Chapter one

Gregor's eyes stared listlessly out of the car window, trailing along the houses and buildings that made New York City. He could hardly believe it had been four years since he had been living in Virginia, but it was the reality he was living in, and he had no choice but to accept it.

Virginia had been horrid, so much different from the home Gregor had grown up in. And then the ever burning agony of losing himself...Losing the Underland, tortured him day by day. Unbearable as it was, Gregor gave a small, bitter smile at a memory that came into his mind...

"Mama, I like Pe-skool," Boots declared proudly, sitting at her seat of the kitchen table, a broad smile spread across her face.

"Do you, Boots?" Grace asked encouragingly, a single for the others to follow suit. Everyone else around the table, which included Grace, Gregor, Lizzie, Gregor's dad, Aunt Moireen, Charlie and Dellia(Gregor's cousins)

"Ye-es!" Boots squealed.And then she broke into the fast, continuous clicks that Gregor knew as Crawler. Crawlers were giant cockroaches, which lived miles beneath New York City in the Underland.

Not only cockroaches lived in the Underland, either. Various creatures, most of them known as pests, such as Rats and bats, lived there as well. There was also a race of pale-skinned, violet eyed humans that inhabited the cities Regalia and the Fount. Regalia was had the largest population, yet the Fount was known for its amazing hospitals.

The Crawler dialect had raised alarm from the other members of the table; those who didn't know of the Underland had thought she'd gone mad or something to that measure.

Now Gregor found himself faced with another challenge. Would he return to the Underland? The question dangled in his mind, but every time he reached for an answer, he only thought of one thing: Yes.

So now, as Gregor stood facing his new house, he pushed the issue aside and stepped up the steps and onto the threshold of his "new" living room.

The walls were blank and white, just like the carpetting beneath his feet. Several boxes lay scattered about, labeling things like "bathroom" and "kitchen". Gregor's couch remained facing the wrong way by the wall, and he went over to move it, out of something that told him his mother wouldn't be too happy about it.

Gregor, who had grown much stronger throughout the four years of his absence, moved the couch with ease. There. That would keep her from a bad mood.

The truth was, Gregor wanted to be on her good-side, for he had finally come up with a solution for his anxiety towards going back to the Underland. He would sneak away tonight, and leave a note of sincere apology. Grace would probably blow her lid, but it was better than asking and endearing the endless questioning he would recieve. They would want to know why he wanted to go back.

And Gregor simply knew he could not tell his mom and dad that he was hopelessly in love with Queen Luxa, for two very important reasons. One, it sounded foolish coming from the mouth of a sixteen year old and Two, who would tell their parents their most deepest hidden secret. Nobody knew besides himsel, Luxa, Mareth and Ripred.

The mere thought of Luxa made Gregor go into a daze. He could see her beautiful face, her glowing violet eyes, her lips, which were just perfect and...

Gregor shook his head, ridding thoughts of the gorgeous queen from his mind. Whatever he did, he could not let anyone in his family know of his intentions, and stooping into mindless daydreaming might make them think he was planning something...
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The ceiling of Gregor's new room was dark, and he practiced echolocation for what seemed like hours, until he could hear nothing but deep breathing and slight snores outside of his door.

Gregor had a small pack by the entrance to his room, which was filled with basic supplies. Just in case. Also thrown into the backpack were a pair of worn out sneakers, far from new, but very durable.

He moved with quick, careful footsteps into the hallway and to the front door. He met no resistence...

"God," Gregor thought sarcastically into his head,"I sound like I'm trying to rob a bank or something,"

The simple thought of that, and that alone realize that his sneaking away would be like the crime of robbing a bank, oerhaos worse, in Grace's eyes.

Gregor's small note was clutched tightly against his sweaty palm. He released it slowly, and grabbed masking tape from out of his backpack. Silently, willing the masking tape not to make any noise at all, Gregor tore a piece away with his teeth.

Riiiiiiiip!

Gregor winced as the tape gave a long, loud ripping sound through the house, but no one stirred. They must have been terribly heavy sleepers.

After his note was taped to the door, Gregor slipped out of his new home and down the steps toward the street.
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Central Park was dark. There was not a single soul around when Gregor arrived. But what caught his instant attention was the shiny gray rock that covered the entrance to a world nobody would ever know about. Could never know about. Slowly, with deliberation in his stride, Gregor made his way over to this stone, and pressed a hand to the cool material.

Gregor looked around, once more, to make sure nobody was watching, though he knew very well that the park was empty, Gregor forced his weight against the resistent rock, and it traveled out of place instantly.

The cold, damp entrance was the same as ever, a long row of stairs reaching from his end to the next, to where two worlds met. In another slight daze, Gregor began the descent, footsteps echoing softly against the pitter-patter of water. He was near where he needed to be.

He moved another few feet forward, and then felt a force and fell flat onto his face.

Above him, a red rat streaked with what seemed like dirt, was over him, snarling and spitting like an angry beast. Gregor knew it was over, he had no protection, and closed his eyes, waiting for his death.

It never came. Another rat had leaped from the shadows, shoving the smaller one into a wall. There was a scurrying noise, and then only one rat remained. Gregor thought he was in danger. Then the rat wheeled around.

Splitting across the gray face was two diagonal shaped scars, which formed a prominent X.
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Re-write, chapter one.