this is it! the beginning of the sequel to into the inferno! enjoyy! :)
Slowly, Shelby sat up. It was Saturday, and she intended to get things done. Yes, things. AMAZING THINGS. Maybe.
As Shelby sat up, she heard noise in the next room over.
Grumpily, She threw her covers off and grabbed her glasses.
"Shelby! Mom made breakfast!" her brother called as he obnoxiously knocked on Shelby's door repeatedly.
"Coming!" Shelby called back as she hopped out of bed and slowly walked to her closet.
"Hmm.." Shelby thought out loud as she searched through her clothes, hoping to find her favorite sweater.
After a moment, Shelby gave up and just grabbed a t-shirt with a reading that said 'keep calm and eat tacos'.
After getting dressed, Shelby went into the living room, and was shocked to see a green boy that looked around her age sitting at her spot at the table, talking with her father about something.
"Um… who's he?" Shelby asked as she slowly closed the gate behind her that held the dog out of the back of the house.
"This is zim, honey. He just moved in across the street and decided to stop by for breakfast. Maybe after, you could show him around the neighborhood." Shelby's mom called from the kitchen as she continued cooking- or burning, you pick- bacon and eggs.
Shelby frowned as zim continued his conversation and grabbed a spare seat from the wall.
"Um, hi." Shelby said as she awkwardly sat next to the green boy.
Zim turned and stared at Shelby, scanning her from her head to toe before he replied.
"Hello stinky worm-baby."
Shelby twitched.
First he sat in HER chair. HER CHAIR. Then he called her a stinky worm-baby? And she was supposed to show him around the neighborhood?
"I'm not sure I like that nick-name..." Shelby said as she attempted to calm herself.
She was known to have a bit of a bad temper.
"Then what should zim call you? I AM ZIM!" zim said as he stood in Shelby's chair and shook his fist like a maniac.
After a moment zim calmed down and sat back down
"Well, my name is Shelby. You could call me that." Shelby said sarcastically.
"Very well, zim will call you Shelby-stink." Zim said as he took a sip of coffee from his cup.
"Really? Stink? Why stink?" Shelby asked as she tried her best not to blow up in the green boy's face.
"Because you are stinky." Zim said calmly, unaware of the temper Shelby held.
Just as Shelby was about to reply, she was slapped on the back of her head by her brother.
"Ouch! Caleb!" Shelby said as she rubbed her head.
"Behave yourself." Caleb said as he sat in his place across from Shelby.
"Fine." Shelby agreed as she adjusted her shirt.
Shelby's mom came into the room holding a plate of waffles and another with burnt bacon.
Shelby tried her best to contain a giggle as she watched zim gag at the smell.
Shelby leaned over and held her hand at her cheek then looked at her brother and said "See? Even he knows it's poisonous! I say we ditch today, feed buddy our 'breakfast' then walk to Mcdonalds and get a biscuit." She said in a whisper.
"Nah, dude, she'll know. Besides we have company" Caleb called as he held out a hand and pointed towards the green boy who was now reading a newspaper.
"Dang," Shelby said as she leaned back and took a piece of waffle from the table.
Zim looked back at the table and saw the waffles.
Immediately he hissed and his eyes narrowed.
"What? You don't like waffles?" Shelby said teasingly as she grabbed another with her fork and waved it in zim's face.
Zim let out another hiss before he turned to Shelby, who was now grinning at having found out one of his weaknesses.
"Nonsense, Zim loves 'waffles'… " zim said as he took the waffled off of shelby's fork and took a bite. Instantly his eyes watered and he gagged as he swallowed, making Shelby violently giggle.
"Hey, what's with the weird get-up?" Shelby asked as she waved at zim's clothes.
"You look like you're in some weird alien army." Shelby added as she took a bite of waffle. Zim's eyes narrowed and he attempted to calm him self.
"I don't know what you mean, Shelby-stink." Zim said in a half calm- half panicked tone.
"And why don't you have a nose?" Shelby asked as she took another bite, only to spit it out from the impact of another hit to the back of her head.
"My god caleb!" Shelby called as she rubbed her head with her right hand.
"Sorry Shelby, but you were being rude."
Shelby turned to see her best friend kateline sitting in the chair next to her.
"Kateline?" Shelby asked.
"Left my ipod charger here, came back when my ipod died." Kateline said as she took a bite of bacon.
"And you decided to stay for breakfast?" Shelby inquired as she turned back to face zim, who was still a bit jittery.
"Yea, mom offered food." Kateline said as she munched on a muffin.
"Where'd you get that muffin?" Shelby asked quietly.
