Gaz is Spirited Away
By: Cartman's Girl

Notes: I've gotten numerous comments to not make this like the movie; well it's kind of difficult you see? I'm trying to think of ways of doing that, but I'm finding it difficult. So do forgive me if the characters are slightly too close to the movie, I'm trying to avoid that. Ideas are also welcome if you have tem, but.. e-mail me those. Okay? Thanks. And I am working on pictures of them, it's just difficult since Photoshop7 still isn't in my possession.

Chapter 4: Getting Accustomed

Ms. Bitters held out an arm, and the bird that had been searching for Gaz earlier swooped down and landed on her arm. The bird shared the same face as her, but that was it. Releasing the bird, Ms. Bitters followed and draped a black cape around her. Zim and the three heads were present, and bowed as she left the room. Ms. Bitters leapt up onto the balcony and stretched out her arms. They had become wings, then she flew out into the darkness; accompanied by the bird.

Gaz glances out the window into the darkness, she sees the scattering of lights in the darkness. The clock that was on the entrance building is visible, but still isn't working. Skoodge in the meantime, is going through a cupboard full of clothes. Now and then he throws out some Invader uniforms, and mutters about getting the wrong parcel.

"To big… to small… WAY too big." He throws the 'way too big one' onto the floor, which would easily accommodate a bed. "You'd think we'd have human sized clothes but noooo, sizes for every other species but not humans! I hate this f-found it!" he pulled out the right size for Gaz, and turned to see her still gazing out the window. "Hey what's with you, never seen a river before?"

"YES I have… what is that?" she glances at the article of clothing Skoodge holds up.

"Your new uniform." He replied.

"No way." Gaz snarled.

"YES way. The alternative to this uniform is a nice pig skin and thrown into the pig pen. Or a nice black ensemble that is hinted with the flames of the broiler. You choose." He waved his hand at the clothes like he was informing a buyer on TV how important they were. Gaz gritted her teeth but snatched the clothes from his hands.

"That's a good girl. Now get some rest, we have a busy day tomorrow night." Skoodge smacked his hands together, dusting them off.

"So… we work at night, right?" Gaz asked as she checked the material of the pink suit.

"Yep. The spirits work in the day, come here by night. Slark knows when they sleep. Well! I'm off to bed. Try not to cause any trouble." With that, Skoodge headed off down the corridor to the Males sleeping chambers. Gaz turned around to look into the room. There were blankets and thin mattresses to the side, and just a couple of girls were already in bed. She rolled out a mattress, and was soon asleep.

It was near mid-day when Gaz woke up. She couldn't sleep, and she didn't know why. An unsettling feeling had taken up residence in the pit of her stomach, making sleep impossible to achieve. She lay there, trying to ignore the snoring and murmuring of girls around her.

Then the door opened. She glanced over her shoulder, and saw the body shape of Zim making his way through the sea of sleeping girls. He got to the end of Gaz's bed, staring down at her. She stared back.

"What are you, some kind of pervert?" she asked, narrowing an eye.

"No. I wouldn't bother myself with such joys of the flesh. Look, meet me at the bridge in one hour. I'll take you to see what's become of your family."

"Are they bacon?" she asked.

"No. Just come in one hour." With that, Zim hot-footed his way out of there and closed the door. Gaz lay there, and then grabbed her new uniform.

After giving her face a wash, Gaz started down the stairs Zim had lead her down the night previous. It was really eerie, seeing the place empty as sin during the day. She made her way through into the Broiler Room, where it was now cool. Reason being, it was switched off. Red was fast asleep on his wooden box, snoring loudly.

"Gah." She put her hands to her ears, for it was so loud. She walked to where she'd set her shoes and socks before, and stared. They were gone. "Hey… where's my shoes?!" automatically, the Soot Workers reappeared, carrying her shoes. She grabbed them off of them and dusted the soot off, then pulled them on.

Soon she had climbed the stairs again, and came through the gate. Now the whole place was bathed in sunlight, but still there stood one person at the bridge. It was the same one who had stared at Gaz earlier as she had passed the night before. The pale green mask stared at her as she walked past. Making eye contact could prove deadly Gaz thought, and soon was across the bridge. She turned back to glare at the being, but he had somehow vanished.

"I see you made it." Zim's voice made Gaz jump slightly.

"Don't DO that." She warned.

