You Promised
It was dark out. There wasn't even the comfort of moonshine; there was a new moon tonight. It had to be close to midnight.
The woods were eerily quiet. It seemed like there wasn't even a breeze to ruffle the leaves, and the scurrying of small animals and occasional chirp of insects were the only sounds worth noting.
Two figures crept just as quietly along a barely noticeable path, feeling their way between trees and over brambles; neither was risking using a flashlight. Not with the danger they were possibly facing. They didn't talk, but sometimes they would pause to glance at each other, perhaps brush their hands or shoulders together to reassure each other that they were still there, and then continue forward.
When they saw the trees start to thin, suggesting there was a clearing ahead, they stopped and crouched down behind some bushes, looking around before leaning close to each other.
The taller of the two pulled the hood of his cloak back, revealing his intelligent amber eyes behind large glasses, and raven black hair darker than the sky. "We're getting close, Zim. I can feel it. Do you still want to stay with me?"
The shorter person nodded, hesitantly lowered his own hood; he didn't like this coat all that much, but he needed it as a disguise. He didn't own many dark clothes, so his partner had provided him one. Oddly, his skin wasn't a color typical of humans; it was green. All the more reason for him to need to hide it. It was too visible. "Yes, of course. I can't just let you go off and get yourself killed, now can I?"
The other gave a short chuckle. "Funny, you used to love the thought of me dying."
Zim made an inhuman hiss, his strange purple eyes narrowed fiercely. "Dib. We put that behind us, remember? We're not enemies."
"I know, but it's hard to get used to." Dib glanced around, checking to make sure they were still safe. "Still, I guess I prefer having an alien as a friend, not an enemy." He looked back at the other, expression becoming more serious. "Do you remember what I made you promise before coming out here?"
Zim tilted his head. "Promise… oh, that. Yes, I remember."
"And if… things go wrong… you'll do what I asked you to do?"
"I… I don't know, I…"
"Zim, there won't be any curing it. I'm willing to make this sacrifice to keep others safe. So if the time comes, will you do what you need to do?" Dib's gaze was strong, and Zim found himself nodding meekly.
"Yes… yes, I'll do it."
"Good. And I don't know if it can happen to you, but if it does…" Dib looked away.
Zim put his hand on the other's shoulder. "You'll stop me before it progresses too far. I will trust you to do that."
"Then I guess there's nothing left to say. Come on, let's go." Dib began for the clearing, and Zim followed him.
A wood cabin came into view as they exited the woods. It looked very old, and was likely a very nice building when it was first built, but now its roof sagged, it was missing beams, and the varnish on the wood had long since faded, leaving it grey and splintered. The windows were missing most of their glass, and most unsettling of all, the door had a large 'condemned' sign nailed to it.
"I don't like this place," Zim muttered.
"Me neither, but if my suspicions are correct… there's still one person who lives there. And I use the term 'person' loosely. Come on, and be quiet." Dib knelt down, creeping forward, using smooth movements so his coat wouldn't rustle. Zim followed, looking around often, and scowled.
"I can barely hear through this wig… can I remove it?"
"Yeah, it's safe out here. You should take off your contacts too. I want all your senses to be at their max."
Zim reached up to the top of his head and grasped his hair, removing the black wig and revealing long, thin stalks that twitched at their sudden freedom. They immediately began twitching in different directions, taking in sound and scent information.
He also took off his contacts, blinking his bright, bug-like ruby eyes, letting them adjust to the darkness.
"I smell blood," he whispered as they got closer to the house.
Dib nodded. "Unsurprising… he probably brings home leftovers."
"Ugh." Zim shuddered. "Do you think he's home right now?"
"Probably not, he's probably hunting. We should get inside and find hiding places for when he does get back, so we can ambush him."
"Got it."
When they reached the door, Dib went to cautiously test it. It was locked.
"He must have another exit," he said. He looked around. "Through the windows, then."
They went to find the window that seemed to be missing the most glass, and after dragging over an old crate, were able to climb through with only slight difficulty.
