Author's Note: Wow, bad me. It's been about three months since I last updated. Let's just say that I've had major writer's block, and I've been trying to get my chapters longer. Let's just see if this is any improvement at all. Whoo, am I terrible. Half the time I didn't have anything to do anyway. Wow.
Disclaimer: If you care that much, go back to the first chapter.
*Remember: It's Just a Dream*
How do you think / I've lost so much
I'm so afraid / I'm out of touch
How do you expect / I will know what to do
When all I know / Is what you tell me to
~Linkin' Park By Myself
Dib's journey home was much like a flickering light bulb: At some points he was safe in the light of the real world, at other times he was in the lonely darkness of a nightmare. He arrived home dirty, scared, and tired, his wound almost yielding to bleed. He collapsed on the coach and soon fell into a dreamless sleep.
Gaz, for reasons unknown to her, rushed home and found Dib in his pitiful state.
"If dad sees Dib like this, he'll make me clean it up," she realized. She walked to Dib and hefted him over her shoulder. "Might as well get a head start!"
She went upstairs to the bathroom and dumped Dib into the tub. She removed his trench coat, a gift from their mother, and threw it down the laundry shoot. She then turned on the water and let the cool liquid run over Dib, clothes and all, while she went to get some towels.
Dib slowly opened his eyes, enjoying the feel of the cold water against his body. He watched the water dully fall from his fingers and his eyes widened in awe as it began to change color: from blue, to pink, to red. He watched his reflection the faucet as the water thickened and filled the tub rapidly, reminding him nauseously of…
"Blood," he whispered. The tub began to fill faster and overflow: Dib quickly getting out and perching himself on the sink, shivering helplessly. Once the phenomena subsided and the blood turned back to water, he began to lower himself from the sink. The medicine cabinet silently opened and razors, cuticle scissors, and clippers flew out and began the viciously attack Dib, piercing his flesh as his blood mingled with the water soaked floor. Dib screamed loudly and, spitting up blood, collapsed to the floor.
"Dib! This had better be important or I'll…" Gaz began, running into the room. She dropped her towels in shock as she saw Dib and the various sharp objects that littered the floor. She ran to him and ripped bits and pieces of the nearest towel for a temporary bandage. She subconsciously noticed that the tub was only filled up a quarter of the way as she turned of the water that now soaked the floor. Silently thanking God there was a phone in every room, she called the hospital.
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Professor Membrane, or a screen rather, hovered back and forth outside Dib's room. At close glance one would notice that he wasn't paying attention at all and was once again lost in his work. Gaz sat behind him in a chair, engulfed in her Punch! Magazine.
A nurse walked past, humming an unknown tune, and entered Dib's room. It was quiet for a few moments before a scream escaped the cracks and into the hall, a few doctors running into the room.
Professor Membrane looked up and hovered into the room, Gaz unconsciously following.
Dib's body was spasming violently, blood seeping from his lips and onto the pillow. Two of the doctors help him down as one administered something to him. The spell seized and Dib's breathing calmed.
"My poor insane son," The Professor said. "Any idea what's wrong?"
The doctors shook their heads. "When he wakes, he complains of pain, monsters and blood."
"Could this have anything to do with what happened last time?"
"It's possible but not for sure. Now if you'll excuse me," one said and they left. The screen turned to Gaz.
"Return home Gaz and feed the puppy," he said and he hovered away. Gaz sighed and left.
The way home was familiar to her, as Dib had gotten himself into the hospital so many times, he was a regular.
Two blocks from home Gaz heard rushed footsteps. She stopped, a blonde woman walked by and, shrugging, Gaz walked on.
Gaz squealed as cold, rough hands pulled her from behind and into an alley. A figure in all black, a hood over its head, put a finger into the shadows where Gaz supposed its mouth would be.
"You must save him!" It exclaimed, its voice seemingly female. "He's in danger!" Before Gaz could ask whom, she spoke again.
"Dib's solution lies in your head Gaz. You can't do it alone, you must…" A newspaper crumbled further down in the alley and glass broke. The figure turned its head in alarm, a few violet strands of hair escaping it's hooded cover.
"I'm sorry, I have to leave. Please do all you can!" She hastily removed her hands and quickly walked down the alley, her figure soon blending into the dark shadows.
It took Gaz but a minute to recover, and she quickly continued down the street. Her steps quickened, however, and she found herself running the rest of the way home.
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Gaz arrived home panting and paused to catch her breath.
"What is going on?" She asked herself silently, holding herself up on the desk. She glanced at the calendar and shook her head.
"It's been one week," Gaz realized. "One week without my goddamn Gameslave. I think I'm losing it!" She walked to the couch and slouched down on it, letting out a dull sigh as she looked next to her. Dirt and blood soiled the cushions. She grabbed a nearby blanket and covered the spots standing up when she was done.
"This must be a nightmare! What is Dib doing to himself? Maybe if I go to sleep, I'll wake up." She ran up the stairs and into her room, sleeping as soon as her head hit the pillow.
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Gaz woke up groggily, stretching widely. She turned and sat up, her cold toes dangly a few inches from the ground. It was then she realized that there was nothing under her. She rubbed her eyes and reluctantly focused them.
What she saw shocker her. This wasn't her world! It was a nightmare of broken buildings, the stench of blood, and horrendous creatures running amuck.
Gaz was floating far above the ground, close enough only to see the silhouettes and dark colors of the world beneath her. Blackish lightning struck behind her, causing a row of hair stand up on her back. She spotted a bigheaded figure that looked strikingly like her brother. The air passed around her, and she began a small, unwilling decent.
"It is Dib!" She realized. He was struggling to run down the street, a small looking creature with a monstrous set of teeth following close behind. It snapped at his heels, catching the edge of his pants in his mouth and ripped a chunk off, a small trail of blood and string making its way behind Dib.
Gaz was having a hard time taking all this in, and in her frustration she let out a scream.
"Stop it!" Dib turned his head toward the sound, almost somersaulting down the street after hitting a crack. He got up quickly and ran faster than before. A young boy, oddly Gaz's lazy lab partner in science, ran his own race down the street. A large monster competed with him, constantly snapping and licking his lips. Suddenly, a long tongue escaped his mouth and gathered the boy up, chopping down greedily on his dark, tanned skin.
Gaz covered her eyes at the sight of the gore, the screams and vain pleads of the boy getting all the more quieter.
"Mother of the Tallests!" A familiar voice announced. Gaz turned her head in alarm to find Zim. His expression was as horrified as hers as he turned his head towards her. They locked eyes for a short moment before they disappeared, finding themselves in their beds. Their eyes wide, they found themselves covered in sweat, or something like it, as they tried to understand what the hell just happened.
To be continued…
Note: I hope that makes up for my major break in updates. I tried to get as detailed as I could, and I hope I did. Let's just hope that I won't have that bad of writer's block again!