"Whatever. Now. Follow me." Zim turned and quickly hurried off, and Gaz had to quickly follow. They passed the restaurants, and soon were walking through fields of flowers. "Now listen to me." He instructed as he walked, "If you every even attempt to come here alone, you will be doomed."

"Doomed?" Gaz asked,

"Yes. DOOMED. Ms. Bitters would have you turned into a pig. So NEVER come here without me." He looked over his shoulder, his antennae narrowing as well as his eyes. "Do you hear me?"

"All right already, sheesh." Gaz rolled her eyes. The two had now come to a pig pen. It was giant, and divided into separate pens. Large pigs squealed and snorted and other noises pigs make. Zim walked up to one pen, where a giant boar was fast asleep and asleep in the other corner of the pen, was a smaller pig also fast asleep.

"Talk about your bizarre family reunions, huh?" Zim grinned. Gaz glared at him, but walked up to the pen and stared down at the two. The pig who was Dib rolled over onto his side and snored loudly. The boar on the other hand just scratched at his ear.

"…what's wrong with them?" she asked.

"They ate too much. Made absolute PIGS out of themselves. So now they're sleeping it off. Pathetic if you ask me." Zim snorted somehow, folding his arms. Gaz stared back at the two pigs.

"All right, look. If either of you two get any fatter I know they're going to eat you. Normally I wouldn't care if you'd be eaten or not, but I doubt I'd be able to get out of this stupid place without you. So you hear me? Dad? Dib? Do NOT get fatter." She backed up slightly, then turned and walked out. "Stupid pigs."

She sat down outside, and folded her arms over her knees. Zim thus sat down besides her, and tsked to himself.

"Here." He suddenly handed Gaz her old clothes. "I saved them for you." Gaz grabbed the clothes from him, holding onto them. The black dress, and the black pants that she wore underneath brought some comfort. She blinked as she pulled something from her pocket, it was her name written by their new house address. "Gaz Membrane… that's my name, isn't it?" she asked Zim.

"Yup, that's it all right. That's how Ms. Bitters controls you, ya know. She steals your name, making you forget your real one." He scowled, crossing his arms. "I've tried everything to remember my name."

"Zim isn't your name?" Gaz asked.

"No. I don't know what my name is. But… for some weird reason I remember yours." He glanced at her, "I have no idea why I'd know you, or how; but I do."

Sitting there, that feeling that had taken up residence in her stomach began to twinge. What if she never got out of here like Zim? Maybe she'll be stuck here for the rest of her life, and her only family eaten up by Spirits. She'd never see a television again, or a GameSlave… everything will be gone. All that will remain would be work, and more work. And being called a stinking human.

Blinking, she put her hand to her cheek. She pulled it back and saw something… damp on her hand. She was crying? Gaz's eyes widened and wiped at her eyes, trying to get the tears to stop rolling. Zim rolled his eyes, and suddenly produced a bun from his pocket.

"Eat this. I can't stand seeing girls cry, so just eat it. It'll help you regain your strength." Gaz eyed the bun, but took it. Anything to get that feeling in her stomach to be muffled by food. She downed the bun, and two more that Zim gave her. They stood up and returned back to the gate.

"Just… try to stay out of trouble, right?" Zim asked.

"I will, I will… hey look, thanks. I mean. No one's ever really… uh, helped me like this before. It means a lot. I'd even go so far as to say you're a friend but I think that's pushing it." Gaz smiled slightly, wow. Not a smirk or a snarl either. Zim shrugged slightly,

"Your welcome." He replied. They just stared at each other for a while, before Gaz hurried back over the bridge. She turned when she heard the noise of metal, but Zim wasn't there anymore. Puzzled, she then looked upwards. There, making it's way through the sky was a dragon. It seemed to be a silver colour, with green streaked here and there.

"Whoa…" Gaz mouthed, and soon it became harder to see. "Zim's a dragon? Cool!" with that she turned and hurried back to the Bathhouse. She needed her rest if she was going to work that night. Unknown to her, somebody followed her. Appearing for a few seconds, the purple clad being followed, and vanished again. Hours later, Red yawned himself awake. He stretched out an arm to grab his kettle of juice when he stopped. There, curled up fast asleep in the corner of the room was Gaz.

"Awww…" he smirked slightly, then draped a blanket over her.

Outside, the weather had begun to change. Giant black clouds carrying parcels of rain started moving in. At that moment, Ms. Bitters returns with her bird and vanishes into her top floor. And so, the night crept up taking control of the day. Let the job begin.

[To be continued! Man, short chapter.]