~ GREGOR (Written by Matt_0606, Edited by Anaklusmos_127)

"I know what you're doing," Gregor said through clenched teeth to a man he spotted sitting on a bench outside the school... again. He knew what the man was doing, and he knew he was evil. Gregor felt himself slipping into a rager state, and this time he didn't fight it, as he had done many times before.

The man stood up, towering over Gregor and looking down at him with as much menace as arrogance. "Oh yeah?" He challenged. "What're you gonna do 'bout it?"

That's when Gregor lost all control.

Before the man knew what he had gotten himself into, he was on his back with Gregor on his chest pummeling him into the sidewalk. With every thought of an innocent child being handed candy laced with drugs, Gregor hit harder. The man deserved pain and suffering.

Gregor was so immersed in his rager sense, so blinded by hatred, he didn't even realize two heavy-set teachers were prying him off the despicable man. He had failed to realize the man wasn't even fighting back. He was unconscious.

As Gregor was held in a full nelson by one of the teachers, he took his incapacitation as a sign to start calming down. Looking at the faces of terrified students wasn't what Gregor had in mind for a Friday morning, but it did help him get a grasp on reality. He watched as an ambulance pulled up. The man was rushed off to the hospital with a broken nose and fractured ribs. The paramedics said he most likely had severe head trauma.

Gregor was escorted to the headmaster's office. "I didn't mean to," Gregor tried to rehearse his story in his head, but it was a lie. Deep down, Gregor knew he wanted to beat the man into oblivion. He wished he could have done a whole lot more to that disgusting man, and this realization scared him the most.

As he sat in the office, waiting for his dad to arrive, he thought about his predicament. It was a blistering summer day; his dad's car's air conditioner had broken again, so he was already irritable when he arrived. He was also nervous for his final test in Language Arts, which added unneeded stress on the thin ice which covered his rager sense. It was dangerous, it was unpredictable, and it was easy for Gregor to break the ice and dive right in.

At eighteen years old, he was in his last year of high school and was struggling badly. All the time he had spent underground wasn't helping his grades, especially his English. At times, he caught himself writing in the strange way the Underlanders had spoken. Thank goodness for Lizzie, who helped him with his math. He was easily frustrated by other tutors, but Lizzie understood him.

His father arrived, and he heard the headmaster, Mr. Erasmus, call him into his office. Standing up and walking to the door, Gregor knew two things. One, he was about to be expelled. Two, he had to find Ripred. He was worried; worried that next time he wouldn't stop. No one would be able to control him, and no one could get out of his path. The idea of not being able to stop himself terrified him. It happened before, and it could happen many times again if Gregor didn't get help.

"Pull up a chair," the headmaster invited. Throwing away the bag of ice the nurse gave him for his bruised knuckles, he wrapped his fists around the arms of a leather chair and sat down.

He glanced over at his dad, but his eyes were downturned. He decided to examine the room, afraid to lay eyes on the headmaster. He had been in the office a few times to run errands, but never had the time to study it. Now, sitting across a brown ebony desk from Mr. Erasmus, time is what he wished he didn't have. The walls were an olive brown color, giving the office a rustic feel. A single silver-plated lamp illuminated the neatly organized desk. A set of papers lay before Mr. Erasmus which needed signing, and he fiddled with them incessantly.

"Gregor," he began in a stern voice. "I understand what the man was doing was wrong. However, that doesn't give you permission to go around beating anyone who does wrong."

"I understand. I won't do it again," Gregor said, worriedly unsure that he wouldn't.

"Mr. Casitaw, you understand your son sent a man to the hospital today." Gregor's dad nodded, finally raising his eyes to look at Gregor. He expected his dad's look to be cold and unforgiving, but in his father's sad eyes was only loving warmth.

"You are a good student, Gregor. It would be a shame to let you go two weeks before your final exams." Gregor nodded, he hadn't even thought about the exams that lay ahead of him. "I have decided you will not be punished, but it is in your best interests for you to control yourself. Another incident like this, and I will be forced to suspend you."