Once Zim had freed his sleeve from a jagged piece of glass, they looked around the room. It seemed to have been a bedroom at one time; a bed with frayed sheets sat against a wall, and there was a dresser, which was probably white at one time, but the paint had peeled off. One of the drawers was open slightly, and when they went to look in it, saw that almost all the clothing had moth holes in them.
Dib took out a blouse, opening it and looking it over. "Wow… look at the style. This thing must be from the eighteenth century."
"This place has been here a long time, then," Zim concluded. He looked around, but there wasn't much else to see; the room was incredibly bare.
"Yeah. I bet this was a guest room." Dib replaced the blouse and crept over to the door, opening it. It creaked, and he cringed; the sound was unnaturally loud in the otherwise silent house.
When nothing responded, he relaxed and looked out into the living room.
"I definitely smell blood," Zim said as he came out to look too. And nearly retched.
"I think I know why…" The smell hit Dib too, and he quickly pressed his sleeve to his nose, staring at the sight that met them.
There were bodies, or rather, body parts everywhere. But they weren't just haphazardly thrown about; there seemed to be an order to them. Arms were in one corner, legs in another. Hands and feet had their own piles, as did heads, all with frozen expressions of pure fear and agony on them. Larger parts such as torsos were piled against another wall. All were devoid of clothes except for a few shreds clinging to dried blood, and the skin was nearly white, as though it was sucked dry of all its color. There were very few complete bodies… most seemed to be female.
Dib swallowed heavily, feeling like he might faint. He's seen some awful stuff during his paranormal investigations, but… this was the worst. "It's like he… he intentionally keeps them. Like… trophies."
"He probably does. Ugh." Zim pulled his hood up, forcing his antennae back into it to try and block out some of the smell of blood and decay. "How many people would you say he's attacked, based on this?"
"It's hard to tell, since he probably just takes one part and comes back with it, but…" Dib did a quick estimate. "Hundreds. Maybe thousands. There might be more in other rooms." He finally registered the other features of the room. There was a couch and table, along with cracked picture frames on the walls, bearing photographs- no, they must be paintings, cameras hadn't been around back then- of various people, all with neutral expressions. The old owners of the house? Most likely.
There were none of the modern conveniences he was used to. No power outlets, no electric lights, no ceiling fans, no TV… it seemed odd to him, but people simply didn't have those things back then, and especially not out in a lonely location like this. Whoever built this house must have been very reclusive. There was a fireplace though, and holders for candles.
"Let's keep looking, I don't think he's here," Dib said, and moved forward. As he entered the living room, he began to see the insects crawling on the body parts, the beetles and flies, along with tiny squirming maggots, and his stomach threatened to regurgitate his dinner. He made sure he breathed through his mouth; the smell in here was awful and he wanted to get as little of it as possible.
"I don't like this room," Zim said, reaching into his hood to grasp his antennae tips with his hands, which hurt, but was worth it to keep them from collecting scent.
"Me neither." Dib pushed open a door, which led to a small kitchen. And instantly backed away and closed it, breathing deeply.
"What was in there?" Zim asked.
"Knives. Meat cleavers. More body parts… let's not go in there." Dib hoped he would be able to get rid of that memory… he was giving Zim the very clean version. "Let's just… go here." He approached a door that was slightly ajar, and pushed it open. It was the master bedroom of the house. The bed seemed to have been taken care of, though the bedcovers were faded like everything else. It had to be nearly a king-size, and was a four poster, with delicate sheets surrounding it. These were currently open on one side. The window on the right side of the room had been boarded up, and next to it was a rocking chair.
Next to the bed was a large wardrobe, and on the left side of the room was a desk covered with leather bound books and journals, with a simple wooden chair in front of it.
"This must be where he sleeps during the day," Dib said.
"Not too bad." Zim went over to the desk, reading the titles of the books. "These are so old… does this guy ever go shopping?"
