Wassup? I'm here to write the next chapter, then go and sleep… mmm sleep… I want all you peoples to know that I now only update on Wednesdays or Thursdays, due to the fact I have no timeline, whatsoever. I may not post next Wednesday because I need a bit more time to rack mah brain things, and get more of a plot rollin'.

Gregor sat on their couch, watching Boots and Lizzie play outside through the window. Ever since they had moved to Virginia, he had been depressed, and broody. His mother had been ecstatic when they bought the farm house. Gregor was, less then ecstatic. It had two floors, a steep narrow stairway with a creepy passage leading into the playroom halfway up, two bathrooms, three bedrooms and the playroom, plus the large living room, and kitchen. Gregor had taken the smallest of the two upstair bedrooms. At some point, someone had painted the room a grassy green color, with deer and horses eating and running across the surface. Repaint. Definitely repaint. The reason why was because the window faced the long dirt road of a driveway. Yep, still had the instinct of a war veteran, a rager. Also, since Boots and Lizzie needed to share a room, they needed the bigger one.

The house gave him the heeby jeebies. Once he and Lizzie had heard women yelling upstairs, and the downstairs door opened and slammed, then the distinct sound of a knife being drawn from the woodblock, the door opened, slammed again, then there was a scream, a horrible scream. He had heard this kind many times in the Underland. When they investigated, they found the knife, stuck in the floorboards in the playroom floor, when they yanked it out, it had something red on the tip. No one went into the playroom after that, even Boots didn't like it, and that's saying something.

On their little farm, they had goats and horses, and a pig. Boots had named every one of them. Bill, Merry, Cola, and Rikkie were the goats, Temp, Tick, Dill, and Pickle were the horses, Boots's favorites were Temp and Tick. And the fat pig was Gorger. They had a few chickens and a rooster everyone hated, Lizzie had named him Henry. Henry was going to be renamed Dinner very soon.

"Gregor, are you going to sit there and be broody all day, or are you going to go help your father with the swing set?" his mother asked, walking through their bright yellow front door.

"Mph, I suppose I could," he answered, not really meaning it though.

"Well, either you can, or you can't, but you need to move, or do something, you're starting to collect dust sitting there all day," she scolded. Gregor got up and walked out of the house, shutting the door behind him. He knew where he wanted to go, well there were two places he could go, but it would take a lot of walking for the one place. He would stick with where he was going. Gregor stepped off the porch, and began wandering down a path he used every now and then to find his hideaway.

An old oak stood behind their house in an abandoned field, it was out of view, perfect for hiding in. It was a true father of the forest. Its trunk had been hollowed out somehow a very long time ago, and the tree had grown around the hollow, almost sealing it in.

When Gregor had been wandering one day he came across it, and found a small opening, perfect for himself to squeeze through. He had widened the inside space until he could stretch himself in it. He could lay down in any direction, and still have three to four feet of space leftover. After widening it, he found a hole in the roof, ( he found out the hard way when he was forced to take refuge in it during a hailstorm) and could climb through it to a massive top branch, wide enough for him to sit on. He put a canopy over it so he could sit in the tree top even when it rained. After a bit of hard work, he built walls around it, and put a window on the wall. One day he climbed out on the farther limbs, and cut away the branches so he could see through his window.

Gregor entered his little home away from home, and plopped down on a shelf-bench he had carved out of the side of the oak, a few cushions sat about on it. He propped up his head with a hand, and went strait into his little La, La Land. He thought about Regalia, the Underland, the first prophecy, 'The Prophecy of Grey', Vikus, Ripred… Luxa… he closed his eyes. Then went about his little hovel, dusting things, making sure they were all clean, keeping himself occupied. On a little shelf near the door were a few Underland items, a torch, a catch cloth, a funny swirled stone, and a gold circlet. Often he thumbed this little trinket, thinking to himself of what could have been. He squeezed his eyes shut to keep the tears at bay.

He was startled by the sound of wings fluttering near the door. A small bat had entered the tree, it sat on the trinket shelf, black eyes staring intelligently at Gregor.

"Hey, there little guy. What d'you need?" he asked, standing to get a better look. The bat whistled shrilly, and dropped something on the ground. Gregor kneeled, picking up the object. It was a little note, rolled up in a cylinder, tied by a piece of red ribbon. He slid the ribbon off, and unfurled the note, it read:

Dear Gregor,

We have dire need for you to came back to the Underland. A new prophecy has reared its ugly head to us, and it calls for the 'Dead Warrior, Come to Light' to help solve it. We have another Overlander we thought you might want to meet.

