Chapter IV: Realization Shows Itself
Several months had passed since the night Zim brought Cerridwen to his underground lair and had returned her to The Mishler. Oh people had asked where she had been but the curiosity had long been buried after Cerridwen had them all convinced that her disappearance was due to family matters. Well. . .perhaps not all of them believed her. There was still the matter of Dib. The young alien hunter hadn't bought the story she told him and he still didn't.
"I'm TELLING you Gaz, aliens had something to do with it!" Dib persisted even though he knew no one would listen to him.
"Go away," said Gaz, a note of annoyance rising in her voice.
"No, listen! Cerridwen's kidnapping has the makings of an alien abduction. I just know it!"
Gaz didn't reply but continued to rapidly tap away at her Game Slave II. Dib still thought she was listening to him so he rambled on. "She went home, must have gone to bed, then, the ALIENS attacked! They probably erased her memory or. . .or. . .brainwashed! Yeah! They brainwashed her into believing whatever they WANT! That's IT! I've gotta tell. . .someone. . ."
Gaz, reaching the limit of her toleration for her melodramatic brother, promptly hit Dib over the head with her video game. Her way of brother- sister bonding, I suppose.
~*~
Cerridwen continued her 'lessons' with The Phantom, as he liked to be called. She still was not exactly sure why he needed her or how he had come to find her. Perhaps the Opera Ghost just knew about everyone and everything in his opera house. After all, he DID spend quite a bit of time there (according to the rumor, anyway).
There was something wrong however. . .
'Zim' didn't seem to be much of a ghost. Let alone a phantom. (There is a slight difference, you see.) No, he seemed. . .out of place. A bit unsure of what he was doing, but nevertheless Zim had almost gained complete and utter control over the young girl's body. . .and. . .to her horror later on. . . her mind. . .
It was the little green dog that did it.
Gir, as its master called it, had made a curious statement one night when Zim had yet again taken Cerridwen to the depths of his lab.
Zim had been off somewhere, leaving the girl all alone. . .that is. . .except for the dog.
Gir was squealing about doom and tacos and pigs and something called 'The Moose' when Cerridwen had asked him if he knew where she was.
"You is in Master's lab, you is!" Gir had gleefully answered.
"And where would that be?" said Cerridwen, careful to be patient with it.
"I don't knooooow. . ."
Cerridwen let out a harsh sigh. Okay. This wasn't going to work. Best try something else. "Do you know why I'm here?"
Gir giggled, "Master says you his Angel of Muuuuusic!"
Cerridwen frowned for she already KNEW this but then the animal continued saying, "But most of the time he's callin' you his music stink-slave!"
Her eyes widened.
Intrigued, the former pianist urged the dog on. "Why does he call me that?"
"He says that once he has control of the Cerridwen-worm then he'll finally take over."
"What? What do I have to do with-" but she was never answered for at that moment the Irken Invader returned yelling something about hideous big headed boys with glasses. Cerridwen, quite terrified at what she had just found out, remained silent throughout the rest of the night. Only daring to speak when Zim commanded her so.
~*~
"Okay people! Let's try this next scene from 'Eveta'! You know, the scene where Eveta's singing 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' on the balcony? Yeah, you know. So! Places everyone!" For once in his life Mr. Amberson was actually in control of the actors and stagehands and set designers and the rest of the theater members.
Cerridwen stepped out onto the makeshift balcony. She surveyed the theater. It looked quite normal but she knew. . . .She knew that it wasn't. Some odd presence was here with her and she knew what it was.
"Okay Cerridwen, we're ready for you to begin," said the director.
It wasn't Tyia practicing her flute.
"Miss, you may begin now."
It wasn't any of the ballet rats. (she giggled as she thought of their title)
"Uhh. . .any day now. . ."
It wasn't Mr. Amberson, though he was a bit touched.
"Cerridwen. . . Miss. . .umm. . .what's your last name again?"
It wasn't Dib either, although she wasn't quite sure why he always seemed to be at The Mishler anymore. Probably just because there was suppose to be a ghost here. She never really believed the stories but now. . .now she just wasn't sure.
"Start already!" The enraged voice of the director brought her back to earth. Cerridwen gave him a startled look, as though she didn't know where she was. She gave them a nervous smile and motioned to the new pianist to begin playing.
A soft tune came from the piano. The introduction was long but when Cerridwen sang it was worth the wait. Her beautiful voice filled the auditorium as well as the spectator's spirits.
"It won't be easy. . .You'll think it straaange. . .when I tryyyy to explain how I feeeeel," she sang, "That I stiiill need your looove after alllll that I've dooone. You won't beeelieeeve meeeee. . ."
The mask of calm that Cerridwen wore may have fooled some but not all. From his seat in the audience, Dib could see that she was scared. Terrified even. "What's wrong with her. . ." he wondered aloud.
"It's the ghost," said a voice from the isle behind him.
Dib jumped and whipped around. There was a rail thin boy. About sixteen years of age with messy spiky blonde hair and nice blue eyes he stared back at Dib and introduced himself as Aries. He was the violinist for the opera house' orchestra. Though Dib had never seen Aries he felt that he had known the boy for a lifetime.