Gregor nodded solemnly, looking down at his feet.

"I will ask only one thing from you."

Gregor looked up, intrigued and depressed at the same time.

"You find an anger management specialist. Someone who can help you with your... emotions, and how better to control them."

"Oh, don't worry about that, sir. I already have one," Gregor answered.

"You do? Oh, well in that case you won't need these," he said, pulling out a handful of fliers out of his blazer pocket.

"No, sir," Gregor assured him.

"I think you should go home. Have a chat with your family. It will do you good." That was exactly what Gregor planned to do. Mr. Erasmus raised his hand for Gregor to stand; Gregor did so and extended a hand. Mr. Erasmus took it and shook firmly.

"Thank you, sir," Gregor said.

"Don't make me regret it."

Gregor walked out and followed his dad. They climbed into his dad's old truck and drove home in silence.

****

~ PANDORA (Written by Anaklusmos_127)

Dear Nerissa, Pandora began another letter destined to fall down the grate in the laundry room and be delivered to the palace in Regalia.

I have been having this recurring dream. There are wagons and carts in the fields outside the gates of Regalia. Many people accompany them, with faces of hopelessness. I watch them as they make their way towards the city. Looking up at the walls of her bedroom, Pandora scanned the papers taped up on them, filled with scrawling poems and jotted-down notes. She wrote everything that came to mind, no matter the time of day. This was her latest dream, and the frequency of it told Pandora that something wasn't right.

How are things there? I haven't heard from any of you in a while. I'm worried something is wrong. Even though Pandora had left the Underland, she hadn't broken contact with its inhabitants. She usually sent a letter per month, but it had been many weeks since her last reply from the Underlanders.

Please, Nerissa, tell me. I've asked you because you're probably sensing the same feelings I am, and you won't sugar coat the truth, as Howard does. Out of the many people she had met in Regalia, Nerissa was the one she talked to the most. They had many things in common and Pandora felt comfortable sharing information with her. Nerissa wasn't afraid to tell Pandora exactly what was on her mind, and no matter how silly Nerissa sounded, Pandora always believed her. Pandora received the same treatment from her friend.

Write back as soon as you are able.

Sincerely,

Pandora

Grabbing her backpack off the floor and yanking her shoes on, Pandora quietly exited her bedroom to get her bike. It was early, and Pandora decided to drop off the letter before heading to class. Bike and letter in tow, she locked the front door and headed for the stairs.

Later on, Pandora was just about to gather her things once her professor dismissed the class when she called her name.

"Pandora, can I have a minute with you, please?" Professor Cleary's sweet voice called out.

"Of course," Pandora replied, letting her notebook fall in the backpack on her lap. The professor had just gone over the final project, a group presentation, and assigned the class into pairs of two. Pandora had been assigned to work with a man named Damien, who sat in the back of the classroom. He seemed nice, but Pandora had never gotten a real chance to speak to the guy all semester. Throwing her backpack over one shoulder, Pandora stood and walked over to Professor Cleary.

Once all the other students left the classroom, she said, "I wanted to talk to you about your partner for the final."

"Damien? What about him?" Pandora asked, unsure of what the professor wanted to inform her about.

"Unfortunately, I can't get into many details because of student confidentiality, but I just have to warn you." Pandora felt her stomach knot up. "Work with Damien here on the school campus or at the library. Do not go over to his house and don't invite him over to yours."

"Al... alright, professor," Pandora said nervously.

"I wish I could tell you more so you could know, but I can't. Just... be careful of him."

"Don't worry. I'll be aware. Thanks for letting me know," Pandora said. She didn't know how convincing she sounded, but Professor Cleary smiled, picked up her purse, and walked to the door.

"And don't think he's committed a serious offense or anything," she called out consolingly. "He... just used to be something... and he's trying to fix his ways. You'll be just fine."

