There once was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy. A sometimes peculiar eleven-year old boy name Peter.
Peter had a most unique wish that no other child had ever considered.

It all started one innocent night when Mother put little Peter to bed. He was lying on his stomach with his arms and legs tight against his sides just like always.
As Mother gently pulled the covers around him, just like always, Peter had an unusual request. She wasn't sure why he wanted it nor could she possibly foresee the consequences to come, but she did as he wished. Mother tucked the covers tightly around the edges of Peter's body so he couldn't move. This was his wish. He called this being "mummified" and Mother soon discovered that her son loved it.
"Mummify me, mummify me," he would whisper with anticipation every night at bedtime. And Mother would always do as he wished. Several uneventful months passed until one night when an odd germ took root in little Peter's head as he lay dreaming in his mummified state. Proof positive that sometimes, dreams should just stay dreams.

The next day after school, little Billy wandered out into the yard to find his older brother Peter digging a big hole.
"Hey whucha doing?" inquired Billy.
"I'm diggin' a hole" said Peter, "What's it look like?"
Billy saw the edges of Peter's mouth curl up and knew from experience that was usually not good.

"Hey Billy, uh, um I was wonderin' if you'd help me with this hole. Ah but you're too small. You probably couldn't lift the shovel."
"I can too!" insisted Billy.
"Well then here's what I want ya to do"
Peter stepped down into the hole and sat down.
"OK Billy, now push the dirt on top of me with the shovel."
"You want me to cover you up?" asked Billy with concern.
"Of course dummy. Shovel all the dirt back on top of me. Just fill in the hole. But you have to remember one thing."
Billy struggled with the heavy shovel and awaited his next order.
"Go back inside and when your stupid Ratman Cartoon Show is over, you come back out and dig me up OK? Can you remember that? Oh, and don't tell Mom and Dad where I am. This is our super secret. OK? I still haven't told your friends about your little wet bed mishap so you still owe me, got it?"

As little Billy nodded and proceeded to carry out his strange task, with every shovelfull of dirt he threw, he was bombarded by a mixture of feelings.
First glee, then anxiety, then curiosity, then sadness. That's a lot of emotional baggage for a seven-year old.

Soon, with his orders completed and his big brother now completely hidden from view beneath the soil, Billy headed back inside the house. His mind was filled with anticipation of the coming adventures of his beloved Ratman and his sidekicks Dinky and Mojo.

Underground life was moving at a different pace and on a different level.
Peter was embracing his new surroundings much in the same way the first astronauts felt stepping off their craft and touching lunar soil for the first time.
Peter absorbed the coldness, the darkness, the beautiful tranquility. Peter's senses tingled with excitement. "This is so cool," he thought.

His trance was interrupted only by the occasional icy slither of a passing earthworm on it's purposeful journey to who-knows-where.
Many quiet minutes passed punctuated by the faint barking of a dog, happy it's master had come home.
He thought he heard the buzz of an airplane overhead, but wasn't sure.
Peter suddenly felt the rising and fading foot thumps of a group of passing children. They were laughing and shouting. He tried to guess who those thumps belonged to. Was it Logan and his no-good sister Sheila? She would always try to tag along when the guys went exploring. Was it Jimmy and the gang gathering teams for a game of neighborhood soccer?
"Maybe they were looking for me. Ha! They'll never guess where I am in a million years," Peter thought with a secret grin.
Birds sang from the trees. Peter listened from the ground.
Just then a soft rumbling caught his attention.