by the Mysterious Dr. X
Chapter 5
The Final Visitor
"Hah-HAHHHH!!! Take THAT, ZIM!" Dib cackled at his crestfallen enemy.
"SILENCE, CHILD!" Zim shrieked back at him, "What have you to be so joyful about? You've no chance to escape from this prison either!"
"But he gots his arms free!" GIR squealed.
Starting with a cold stare-of-death that scanned from the little robot and then to the young man (transforming along the way into a heartless smile), Zim explained in delighted, wheezing tones "Yes, GIR... But what good is that? He's still trapped here... DOOMED forever by his own family, simply because he's too much of a FAILURE for anyone in this world to ever CARE ABOUT HIM!!!"
A very hurt expression flicked across Dib's eyes. He opened his mouth to protest, but, unfortunately, Zim's words had just echoed what had gone on in the paranormalist's own mind. Rather than the smart-alec comment he hoped to reply with, Dib simply answered by choking slightly and biting his lip. Zim's cold, callous laugh started up again, forcing Dib to turn his back to the alien and shut his eyes tightly. In any other situation, he'd have probably just whirled around and strangled the little creep, but... he knew Zim was right. His own family despised him and he was trapped here now... no matter what happened...
"Awwww," Zim urged in a mocking tone, "whassamatta', Dibby? Gonna' cry now? HAHAHA! FOOLISH HUMAN! You and your emotions will always be your greatest weakness! Even greater than your IMMENSE head filled with stupid... eh... HEAD-MEATS!!! I will always be superior! I AM ZIMMMM!!!"
Dib opened his watery and now reddened eyes momentarily as he voiced one small question.
"If you're so superior, then why did your leaders just leave you here?"
Now it was Zim's turn to fail horrendously at a response. He too attempted to say something, but as no comment would calm his own self-destructive thoughts of failure, he turned his back to Dib and wallowed in his personal depression.
GIR blinked and looked back and forth between his despondant roommates for a moment. That is, until... the final visitor arrived...
There had been no announcement of it's arrival. Nothing natural at least. The only sign that it was near was a sickeningly familiar presence of hate, doom, and crippling depression.
As GIR turned his stunned, luminous cyan eyes to the door window; an evil, dark presence filled the hallway on the other side of the door.
As if the electricity had suddenly failed in the building, all light died in the hallway, under the influence of the malevolent cloud of doom that was filling the corridor. GIR's jaw slowly drooped as he watched the dark fog thicken in front of the small window. The lights slowly returned as the fog dissipated from the furthermost sides of the hallway and merged before the window into one concentrated mass of hate. Then, the mind-wrenching body of vaporous sickness convalesced into what appeared to be the form of a wizened, ancient old woman dressed in the black of one's darkest nightmares.
Dib and Zim continued to sulk in their own self-loathing. GIR gazed in awe at the creature as it glared into the small room, feeding on the misery of its occupants. Finally... it spoke...
"When the two of you were in my class," Ms. Bitters croaked, "I said you'd amount to nothing..."
She paused for a few seconds to let the whole phrase sink in. A sharp, hissing breath, and then she finished.
"And I was right... You're NNNNNOTHING!!! Look at you! Two miserable, worthless husks of lunacy... doomed to DIE here in this cold, sterile..."
"You're too late!"
"What?" Bitters was genuinely surprised. No living being had ever dared interrupt her!
"You're too late!" GIR explained. "They already got their spirits crushed. Sorry!"
Ms. Bitters stuttered unhappily.
"O-oh... w-well then I... DARN! I've been waiting for 12 years to do this..."
GIR looked apologetically to the frightening woman-beast and repeated "Sorry..."
"No, no... It's not your fault. Ugh. I shouldn't have taken the bus here. I knew I'd get here late. Oh well... I uh... Well, I suppose I'll go brow-beat that weird cartoonist down the hall... Whatever his name is... something Vasquez, I think..."
GIR smiled. It was good to know SOMEONE was still going to manage to find something fun to do today!
"Okay!" He called, "Have fun!"
"Hmm?" Bitters turned around for a moment. "Oh... yes, uh... thanks... And uh..." She pointed at Dib and Zim. "Remember. Worthless... you know..."
GIR nodded while Dib and Zim mumbled irritably.
"KAY!" he squeaked.
"Yeah... okay... well... see ya..."
"What a nice lady," GIR sighed as the spectre floated down the hallway with the intent to feed on another doomed soul's misery. Dib and Zim groaned.