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

Chapter 4

~ PANDORA

"Please, just let me walk you in," Damien offered once more.

Pandora was getting tired of shrugging him off. The entire ride home, Damien had been a perfect gentleman, and had tried his best to get Pandora to see he was sorry for how he had acted. She was over it. They had already given their final presentation, and now Pandora had no commitments. It wasn't long until her and Howard were on their way to help the Underlanders. She guessed having Damien walk her to the door of her apartment wouldn't be too bad. "Sure," she said half-heartedly. "I guess that would be fine."

He flashed her a dazzling smile and jumped out of the car to open the door for her. Rose's words after the dinner fiasco jumped out in Pandora's mind. Damien did seem to like her. He definitely treated her differently than other people he talked to.

They walked up the stairs to her apartment floor, and Pandora had just taken out her keys when Damien stepped extremely close. Although Pandora really wanted him out of her personal space, she pretended not to notice and continued finding her house key.

He put a hand on her cheek and lifted her face to look him in the eyes.

"Damien," she said with a warning tone. He had stepped even closer. She moved her hands to press him away, her keys jangling.

The door opened, and Howard peeked out. He had obviously heard them and wondered why Pandora hadn't walked in yet. "Pandora?" he asked timidly.

"Oh, you're still here," Damien spat.

"Yes, he's still here," Pandora said while taking a step away from him. "Where else would he be?"

"Back in Virginia, where he said he lived," he retorted. He took a step back from Howard and seemed to size him up. Pandora raised her head and glared at him.

"Why would I leave soon after I arrived?" Howard asked. He had stood up straighter but maintained a calm tone.

"See? And who talks like that? You aren't really from Virginia, are you?"

Pandora spoke up, louder than she had expected to. "What does it matter to you?"

"And I bet he's not related to Rose either!"

"How would you know?" Pandora didn't care how loud she was being. She matched Damien's rude tone, and his head snapped in her direction. His hands curled into fists at his sides and his cheeks were getting red. Howard sensed the tension and stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him and not daring to take his eyes off Damien.

"I can see it on his face! His freakish, albino face!"

Pandora had had it. "That's enough, Damien!" Pandora dropped her keys instantly and forcefully put a hand on his shoulder, trying to push him back towards the stairs. "Just go home!"

"I'll say when he's had enough," he replied darkly, trapping her wrist with a powerful hand. His gaze rested on Pandora and her anger was quickly replaced with fear. His eyes had a murderous rage to them that Pandora had never seen before. He looked like a different person.

"Get away from her!" Howard snapped. "She hasn't done anything wrong."

"She knows you. And that's wrong enough." Damien let go of her wrist and shoved her into the wall. Pandora cried out and sank to the floor, the back of her head throbbing.

Howard advanced onto Damien, raising Pandora's fear to a new level. Howard had always seemed nervous to enter a fight, but now he was doing so willingly.