Prison for the Insane
Chapter 3: Shadows
Author's Note: Apologies for the long wait. I've been working on other stories (go look at them, please?) But I've been thinking of how I'm going to get to where I want to go with this story... ^^ I think I may have gotten it right.
***
Dib opened his eyes, only to see more darkness. He yelped through a half-open mouth. He heard a door opening and footsteps. The damp darkness was quickly wrenched away and he looked up into Suri's face.
A few strands of hair sprung forward from beneath the headband that covered her head; her concern stressed her. Dib reached his hand up slowly and brushed the strands away with a dazed smile.
Suri sighed, relieved, and set the damp darkness -- a washcloth -- down on the nightstand. "Good... You're okay."
She had always had exceptional hearing; she obviously did to hear his soft gasp. Dib smiled.
"You... You are okay, right?" She gave him a quizzical look as he took her face in his hands and pulled her to him. He pressed their lips together and moved his hands to her waist.
Suri sighed, relaxing against him. [Maybe, my Dib is back.]
Dib let their mouths part and opened his eyes. A flash of winking crimson eyes sent him into a fit of screams.
[Or, maybe not...] Suri jerked back to her feet, "Dib! Dibby! What's wrong?!"
Dib threw off the covers and ran from the master bedroom, barefoot. Suri froze, then dashed after him.
Lia looked out of her room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She watched her parents pass her at a blurring speed.
Dib threw open the bathroom door and slammed the door shut behind him. He slumped against the door and closed his eyes against the dark.
"Dib. Dib." Suri knocked on the door gently. "What's wrong?"
"Go away!" he shouted.
He heard a gasp from beyond the door. "Is that any way to talk to me?!" Suri demanded.
He pulled his knees up to his chest and leaned his head on the knees. He sucked in gasps of air, trying to calm his thumping heart.
"Zim..." he gasped.
He heard Suri slump against the door, sitting down just behind him. "What's wrong, Dibby?"
"I ... I saw Zim... I saw his eyes."
Suri sighed gently. She pressed her hand against the door. "Dib... It's okay... He won't hurt you."
"Even you said --"
"What did I say?" He could imagine the sorrowful look on her face as she whispered, "Can't you trust me, Baby?"
Dib stood up and opened the door. He looked down, expecting to see Suri sitting on the ground. He instead saw her feet. He looked up.
"Weren't you sitting down?" he asked.
Suri smiled. "Don't worry about it." She took his arm, "Now... Let's get you back to bed."
Dib sighed with relief.
Then, a shadow crossed the room, catching his attention. It was easily much taller than either Suri or himself. He turned his head to look at it fully. A second shadow quickly followed the first.
Dib murmured, "Suri... did--"
Then, there was a scream.
***
Author's Note: Whee! ^_^ Did I leave off at a suspenceful spot? What do you think! Review please!
Chapter 3: Shadows
Author's Note: Apologies for the long wait. I've been working on other stories (go look at them, please?) But I've been thinking of how I'm going to get to where I want to go with this story... ^^ I think I may have gotten it right.
***
Dib opened his eyes, only to see more darkness. He yelped through a half-open mouth. He heard a door opening and footsteps. The damp darkness was quickly wrenched away and he looked up into Suri's face.
A few strands of hair sprung forward from beneath the headband that covered her head; her concern stressed her. Dib reached his hand up slowly and brushed the strands away with a dazed smile.
Suri sighed, relieved, and set the damp darkness -- a washcloth -- down on the nightstand. "Good... You're okay."
She had always had exceptional hearing; she obviously did to hear his soft gasp. Dib smiled.
"You... You are okay, right?" She gave him a quizzical look as he took her face in his hands and pulled her to him. He pressed their lips together and moved his hands to her waist.
Suri sighed, relaxing against him. [Maybe, my Dib is back.]
Dib let their mouths part and opened his eyes. A flash of winking crimson eyes sent him into a fit of screams.
[Or, maybe not...] Suri jerked back to her feet, "Dib! Dibby! What's wrong?!"
Dib threw off the covers and ran from the master bedroom, barefoot. Suri froze, then dashed after him.
Lia looked out of her room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She watched her parents pass her at a blurring speed.
Dib threw open the bathroom door and slammed the door shut behind him. He slumped against the door and closed his eyes against the dark.
"Dib. Dib." Suri knocked on the door gently. "What's wrong?"
"Go away!" he shouted.
He heard a gasp from beyond the door. "Is that any way to talk to me?!" Suri demanded.
He pulled his knees up to his chest and leaned his head on the knees. He sucked in gasps of air, trying to calm his thumping heart.
"Zim..." he gasped.
He heard Suri slump against the door, sitting down just behind him. "What's wrong, Dibby?"
"I ... I saw Zim... I saw his eyes."
Suri sighed gently. She pressed her hand against the door. "Dib... It's okay... He won't hurt you."
"Even you said --"
"What did I say?" He could imagine the sorrowful look on her face as she whispered, "Can't you trust me, Baby?"
Dib stood up and opened the door. He looked down, expecting to see Suri sitting on the ground. He instead saw her feet. He looked up.
"Weren't you sitting down?" he asked.
Suri smiled. "Don't worry about it." She took his arm, "Now... Let's get you back to bed."
Dib sighed with relief.
Then, a shadow crossed the room, catching his attention. It was easily much taller than either Suri or himself. He turned his head to look at it fully. A second shadow quickly followed the first.
Dib murmured, "Suri... did--"
Then, there was a scream.
***
Author's Note: Whee! ^_^ Did I leave off at a suspenceful spot? What do you think! Review please!
