I looked around the parking lot, searching for my parents. I spotted them at the far end and began walking in that direction. The sky was dark and the air felt stale. After walking for what felt like a long time, I was no closer to my destination than I had been. I broke into a jog, and then a run. Rather than getting closer, my parents seemed to be getting father away. I began sprinting as fast as my legs could carry me. I reached them just as my mother screamed and fell forward. "No!" I shrieked, kneeling beside her. Blood was pouring from her now lifeless body. "Dad!" I screamed, my vision blurred by tears. "Dad what's happening?" My father looked blankly at me. He opened his mouth and blood began pouring from it. He too collapsed. I began screaming hysterically and turned to find myself face to face with the murderer.


I woke gasping from the old nightmare. I had various versions of it every night since the incident. I glanced over to the alarm clock that was blaring at me. Right. School. I had to go face the horrors that would surely await me on my first day at this new school, oddly enough named "Skool". I stumbled out of bed and threw on clothing. No sooner had I finished when my cousin flung open the door and barged in.

"Megan! Isn't this just a lovely morning? Skool today, aren't you excited?" he said enthusiastically. I mentally added this to the list of reasons he annoyed the hell out of me. He was a morning person. I hate morning people.

"Yeah sure whatever." I mumbled, shoving past him. I went downstairs to the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal. He followed me, not put off by my lack of enthusiasm. He began to babble about his ridiculous paranormal crap. I did my best to ignore him.

Roughly a half hour later we were on our way to skool, and he was still talking. "And nobody believes me! Like he's clearly an alien! Come on!" I glanced over to my younger cousin. She was clearly used to his ramblings and was completely blocking him out. "And he's got this little robot! It acts stupid but it's clearly evil and-"

"Hey Dib?" I asked, cutting him off midsentence.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Shut up."

We walked the rest of the way in silence.

I made it through the first half of the day. I exited the lunch line, clutching my tray. I looked around the lunchroom, looking for a place to sit. All of the tables seemed full, except for two. One contained my cousins, and there was no way I was sitting there. Dib waved at me, and I pretended not to see him. I looked to the other open table. I recognized the weird green kid who sat there from class. After the teacher, Ms. Bitters, had snapped for me to 'speak now because after that she didn't want to hear another sound from me' or something, I had been instructed to sit behind him. I decided to take my chances sitting with him. After all, I had to make some friends if I didn't want my experience here to worse than I knew it would be.

I put on my most convincing smile and walked over. "Hey!" I said cheerfully and I plopped my tray down.

The boy ignored me.

I tried not to be put off, and tried again. "My name's Megan. We have Bitter's class together."

He continued to ignore me, choosing to examine his corn instead. He pulled out a device and began pressing buttons on it.

We sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes. Finally he sighed and slammed the device on the table. "Listen here, pitiful hyuuman, because I will only say this once" he snapped, spitting out the word human. "Zim does not need or want the company of PATHETIC creatures such as-" his rant was interrupted by my cousin running up to the table.

"Megan! Why are you sitting here, with the alien?! He's the monster I've been talking about! Come sit with us before he sucks your brain out!" He shouted.

I turned to him. "Did I ask for your advice? Didn't think so. So please GO AWAY. I can handle myself, so butt out!" I was probably was harsher than necessary, but I got my point across. He threw me a hurt look before retreating.

Zim looked impressed. "You hate the Dib-stink too?" He asked. I nodded. He then began muttering to himself. "Hmm... it could be useful to have an ally that knows the inner workings of this planet. It would speed along the mission and please the Tallest!"

"Uhh… I can hear you?" I said, confused. He seemed not to hear me.

"Ok earth creature! I will allow you to sit at the glorious table of ZIM!" he then began snickering, and then full out laughing evilly. After a few minutes he coughed. "I'm normal you know" he told me.

"Riiight." I replied, wondering to myself if everyone in this hellhole was insane. If Dib and Zim were any example, then they were, and I was doomed.