Looking out through the car window, Gregor watches as it all passes by. The fields, the fences, and the endless amount of forest that seemed to surround everything. This is what life has been for the past few years...fields, fences, and forest. So far away from the city. So far away from everything. "At least it's not Virginia", he thought. No, it's not Virginia. No matter how bad his mother wanted them to leave New York City behind, there was only so much space she could put between them. What, with grandma being in the nursing home and all. Dad couldn't just leave her, she was his mother, our family. So mom had no choice but to compromise. She didn't care where we went, as long as we got out of there and we stayed together. So, here we are, living in Salem.
Salem, New York was the closest "far away" mom could find. Roughly forty-seven miles from home. No, home was farther than that. Gregor knew that Salem wasn't home, and that New York wasn't home either. It had been years since he had seen it. Five years to be exact, but he hadn't forgotten it. Home was far beneath the streets of New York City, in Regalia. He definitely hadn't forgotten Regalia. Gregor knew he never would. Just like he would never forget her. He took one hand off the wheel and reached into his pocket, his fingers found the plastic edge of the photo. Immediately his mind was flooded with the memories. Memories of Regalia, of friends, the war, the creatures, and above all else...her.
Gregor wasn't the only one who had memories that haunted him. In the back seat he could hear her. Sitting directly behind the driver's seat, Lizzie was breathing heavily into a paper bag. She hadn't had a panic attack since they had moved. She usually just remained her quiet, composed self. The closer they got to their destination, however, the more frantic her breathing became. I guess some things never change. Boots, though, kept nothing to herself. She had all these things in her head that couldn't be explained. She was so young when it all happened after all. Whenever she'd ask a question mom and dad would just tell her she had been watching too much tv. Boots would accept it with a solemn ok, but Gregor knew better. Boots hadn't accepted anything.
Slowly the landscape was changing. Rural New York was disappearing in the rearview mirrors. They were getting closer and closer to the city. Gregor's heart beat quickened. This trip was something new for him and his sisters. Their parents had made it many of times, though, to see grandma. She had been suffering from a serious heart condition for some time now. After her long ordeal in the hospital she had been checked into City Central Home for the Elderly. That's where she has been going on three years now. And once a month, for those three years, their parents had been going to visit her. Gregor, Lizzie, and Boots never went. Mom wouldn't have allowed it. It was too close.
Grandma was getting up there in years, and missed them terribly. One day while mom was at work, dad told Lizzie and Boots to go get ready and get in the car. They headed out the door and dad turned and tossed the keys to me. "Go",he said. At first I was confused. As I was walking out the door it hit me. Closing the car door, I adjusted the seat and put the keys in the ignition. "Where are we going?", asked Boots. "To visit grandma", I answered. As I glanced up into the rearview I caught Lizzie's eyes. They were filled with fear, and a bit of what I thought to be anticipation. But I wasn't positive if these emotions were more from her knowing where we were going, or from the fact that I was the one taking us there.
Mom had pushed for me to go get my license. It wasn't really something I was excited about. After flying, driving fell short in comparison. I went and got it so I could help out with hauling Lizzie and Boots around. It was shortly after I had gotten them that I noticed something. Whenever I drove this crazed feeling came over me. It felt as though I was always on the offensive. I mean, I had heard of road rage, but this was different. I am a rager by nature. I could still hear Ripred's last words. "Watch yourself. That rager thing isn't going to magically disappear. It's a part of you." Yea, it sure was. I only drove when I absolutely had to. Here I was... driving. Because I had to. There was no more waiting.