Like Father, Like Son
Dib stood against a wall in the halls of skool just after the last bell of the day. He had brought Oscar with him and currently had the bunny in his backpack. He glanced around for his sister Gaz but she might have taken off without him. She did that sometimes.
The halls were fairly empty now so he ventured away from the wall and headed for the doors.
Suddenly a screaming form crashed into him from behind sending them both to the floor.
"Don't let it get me!" The other boy screamed as he grabbed Dib by the front of his shirt. He then turned to look back in the way he had come looking more paranoid than Dib usually acted.
"What? Hey get off me!" Dib said pushing the other boy to the ground. He stood up dusting himself off.
The other boy immediately hid behind him peering around Dib's coat at the other figure at the far end of the hall.
Dib looked up to see Zim narrowing his eyes menacingly. He made a 'huff' sound then disappeared around a corner.
Dib turned back to the boy cowering behind him. "Uh. You okay?" He asked.
The boy looked up. Dib found him familiar. He knew he had just started coming to this skool about a week ago, but he didn't really know his name.
"Um, now I am." He stood up. "I'm Todd. Most people call me Squee or something."
"Well, uh, hi Todd, I'm Dib."
Todd seemed to ignore the introduction and he glanced around with that paranoid look again. "I thought for sure the alien was going to get me again."
Dibs' eyes went wide for a moment. "You think he's an alien too?"
Todd nodded. "You get abducted a couple times and you tend to know one when you see one."
"Good! You can help me capture him!" Dib said excitedly.
Todd winced a bit at the unexpected outburst. "Uh no, aliens are bad. But they're not as bad as." He paused getting that intensely paranoid look again. "The Neighbor Man."
Dib gave him a funny look. Then it clicked. He remembered this kid. Todd Casil, he'd been afraid of all sorts of things before he disappeared. Last Dib heard about him was that his parents had taken him to the Loony Bin.
Dib had avoided the whole thing about Todd back then. It had reminded him too much of his own mother. And a lot of kids might have started thinking about that fact and he might have been picked on for it all over again.
"If you won't help me catch him can you at least tell me what you know?" Dib asked.
Todd thought a moment. "I suppose I could. But you'll have to come to my house. I don't want to be out if it gets dark."
Dib shrugged. "Sure why not?"
* * *
Dib glanced at Todds' house. It was in an older part of town. Next door was a house that looked like it was put up in one day with a budget that only allowed for the purchase of nails.
"That's the Neighbor Mans' house." Todd whispered. "He hasn't been back since before I went away."
Dib looked at the house number. Triple Seven.
Somewhere in the back of his mind Oscar was throwing a fit, but whatever message he was trying to get through came out all wrong.
Dib started to walk to the house, kicking up dust as he went.
Todd watched him go. He sighed. At least he had gotten home safely today.
Dib walked up to the door. 'Ring me' was carved around the doorbell. He pushed gently on the door and it came open with a loud creak revealing a dark void.
He glanced back to see where Todd was. The other boy was gone already.
Dib turned back to the darkness in front of him and went in.
Dib stood against a wall in the halls of skool just after the last bell of the day. He had brought Oscar with him and currently had the bunny in his backpack. He glanced around for his sister Gaz but she might have taken off without him. She did that sometimes.
The halls were fairly empty now so he ventured away from the wall and headed for the doors.
Suddenly a screaming form crashed into him from behind sending them both to the floor.
"Don't let it get me!" The other boy screamed as he grabbed Dib by the front of his shirt. He then turned to look back in the way he had come looking more paranoid than Dib usually acted.
"What? Hey get off me!" Dib said pushing the other boy to the ground. He stood up dusting himself off.
The other boy immediately hid behind him peering around Dib's coat at the other figure at the far end of the hall.
Dib looked up to see Zim narrowing his eyes menacingly. He made a 'huff' sound then disappeared around a corner.
Dib turned back to the boy cowering behind him. "Uh. You okay?" He asked.
The boy looked up. Dib found him familiar. He knew he had just started coming to this skool about a week ago, but he didn't really know his name.
"Um, now I am." He stood up. "I'm Todd. Most people call me Squee or something."
"Well, uh, hi Todd, I'm Dib."
Todd seemed to ignore the introduction and he glanced around with that paranoid look again. "I thought for sure the alien was going to get me again."
Dibs' eyes went wide for a moment. "You think he's an alien too?"
Todd nodded. "You get abducted a couple times and you tend to know one when you see one."
"Good! You can help me capture him!" Dib said excitedly.
Todd winced a bit at the unexpected outburst. "Uh no, aliens are bad. But they're not as bad as." He paused getting that intensely paranoid look again. "The Neighbor Man."
Dib gave him a funny look. Then it clicked. He remembered this kid. Todd Casil, he'd been afraid of all sorts of things before he disappeared. Last Dib heard about him was that his parents had taken him to the Loony Bin.
Dib had avoided the whole thing about Todd back then. It had reminded him too much of his own mother. And a lot of kids might have started thinking about that fact and he might have been picked on for it all over again.
"If you won't help me catch him can you at least tell me what you know?" Dib asked.
Todd thought a moment. "I suppose I could. But you'll have to come to my house. I don't want to be out if it gets dark."
Dib shrugged. "Sure why not?"
* * *
Dib glanced at Todds' house. It was in an older part of town. Next door was a house that looked like it was put up in one day with a budget that only allowed for the purchase of nails.
"That's the Neighbor Mans' house." Todd whispered. "He hasn't been back since before I went away."
Dib looked at the house number. Triple Seven.
Somewhere in the back of his mind Oscar was throwing a fit, but whatever message he was trying to get through came out all wrong.
Dib started to walk to the house, kicking up dust as he went.
Todd watched him go. He sighed. At least he had gotten home safely today.
Dib walked up to the door. 'Ring me' was carved around the doorbell. He pushed gently on the door and it came open with a loud creak revealing a dark void.
He glanced back to see where Todd was. The other boy was gone already.
Dib turned back to the darkness in front of him and went in.