Pandora forced herself to return the professor's smile.

*****

~ GREGOR

The dinner table was completely quiet; only a cough came from Boots now and then, breaking the silence. She was suffering from a bad cold that was going around her school. Gregor hoped his dad wouldn't catch it. He was healthy enough to go back to work, but his immune system was still shot from the abuse he had undergone in the Underland. The slightest sneeze in his direction could have him bed ridden for a week.

"Dad," Gregor finally broke out.

"Yes, my boy?"

"What if I go..." he began, when his dad cut him off.

"We'll talk about it after dinner," he said, glancing at Lizzie and then back to him. Gregor nodded and finished his beef stew in silence.

"This isn't a want to, it's a have to," Gregor pleaded with his mom once Boots and Lizzie left for their rooms; she was opposed to the idea of Gregor returning to the Underland.

"What about your sisters?" His mom replied. That was true, his sisters would be destroyed. Boots remembered almost nothing from the Underland; she was too young to ever realize what unfolded around her. Lizzie, on the other hand, had had trouble forgetting. It took months of work, but the psychologist finally broke through the barrier holding onto her. Her downward spiral she was in after they moved to Virginia ended, although her nightmares still relentlessly pursued her in her sleep.

Gregor's parents thought it would be in her best interest to not remember the Underland, but they understood that, like his father, Gregor would never forget his time spent underground. They did the best they could to make sure Gregor got sufficiently adjusted to life in Virginia. It wasn't easy, but Gregor managed. Now that he was eighteen, an adult, he hoped his parents would finally understand he had to make his own decisions now.

"That's just another reason why I have to go back; before I hurt someone I love. Before I hurt anyone else. You remember what happened with Lucas! He's been my best friend since the move! I can't control it, mom. He's terrified of me now. Won't even look in my direction. Ripred is the only one that can help."

His mom let out a big sigh, seeming to accept the fact that it might be best for Gregor if he went. She reached up and rubbed her eye.

"He's right, honey. I can drive him up to Central Park after he's written his final," Gregor's dad piped up. Her eyes brightened, realizing she still had time with her son before he left.

"Then it's settled, I guess," his mom said. Her eyes were watery and her voice quavered but she didn't cry. "Oh, how can I be letting you do this again?" she asked rhetorically in between suppressed sobs. Gregor got up, gave his parents a big bear hug, and went off to his room to revise his work.

*****

~ PANDORA

It was raining. Just the sort of luck Pandora had. Stanley was busy all afternoon and couldn't pick her up from school. That was one of the downsides of her epilepsy: she wasn't allowed to drive a car. Sighing, Pandora jogged out into the rain and unlocked her bicycle from the rack.

Although it wasn't raining hard, Pandora figured she would be soaked in a matter of minutes. She tightened the straps of her backpack and walked her bike out onto the sidewalk.

A car pulled up, a car Pandora recognized. It stopped near her and the driver's side window rolled down. "Pandora," Damien called, "don't tell me you're going to bike home in this rain!" He poked his head, dark hair and all, out the window, the elbow of his black leather jacket resting calmly on the door.

"Unfortunately, I have to," Pandora called back with a smile. Damien had turned out to be a really nice guy and a great research partner. He loved learning about history just as much as Pandora, making the thesis of their presentation an easy thing to decide.

"You know it's turning into a thunderstorm. Just look at that black cloud heading our way." As if on cue, a lightning bolt struck in the distance, followed shortly by a roll of thunder.

"Oh, great," Pandora said. She rolled her eyes and pulled one leg over the bike.

"Hey, wait a second," Damien said. "I could give you a ride." He put the car into park, popped open the trunk, and opened his door.

Pandora remembered Professor Cleary's warning. She had been careful so far to only meet Damien in public places, telling him it was more convenient for them both to meet in a mutually close location: an internet café, the school, the local library. "Uh, thank you, Damien. But it's fine. I bike home all the time. Today's no different."