Kateline nodded her head at a pile of muffins on the table. Shelby had been so caught up in her talk with zim, she hadn't noticed the muffins and pitcher of orange juice that appeared.
"Oh, so do you wanna hang out today?" Shelby asked as she turned to face kateline again.
"Can't. Going Christmas shopping today. Oh yea, what do you want?" kateline said as she looked back up at Shelby.
"I don't care, just don't get me a puppy this year" Shelby said as she gestured towards their golden retriever they had received last year as a present.
Buddy smiled and wagged his tail then continued eating from his bowl.
"I said sorry about that." Kateline said as she gave Shelby her best 'puppy eyes' making Shelby burst out laughing.
Kateline began laughing with her and soon after, a muffin was thrown at shelby's head. Shelby looked up and stared at caleb accusingly. Caleb was laughing and pointing like the idiot he was.
"What the heck?" she hissed as she grabbed a muffin and threw it in caleb's direction.
Caleb ducked and missed making the muffin fly into the kitchen.
Zim and caleb began laughing in unison as shelby's mom came out of the kitchen and shoved the muffin down shelby's throat.
"Aghughhhmocalebdsjf!" Shelby coughed as she tried to free herself from her mother's death hold.
After a moment of struggling, Shelby swallowed the muffin and began coughing.
Zim and caleb were still laughing.
As Shelby looked over to kateline to complain, she saw kateline was gone. All that remained was a small outline from where she sat.
Shelby turned to face the front door and saw the door close.
"She left me..." Shelby almost cried as she turned back at the two boys who were still laughing.
"Oh shut it you two!" Shelby called as she threw bacon at caleb, who caught it in his mouth.
"Thanks" caleb said as he swallowed the bacon and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Shelby asked as caleb stood up and took his plate.
Zim stopped laughing and looked at the two, a bit lost.
"I'm going Christmas shopping today too" Caleb said as he walked into the kitchen.
"Seriously? You haven't gotten presents yet? It's Christmas Eve caleb! I can imagine kateline doing it at last minute, but you? Ugh.. Take green boy with you! I don't wanna take him around town so you do it!" Shelby called as she grabbed her plate and stood up.
"Can't I'll only be at the mall, and my friends are coming to! He wouldn't like them!" caleb called back.
"Ugh.. Stupid caleb and his evil friends.. I swear their planning to take over the earth.." Shelby mumbled under her breath as she offered to take zim's plate, which was still empty.
Zim handed her the plate and she walked in the kitchen, caleb coming out after her.
"It was nice meeting you zim, see you later" Caleb said as he walked into the living room and towards the door.
"Hey! Caleb-hu- Caleb! Mind if zim comes along? I can help you and your evil 'friends'!" zim said as he hopped to his feet.
"Huh? Oh, um maybe next time zim. My friends aren't that nice" Caleb said as he slammed the door behind him. Zim sat back in his chair and sighed in defeat.
"Okay, let's go look around town.." Shelby said as she walked back into the dining room.
"Be careful! Oh and be home before six so we can open one present tonight!" shelby's mom called as Shelby grabbed her coat and zipped it up.
"Kay." Shelby said as she stood by the door. Zim stood at his feet, and began
regretting coming over.
"Let's go space boy!" Shelby teased as she beckoned towards the door.
Zim twitched at her words and instantly tackled Shelby. Climbing on top of her and shaking her wildly, zim screamed "What do you know filth child?"
"Nothing! Wait, what?" Shelby asked as she shoved zim off of her.
"Nothing! You're lying! Let's go viole- Shelby-human!"
"Viole?" Shelby asked as she stood up and opened the door.
"Nothing... Just some one I used to know.." Zim said as he stood to his feet.
"Okay then.. Oh right! I need to get my violin fixed!"
"You play violin?" zim asked as he stared at Shelby.
"Yeah, hold on I need to get it and take it to the shop."
"Okay…"
Shelby grabbed her violin case and her scarf and hat and gloves then ran back into the living room.
"Let's go" Shelby said as she grabbed zim's hand and led him outside.
"So, tell me about yourself" violet said as the two walked down the street.
Snow covered everything, and it was below 32 degrees out. Shelby held her scarf and shivered as she waited for a reply.
Zim was staring at her violin, which was slung over her back.
"Hello? Earth to zim! You in there?" Shelby asked as she stared at the green boy.
"Eh? Oh um.. Yes. What did you ask?" Zim asked as he scratched his head.
"Tell me about yourself. You know, how old are you? Where are you from? What's your favorite color?"
"Why? ARE you a spy?"
"Um, no. Just curious. That's how people get to know each other."
"Oh, I'm considered seventeen in human years, I'm from.. Uh another place.. And my favorite color is red."
