"Hey, Gregor are you paying attention?" Gregor's mind slid lowly back into focus and his Geometry book slid back into focus.
"Huh? Yeah, sorry Amanda." His tutor, a pretty brunette in his math class gave him a half smile. Luxa's smile.
"So what's the answer to number 13?" Gregor frowned. Thirteen, the most unlucky number in this planet.
"Uh… you find the area of the circle… pi, radius and you square that… and you subtract it with the area of the rectangle and you get… 23.5 meters squared?" He drew a sloppy square around his answer. Amanda smiled.
"Yeah! I think you're finally getting it, Gregor." He threw his books into this bag and grinned back at her.
"Hope so." Suddenly Amanda looked around, chewing her lips.
"You alright?" Gregor took her hand and squeezed it softly. Her cheeks grew a light pink.
"Are you free on Friday? I mean, you don't have to go but I was wondering- since Harry Potter came out…" She looked positively mortified.
"Uh, bye." she mumbled, but Gregor held on tighter.
"Hey, don't you want to know my answer?"
"Ha, as if you'd go." But her mouth twitched. She knew what he going to say.
"So at AMC theaters? Seven pm?" Amanda smiled and nodded, taking her bike home. Gregor shut off the lights and locked the library doors closed. Wind and sleet slapped him across the face as he made his way to bus stop. Gregor stared across the busy street as he walked over the bridge. The black water beneath him churned. Jump, Overlander. Gregor looked around, shaking the voice out from his head. Ares used to tell me that, all the time. Jump, Overlander. There is was again! Gregor snuck a look over the bridge and nearly fell in. A black bat was staring up at him. Jump, Overlander. Gregor backed off and walked away fast. He heard the sound of strong wings and felt claws grasp his jacket.
Shit.
"Sh! He needs his rest!" Blurred images of people moved in front of him. Gregor reached out and felt his hand hit someone's arm. Everything got quiet and the blurriness stopped. He looked up and saw a girl with dangerous violet eyes and silver hair smiling.
"Hello, Gregor."
"Luxa?"
"He seems quite alright for someone who hit his head on a stone bridge." Howard stood by Gregor.
"How are you feeling?"
Mad, pissed, upset and in the midst of all the hate… happy. Happy he was back in the Underland. Happy he could see Luxa again…
"Why did you bring me back here?" Gregor asked, clenching his teeth. Luxa looked alarmed, but Howard placed his hand on his arm.
"It's another prophecy." The Overlander sighed and sat up straight.
"Okay, let's hear it." Luxa shook her head.
"Later, after dinner. There's some extra things we have to do." Howard jumped in.
"But you're allowed to walk around the palace until time. In the dining hall."
Gregor seethed, walking down the halls. It was almost time to go to the dining hall, but Gregor couldn't face the Underlanders. After they took him against his will and forced him back to this hole. Down…right…left…up…. How would his mother feel? His family? Amanda? Right…. circle around…. Gregor paced around the huge palace and the vibrant lights the torches gave slowly died and the warrior found himself in a dark hallway. Time to try echolocation again. Gregor sighed and coughed. Light flashed around his eyes and he smiled grimly. He looked around and a bright reds, oranges and yellows flickered at the end of the hall. It definitely wasn't his echolocation. Gregor crept toward the light slowly, making sure his footsteps didn't echo too much. CLANG. Gregor cursed and looked down. Before the lights stopped, Gregor saw a sheath for a sword laying in this way. He coughed and saw the no one was there. A fast rush of ash hit his face and he gagged on the smoky smell and gritty taste.
"What are you doing here?" He turned and a girl holding a lantern leaned against the wall. Her eyes- auburn orbs bored into him and Gregor squeaked in terror.
"I was just looking around." The girl looked at him and smiled. It was creepy.
"You're the Overlander warrior aren't you? Henry and Luxa talk about you a lot."
"You know Henry? And Luxa?" She used her head as a gesture to follow him. "Come. People await you in the dining hall." Gregor slowly followed the girl toward the light. As she passed the torches, he saw that unlike all the Underlanders, her skin was tanned and her hair was luscious black.
"Are you an Underlander?" Gregor asked, watching the way her black robes swished as she walked.
"Well, no. I prefer not to be an Underlander, you know?" She led him up to a door engraved with stones and leaves. Gregor recognized it as the dining hall.
"There you go, warrior. I'll be seeing you more." She bowed shortly and began to back away.
"Wait, aren't you eating with us?" Gregor called. She gave him the hollow laugh.
"Gregor the Overlander, I'm invited in there as much as rats are." Gregor turned to enter the hall when a rush of the same smoke and ash that attacked him earlier rush by him. He looked to see if the girl was hurt, but she had gone.
Just like the dust had come and go.