbling down, I scrape my knee on a hard rock.

“EEP!” I open my eyes to see a huge shadow climb the large arch that seems to be made of….Raw meat? Well, that's what it looks like, it reminds me of the raw cow beef mom gets at the grocery store! The whole thing makes me shiver, as the shadow gets larger and larger, menacing- oh wait it’s really cute ... and small? 

“Ohhhh! You’re adorable!!!” I scoop it up, it looks terrified, so small, with blood-red horns that seemed as if they were melting into its skull, giving a bloodied vibe. I notice the little spirals for eyes, making me seem to stare deep into its soul, I feel emotions I’ve never felt before, like I'm falling down a hole of endless sadness, longing, and fear, feeling as if I want to scream, but I can't because hands are being wrapped around my throat! Not my own hands, but the hands of someone I thought I could trust, someone I care about. I rip my eyes away from its eyes, anymore of that feeling and I will throw up! Looking back at the creature I see that the creature was only a little taller than a roll of sushi would be, and It was cute as a button!

I held it close to my chest and hugged it, it was surprisingly soft. 

“What's your name?” I asked the creature, still in awe. The creature manages to squirm out of my arms and onto the ground. 

“They call me Maki Roll.” it looks me in the eyes with a menacing look, but I can't help but laugh. 

“A suitable name.” I chuckle, “Maki’s as cute as a button!” Maki Roll glares at me and my mind races back to my original thought train: Arnold. 

“Maki Roll- do you know your place around here?” I ask, turning to Maki Roll. Maki roll looks at me, 

“I do, why?” it replies I looked around nervously, 

“Well, my brother, Arnold, I think he got lost somewhere here.” Maki Roll looks up at me. 

“You need my help finding him?” I nod.

Maki Roll glances around and perks up when it finds something, “This place looks like a real hellhole, full of demons and bones and whatever… What a wonderful place to be! Right Angie?” Maki Roll replied, rolling her eyes.

“I have an idea of where we could go, follow me,” Maki Roll says while getting up. I sit up and look around, my head is buzzing and I almost feel faint, but I keep going.

 Eventually, Maki Roll stops in front of a large, dark, and gloomy tunnel. I gulp, “You think he's in there?” I ask Maki Roll. 

“Yep. Look at the sign!” it replies. I look up and see a big orange sign with the words, “lost children.” Written on it.

 We walk in and I start to shiver, this place was freezing. We reach the end of the tunnel where it opened up into a big cave where working machines are supposed to be, rust molted onto them. I gasp, 

“This doesn't look like a place where Arnold would be.” 

Maki Roll turns to me, “Yeah, well-” 

SMACK! 

I duck just in time. A malfunctioning part of the machine flew off and hit Maki Roll, taking Maki with it as it goes around and around the cave. 

“Maki!?” I call out, terrified. I get up, and the floor beneath me is rackety and uneven. 

“MAKI ROLL!?” I scream at the top of my lungs. She was nowhere to be found, my only friend, the only way of finding Arnold…..I’ll have to get to her first before I can find Arnold, and I will. 

Chapter 3 

The small demon’s head smacks against the wall as she fell, and fell, and fell. A sharp pain strikes her head and she feels it snap, her horn has snapped. 

“OH LAWD!” she hears a familiar voice say, and little footsteps, wadding towards her. Maki Roll groans as she realizes who this is.

Makis' sister, Saki Maki. An older girl with a similar, but a bit bigger, shape. And an ugly, ugly, heart. “Always said you would do something like this to yourself, didn't I, Maki.'' She says with a thick Western accent. Her voice rings in Maki’s ears.

Maki Roll glares at her, “I hate you.” 

Maki Rolls' sister smiles, “I know,” she replies. “Come with me. I found you a… snack.” Saki Maki smiles while gesturing towards the exit. 

Saki Maki led Maki to an old rusted prison cell west of the cave. Maki Roll gulps as they roam the place, people are in the cells. People who had gotten tricked to come to this place, their only purpose here is to be eaten. Maki Roll closed her eyes, “I really hope Angie doesn't come here!” She thought, thinking of the sweet little girl with weird colored hair.

Saki Maki stops in front of a cell with a little boy inside, only looking a bit older than Angie, but oddly similar to the girl. Saki Maki opens the cell door with a rusted key, barely fitting into its spot.

 Maki walks inside. The boy clings to a wall, terrified of the thing lurking behind Maki. “Nothing to do about it now,” thought Maki. So she closed her eyes, ready to feed.

Chapter 4

I ran as fast as I could, after Maki Roll had disappeared I saw something, A large something. Not something I could make out but something that made Millie terrified, so I ran away….Not because I was scared, but because Millie was. I walk around the machine, going up, and then down, and forward… backward… everywhere. But I can't find Maki Roll.

 I was just about to give up when a giant centipede shows up. Terrified, I back into a wall, finding myself trapped. I brace myself, this was it, wasn't it? Suddenly a gush of air causes me to open my eyes. Before me, I saw a large shadow figure, much like Maki Roll, and the large centipede unconscious on the ground.

“Are you ok Angie?” Maki jumped down and ran up to me, its shadow making sure that the monster was dead. 

“You were all like BASH CRASH WHOOP BAM!” I yelp, waving my arms at Maki to emphasize how impressive she is! “And I was all, “AHH NOO SCARYY! WAHHH!?” Maki rolls its eyes.

