Underland Chronicles: 2 - The Reaper's Gate (A Gregor the Overlander FanFic)

Chapter 2

~ GREGOR

The last two weeks of Gregor's schooling career went by in a flash. Fortunately, his rager side brought no further incidents. He felt confident his grades would be acceptable, although he didn't plan on staying around to find out for sure.

Having packed what he needed, which was relatively little, he lay his bag by the front door and set off in search of his sisters. He found both sitting on Lizzie's bed, doodling in a scrapbook Gregor had bought her a while back for her birthday. It seemed to calm her down, to draw patterns of geometric shapes and what not. She had always loved the pictures that seemed to invert the dimensions, changing as you shift your gaze or tilt your head. Now, however, she drew Ripred to the best of her abilities. Only a vague memory of the rat lingered in her brain; she couldn't even remember the obvious scar that ran across his face.

"Hi, Boots. Hi, Lizzie."

"Hey Greg," they piped up, only Boots looked up from the book before continuing on her own drawing.

"What ya got there?"

"Just a doodle. It's terrible, isn't it?" Lizzie replied.

"Is not," Gregor said. He paused for a second. "Listen, remember how a couple weeks ago I covered for you when you broke the plate?"

"Yeah..." Lizzie began, looking up now, trying not to relive the moment.

"I need you to return the favor."

"Yeah..." they both said. Boots looked up again from her drawing and gave him a questioning look. She could always tell when he was up to something. It must've been some mischievous part of her nine-year-old brain that could sense he was forming an intricate lie. He hoped that wasn't the case.

"Don't let mom and dad stress too much. I'll be fine, you know that. I know mom's worried."

"Where are you going again?" Boots asked innocently.

"Err... The school is sending me out on a... A kind of study trip... remember?"

"Oh yeah, like mom said."

"So late in the year?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah, they told me it's because they want to help me for when I go to university." That seemed to convince them, because they both instinctively nodded. Gregor moved closer to them and gave them a squeezing embrace. "I'll be back. I don't know when, but I will. I love you two." Gregor's eyes started to well up with tears, as did Lizzie's.

"I love you," Boots said, followed by Lizzie.

"See you soon!" Gregor stood up and walked out of the room. His stomach hurt at the thought. When was soon? If ever? His dad was waiting outside the door for him.

"Ready?" His dad asked.

"Ready," he replied firmly, gaining what composure he had lost. His dad led him outside to the red, rusty Ford truck; Gregor threw his backpack in the trunk and rushed back inside, wanting to say goodbye to his mom.

Gregor left his house with tears in his eyes but was more confident than ever that he was doing the right thing. He climbed into his dad's car, his dad shifted it into gear, and they traveled down the lonely gravel road towards the airport.

It was getting late, the traffic was thinning, and the airport loomed closer and closer. Gregor knew he could ask his dad to turn around at any time, but he knew his best shot was miles away. Deep under the sparkling lights of New York City.

****

After landing at the terminal, Gregor's dad had hailed at taxi. Paying the driver as he pulled up alongside Central Park, Gregor and his father located where the entrance to the Underland was. Hidden in a grove of trees was a hole covered by a huge boulder. Gregor stood for a whole minute just looking at it, hands in his pockets. Finally, he turned to look at his father.