Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods-3 Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Suzanne Collins
bed.
Everyone was so keyed up, it was another hour before his grandma, Lizzie, and Boots had settled down in their rooms. When his mom came out from kissing them all good night, Gregor grabbed her hand and without a word led her into the kitchen. His dad was right on their heels.
"What? What is going on with you two?" said his mom.
"I heard from the Underland today. We went and talked to Ripred under Central Park, and Ares is dying, Mom, and Boots and I have to go back down to save him! At midnight!
Tonight!" The words that had been pressing on Gregor's chest spilled out before he could stop them. He instantly regretted his impulsive delivery. The horrified look on his mom's face told him this had not been the way to break the news.
"No, you do not! You are not! You are never going down to that place again!" she said.
"Look, Mom, you don't understand!" said Gregor.
"I understand all I need to understand! First your father locked up down there for years.
You and Boots disappearing like that. Giant roaches stealing my baby! There is nothing to understand and there is nothing to discuss! You are not going down there again! Ever!" His mom was gripping the back of a chair so hard her knuckles had turned white.
His dad intervened. He sat her down at the table and tried to explain the situation in a calm, rational voice. The more he talked, the larger her eyes grew in disbelief.
"What did you tell him? Did you tell that rat they were coming? Did you tell Gregor he could go?" she asked.
"Of course I didn't! But it isn't so simple, letting a whole civilization die! There are a lot of good people down there. Good people and animals, too, who risked their lives saving me, saving the kids. We can't just turn our backs on them!" said his dad.
"I can," said his mother bitterly. "You just watch me."
"Well, I'm going," said Gregor flatly.
"Oh, no, you're not. You're not going anywhere but to bed," said his mom. "Now go brush your teeth. And I don't want to hear another word out of either of you about this." His mother's face was set like stone. Gregor felt his dad's hand on his arm. "Better go to bed, son. I don't think we're going to change her mind."
"Nothing will change my mind," said his mom.
And that's when it started.
At first, there was just a faint scratching in the wall. Then a skittering sound. And suddenly, it was as if the kitchen were alive. Scores of small, clawed feet were running around and around inside the walls. Only a thin layer of plaster separated Gregor and his parents from them.
"What's that? What's that sound?" said his mother, her head darting from side to side.
"It sounds like rats," said his dad.
"Rats? I thought they couldn't get up here!" said his mom.
"The Underland ones can't. But I guess the regular ones can. And they know each other,"
said Gregor. He looked anxiously at the walls. What was going on?
"Maybe this is what Ripred meant by the rats sending you an escort," said his dad.
The creatures began to squeak now, as if to confirm what his dad had just said.
"That must be it," Gregor thought. "The rats are going to try and scare my mom into letting us go." But how far would they take this? The Underland rats believed their whole existence was in jeopardy. That they would all die if Gregor and Boots didn't come. "They'll kill us before they let us stay here," he said aloud, without thinking.
"I'm calling the police. Or the fire department. I'm calling 911!" said his mother. She rushed into the living room, and Gregor and his dad went after her.
"It won't do any good, Mom!" said Gregor. "What's the fire department going to do?"
The rats began to pour into the living room walls. They were louder now.
"Oh, my. Oh! Get the girls! Get Grandma!" Gregor's mom grabbed the phone receiver and dialed the emergency number. "Come on, come on!" Then a look of shock crossed her face.
"The line just went dead."
"Okay, we're getting out of here!" said his dad.
They
Everyone was so keyed up, it was another hour before his grandma, Lizzie, and Boots had settled down in their rooms. When his mom came out from kissing them all good night, Gregor grabbed her hand and without a word led her into the kitchen. His dad was right on their heels.
"What? What is going on with you two?" said his mom.
"I heard from the Underland today. We went and talked to Ripred under Central Park, and Ares is dying, Mom, and Boots and I have to go back down to save him! At midnight!
Tonight!" The words that had been pressing on Gregor's chest spilled out before he could stop them. He instantly regretted his impulsive delivery. The horrified look on his mom's face told him this had not been the way to break the news.
"No, you do not! You are not! You are never going down to that place again!" she said.
"Look, Mom, you don't understand!" said Gregor.
"I understand all I need to understand! First your father locked up down there for years.
You and Boots disappearing like that. Giant roaches stealing my baby! There is nothing to understand and there is nothing to discuss! You are not going down there again! Ever!" His mom was gripping the back of a chair so hard her knuckles had turned white.
His dad intervened. He sat her down at the table and tried to explain the situation in a calm, rational voice. The more he talked, the larger her eyes grew in disbelief.
"What did you tell him? Did you tell that rat they were coming? Did you tell Gregor he could go?" she asked.
"Of course I didn't! But it isn't so simple, letting a whole civilization die! There are a lot of good people down there. Good people and animals, too, who risked their lives saving me, saving the kids. We can't just turn our backs on them!" said his dad.
"I can," said his mother bitterly. "You just watch me."
"Well, I'm going," said Gregor flatly.
"Oh, no, you're not. You're not going anywhere but to bed," said his mom. "Now go brush your teeth. And I don't want to hear another word out of either of you about this." His mother's face was set like stone. Gregor felt his dad's hand on his arm. "Better go to bed, son. I don't think we're going to change her mind."
"Nothing will change my mind," said his mom.
And that's when it started.
At first, there was just a faint scratching in the wall. Then a skittering sound. And suddenly, it was as if the kitchen were alive. Scores of small, clawed feet were running around and around inside the walls. Only a thin layer of plaster separated Gregor and his parents from them.
"What's that? What's that sound?" said his mother, her head darting from side to side.
"It sounds like rats," said his dad.
"Rats? I thought they couldn't get up here!" said his mom.
"The Underland ones can't. But I guess the regular ones can. And they know each other,"
said Gregor. He looked anxiously at the walls. What was going on?
"Maybe this is what Ripred meant by the rats sending you an escort," said his dad.
The creatures began to squeak now, as if to confirm what his dad had just said.
"That must be it," Gregor thought. "The rats are going to try and scare my mom into letting us go." But how far would they take this? The Underland rats believed their whole existence was in jeopardy. That they would all die if Gregor and Boots didn't come. "They'll kill us before they let us stay here," he said aloud, without thinking.
"I'm calling the police. Or the fire department. I'm calling 911!" said his mother. She rushed into the living room, and Gregor and his dad went after her.
"It won't do any good, Mom!" said Gregor. "What's the fire department going to do?"
The rats began to pour into the living room walls. They were louder now.
"Oh, my. Oh! Get the girls! Get Grandma!" Gregor's mom grabbed the phone receiver and dialed the emergency number. "Come on, come on!" Then a look of shock crossed her face.
"The line just went dead."
"Okay, we're getting out of here!" said his dad.
They
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