Like Father, Like Son
The gray shadow pooled around the boys' still form elated at the fact that the child had returned. In it's weakened state it thought it might not be able to successfully call him back.
Of course it had not exactly been laying in wait for the right time to call this new 'keeper' back. It had wiped away many of the things the first slave had left behind. Those delusion enhanced things he had referred to as 'Happy Noodle Boy' were gone along with many of the massive paintings on the walls.
It had been something like 'cleaning the cage out' for a new pet after the old one died.
Only this was intensely important for what it was about to do. If there was anything left from the first 'keeper' this one might try and find him. Leaving the shadow to wait until another was within its grasp. And it couldn't wait that long.
It sent a thin tendril into both of the childs' ears and a few more into his nose and mouth. It finally felt along his mind and found the link the smaller piece of it had kept alive.
There it discovered his name: Dib.
Not exactly what the shadow had been expecting but then 'Johnny' with his nickname 'Nny' hadn't been that predictable a find either.
It was amazed at how alike this one was to the last Human. So many childhood traumas and pains. Only this one held a secret.
The shadow puzzled over this creature called 'Zim'. An alien being?
Those memories had to go. Too much of a distraction.
A little influence and it felt the vivid memories of a green skinned being go soft and fuzzy. Dib would never again recall who Zim was exactly. Only that there was a person named Zim and there was a good chance that Dib didn't like him to well.
It moved on sifting through the unusually vivid memories of Dibs' past. His sister that abused him sometimes. His father that was never around. A mother that was clinically insane. Classmates that picked on him.
All were choice memories to use.
It altered some so that they were not directly related to that 'Zim' being. And concentrated more on the absentee father and crazy mother. The sister 'Gaz' was quietly cut out. They could possibly meet on the streets and that might wash away all of the shadows' editing.
It would have to seek her out once it was stronger and wipe away the memory of her brother.
Then it found Dibs' creative core. The one thing that linked all of the Human 'waste locks', oh how it hated that phrase. They always had immense creative powers. The point behind that detail was that they eventually would funnel all of that 'creativity' into their delusions.
A 'redirection' as it were.
It left the creativity alone not wanting to risk accidentally damaging that vital part.
It revived the smaller piece of itself. The first slave had housed two such links.
Stupid beings in their own right the shadow was appalled at the one that had wanted it's own free will.
Worthless little mite, he was paying for his rebellion.
No, this one would be much better behaved and urge Dib on for what the shadow needed.
The shadow pulled away from Dib sinking into the floors to find its wall. The plaster prison it had been forced behind so long ago. Now that it was a mere shadow that wretch that had put it there in the first place paid it no mind. Soon though the shadow would not be a shadow. Soon it would be strong enough to break free and do its job like it had tried to before.
* * *
Dib opened his eyes first seeing the little cockroach searching the ground in front of his face. He blinked not at all surprised that he was on the floor or that there was a bug in front of him.
He sat up, scaring the cockroach away, and glanced around.
He knew exactly where he was and who he was but not why he was. There was a brief memory of looking at the stars in fear but it vanished.
He picked a little stuffed bunny up.
"Dib, are you okay? You fell." It said. Dib wasn't bothered by this.
"I'm okay. But I think I need some air." He said standing up. He spotted his Guitar case and went to pick it up.
He was about to do just that when a glimmer caught his eye. He adjusted his glasses and picked up the blade admiring its edge.
"Yes, a little air should clear the mind."
He slipped the knife into a loop in his trench coat that he didn't really recall using before. Then he stuffed Oscar in a coat pocket and went out the door whistling.
Down below, in the dark levels of the house. A gray shadow slipped into a wall and something like the sound of laughter echoed.
The gray shadow pooled around the boys' still form elated at the fact that the child had returned. In it's weakened state it thought it might not be able to successfully call him back.
Of course it had not exactly been laying in wait for the right time to call this new 'keeper' back. It had wiped away many of the things the first slave had left behind. Those delusion enhanced things he had referred to as 'Happy Noodle Boy' were gone along with many of the massive paintings on the walls.
It had been something like 'cleaning the cage out' for a new pet after the old one died.
Only this was intensely important for what it was about to do. If there was anything left from the first 'keeper' this one might try and find him. Leaving the shadow to wait until another was within its grasp. And it couldn't wait that long.
It sent a thin tendril into both of the childs' ears and a few more into his nose and mouth. It finally felt along his mind and found the link the smaller piece of it had kept alive.
There it discovered his name: Dib.
Not exactly what the shadow had been expecting but then 'Johnny' with his nickname 'Nny' hadn't been that predictable a find either.
It was amazed at how alike this one was to the last Human. So many childhood traumas and pains. Only this one held a secret.
The shadow puzzled over this creature called 'Zim'. An alien being?
Those memories had to go. Too much of a distraction.
A little influence and it felt the vivid memories of a green skinned being go soft and fuzzy. Dib would never again recall who Zim was exactly. Only that there was a person named Zim and there was a good chance that Dib didn't like him to well.
It moved on sifting through the unusually vivid memories of Dibs' past. His sister that abused him sometimes. His father that was never around. A mother that was clinically insane. Classmates that picked on him.
All were choice memories to use.
It altered some so that they were not directly related to that 'Zim' being. And concentrated more on the absentee father and crazy mother. The sister 'Gaz' was quietly cut out. They could possibly meet on the streets and that might wash away all of the shadows' editing.
It would have to seek her out once it was stronger and wipe away the memory of her brother.
Then it found Dibs' creative core. The one thing that linked all of the Human 'waste locks', oh how it hated that phrase. They always had immense creative powers. The point behind that detail was that they eventually would funnel all of that 'creativity' into their delusions.
A 'redirection' as it were.
It left the creativity alone not wanting to risk accidentally damaging that vital part.
It revived the smaller piece of itself. The first slave had housed two such links.
Stupid beings in their own right the shadow was appalled at the one that had wanted it's own free will.
Worthless little mite, he was paying for his rebellion.
No, this one would be much better behaved and urge Dib on for what the shadow needed.
The shadow pulled away from Dib sinking into the floors to find its wall. The plaster prison it had been forced behind so long ago. Now that it was a mere shadow that wretch that had put it there in the first place paid it no mind. Soon though the shadow would not be a shadow. Soon it would be strong enough to break free and do its job like it had tried to before.
* * *
Dib opened his eyes first seeing the little cockroach searching the ground in front of his face. He blinked not at all surprised that he was on the floor or that there was a bug in front of him.
He sat up, scaring the cockroach away, and glanced around.
He knew exactly where he was and who he was but not why he was. There was a brief memory of looking at the stars in fear but it vanished.
He picked a little stuffed bunny up.
"Dib, are you okay? You fell." It said. Dib wasn't bothered by this.
"I'm okay. But I think I need some air." He said standing up. He spotted his Guitar case and went to pick it up.
He was about to do just that when a glimmer caught his eye. He adjusted his glasses and picked up the blade admiring its edge.
"Yes, a little air should clear the mind."
He slipped the knife into a loop in his trench coat that he didn't really recall using before. Then he stuffed Oscar in a coat pocket and went out the door whistling.
Down below, in the dark levels of the house. A gray shadow slipped into a wall and something like the sound of laughter echoed.