"Seventeen? Caleb's sixteen, and I'm only fifteen."
"What is your favorite color?" zim asked as he stepped over a puddle of melted snow.
"Purple."
Zim froze and sighed.
"What?"
"You remind me of a girl I once knew."
"Oh? What's her name? Tell me about her!" Shelby said happily.
"Violet. She played violin too, and her favorite color was purple. She looked like you too, long black hair, purple eyes…"
"My eyes are brown... and my hair is short.."
"She was smart, she even helped me save-"
"Save what?"
"a- a kitten! In a tree!"
"Oh, sounds nice. That reminds me!"
"Reminds you?"
"I had a dream once! Two years ago! That there was an alien and a pretty girl! but the girl had white hair and bright purple eyes and antennae on her head! They were curly and- oh! The alien and the girl saved the earth from an alien invasion! And then they had to wipe the minds of every one that saw cause they couldn't let us know aliens existed! And you know professor membrane? The famous one? He was in my dream too! And I met him and I helped him make a machine and just as they were about to wipe my memory I woke up! It was cool! I half wish it really happened…" violet sighed and continued walking.
Zim's jaw dropped as Shelby continued walking.
"Y-you remember that?"
"Remember it? What?"
"N-nothing!"
"No... Definitely something… DID YOU HAVE THE SAME DREAM?! Was it even a dream? Did it really happen?"
"What? Psht no! as if!"
"Liar."
"What?"
"Liar. You know something. Tell me."
"No I don't..."
"Yes, you do. Now tell me. Was it real? Tell me. Did you see it happen? Did they miss you too? Please tell me you remember..."
"Okay okay, I'll tell you if you play your violin for me."
"But the G string popped off... Let me think... A song that doesn't need the G string…"
"I'm waiting."
"Uh... Um... I can to the pokemon theme… maybe.."
Shelby pulled her violin out held her breath. She really Needed to know if it was real or not. Shelby began playing the pokemon theme song, it was scratchy and nothing like violet's playing but it was still pretty good. And her slurs were good too.
Zim smiled as Shelby played... And frowned when she stopped.
"Why did you stop?"
"That's all I know."
"Oh."
"Now tell me. Was it real?"
"Yes."
"How do you know?"
"I remember it too."
"I KNEW IT!"
Zim frowned as Shelby put her violin away.
"Okay, I just need to drop this off at the shop, then we can go."
"Okay."
Shelby picked up the violin and continued walking. The streets were almost empty, except a few last minute shoppers.
She just hoped the music store was still open.
Violet smiled as she walked through the snow-covered town. It had been over a year since she had visited this town.
Violet gasped as she saw the violin hanging in a window of a shop.
She hadn't seen a violin in ages, and she desperately wanted to play.
Violet grabbed her small umbrella and ran into the store.
As violet gasped and awed at all of the violins in the store she heard a bell that indicated the door-opening ring.
Zim looked around him at the store. It smelled like old wood and metal.
"Shelby-human, can we hurry? Zim would like to go see the town soon." Zim said as he stared at his surroundings.
"Just a sec zim, I gotta drop this off then we can go" Shelby said as she walked over to the counter and set her violin on it.
Violet froze at the familiar voice.
"What the-" Violet mumbled as she looked in the reflection of a trumpet.
"Oh shit" Violet mumbled as she confirmed her suspicions.
Slowly, violet walked to the door, covering her face with her hat.
Zim smiled as the two walked out of the 'smelly' music store and headed down the street.
"So where are we going human?"
"Why do you keep doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Calling me human. Are you not human?"
"I'm human" Zim laughed nervously as he began walking faster.
"ohmygod. You aren't human are you?"
"What? I'm totally human."
"Liar."
"You can't prove that I'm not."
"Yes I can. Somehow."
"I'm feeling sick. We should cancel our tour."
"Not happening."
Zim frowned and made Shelby giggle.
"Ha!" Shelby yelled as she turned and faced zim and began walking backwards.
"Stop that. It's weird."
"What? Me walking backwards?"
"Yes. Now stop."
"Or what?"
Shelby felt a thud on the back of her head as if to answer her question.
Instantly, She doubled over and fell on her back.
"Told you." Zim said as he tried to hide the huge grin on his face.
"Damn it. I hate you"
"Zim hates you too" zim said as he stuck his tongue out and blew Shelby a raspberry.
"Space-boy" Shelby taunted as she turned to see what she had hit.
A stop sign.
Shelby frowned as she stood up and walked around the sign.
"Where's your proof?" Zim called back as he followed Shelby.
"I don't kno- oh my god.."
"What?"
"I feel like I just remembered something.. Something important.. But.."
"What?"
Zim hopped in front of Shelby and made her stop.
