Gregor and the Reappearance of the diggers
Characters and plot from Suzanne Collins Underland Chronicles
Gregor woke from his dream with a massive headache, his blankets soggy with perspiration. Wiping his wet brow, he clambered out of bed and changed into the clothes that he had set out that previous night. Gregor stumbled into the hall, still reeling from his ferocious nightmare, he'd been having a lot of those recently after the bloody war that had been waged in the underland. Time and time again the terrible death of his bond Ares replayed through his mind, sweeping in toward the banes foreleg on Ares's back, stabbing his sword into the soft flesh, realizing they were to slow, then that terrible crunch as the Bane snapped Ares's back.
"Gregor!" his little sister Boots cried out, "What is it, you miss underland?". Boots had only just learned how to say his name right, before she had said Gre-go.
"No, I'm okay Boots just tired, that all," he smiled down at he little sister, who gazed worriedly back at him, she was getting smarter by the minute it seemed, and it was easy enough to see through this lie.
"Where is Ares, he make you feel better," she administered, referring to the plastic figure of bat that she had recently given him.
"I'm alright Boots, it's okay" She looked at him a little bit longer then said,
"I'll go get him," She stepped over to the windowsill and picked up the small plastic figurine and handed it to Gregor.
"Thanks Boots," Gregor said smiling a bit despite himself. Gregor and his family had abandoned the idea of moving to Virginia because their Grandmother wasn't fit for the drive, but the dreadful prospect still loomed over Boot's and Lizzie's heads. Gregor didn't care where they lived, he felt out of place everywhere. In fact at one point he wished that he was dead, and he still wasn't sure if he didn't.
Gregor stepped into the dining room, where his mother was already up and cooking breakfast, the usual, instant pancakes. Not that Gregor minded, he knew they couldn't afford anything else, and anyway the pancakes were hardly disgusting.
"Good morning" his mother said smiling, "Good to see you wake up yourself for once." Gregor's dad noticed his gloomy and sour expression, sighing he said,
"Those nightmares still bothering you?" Gregor nodded gloomily and slouched over to the table, grabbing a pancake on the way.
"Listen Gregor," His father said "I know you're always thinking about the underland but you've just got to forget about it, leave the past behind you. I'm really sorry about Luxa, I know you," he paused for a moment, "I know she meant a lot to you, it's hard, but you have to go on."
Realizing he had only made Gregor gloomier, his dad reached up and rubbed his temple.
"You want to go back don't you, you don't like it here. I thought..." he broke off "I thought it would all end up being okay." He murmured despondently.
"It's alright dad, it really is. Man, I'll be alright, don't worry!" Gregor comforted his depressed father "It'll be alright, really it will."
Gregor's dad nodded and Gregor was whisked out the door by his sisters. Recently Boots seemed to have acquired the status of "most popular kid" her friends seemed to be limitless, and almost everyday she brought one home with her. Lizzie, in contrast had only one friend, a strange little boy by the name of Jemimah, who insisted on calling her Elizabeth. Jemimah's main interest was mechanics, and he would gladly point out to you the difference between a diesel and a gas car, or a traffic light, or anything else for that matter.
The three of them walked the six blocks to school, Boots leading the way, dancing, singing and catching snowflakes on her tongue. People walking by all took a moment to stop and smile at the little girl, a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the Brooklyn Streets.
School so far had gone just as Gregor had expected it would, terrible. It was hard enough explaining why he missed PE every week, but his muscles and scars still remained, and most teenager's in Brooklyn didn't bear the marks of a brutal war between giant rats and humans.
It had been a year since the last time Gregor had been in the Underland, and he was already thirteen, almost fourteen, and so was Luxa. Luxa...