Mantis
Sasha helped Sprig out, she wanted OUT of this forest so she’d have to play nice or right back to the woods with her.She stopped, remembering what happened with that Wally character and turned to Sprig.”You wouldn’t sell me out to your frog buddies would ya?”She asked, leaning over him.
He looked up at her with a chipper expression.“Would NEVER!You’re my first friend!”He answered, sounding very excited at the friend part.“Kinda sad but okay.”Sasha shrugged, walking with the frog.But then another tackled her to floor and those little things were heavier than they looked!
They dog piled her and in moments she was tied up.She only had time to process a few details, she’d been sold out, she was about to die to FROGS, and they were making an awful lot of noise.“You lied!”She hissed to Sprig, he took a step forward worriedly.
“I-I didn’t think they’d find you!I didn’t plan for this!”But then an older frog—possible the Hop Pop she remembered him talking about—and a little polly-something came up behind him.
“Did you…ACTUALLY CATCH IT?!”The polly-thing question in pure shock.“WOW.Sprig this is…something I NEVER thought I’d see.Honestly, well done.”Hop Pop congratulated.”But I didn’t…I didn’t mean for this!”Sprig exclaimed trying to get to Sasha.
Who was being picked up by some VERY gross frog hands.They were slimy and she HATED the newly discovered feeling of being tied up.But all the noice finally attracted the attention of the mantis.This was her chance tho she’d have to hop since they tied her legs.
But it wasn’t the same mantis it was a smaller green one.The frogs let her alone to deal with the new found threat and Sasha tried squirming away but kind of wanted to see what they’d do.“MANTIS FORMATION!”Shouted this bulky weird looking frog.And all the smaller frogs all hopped on each other’s heads to make this weirdly shaped Mantis form.Sasha frowned, not entertaining, she noted.
“They’re all bug food.”She muttered, getting Sprig’s attention.He immediately tried untying her.While he did that she watched the mantis slowly back up until it was gone.Which was a huge surprise because the frogs looked like a badly built pyramid.“Did that just…WORK?”Then the huge crimson one fell down from the canopy.“Alright, I was just about to say.”
The larger mantis struck chaos and in an instance it was ever man for themselves or in this case every frog and Sasha for themselves.Sprig had freed her and Sasha was ready to dash.She expected her new helper to follow but he pulled out a SLING SHOT and shot the two story tall MONSTER with a god forsaken ROCK.
That only pissed it off.She knew what it was going to do the moment it’s pincer thing moved.So against her will and survival instinct she ran right back for Sprig.With no time to carry him away, all she could do was try to keep him safe.She saw the mantis bring it’s claw down she slammed her eyes shut and put her hands up to catch it.
She felt it in palms, sharp, dry, and heavy.But instead of crumbling somehow she was keeping it…up?She wasn’t that strong and this thing was huge…But she didn’t question her new found strength, or just didn’t have time to.She could feel a sharp, distinct strength in her bones.She ran to the side and pulled on the claw.
She hadn’t even planned for this.She was just going with the flow which she kind of hated.To much uncertainty.But she had so much strength!She could force it to go her way.So she pulled and the mantis took a distracted step forward.
“GET THE ROPE!TRIP IT!”She shouted to the frogs remaining, who were useless and did nothing!Before the bulky frog stepped in.“I MAYOR TOADSTOOL say TRIP IT WITH THE ROPE!”The frogs actually listened.So Sasha pulled again but this time…she didn’t have the strength she had before but just enough strength to move it again.
And so with the rope the mantis came tumbling.The frogs cheered and Sasha felt ecstatic, she kind of felt like a hero.Until Toad-chair propped his leg up on the mantis.“I have defeated it with my wit!”
“I all of a sudden want to strangle him.”Sasha mumbled to Sprig who was giving her starry eyes.“You…YOU’RE BUFF!”He exclaimed.She bit back a laugh and raised an eyebrow.“What?”
“That thing was like two TONS!”Sprig continue.“No frog could even DREAM of doing that!”Sasha laughed at his comments.“That’s cause you’re tiny.”She said before all eyes were back on her.“Now…FOR THE OTHER MONSTER!”Yelled an old lady frog with more rope in her hand.“
And all of a sudden she was being surrounded with pitch forks and torch’s again.“Hey!Hey!I’m on your side!”She told them but they didn’t seem to want to listen.”Everyone!Relax!”Hop Pop shouted, stepping up with the polly-thing in her bucket.“I’ll take care of it!I’ll watch it.I’ll make sure everything is okay!”
The crowd mumbled amongst each other and Sasha hopped they’d go with Hop Pop.“But didn’t you see it’s freakish strength!”Yelled out Wally.Sasha adjusted the jacket she’d wrapped around her neck.“I’m just…gonna have a word with him.”She said to Hop Pop, ready to try and test out the earlier strength on this one eyed jerk.
But Sprig stopped her and Toad-Chair chipped in.“Wally, we’ll see if it is a problem.But for now…the Plantars can keep their pet monster.”