"He probably steals whatever he needs. I don't think books are real high on his list of priorities, though." Dib picked up a journal and opened it. But it was written in another language. The neatly written words seemed to mock him. He got this far and couldn't even read his soon-to-be-foe's journals. He had to get information on him! "Zim, can you read this? I think it's Italian or something."
Zim took the book and looked at the pages, letting his PAK's translator go to work. Soon, the words began taking on meaning, and then, entire sentences began to make sense. "Ah, I like this language, it's more smooth than English. Anyway, yes. This is dated from yesterday. I visited the young Rosa yesterday," he began dictating, using a very good imitation of an Italian accent. "She seemed very pleased to see me… then again, most of them are. It would have been an easy matter to lure her back here with promises of a passionate affair… but her husband happened upon us, and I had to make a slight… change of plans. No matter. They were both delicious." Zim paused for a moment and shuddered, and then kept reading. "Tomorrow night, I believe I will visit her fair sister… it's unlikely anyone will be calling upon a widow. This one will be scrumptious, in more ways than one." He dropped the book. "That's the end of the entry. Oh, and his name seems to be Dimitri."
"It's even worse than I thought," Dib said, shaking his head. "He's an incubus. Or at least… very, very evil. Sickening…" He glanced around the room once more before heading back to the door. "Let's look around some more."
There wasn't much else to see, however. A third bedroom, a bathroom, and a small dining room. The table's cloth was stained with blood and looked like it had been used for meals very recently… though luckily, there weren't any plates sitting there. There was a door that seemed to lead into the kitchen, but they didn't open it to check, instead going back out into the living room.
"Okay, where should we hide?" Zim asked.
They had examined the area around the front door, but there didn't seem to be anywhere to hide there.
"He'll probably come into the living room, with whatever remains he may have, and put them in a pile," Dib said. "Then… he'll probably go into his room to write in his journal, maybe read… and when the sun rises, he'll go to sleep."
"We can get him while he's sleeping," Zim suggested.
"Perhaps… then again, he might sense us right away and attack. Either way, we'll have to be quick, kill him before he can kill us. Or worse, infect us." Dib reached into an inside pocket of his coat, hand briefly closing over a sharp stake.
Zim compulsively did the same. "Of course."
They eventually decided to hide in the wardrobe, and hope that Dimitri doesn't decide he'd like a change of clothes when he returns.
They were on edge for a while, but eventually, boredom set in, and they sat down, with the clothes above them brushing the tops of their heads, in total darkness. They talked quietly, occasionally pausing to make sure no one had entered the room, and would then continue.
Dib had brought his cell phone, and would sometimes take it out to check the time. Twelve-thirty.
One o'clock.
One-thirty.
Time seemed to pass more slowly than it should, and they were both growing tired, but neither would have been able to sleep if they tried.
Finally, as the phone indicated that it was almost four in the morning, they heard a loud click from outside the room; the front door being unlocked, most likely. Zim, having a better sense of hearing, pressed his antennae against the front of the wardrobe to listen. Footsteps moved into the house, and then the door closed and was locked once more.
Both could hear when a man's voice spoke softly in Italian.
Zim quietly translated. "There is a smell in the air… a living smell? It cannot be the rats, no… but who would dare enter here?"
Dib fidgeted.
After a pause, there was a thumping sound, then the footsteps headed directly toward the bedroom, and the door opened. The two grew perfectly still.
This time, when the man spoke, it was in English. "Trespassers? It would seem so, my books have been disturbed, and the scent is strong here. Perhaps they are listening right now. Come on out, and I may spare you." His voice was strangely enticing, and very pleasant to listen to, but the two refused to leave their hiding space, though they both double-checked to make sure they had their weapons.
"No? Very well, I will find you."
The footsteps moved about the room, and there was a rustle of bed sheets, before they came directly toward the wardrobe, the only remaining place in the room where someone could hide.
Before the two even had time to get their wits about them, the doors were thrown open, and Dimitri towered over them.
They weren't sure what they had been expecting, but… it definitely wasn't what they saw.
