Read Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods-3 for Free Online
Authors: Suzanne Collins
all rushed into the bedroom for Gregor's grandma and sisters. His mom swept a sleeping Boots right out of her crib. "They're not getting Boots again! They're not getting her!"
said his mom shrilly.
His dad pulled back the covers on the main bed and wrapped his grandma in a quilt.
"What's going on?" said the old woman in confusion.
"Nothing, Mama. We think there might be a fire in the building, so we're just getting out while they check," said his dad. He struggled as he lifted her out of the bed like a baby.
Gregor shook Lizzie's shoulder. Her eyes flew open and she was instantly wide awake.
"What is it, Gregor? What's that sound?"
The rats had not followed them to the bedroom, but they were still making a racket in the living room walls.
"That's rats, isn't it?" she said. "They're in the apartment!"
"No, not in the apartment. Just in the walls. But we got to get out of here. Come on now!"
He guided his sister out of bed and into the living room. As the full impact of the rat noise hit her, Lizzie began to tremble all over.
"Come on, Lizzie! It'll be okay once we're outside!" said Gregor, and propelled her across the room. He grabbed their coats as his mom flung open the front door and ran. Gregor pulled Lizzie along after her. His dad brought up the rear with his grandma.
"Nobody get on the elevator," said his mom. "Take the stairs." Clutching Boots, she led them to the far end of the hall and yanked open the door to the stairwell.
At the top of the stairs, his dad had to set his grandma on her feet. "I'm going to need your help, Gregor. I can't get her down myself."
Gregor thrust the coats into Lizzie's arms. "You carry these." Lizzie stared back at him, her pupils huge, her breath coming in short, painful pants. "It's okay, Lizzie. It's okay. Listen, you can't even hear them out here."
You couldn't hear anything. The stairwell didn't border anyone's apartment. It was sandwiched between the outside wall of the complex and the elevator shaft. It was quiet at night where they lived, anyway. Most people in the building had small kids or were elderly. Even on a Saturday night it seemed like everybody went to bed by ten.
Lizzie clutched the coats against her chest. "I — can — carry — them," she got out.
Gregor locked forearms with his dad behind his grandma's back and legs, and they lifted her in a sitting position. They had carried her this way before around the apartment, when her arthritis was particularly bad.
"Stay right with us, honey," his dad said to Lizzie. "Hold on to my arm so I know you're there."
His family moved in a tight clump down the stairs. They had gone down about two floors when the rat noise started up again. It wasn't much at first. But it increased in volume at every step until they had to raise their voices to be heard.
"Hurry!" said his mom. "It's not far now!"
Finally, the door to the lobby came into view. His mom backed into the door, holding it open as Gregor and his dad stumbled by. "When we get outside, we go straight to the avenue.
Get a cab. Then the bus station. Come on, Lizzie! Come on, baby!" said his mom.
Tears were coursing down Lizzie's cheeks now. She had stopped at the bottom of the steps and was gasping so hard she couldn't speak. Shifting Boots to one hip, his mom got an arm protectively around Lizzie's shoulders and they fled for the entrance.
The clamor of the rats was worse than ever. The rodents' squeaks had evolved into horrible shrieks. Claws were scratching now with purpose, trying to dig through the plaster.
Gregor and his dad reached the entrance first. It was a double door made of thick, warped glass.
They set his grandma's feet on the ground, and Gregor's dad reached for the handle. He had opened it only a crack when Gregor saw something. Gregor let go of his grandma and threw his shoulder against the glass, slamming the door shut.
His dad fell to his knees as he caught his grandma. Gregor could see his mom yelling at him,
said his mom shrilly.
His dad pulled back the covers on the main bed and wrapped his grandma in a quilt.
"What's going on?" said the old woman in confusion.
"Nothing, Mama. We think there might be a fire in the building, so we're just getting out while they check," said his dad. He struggled as he lifted her out of the bed like a baby.
Gregor shook Lizzie's shoulder. Her eyes flew open and she was instantly wide awake.
"What is it, Gregor? What's that sound?"
The rats had not followed them to the bedroom, but they were still making a racket in the living room walls.
"That's rats, isn't it?" she said. "They're in the apartment!"
"No, not in the apartment. Just in the walls. But we got to get out of here. Come on now!"
He guided his sister out of bed and into the living room. As the full impact of the rat noise hit her, Lizzie began to tremble all over.
"Come on, Lizzie! It'll be okay once we're outside!" said Gregor, and propelled her across the room. He grabbed their coats as his mom flung open the front door and ran. Gregor pulled Lizzie along after her. His dad brought up the rear with his grandma.
"Nobody get on the elevator," said his mom. "Take the stairs." Clutching Boots, she led them to the far end of the hall and yanked open the door to the stairwell.
At the top of the stairs, his dad had to set his grandma on her feet. "I'm going to need your help, Gregor. I can't get her down myself."
Gregor thrust the coats into Lizzie's arms. "You carry these." Lizzie stared back at him, her pupils huge, her breath coming in short, painful pants. "It's okay, Lizzie. It's okay. Listen, you can't even hear them out here."
You couldn't hear anything. The stairwell didn't border anyone's apartment. It was sandwiched between the outside wall of the complex and the elevator shaft. It was quiet at night where they lived, anyway. Most people in the building had small kids or were elderly. Even on a Saturday night it seemed like everybody went to bed by ten.
Lizzie clutched the coats against her chest. "I — can — carry — them," she got out.
Gregor locked forearms with his dad behind his grandma's back and legs, and they lifted her in a sitting position. They had carried her this way before around the apartment, when her arthritis was particularly bad.
"Stay right with us, honey," his dad said to Lizzie. "Hold on to my arm so I know you're there."
His family moved in a tight clump down the stairs. They had gone down about two floors when the rat noise started up again. It wasn't much at first. But it increased in volume at every step until they had to raise their voices to be heard.
"Hurry!" said his mom. "It's not far now!"
Finally, the door to the lobby came into view. His mom backed into the door, holding it open as Gregor and his dad stumbled by. "When we get outside, we go straight to the avenue.
Get a cab. Then the bus station. Come on, Lizzie! Come on, baby!" said his mom.
Tears were coursing down Lizzie's cheeks now. She had stopped at the bottom of the steps and was gasping so hard she couldn't speak. Shifting Boots to one hip, his mom got an arm protectively around Lizzie's shoulders and they fled for the entrance.
The clamor of the rats was worse than ever. The rodents' squeaks had evolved into horrible shrieks. Claws were scratching now with purpose, trying to dig through the plaster.
Gregor and his dad reached the entrance first. It was a double door made of thick, warped glass.
They set his grandma's feet on the ground, and Gregor's dad reached for the handle. He had opened it only a crack when Gregor saw something. Gregor let go of his grandma and threw his shoulder against the glass, slamming the door shut.
His dad fell to his knees as he caught his grandma. Gregor could see his mom yelling at him,
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