"I can't let you pedal home in the rain! You'll catch a cold." He stepped out and walked over to her, a charming smile on his face. "What am I going to do if my partner for the final project gets sick?" He joked.

"I'll manage," Pandora said.

"I insist," he countered. Another bolt of lightning raced down from the sky. The thunder sounded almost simultaneously. The storm was getting closer and the rain was coming down harder.

"Oh, alright," Pandora said slowly, pulling herself away from the bicycle so Damien could put it in the trunk. He could drop her off a block away from the apartment building. Even if he did pull up, there's no way he could know which apartment was hers. She would still be following Professor Cleary's directions.

Damien seemed delighted to give her a lift. After he carefully placed her bike in the trunk, he went over to the passenger side and held open the door for her. "Thanks," she said.

Climbing back in, Damien put the car into drive. "Okay, tell me which way to go."

"Left onto the main road. Go down a ways and I'll tell you when to turn right."

"You got it," he said with a wink before getting the car in motion.

"Sorry I'm getting your seat wet," Pandora said.

"You think I'm worried about this clunker? There've probably been worse things that have spilled in here that even I don't know about," he laughed. "So, is it no car or no license?"

"License," Pandora said.

"How come?"

"Oh, a lot of reasons," Pandora deflected. She wasn't planning on telling Damien her medical background. As she hoped, her seizures had been few and far between ever since she discovered they were connected to her psychic abilities. She hadn't had one in class all semester.

"I can respect that," Damien said. He didn't ask her any more questions.

It took less than five minutes to reach the street where the apartment building stood, and Pandora felt slightly self-conscious with the fact that Damien knew she lived in a not-so-great part of town. He didn't seem bothered, though.

"Just stop right here," Pandora said. Damien lifted one eyebrow but pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"Can't I at least drop you off at the front door?" he asked, gesturing to the nearest apartment building's entrance. Her building was a few down, but she didn't tell this to Damien.

"It's fine. The rain is letting up a bit," Pandora said, even though the rain was still relentlessly pouring from the sky.

"Come on, I've taken you this far. I might as well drop you off right at your apartment. It's no problem, really."

"Alright," Pandora said. Although she didn't want him to know her exact apartment, she didn't feel comfortable pretending the closest building was hers. "It's the one over there."

Damien pulled over right in front of the double doors to the apartment complex. He popped the trunk and got out to retrieve her bicycle.

"Thanks, Damien," Pandora said.

"Anytime, Pandora," he said with a smile. He didn't seem to care that he was getting soaking wet. "Do you need any help bringing your bike inside?"

"The elevator's probably broken, but I think I can manage." Pandora tried to take her bike away from him.

"You have to lug this thing up the stairs?" Damien seemed appalled. "No way. I'll carry it up."

"I've done it hundreds of times. It's no big deal." Maybe, Pandora thought, she shouldn't have mentioned the elevator. She wanted to slap her forehead.

"It's no big deal." Damien scoffed. "Just like biking home when it's thundering outside."

Pandora stopped trying to take her own bike. She backed up a step and fiddled with her backpack strap. Damien flashed her another perfect smile. "You can't get rid of me now, Pandora," he joked. Pressing the lock button on his key chain, Damien wheeled her bike to the doors and held one open for Pandora. She led the way to the staircase.

"It's just one flight up." Damien had no trouble lifting her bike over his shoulder with one arm. "Here's my apartment. Thanks for everything, Damien," Pandora said.

"Don't mention it," he said jovially as he carefully put down her bike and leaned it up against the wall. Before she could react, Damien had pulled her into a hug. "Just let me know whenever you need a ride. Seriously, it's no trouble at all."

After returning the hug, Pandora stepped away and pulled her keys out of her pocket. "I'll let you know. See you tomorrow?"

"See ya," Damien said with a wave before walking down the hallway and hopping back down the stairs.