He was handsome and tall, his eyes a surprisingly bright shade of blue, with dark brown, well-styled hair. He wore a simple black suit and a tie, and upon his fingers were expensive gold bands. The only strange feature about him was his skin: it was almost pure white.
"My, my… I have two visitors." He grasped their shoulders, pulling them out, but the move was almost gentle. "Are you lost?"
Zim let out a scared squeaking sound, and Dib's resolve nearly failed him, but he forced himself to shake his head. "No, we're right where we want to be."
"Is that so? It's been a long time since I've had children intentionally come here." Dimitri gave them a wide smile, and the two clutched each other's hands for reassurance when they saw how sharp his teeth were, especially the fangs in the front.
"We know what you are," Dib said, standing as tall as he could, looking the other in the eye.
A thin eyebrow arched. "Oh, and what's that?"
Dib reached into his coat, grasping the wooden stake. "A vampire."
The smile disappeared. "Hmm, you must be one of those smart ones. Meddlesome, always getting into situations it would be best for you to avoid…" Dimitri sized them up. "No matter. I suppose I am a little hungry still." He lunged forward, as fast as a serpent, and Dib barely managed to get out of the way, yanking out the stake and aiming a blow for the other, but he twisted aside and kicked him down.
Zim finally moved into action, leaping forward and onto the vampire, claws digging deep into his face as he wrestled him away from his friend.
"Foolish mortal!" Dimitri hissed, turning to grapple with Zim instead. His strength was unnatural, and he easily managed to slam him against a wall, stunning him. His hood fell back, revealing his antennae, green skin, and red eyes, causing the vampire to pause. "Hmm… you're not human, are you? But your blood should still taste just as good."
He started to swoop down on him, but Dib impaled him in the back with the spike, causing him to howl and jolt back up, spinning and slapping Dib aside with his hand, bearing down on him. "You first, then." He pinned him down, and despite struggling with all his might, Dib couldn't free himself.
"Zim, help!" he screamed.
Recovering, Zim jumped up, grabbing his own stake and moving quickly around to get beside Dimitri, but before he could get a good angle, he heard an agonizing scream from Dib and panicked. "DIB!" He dove in under the vampire, stabbing straight up into his chest, where he hoped his heart was.
Dimitri jerked up, hands scrabbling desperately at the stake, but it was too late; with a final shriek, he dissipated into smoke and disappeared, leaving behind only the piece of wood, clothes, and jewelry.
Breathing deeply, Zim went to Dib's side, leaning over him. "Dib, are you…" Then he saw the teeth marks in his neck. It took a second for him to comprehend what that meant, but when he did, he covered his mouth, eyes tearing up. "Dib…"
Dib's expression was strangely calm, and he reached up to touch Zim's face. "You killed him, right?"
"Y-yeah, he's dead… turned to smoke."
"Okay. He won't be hurting anyone, ever again. I'm content to know that." Dib's hand found the stake, and he held it out to Zim. "You know what you have to do."
The tears slipped from Zim's eyes as he took it. He knew what he had said, but now that he was here… he couldn't do this! "Dib, I… I can't! Maybe we can go to my lab, maybe I can find a cure…"
"There is no cure for vampirism!" Dib snapped, pressing a hand to his neck, but there was no blood flowing from the wound. It was already beginning to stop circulating. "It takes over in mere minutes, Zim! I told you all this!"
"But I never thought I would actually have to… I can't kill you! There has to be another way!" Zim stared at him desperately, begging him to give in, to say that there was an alternative, any alternative. "Maybe… maybe you can be a good vampire? Like… don't drink human blood, kill animals or something! But I can't lose you!"
"I wish it were that simple." Dib leaned up, resting his forehead against Zim's; his skin was cold. "But it's not. That would never be enough to satisfy me. Sooner or later, I'll begin attacking humans… and that's something I never want to do. Just do it. Please, really quick. Before the process is complete. Remember… you promised."
Choking back sobs, Zim tightened his grip on the stake, one arm winding around Dib's back to hold him up, positioning the weapon above his heart. "I know. But… oh, we never should have come here, this wouldn't have happened!"
