By GS2aholic
Hold your head high/Don't look down
I'm by your side/Won't back down
You wanted a hero tonight
Well I'm not made of steel/ I'm not made of steelBut your secret's safe with me
~Our Lady Peace 'Made of Steel'
Zim turned his attention from the drawing to Gaz. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open.
"I take it you had no idea you were a goddess."
The look Zim received told him she hadn't. Their eyes moved back to the scene below.
The drumming grew louder and the room began to fill with rhythmic chanting as Justin was marched to the front of the room. He was laid upon a large stone block and the chanting suddenly stopped. All candles except those surrounding the boy were put out.
"We've got to do something," Gaz whispered.
"What?"
Gaz was silent for a moment, then: "Create a distraction, but don't let yourself be seen."
The voice of one of the monsters was heard, chanting solo. They saw a knife being drawn from the shadows and the boy beginning to stir.
"Now."
"But what will you be…"
"I'll be fine, just go!"
Zim, recognizing a pointless argument, pushed out the vent with his hands. He kept it in his hold and jumped from the vent, his spider legs catching him before he fell far. Since the room was so full of detailed carvings, there were so many nooks to climb on that Zim managed to get to the ceiling pretty easily. He eased himself around the room until he was above the doors to the chamber. With a deep breath, Zim dropped the vent.
Meanwhile, Gaz climbed down the wall from the vent. She moved swiftly once she hit the floor, moving towards the sacrifice without a sound.
A loud clanging echoed through the room and all the creatures turned their head away from Justin. The head monster walked to the front of the block, surveying the area and talking quietly with others nearby.
Gaz took her chance and ran to Justin. She linked her arms under his and pulled him gently from the table. His head jostled and knocked against her fists roughly as she began to run backward into the shadows. She bit her cheek to stifle a scream as hands gripped her under the arms and picked her up from the ground. She looked up and, seeing that is was only Zim, relaxed.
Gaz adjusted Justin in her arms as Zim transported them around the room. Unlike the other one, this room had two doors. One led to the hallway, a heavy door covering it; the other was covered by nothing and was where Justin had been brought through. Since it would be a more silent way out, Zim headed towards the open one.
A scream broke the silence in the room and Gaz hurried to cover Justin's mouth. However, it was too late and the monsters below had spotted them. They lit their candles and some began to shout orders.
"So much for not being seen," Gaz complained and kneed Justin roughly in the back.
Zim jumped from the wall to the floor, scurrying through the opening before any of the monsters could react. He contracted his legs and set Gaz on the ground. She in turn let go of Justin and all three began to run through the dark hall.
"What's going on?" Justin asked. His voice was raspy and often cracked, as he was a late bloomer when it came to voices.
"I wish I knew," Gaz replied.
The trio remained silent after that as they ran, the hall curving and jutting into separate halls for what seemed to be forever. The monster's footsteps had ceased to be heard five minutes into running, but they kept at it. Finally, a blast of light blinded them and they found themselves outside. Zim and Gaz didn't recognize this area and, looking behind them, found that it was behind the temple. Justin walked to the edge of the building and peeked around the side. He quickly pulled back behind and ran to the other two.
"The monsters…" He squeaked. "They are coming this way."
Zim ran to the other edge and looked over. He came back to report that they were closing in that way too.
"We should probably split up," Zim suggested. It took all he could do to refrain from going on an egotistical run when Gaz agreed.
"You and Justin go back to the portal. Get him through and home then come back. I'll distract them."
They all nodded in agreement and went off their separate ways. Gaz ran straight away from the building and into the desert behind it. The yells of the monsters told her that her plan was working and she ran faster, drawing out her gun and shooting randomly at the monsters behind her when she dared to look back.
Zim extracted his legs and, grabbing onto Justin, scaled the walls of the building until they were onto it and began to run. Justin kept looking at him uneasily.
"Halloween costume," He said simply. Justin nodded and, despite Halloween being months away, bought the excuse.
Zim got them down from the temple once they had reached the edge and they headed off towards the portal.
~~~~~
Gaz had been running for only five minutes when the monsters stopped running again. She could faintly hear one say that they could catch her later and now was time for a snack before they turned and walked the other way. She kept running though in case it was a trick. Like all the times before, the landscape began to slowly change, here and there patches of brown grass littering the desert. It became more common until Gaz found herself in a brown field, dead wildflowers and black roses strewn around. Not planted, mind you, but instead seemed to have been placed there. She stopped her running and paused to catch her breath.
Gaz bent down and picked up one of the roses. She studied it closely and was surprised to find that its lifecycle sped up. It wilted in her hands, eventually becoming dust and blowing away in the wind.
It was fascinating, to say the least, and Gaz picked up another. She dropped it soon after as she was pricked by a thorn. A drop of blood rolled down her finger from the cut and, after she tilted her hand, to the ground.
Feeling woozy, Gaz eased herself to the ground and laid back.
It's like Wonderland, her mind told her. Or was it Sleeping Beauty? She couldn't remember. She giggled softly and curled up on her side. She was so tired. Her eyes closed and her breathing slowed. She found herself in a calm, dreamless sleep.
~~~~~"How long will she be out, human?"
"Not for much longer. Wait, she's stirring now."
Gaz heard the voices, but could not fully make out the words. Her head was dizzy and her eyes were heavy but she pushed herself to wake up. When she finally awoke fully, she opened her eyes and sat up quickly. Ignoring the dizzy feeling she got, she stared wide-eyed at the woman in front of her.
"Mom?"
The violet-haired woman nodded and smiled gently. Her face was dirty, but it still radiated a pale beauty that Gaz remembered. It seemed so long ago when her mother had left Gaz, Dib, and her father but the anger was suddenly rekindled. Seeing Zim behind her, she stood and looked at him.
"Zim, let's go. I don't want to be here."
Gaz began to walk away but when she wasn't followed she turned.
"We can't leave yet."
"Why?"
Her mother answered. "Because I live in a place where it monsoons every other day and you have no chance of surviving if you leave. You can see for yourself, out that window."
Gaz followed her mother's finger and was disgusted at what she saw. A sheet of red water fell from the sky, random drops hitting the windowpane.
"Why would you want to live here?"
"Because most of the monsters can't handle too much blood. It makes them lose consciousness and they drown in the puddles. As far as I understand, it's a phobia of yours too. Only amplified a thousand times more."
"Why does so much of this place point to me?"
"Because it is you, Gaz. Everyone has a part of them where their anger lives and their nightmares are born. Unfortunately, yours are more real. It's a whole new world."
To Be Continued…Author's Note: Whoo, new chapter. I wanted it to be longer… but I hit the block again. Ya know… writer's block? Who invented that anyway? Anywho, review please and I'll get to work on the next chapter. Also, if your interested, or just bored, and want to see my opinion on the Membrane Mom disappearance, read Where Are You Christmas.