So this is my first piece... I hope you enjoy!
Gregor sat in his bed, sheets ridden with wrinkles, looking out to the night sky. The moon gazed upon the lands surrounding his family's house and fields. His knees were bunched up to his chest, his arms wrapped around himself in a self-condoling hug. In his left hand he carried with him a faded photo of him from a distant time. Taken with a Polaroid camera, the photo was of a silvery blonde and himself, sighing and letting out all of his breath, he sunk into his pillows. Back against the wall he studied the photo, searching for something new, a new detail, anything. In all the years, months, weeks, nights, and days he had done this he never found anything new, just the two kids and a bland, pearly grey stone wall. The photo gave him a reminder of his turbulent past, as well as the people who came with it. Memories filled his head, happy and sad, memories from a lifetime ago. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered the last things and people he saw of the Underland. He gently brushed the photo, afraid it would disintegrate in his hands, and held it dearly in his hands. Those were the last days he had been himself, his real self, not the current depressed sorry excuse for a human being he was now. He squeezed his eyes shut and ran the back of his hand along his eye line, smearing the tears across his face. He felt his breathing slow, and muscles relax as they gave in to the temptations of sleep.
Since his families arrival to rural Virginia Gregor lost almost all of his will to live. The only thing keeping him alive was the mere memory of the girl he had feelings for they weren't simple feelings nor were they easy to understand, they were instead complex filled with an unbearable amount of turns and twits. For the first three months he wouldn't come out of his room, a make shift bedroom in the attic with only a full sized bed, simple dresser, and two windows each opposite of each other. No matter how hard his family tried in vain, nothing they did made him budge from his attic escape in the slightest. Three times a day Gregor would find a meal outside his curtained doorway, each time with a note telling him of how his family loved him.
"Yeah right," he would scoff each time, "If any of you gave a damn about me you would've let us stay in New York."
Finally on what would have been the start of his fourth month in seclusion, Gregor emerged from his room. It was 6 AM sharp, and Gregor knew it was the start of the day in his new life. He had been in isolation but paid attention to what happened outside of his windowed asylum. Gregor hadn't lost a touch of his sharpness or body mass, as all he did in those three months was train, and train he did. Squats, sit ups, push ups, pull ups, if you could do it in a small 10 x 12 room he did it. His family was just waking as he walked calmly out the front door, and took in a deep breath sucking in greedily at the crisp Virginian morning air.
His families farm had grown since their arrival boasting vegetables of all varieties, a few fruit trees, some grapevines, a small herd of cows, a few horses, and a coop of chickens. He smiled his first real smile at the thought of his family working this hard, making adjustments when needed to get used to this new life. A life of hard work, but being able to sustain themselves without the worry of not making ends meet. He knew from the one way conversations between him and his father that carried between the curtained door frame that when he emerged from seclusion that he needed to let the cows out, move the mobile chicken coop to a new section of the families field, and ready himself for school. So that he did. Quickly and efficiently he did his tasks taking no more than an hour to complete them. Gregor's Family watched in amazement as their son, and brother briskly tore through his chores.
He made no effort to speak to any of them.
Gregor had missed a good chunk of his first quarter as a senior at his new school in Virginia, and upon his arrival his teachers reactions were all the same. The classic look of surprise followed by introducing "the new student" to the class, all of which no one paid attention to. After that he would find an empty seat near the back and not make any attempt to introduce himself to his classmates. If they tried to start something up, Gregor would just send them a nasty glare and make them uncomfortable and awkward to the point where they would just give up.
Time carried on as Gregor got used to his new routine. He'd take the time now though to interact, minimally, with his family who were in no part displeased with Gregor's "normalization." Additionally, much to Gregor and his family's surprise some of the scars started to dissipate, melt back into the native soft peachy skin tone that Gregor's body had taken a liking to. He watched every day as the lines, dots, circles, and marks that were once wounds that ravaged his body slowly melt away. The newer, more recent ones decided that their time was not up, and stubbornly marked his skin. He would inspect himself everyday to see what had gone, and what had stayed, soon he found himself in shorts, and tee shirts once again.
At school he was regarded as a loner, an outcast tossed to the sidelines out of the spotlight of the school, Gregor was more than fine with this. No one would talk to him, even the teachers, they had all tried to no avail. Everyone but one soul had given up on the troubled man, a quiet kid by the name of "Peter" whether or not that was his real name Gregor knew not. Gregor got used to his company as the new student tagged along with him from 8:15 to 3:50. He would tell tales of his homeland to Gregor in his broken, accented English, and ramble about anything. He had gotten used to his new life, but by no means enjoyed it. He missed the old days where he would wake up in a land of huge creatures, the constant threat of war, he missed the people, and scenery of the Underland. Oh how he wished to return.
