Grey woke up to a knock on her bedroom door.

  “I`ll meet you at the elevator my darling, don`t be te.”, Willow yelled through the door.

  Grey rolled over onto her side and failed to stay awake embracing the sweet caress of five more minutes of sleep. Five minutes turned to ten and from ten to twenty, eventually her desire for sleep had been satiated and her body roused her awake.

  The gravity of her mistake struck her mid-morning stretch.

  She leapt out of bed and hurriedly got dressed before grabbing her back pack and storming out of her room. She belted into the kitchen and rifled through the pantry for something to quickly throw in her mouth.

  She grabbed a slice of mushroom bread and stuffed her face with it haphazardly.

  She stormed through the house and charged out the front door into the wide open world. She sprinted through the fields of mushrooms dodging and weaving the animated skeleton farmhands.

  Grey hopped the farms perimeter fence and took one st moment to look back and admire the sight of her home. The farm house stood tall and proud amongst the sweeping fields of mushrooms. Grey took a deep breath and turned her back on them possibly for the st time.

  She picked up her step dashing towards the heart of the Undercity traversing from its farm nds to its rural district of town houses and rat breederies. She weaved between the buildings and side stepped into one with a sign that read ‘Mika`s Modest Meals’. As quickly as she had entered she left with a sack full of dried rat meat she clumsily stuffed into her back pack before continuing her sprint.

  She continued further towards the heart of the Undercity entering the urban sector with its towering buildings. She entered the crowded streets and became one of many all striving towards their next destination. She bumped into a few people on her way to her destination, some mistakenly apologised and others cursed at her under their breath.

  She pulled herself out of the street and into the entrance way of a rge building and pushed her way through its front doors. The doors swung closed behind her and etched onto a pque on the door were the words ‘Jewels by Max’. Moments ter she pushed her way out of them with a small sack of gems in hand stuffing them into her pocket. She melded with those in the street once more and began the final length of her journey towards the Great Elevator.

  As she neared her destination her body began to sweat with all the exertion she was putting herself through. She reached the top and looked longingly at the entrance of the terminal building. She took a deep breath and righted herself up walking through the doors and into the rge chamber that lead to the elevator.

  All around her people assembled to depart or had just arrived and had skeletal servants attend to their luggage. Some left for business or on vacation, others arrived and were greeted by family members or work colleagues.

  Grey wondered passed all of them until she caught eye of her family waiting for her patiently.

  “I know, I know. I`m sorry I`m te. It won`t happen again, I promise.”, she apologised with a cheeky smile, walking towards the cheerful yet annoyed expression of her mother.

  “I know it won`t happen again because we might not see you ever again.”, her mother, who she was named after remarked.

  “Don`t say that. Of course we are going to see her again. You will visit us won`t you? In between all your adventures.”, her other mother Willow enquired, hurt but putting on a brave face.

  Her older sister Mika charged towards her and lifted her off the ground with great strength.

  “You didn`t forget to pick up the meat I left for you I hope.”, she spoke up squeezing her tightly.

  “Or the gems I set aside for you. They might not respect our currency up there but they sure as heck will respect the value of a pretty stone.”, her uncle Max chimed in.

  “I remembered everything.”, Grey replied, pushing her big sister away from her, looking down at her teasingly. “Think you`ll get any bigger while I`m away?”

  Mika punched her in the knee.

  “I don`t need to get any bigger to show you who`s boss. Best watch out and learn some respect while you`re up there. Not everyone is gonna be as merciful as me.”, she threatened pyfully.

  Grey tussled her hair and walked passed her towards her mothers and embraced them both in a final farewell hug.

  “Promise you will write to us at the least.”, Willow whined.

  “I promise mom, I`ll be okay. You don`t need to worry about me. I`m ready for this.”, Grey reassured her.

  “We know you are sweetheart. We are so proud of you. Just remember that no matter how things go up there you will always have a home here.”, her mother Grey reminded her.

  “I know mom, thank you. For everything.”, Grey answered back.

  The family said their goodbyes and Grey drifted away from them into the car of the elevator with a bunch of other people eager to ascend.

  She looked on longingly at her family and past them at the Undercity she had grown up in. She departed now to begin her own adventure and go pces none of her family had ever gone before. The safety rails of the elevator closed and they slowly began their ascent.

  Grey waved at her family with a forced smile the tears of departure swelling up behind her eyes. She wiped them from her face and forced her smile harder not wanting them to see her cry. The elevator began to ascend further and before she knew it she had lost sight of her family. All there was to see was the Undercity spread far and wide glowing like a sombre jewel.

  Grey looked upon it one st time a twinkle of Necromantic energy in her eyes.