"Dead… dead… he's so… freaking…dead!" She crossed her arms close to her chest, feeling small bumps where there used to be decently-sized human breasts. All her clothes had ended up slipping off her as she had run for her life, seeing as she was now a third of her original size. She would've been embarrassed, had she felt any of her lady-parts. Female monsters apparently didn't share all the anatomical parts with female humans. "When I get my hands on Sean he's going to—" She stopped short and ducked around a corner as she heard voices approaching.

"Now where on Earth did you learn that trick, Icky? That was absolutely terrifying!" a female voice with a strange accent said.

"Oh it was nothing," a male voice said, emitting squeaky laughter. "I just thought my growing technique could use a scary growl instead of my grrgrr old thing."

A deep chuckle followed them. "Yeah that scared them senseless."

Rachel took a deep breath and stepped out into the main sewer line she had been on prior. "Um, excuse me!" she called out, seeing as the trio had turned around a bend. She wasn't prepared for what she saw, and nearly fell backwards as her cousin's drawings came to life before her. The stripy stick, the potato with arms, and the red bunny. They were all real! Sure, older looking than what Simon had on the walls, but still solid creatures!

"Oh, are you new to the academy?" the stick said. She turned out to be the female of the group, leaving Rachel to determine the other two were male.

Academy? Oh, she must mean that school Simon mentioned. Might as well play along. Not sure how long I'll be stuck like this. "Uh, yeah. I'm kinda lost."

"You'll want to see the Gromble if you're new," the red bunny said with a shudder. "Though all of us came with our parents when we started, so it wasn't as bad."

"We'll gladly accompany you though," the stick added. "We were on our way back from a scare anyway."

"Oh, um, sure. That'd be great." So they scare things on purpose? I suppose that makes sense.

"What part of the sewers are you from deary?" the stick asked as they lead her down the sewer line.

Crap. Thinkthinkthinkthink— ah! "Below Castle Point." It wasn't exactly true, but it was far enough away that no one would bother checking for a missing hu— monster.

"I'm from around there," the red rabbit said.

Joy. "Not to change the subject, but who are you all?"

"Oh, how rude of us," the stick said. "I'm Oblina, this is Ickis—" she pointed to the rabbit "—and this is Krumm." She looked to Rachel. "And what's yours?"

"Rach—er, Retchel." They seem to have odd names, would be best to blend in. "Friends back home called me Retch." She watched as they fit themselves through a tiny pipe, leading through the wall. "Holy… I can't fit through there!"

Ickis poked his head back out. "Sure you can! Just imagine yourself compressing and getting smaller. It's easy."

She wanted to roll her eyes, but stopped the action and tried what he had suggested. She felt a weird tingle from the top of her head to her pointed feet. Guess this is compressing. With a leap of faith she launched herself at the pipe. Within a second she felt all her bones and organs, whatever was in there, compress and rearrange themselves to let her through. In an instant she was sitting on the ground, blinking stupidly. She looked at the trio, then back at the pipe, then back at them. She opened her mouth and pointed at the pipe, closed it, and tried saying something once again.

Oblina arched a brow. "I see you're not very experienced in sewer travel.

"No, but that was really cool!"

"Really what?"

"I think she means 'gruel'," Krumm supplied. "Might have been around humans for awhile and picked up on their slang." He shrugged. "Though we should get her to the Gromble before—"

"Should get who to the Gromble?" a high and happy sounding voice said from behind them. Rachel had to hold back another urge to shout as another one of her cousin's drawings came to life.

The trio turned and started stammering excuses.

"QUIET!"

They instantly shut up and Rachel jumped. She hadn't expected the loud voice from the creature.

"Well now, who's this?" He pointed his bone towards her.

Ickis tried introducing her. "Oh, well, ah-ha— Her, well, um your Grombleness—"

"Ickis?"

"Yes sir?"

"OUT WITH IT!"

He jumped. "She's a new monster. Retchel from Castle Point."

The Gromble looked at her and she finally stood up straight. "Well then, we're always happy to bring in new talents to learn. That is, unless you're a COMPLETE FAILURE as a monster."

Rachel jumped. "Well, sir, you see, I'm new to scaring. I was… home schooled up until now." Oh I hope they home school down here.

The Gromble narrowed his eyes and his voice became gravelly. "How much were you taught at home?"

"Nothing useful, sir."

"Yes, she didn't know how to get through the pipe," Oblina said, pointing at the object in question.

"I see," the Gromble said, rubbing at his chin… at least Rachel figured it was a chin, seeing there was a tuft that looked like a beard there. "ICKIS, KRUMM, OBLINA!" The three of them jumped from being addressed. "Escort Retchel here back to your dormitory. You're to catch her up on everything you all know. I'll bring her a manual in an hour."

They each saluted and rushed Rachel around the corner, not seeing the Gromble's look of suspicion as they left.