"If we hadn't, he would have just kept killing off humans. We did the right thing. Even if no one knows… we helped save people. Besides, I always knew this job would kill me. Maybe not at this age, but…" Dib shrugged. "I accepted it. Tell my dad and sister I love them, all right? And that I died doing something I love."
Zim blinked, and a few tears splashed against the other's face. He didn't bother to wipe them off. "Okay. I will." The past six years seemed to flash in front of his eyes… from the first time he ever saw Dib, the hatred between them, then to the weary acceptance and understanding… on to friendship, and… the horrible feeling twisting in his gut, that made his heart ache, and he came to a heartbreaking conclusion as he stared into his eyes, which were still warm despite how cold the rest of him was becoming. "Dib, I… I l-"
Dib moved his face forward, pressing their lips together, and Zim responded, but the moment was short-lived. Dib was soon pulling away, whispering, "I know. I feel the same way. Please, I can feel the bloodlust starting to set in… just do it. I promise, somehow, someday… we'll see each other again. If there's an afterlife, we'll meet there. If not… we had a lot of good times together, and you'll always have your memories of me. Just… don't make this any harder than it needs to be."
Zim sighed and nodded. "Then… I guess this is goodbye. I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too."
Zim had been trained to kill; he was a soldier years ago, after all. And though he had put that part of his life aside… he still had his training. He still knew how to put emotions aside and do what he had to do. So he did that now, letting his unfeeling side take over and finally allow him to drive the stake down into the human's chest, his strength easily forcing it through skin and muscle, through the rib bone, and into the heart it had tried to protect. All in less than a second. Too fast for pain to really register, and then the heart was stopped, and Dib's body went limp, eyes falling shut.
His body hadn't fully succumbed to vampirism yet, so it didn't burst into smoke, but that would have been preferable in a way… now Zim was left holding the lifeless body of his friend, his partner, the only person he could ever say he actually… loved. And he didn't even realize it until now, when it was too late.
He removed the stake – it was devoid of blood – and put it down on the floor, and then hugged the other close, crying openly against his shoulder. There was so much he wanted to say, to apologize for, but it was nearly impossible to form coherent sentences in his misery. Words like 'so sorry', 'never wanted', and 'if there had been another way…' occasionally made it through, but mostly it was mindless crying, more than he's ever cried in his life, but then again, he's never lost someone so important to him before.
He only stopped when his tear ducts ran dry, and coughed, eyes stinging now and throat raw. He lifted his sleeve to clean his eyes off, then looked down at the other. He seemed strangely peaceful, and looked like he was smiling. He really had died happy. That was all Zim could ask for, really. At least he hadn't been in pain. He rested his forehead against his, whispering to him, "I love you… I really hope wherever you are, you're happy… and I hope I'll be able to see you again."
He stood up, lifting the other in his arms. He considered picking up the stake that had taken his life, then shook his head. No. He was leaving it here. He didn't want to see it again and be reminded of what he had done.
More harsh reality began setting in. He was going to have to tell Dib's family about this. He was going to have to walk into town carrying him like this, to his house, and tell them what had happened… with their loved one's body in his arms. Perhaps he should take something as evidence, so they don't blame him.
He leaned down, scooping up Dimitri's jewelry. It was certainly old-fashioned, strangely heavy; this should convince them his story is true. If they still don't believe him, he can lead them here.
Once the jewelry was safely in his pocket, he lifted Dib higher, took a look at his peaceful face, and then forward, carrying him out of the room, through the decrepit living room, and to the front door. It was locked, but he simply kicked it down, not worried about making noise now. Then he continued on, through the woods and back toward the city, feeling like there was an empty pit where his heart used to be. His thoughts were frazzled, but seemed to keep returning to earlier…
"You promised."
"…I know."
Things will never be the same… but a promise was a promise, and he supposed in time, he will eventually move on. Like Dib said, he will always have his memories of him. And he died happy, at least. And they were together. He could live with that.
…He just wished it didn't have to be this way.