Bring Boots if you wish, Temp is getting a bit 'antsy' as you say, to see her again. Please do come, I know we've said this before, but, the fate of the Underland depends on you, and the other Overlander's actions.

With care,

Luxa

Huh, what a shocker. They needed him again down there. Wait, what's this?

P.S

The small flier carrying this note is your escort to a new gateway.

"Well, I guess there's no backing out of this," he thought "Listen," he said to the little brown bat, "I'll come back here in an hour or so with what I need, okay?" he told the bat, who just twittered, enjoying it's little perch, "Right, I'll go back, grab Boots, write a letter, get duct tape, flashlight, snacks, water…" he trailed off in his mind, continuing the list.

Once he got to the house his list was complete. Nobody was inside when he entered the bright yellow door. Perfect. He walked into the kitchen, and began rummaging through the junk drawer. There's the duct tape. He shut the drawer quietly, and walked into the dining room, next to the front door were several coat hooks. He took his camping backpack off one hook and shoved the duct tape in it. "Next on the list: Flashlight," he thought, going into a cabinet above the kitchen sink. Seven, flashlights lay scattered in the cabinet, Gregor chose five, a big D-cell, a two small LEDs, a tiny pink waterproof keychain, and a headlamp with three different colors, one of the settings had flashing on them. "Duct tape, flashlights, check, now lets see about the rest of my list…" Gregor continued to search the house for things he needed.

When Gregor finished packing everything in his backpack, he laced on a good pair of tennis shoes and headed out the door. He made it back to the tree, the bat was still there. "Hold on, I need to get my sister, Boots, can you wait a little longer?" he asked the bat, feeling a bit stupid. The bat twittered again, Gregor headed back to the house. He entered and stomped up the steep narrow stairs to his bedroom. His bed was pushed against one wall, a small bookshelf stood next to it, a large desk sat across from his bed, several sheets of notebook paper lay about in stacks. Gregor found a pen and began on a fresh piece of paper.

Mom and Dad,

Once again the Underlanders need me for a new prophecy, it calls for the Warrior brought back to light, or something like that. I took everything I need, and Boots. Please do not call the cops, I'll be back when I'm done down there.

I love you guys,

Gregor

Short, but simple to the point. There was a knock on his door, "Gregor, can I come in?" he sighed in relief, it was Lizzie, "Yeah, sure," he answered, Lizzie strode through the door looking worried,

"You're going down there, aren't you?" she said.

"Yeah, they need me again a new prophecy they found, and they need me to come straiten things out," Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"Try not to get killed," she said bluntly. Gregor nodded.

"I'm taking Boots,"

"Okay, I'll go find her," she said leaving for the door. "Wait, I need you to give this note to Mom and Dad after we leave, when they start looking for us," he said, pushing the piece of paper into her hands. She pursed her lips, and headed out to do her task.

When Boots saw the little bat, she melted, "Ooh, bat!" she exclaimed, observing I from a safe distance, Ripred had taught her not all animals are nice.

"Yeah bat, he's gonna take us back under," Gregor said, Boots frowned, the little five year old could talk more fluently, and construct arguments that would lean towards her winning, she was a little bit of a con artist.

"Momma's not gonna be happy when she finds out, Gregor"

"I know Boots, but don't you want to see Temp?" he asked. Her smile lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Yes!" she almost squealed.

Uh, little bat, when are we leaving?" the bat, whom had been grooming it's fur looked up and flit out the door. Gregor grabbed his pack, and Boot's hand, and shuffled out.

The bat flew slowly, gliding on the cool air as the sun set. When it was dark it landed on Gregors shoulder, and twittered, though this time, it sounded like it was speaking.

"Warrior…. I can not speak too often….. or too long…. little talk…. I leave to hunt, you can…" the bat broke off, panting, then continued, "You can make fire and sleep, do whatever you want," it stopped.

"Um, could you tell me your name?" Gregor asked, he didn't want to call it, 'The Bat' or 'It' the whole trip. The bat hesitated, "My name? Shrilf be I, I be…. Shrilf," it said, it sounded more like a boys name, so it could be a he.

"Thanks, I think we'll eat and sleep," he said, but Shrilf was already gone.

Might as well have a choir singing, 'Short chapters, short chapters, this author writes S.H.O.R.T chapters!" Yep, workin on getting everyone on board the crazy train. Hmm, didn't have Ayla in this chap because I wanted to figure out how to get Gregor to the Underland. Bah, I'll write about Ayla next chapter. I'm not posting again this week on Gregor-fics.