"So what did you mean by "it's the ghost?" asked Dib.
"Well look at her from the past few months until now. She seems off, am I right?"
". . . .yeah. . ."
"Really secretive and nervous?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"It's the ghost," said Aries as if it were the most blatant thing in the world.
Try as he could, Dib could make no sense of what Aries had just told him. He decided to continue to listen to his friend sing and try to figure out what the fiddle player meant later.
"Don't cry for meeeee Argentinaaaaaa!" Cerridwen was on the famous lines of the song now. "The truth is I neeeeever left yoooou. All through my wild daaaays, my maaaad existence, I kept my promise. . Don't keep your distance. . ."
She had made a plan. She was never and must never see her angel again. No matter what happened. Whether she never got to be noticed for her voice again and Katie was returned to her spot as the prima donna.
"And as for fortuuuuune, and as for faaaaame, I never invited them iiiiiin. Though, it seeeemed to the world they were allllll I desiiiiiired. They are illuuuuusions. . ."
No matter what. . .she couldn't let The Phantom have her and she couldn't let him rule her. Why he wanted control over her, she was not sure, but whatever it was if Zim would benefit from it, no good would ever come.
"Don't cry for meee Argentinaaaaa! The truth is I neeeeeever left yoooou. Allllll throooogh myyyyy wild daaaaays, myyyy maaaaad existeeence, I kept myyy promise. . . Don't keep. . .you're distance. . ."
Cerridwen smiled in spite of herself as the few people in the audience clapped. It was only a rehearsal but she appreciated their support just the same. It almost made her forget her Angel of Music.
~*~
So. . .so the little human female thought that she could just forget Zim. She really thought that she had him figured out. Stupid GIR! Slipping up as usual. . .Why must that HORRIBLE robot always ruin Zim's plans!?
Cerridwen was smart. Zim knew that. He just assumed that she wasn't THAT smart. And she wasn't! She may have thought that she knew what was going on. She may have thought that she knew exactly what the mighty Zim's plan was. . .but she was very wrong.
Zim was NEVER trying to control her! Well, maybe he WAS but she had no idea what was going on. No idea at all! Ha! Like a foolish, pitiful, disgusting, human girl could ever know what Zim was up to. She may have known that he was trying to make her his stink slave but she didn't know why. She had no idea that he was planing to use her talent to conquer this entire race of sad little stink beast.
So Cerridwen thought that if she just ignored Zim that he would disappear and perhaps find another pitiful human for him to use. For Zim to take on and use to rule the earth. Well. . .
She was wrong, that Cerridwen-filth. She was very wrong. . .
Several months had passed since the night Zim brought Cerridwen to his underground lair and had returned her to The Mishler. Oh people had asked where she had been but the curiosity had long been buried after Cerridwen had them all convinced that her disappearance was due to family matters. Well. . .perhaps not all of them believed her. There was still the matter of Dib. The young alien hunter hadn't bought the story she told him and he still didn't.
"I'm TELLING you Gaz, aliens had something to do with it!" Dib persisted even though he knew no one would listen to him.
"Go away," said Gaz, a note of annoyance rising in her voice.
"No, listen! Cerridwen's kidnapping has the makings of an alien abduction. I just know it!"
Gaz didn't reply but continued to rapidly tap away at her Game Slave II. Dib still thought she was listening to him so he rambled on. "She went home, must have gone to bed, then, the ALIENS attacked! They probably erased her memory or. . .or. . .brainwashed! Yeah! They brainwashed her into believing whatever they WANT! That's IT! I've gotta tell. . .someone. . ."
Gaz, reaching the limit of her toleration for her melodramatic brother, promptly hit Dib over the head with her video game. Her way of brother- sister bonding, I suppose.
~*~
Cerridwen continued her 'lessons' with The Phantom, as he liked to be called. She still was not exactly sure why he needed her or how he had come to find her. Perhaps the Opera Ghost just knew about everyone and everything in his opera house. After all, he DID spend quite a bit of time there (according to the rumor, anyway).
There was something wrong however. . .
'Zim' didn't seem to be much of a ghost. Let alone a phantom. (There is a slight difference, you see.) No, he seemed. . .out of place. A bit unsure of what he was doing, but nevertheless Zim had almost gained complete and utter control over the young girl's body. . .and. . .to her horror later on. . . her mind. . .
It was the little green dog that did it.
Gir, as its master called it, had made a curious statement one night when Zim had yet again taken Cerridwen to the depths of his lab.
Zim had been off somewhere, leaving the girl all alone. . .that is. . .except for the dog.
Gir was squealing about doom and tacos and pigs and something called 'The Moose' when Cerridwen had asked him if he knew where she was.
"You is in Master's lab, you is!" Gir had gleefully answered.
"And where would that be?" said Cerridwen, careful to be patient with it.
"I don't knooooow. . ."
Cerridwen let out a harsh sigh. Okay. This wasn't going to work. Best try something else. "Do you know why I'm here?"
Gir giggled, "Master says you his Angel of Muuuuusic!"
Cerridwen frowned for she already KNEW this but then the animal continued saying, "But most of the time he's callin' you his music stink-slave!"