Everything felt almost normal to Gregor, he minimally passed his first semester, didn't get any trouble from anyone, and his parents constantly reminded him of their love and worry for him. All until the senior jock, school bully Brian Leefeman decided to pick on the one kid Gregor made any connection to. The quiet kid, Peter. Besides his name Gregor knew almost everything about him, from how he had made a long trip from war torn Syria to Virgina, to how he likes his toast in the morning. For Gregor the day seemed normal. Wake up, chores, go to school, eat lunch, but right as he sat down at his normal spot near the entrance to the school he heard a loud booming voice.
"Hey give me your damn money, you stupid monkey, I need some cigs," Brian yelled at peter, picking him up and slamming him into the brick wall of the school.
"P... P... Please, I not have money, I.. I just uh, lunch," Peter stuttered, managing to get out the scentence in a thick accent. He was pinned to the brick wall, thick pale fingers clasped his shoulders.
"Well, I couldn't give less of a shit, money, or I beat you worse than a terrorist," Brian shouted in his face egged on by his posse.
"Brian, I thought you said you wouldn't pick on anyone when you were with me," an infuriated voice piped up behind the group.
"This is none of your business Amanda," Brian screeched at a girl. That girl just happened to be the most popular girl at school, who also happened to be Brian's girlfriend. By now almost half the school had either heard or been notified that this was happening, including Gregor. The school's population gathered at the outburst and formed a semi-circle around the scene of the two duking it out with vulgar words. The jock dropped Peter to the ground and faced Amanda ready to retaliate again, this time pphysically.
Watching silently near the front of the crowd Gregor beckoned to Peter to Get out of the semi-circle that had formed. Unfortunately Brian noticed his victim's attempt to escape, and already furious, whipped out a nasty kick that knocked Peter back to the ground. Amanda was beyond furious at this and threw a punch at Brian's head who had now turned his back. The light punch didn't so much as phase Brian. He turned and swatted her down with a vicious backhand that left Amanda crying, and with a red mark across her face. Turning back to Peter the brute picked the winded boy up, and was winding up another punch when Gregor intervened. Pushing through the crowd, Gregor managed to get out a hoarse warning.
"Stop, or I'll make this the end of the line."
Hearing the new challenger Brian looked up from Peter, and sized Gregor up. Gregor was a dwarf compared to his opponent who was easily 300 LBS pure muscle.
"Well, well, well, the little shit talks," Brian chuckled, "If you kiss my ass, and offer to suck me off I'd gladly forgive you." His posse thought this was hilarious and burst with laughter.
"Suck you off? I don't think I'd be able to find your little johhny," Gregor taunted, his voice still a mere rasp from disuse. This seemed to tip the already furious Brian over the edge, and with a shout of rage charged at Gregor, knocking him off his feet. Brian landed blow after rage filled blow on Gregor, before ending his onslaught and standing up. Gregor propped himself up on his elbows and laughed.
"What is so funny shit face?" Brian asked, still huffing and puffing.
"You hit like a girl," Gregor said shaking his head, and wiping his bloodied nose. Brian turned and asked for Gregor to clarify, menace behind his voice.
"I mean you hit like a girl, what didn't your stupid walnut sized brain not get about that," Gregor said again. His rager abilities came out of their deep slumber and filled his blood with that signature, buzzing, adrenaline. With out warning Brian launched what was to be his final punch at Gregor, who simply waited for the punch to arrive. With lightning fast reflexes his hand shot up, and grabbed the bully's fist. A quick yank and Gregor pulled the bully into his already upwards accelerating knee, and the felt his knee sink into deep into the bully's stomach. He let out a small gasp and winded, Brian fell to the ground clutching his abdomen. The crowd was too stuned to do much of anything and just stared gaping at what they saw. The most feared individual taken out of commission by a nobody farm boy. Gregor watched as the bully writhed and twisted trying to get a breath of air into his oxygen deprived lungs. Just for good measure Gregor viciously brought his foot down on the bully's face, only being satisfied by the brutal snap of the Brian's nose. People were whispering already, coming up with theories about why the boy was so secluded and a good fighter. Gregor glanced back over at the mess of a giant being helped up by his buddies. Satisfied at the sight of the semi-broken bully he walked over to the still cowering Peter.
"You ok?" Gregor asked, getting down on knee to help his acquaintance up.
"Yes, I am ok," Peter shakily got out.
"Go to the office, tell them what happened"
"Ok..." With that the small syrian boy turned, disappearing into the main building.
Everyone at this point had dispersed as teachers begun to show up to the scene. Including Gregor's father.
So uh, hope you guys liked this first bit, I'm probably gonna update randomly, feed back would be appreciated but i mean you guys have your own lives...
Yeah I guess...
For now -Pinchee
