Chapter Text
The silence was deafening. It was late, that was probably why it was so quiet. That and the fact that the library was closed. It was 10 o'clock and nobody was there except for the security guard who let them sleep in the basement of the building. He was a really nice guy and one day about a year ago when he had found them all sleeping in the basement, he took pity on them and said they could continue to do so if they didn't disturb anything. Gregor didn't like pity, but there really wasn't anything to be helped for it his sisters would have frozen to death on the streets of New York in the winter. Not to mention it was dangerous.
He peeked over at the two sleeping bodies next to him wrapped up in an old tarp they had found somewhere. Lizzie, who was ten, had her arm tucked up under her head and Maggie, who they always called Boots snuggled up against her. Boots was the youngest, only six years old. Gregor knew she didn't have the life she deserved; their life was not normal by any means. She should get to go to school and have friends. She was really outgoing and everyone she met liked her. Gregor was responsible for both of their wellbeing and had done some shady stuff to make sure they were safe. After his parents had both died-
No, he couldn't think about that right now. He sat up and shifted so he was facing the other direction. There wasn't time to break down at the memories that threatened to overwhelm him. So, he pushed them back down to deal with at another time it would be future him’s problem.
At only 18 years of age Gregor wasn't sure if he was qualified to take care of two young girls but it was better than the alternative. Foster care was a gamble at the best of times and even then, it could tear their little family apart. With no known living relatives, they would most likely be lost to the system. Gregor sighed to himself there was no use thinking of the what ifs.
Lizzie stirred then opening her eyes and looking at him, he gave her a smile “Hey Liz try to go back to sleep it's not morning yet” She shook her head and sat up clicking on the flashlight that they kept next to them when they slept and pointing it away from Boots.
“I've been trying to sleep all night, but I just can't,” She whispered back. Lizzie was always quiet and with each passing year she turned more into herself. She pretty much never talked to strangers. Which Gregor supposed was a good thing since that was a dangerous practice.
“Hey, is it morning yet” chimed in a little voice. Gregor smiled “Not yet little girl”
“Well, I'm not sleepy anymore” Boots said looking wide awake Gregor sighed and looked at Lizzie. “I'm not either” she said quietly.
“What do you want to do?” He figured there was no point in sending them back to sleep now. “Let’s play a game” Boots said jumping up “I saw a pack of Uno cards somewhere. Help me look”
She scampered over to one side of the basement and began searching. Gregor looked at Lizzie “If you start from the West corner and I start from the East we have a higher probability of finding them if they are here.” She offered “Alright Liz” Gregor smiled and walked over to the corner she indicated beginning to search.
Lizzie was super smart. He never knew how, since she never went to school, he figured it was from all the books she read. After all, they did spend most of the day in the library. It was often the safest place for young children to be in the big city and it was inside away from the elements. As long as they rotated which one they stayed at during the day they mostly avoided unwanted questions. Gregor started to move through the piles of discarded stuff to try and find the card game.
The basement of this particular library was cleaner than some they had stayed in but that wasn't saying much. There were pies of discarded books and items people had left from years gone by. They also kept all of the stuff for special events down there so there were decorations and chairs and extra tables.
His thoughts inevitably went to what was going to happen tomorrow. He shivered, remembering what had happened last time the boss had wanted to see him. He really hoped he wouldn't have to repeat that experience.
“I found something come look at this” Boots' voice called; excitement evident in her tone. Gregor looked around trying to locate her. It was dark in the basement. They only had one flashlight, and it stayed by where they slept. Trying to locate Boots was difficult just by the sound of her voice.
He finally found her among some stacks of old books that she had moved from their spot against the wall revealing a large air vent. The basement was so filthy that the paint where the books were stacked had been a noticeably different color than the area surrounding it.
“What did you want to show us Boots” Gregor asked confused. “Wait, I'll grab the flashlight.” She ran over and grabbed it and was back in a flash. “Here” she said, pulling the vent cover away from the wall. “Boo-” he started to say and then he saw it. When Boots had pulled away the cover, he had expected to see a vert shaft that led somewhere else in the building but instead there was a giant gaping hole it looked like it was a giant crater or a tunnel maybe that led straight down who knows how far. The funny thing about it was that there was a sort of white misty vapor coming out of the hole. Boots, who was trying to see how far it went down, stuck her head though and pointed the flashlight down into the dark depths below. Gregor's parental instincts kicked in and he reached forward to grab her by the arm and pull her back. “Boots!” But it was too late with a giant woosh of air Boots fell into the dark hole below.
Gregor couldn't believe what had just happened. A numb felling began to overtake him he had taken care of her for six years and now she was gone, dead most likely
“Boots!” He screamed the sound tore it way through the numb feeling and eviscerated it. Panic was setting it he couldn’t lose her he couldn’t. Lizzy, who was standing beside him, started to breathe very quickly. He knew what was happening. She was starting to have another panic attack. He turned to her and started to talk in a soothing voice “It's okay Liz it's all right maybe it's not that far down to the bottom and she'll survive the fall”
“Bu-t wh-at i-i-f sh-e dosn-t” Lizzie choked out Gregor didn't have a response for this he was trying to keep his own panic under control. He knew perfectly well Boots hadn't survived the fall and-
“Gregor” His heart stopped it couldn't be. Could it? “Gregor, Lizzie!” A little voice called as form a great distance.
Lizzie’s breath hitched and she looked at him with beseeching eyes. “Boots!' he called back.
“Yes, I’m here I’m alright” He let out a huge sigh of relief and he saw Lizzies breathing even back out if only a little bit.
“We’ll be right down Boots just stay put, okay? “He said calming his own breathing. “Okay” came the faint reply
He turned to Lizzie; he knew how scared she could get. He opened his mouth to say something, but she stopped him. “I'm going with you,” she said. Her face was set in hard determined lines, and he knew there was nothing he could say to sway her in the matter.
“All right” He said “But take hold of my hand and don't let go until we get to the bottom” she nodded and took his hand. Gregor looked out into the black abyss that lay below them and jumped.