Her eyes widened.
Intrigued, the former pianist urged the dog on. "Why does he call me that?"
"He says that once he has control of the Cerridwen-worm then he'll finally take over."
"What? What do I have to do with-" but she was never answered for at that moment the Irken Invader returned yelling something about hideous big headed boys with glasses. Cerridwen, quite terrified at what she had just found out, remained silent throughout the rest of the night. Only daring to speak when Zim commanded her so.
~*~
"Okay people! Let's try this next scene from 'Eveta'! You know, the scene where Eveta's singing 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' on the balcony? Yeah, you know. So! Places everyone!" For once in his life Mr. Amberson was actually in control of the actors and stagehands and set designers and the rest of the theater members.
Cerridwen stepped out onto the makeshift balcony. She surveyed the theater. It looked quite normal but she knew. . . .She knew that it wasn't. Some odd presence was here with her and she knew what it was.
"Okay Cerridwen, we're ready for you to begin," said the director.
It wasn't Tyia practicing her flute.
"Miss, you may begin now."
It wasn't any of the ballet rats. (she giggled as she thought of their title)
"Uhh. . .any day now. . ."
It wasn't Mr. Amberson, though he was a bit touched.
"Cerridwen. . . Miss. . .umm. . .what's your last name again?"
It wasn't Dib either, although she wasn't quite sure why he always seemed to be at The Mishler anymore. Probably just because there was suppose to be a ghost here. She never really believed the stories but now. . .now she just wasn't sure.
"Start already!" The enraged voice of the director brought her back to earth. Cerridwen gave him a startled look, as though she didn't know where she was. She gave them a nervous smile and motioned to the new pianist to begin playing.
A soft tune came from the piano. The introduction was long but when Cerridwen sang it was worth the wait. Her beautiful voice filled the auditorium as well as the spectator's spirits.
"It won't be easy. . .You'll think it straaange. . .when I tryyyy to explain how I feeeeel," she sang, "That I stiiill need your looove after alllll that I've dooone. You won't beeelieeeve meeeee. . ."
The mask of calm that Cerridwen wore may have fooled some but not all. From his seat in the audience, Dib could see that she was scared. Terrified even. "What's wrong with her. . ." he wondered aloud.
"It's the ghost," said a voice from the isle behind him.
Dib jumped and whipped around. There was a rail thin boy. About sixteen years of age with messy spiky blonde hair and nice blue eyes he stared back at Dib and introduced himself as Aries. He was the violinist for the opera house' orchestra. Though Dib had never seen Aries he felt that he had known the boy for a lifetime.
"So what did you mean by "it's the ghost?" asked Dib.
"Well look at her from the past few months until now. She seems off, am I right?"
". . . .yeah. . ."
"Really secretive and nervous?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"It's the ghost," said Aries as if it were the most blatant thing in the world.
Try as he could, Dib could make no sense of what Aries had just told him. He decided to continue to listen to his friend sing and try to figure out what the fiddle player meant later.
"Don't cry for meeeee Argentinaaaaaa!" Cerridwen was on the famous lines of the song now. "The truth is I neeeeever left yoooou. All through my wild daaaays, my maaaad existence, I kept my promise. . Don't keep your distance. . ."
She had made a plan. She was never and must never see her angel again. No matter what happened. Whether she never got to be noticed for her voice again and Katie was returned to her spot as the prima donna.
"And as for fortuuuuune, and as for faaaaame, I never invited them iiiiiin. Though, it seeeemed to the world they were allllll I desiiiiiired. They are illuuuuusions. . ."
No matter what. . .she couldn't let The Phantom have her and she couldn't let him rule her. Why he wanted control over her, she was not sure, but whatever it was if Zim would benefit from it, no good would ever come.
"Don't cry for meee Argentinaaaaa! The truth is I neeeeeever left yoooou. Allllll throooogh myyyyy wild daaaaays, myyyy maaaaad existeeence, I kept myyy promise. . . Don't keep. . .you're distance. . ."
Cerridwen smiled in spite of herself as the few people in the audience clapped. It was only a rehearsal but she appreciated their support just the same. It almost made her forget her Angel of Music.
~*~
So. . .so the little human female thought that she could just forget Zim. She really thought that she had him figured out. Stupid GIR! Slipping up as usual. . .Why must that HORRIBLE robot always ruin Zim's plans!?
Cerridwen was smart. Zim knew that. He just assumed that she wasn't THAT smart. And she wasn't! She may have thought that she knew what was going on. She may have thought that she knew exactly what the mighty Zim's plan was. . .but she was very wrong.
Zim was NEVER trying to control her! Well, maybe he WAS but she had no idea what was going on. No idea at all! Ha! Like a foolish, pitiful, disgusting, human girl could ever know what Zim was up to. She may have known that he was trying to make her his stink slave but she didn't know why. She had no idea that he was planing to use her talent to conquer this entire race of sad little stink beast.
So Cerridwen thought that if she just ignored Zim that he would disappear and perhaps find another pitiful human for him to use. For Zim to take on and use to rule the earth. Well. . .
She was wrong, that Cerridwen-filth. She was very wrong. . .