“Yeah, you’re fine.”

Maki Roll helps me up. “By the way,” Maki Roll starts, “what does your brother look like?”

“Well, he has dark blonde fluffy hair and hazel eyes, and for some reason always wears this navy blue hoodie with a pink dino on it.” I describe. I see Maki's face overwhelmed with terror and regret, I immediately ask, “What's wrong?”

“I- in the demon realm….We um… Have some problems, and our main food supply is h-humans…..and I maybe kinda ate someone who looks exactly like that?” My heart sinks.

I back away further from Maki Roll, “Y-you ate my brother?” Feelings of immediate regret and grief are flushing over me, as if I'm standing underneath a waterfall, pouring down and taking my heart with it. I feel the same twisted, fearful feeling I did when I stared into Maki’s eyes, except this time I can scream, but every time I do another hand wraps around my throat! Maki Roll, who ate my brother. Arnold, who left me all alone in a place with creatures- no Monsters! Monsters who want to eat me! I can't breathe, why would Maki Roll do something like that!? Why did she eat him! I want to run away, but I feel as if my feet are connected to the ground! As if the waterfall was placed over quicksand, but in my case it’s slow sand! A sinking pile of sadness, grief, regret, fear… betrayal? It’s all too much! I couldn't save Arnold, I’m 7! I’m just a kid! Even Millie can't save me now, Millie’s just a dumb hoodie! What kind of insane kid names her hoodie!? Im stupid, useless, I can't do anything. But the worst feeling, I trusted Maki roll. I thought they would help us through this madness, save us. I thought I met my first friend, but no, Makis is just another heartless demon.

“HOW COULD YOU!?” I scream, tears flowing down my cheeks burning me like fire, it stings! It hurts so badly! I want to wrap my arms around Arnold and go with him. I wish I’d never met stupid Maki or stupid Denise! None of this would have even happened if I hadn't forced my brother to come with me and find a stupid frog who probably hopped all the way to Argentina without a care in the world!

Maki Roll looks at me, flustered, tears are flowing down her cheeks that match mine. I curl into a ball, still bawling while I tighten my muscles.

“Look- I'm sorry… I didn't want to, it's just- I- I didn't know…!” She stammered, blinking. I take a deep breath, should I forgive her? it’s what Arnold would want me to do, so I'm going to do it, well… maybe. I still can't fully forgive him yet, or, ever, but I can still try to help him. Arnold would want me to see from Maki’s perspective, maybe find another way. I’m still so upset but Maki did save me from the monstrous centipede! And I really can't believe I insulted Millie like that! I wrap my arms around myself, making sure Millie feels the hug. I take a large sniff and try to pull back the tears, they're still coming, just not as strong.

“You really can't eat anything besides humans?” I ask, still trying to get further away, of course I'm still scared of her. But I’m trying to be nice, to help her atone, maybe Maki Roll had been forced into it? I mean, I eat burgers. Those cows probably had brothers! So I think I need to try to help her. For Arnold, for Millie, and for myself!

“Not that I know of…” Maki Roll finally replies, looking down. I scan my brain for something, anything I can do, what I should do, or just… what to do. Finally, I thought of something. I reach into my pocket and pull out a roll of sushi, a maki roll to be exact, how ironic!

“Here, try this.” I hand it over to Maki. She eats it in one (100)  gulp(s), Makis  face immediately lights up,

 “This is delicious,” it says.

Chapter 5

I get up, still slightly horrified at what had just happened, still, I feel a little bit accomplished for helping Maki.  A wave of shock overwhelms me as I try to stand up, sending me back to the ground. My moments of shock and denial are over but I have to stay strong for Maki Roll, for myself. I take a deep breath and get up, ready to process all of this later.

“Maki,” I start, “How do I get out of here?” Maki Roll looks up at me, it's clear Makis is thinking about it.

“Follow me,” Maki says, starting to trek forward and expecting me to follow. I do. We walk and walk, and walk. Finally, we stand in front of the exit. Another well just like the one I came from, except with a ladder. A big neon sign on it reads, “exit,” with bright colors. I gulp down my delusions of Arnold still being alive and walk forward.

Chapter 6

Maki Roll looks outside a window, observing the green dewy grass and emus roaming the nearby field. She was somewhere safe, someplace far away from where she used to call home. Maki Rolls walks over to the bedroom, where Angie sits on the bed. Her chest with multiple tubes coming out of it, and Maki understood none of it. Angie lay there, restless, until she turned to Maki,

 “I'll say hi to Arnold for you.” Angie smiles, finally closing her eyes for the last time. A sad, but true fate that comes to all humans like this. Nothing Maki Roll could do about it. 

Many thoughts rush through Makis' head, none that would have come to her before Angie. Angie freed her. Freed her from her inner monster and her outer monster, accepting her and helping her when no one else would. Maki sheds a tear, the gratitude in her heart was far stronger than any feeling she'd ever felt before. A calming feeling. Maki gets up and goes for a walk, trying to clear her head.

Along the way Maki notices a young kid, around the same age Angie was when she met her. Maki roll walks up to the child and pokes their shoe, making them turn around.

 “Hello.” 

Maki looks up at a young kid, many pins were stuck on their beanie, clearly indicating they used they/them pronouns.

The kid smiles, “Hi.”

The End