Shelby stared at the green boy for a moment before her jaw dropped.
"You."
"Me?"
"Y-you're THAT alien…"
"What?"
"Irken."
Zim gasped at Shelby's words.
"W-What did you just say?"
"You're irken. You're the irken."
"How-"
"I remembered.. That irkens don't have noses."
Shelby reached into her pocket and pulled out a small note pad, and opened it.
Zim's jaw dropped at what he saw as Shelby held up the note pad.
"That's-"
"A drawing of you and that girl.. With white hair…"
"How did you get that?" Zim's voice was hoarse and scratchy.
"The girl gave it to me.. In my 'dream'… I knew it was real.. You're that alien.."
"Okay okay. Let's go back to your house and we can discuss this."
"No."
"W-what? You dare defy zim? I AM ZIM!"
"You'll erase my memory. I want to remember it."
"That was two years ago. How do you remember that?"
"I don't know... Ever since I had that 'dream' I always wanted to meet an alien. And travel across the stars… And..." Shelby looked away and blushed.
"Then let's go to my base."
"Why?"
"I want to show you something."
"Okay… but you can't erase my memory."
Zim grabbed Shelby's hand and pulled her towards his base.
Violet smiled as she watched the two run off.
Something about that green boy seemed so familiar.
And the fact that he was with Shelby made violet even more curious.
Violet smiled and walked after the two.
"Okay, here we are." Zim said as he let Shelby go and walked up the sidewalk to an old burnt building.
"Zim, don't you live across the street from me?"
"Yes, but this is zim's base."
Zim opened the door and walked inside.
Shelby looked at the burnt green house and the tubes that ran out the sides with a blank expression.
Slowly, Shelby walked in to see zim looking around.
"Did you live here zim?"
"Yes"
"Oh… What happened to this place?"
"It's a long story."
"I've got time."
Zim sat on the burnt couch and patted next to him, motioning for Shelby to join him.
Shelby sat quietly and frowned.
"Well, as you know, there was an alien invasion.. by my tall- my old leaders… they betrayed me and left me here to die.."
zim continued and told Shelby everything.
Normally zim would have killed a human before telling them his story, but Shelby reminded him of violet.
Zim continued, and as time passed, and the sky grew darker, zim finished his story.
Shelby frowned.
"So, that's a lot.. This is random but, can I see you with out your disguise?"
Zim was silent for a moment before he finally nodded and took the wig off and peeled out his contacts.
Shelby smiled.
"What?" zim asked as he looked at the girl in confusion.
"I'm happy. I finally met an alien.."
"Oh."
"Hey zim…"
"Yes Shelby-human?"
"Can we be friends?"
"Why?"
"I've always wanted an alien friend."
Zim smirked and stood to his feet.
"Invaders need no one."
"But you aren't an invader."
Zim frowned and sat back down.
"Well, I still need no one."
"What about violet?"
"What?"
"Violet. The girl you liked."
Zim grabbed Shelby's shirt collar and threw her across the room.
Shelby let out a small grunt as she hit a small metal robot.
Zim walked over to Shelby.
"Do NOT mention her again. Understood?"
"Okay… I'm sorry... God..." Shelby said as she sat up and wiped a drop of blood off of her forehead.
"Sorry." Zim said as he offered Shelby a hand.
"It's okay, I get it. She was important. I won't mention her agai- what's this?" Shelby asked as she picked up the small robot and cradled it like a baby.
"That was Gir. My SIR unit."
"SIR unit?"
"Standard information retrieval unit."
"Oh, what's wrong with it?"
"It's broke."
"And you never bothered to fix it?"
"Nope. It only caused trouble."
"How?"
"It was defective."
"Like you?"
"Yeah.."
"That's not fair."
"What?"
"It's not fair. Why couldn't gir live as a defect but you can?"
"Because I said so."
"Let's fix him."
"No."
"Ah come on, I know you want to."
"I really don't."
"I'll keep him if you want."
"What? No. You couldn't handle gir."
"I bet you I could."
"Okay, I'll fix him. And if you're still alive after a week you can keep him."
"Challenge accepted."
Zim bent over and picked up the small lifeless bot.
Shelby looked at her watch and almost had a heart attack.
"ZIM! It's almost eight!"
Zim glanced at Shelby and scratched his head.
"I was supposed to be home before six! My mom's going to kill me!"
Zim nodded in thought and looked around the room.
"Let's go!" Shelby said in annoyance as she grabbed zim's hand and led him out the door.
so that's a wrap! hehe, hope you guys enjoyed! leave a review, favorite and follow to stay tuned to the awesomeness that will unfold! :D I'm super exited for this! :D