**Chapter 2**
**(found : Squeaky green dog)**
One month since I moved up next to Zim, and already I knew just a little too much about him…
Just four weeks, just one single month, and already my life changes. Changes for the worst.
If only I could begin to describe the things I've heard behind that wall… it's impossible. Mostly it was the all too common "You're an alien!" "No I'm not!" conversation between Zim and Dib… but once in a while…. Once in a while… Other things. Amazing things. And, get this, mechanical things. Every so often I'd hear something like some sort of machine Zim was operating, or some sort of communication device, always talking to "Girl" or "Gur", I could never tell. The wall muffles things.
At that moment, I was leaning on the wall, once again, listening to Zim announcing something to the class…
"I'm human! Yep! Human, human, human, just look at my neck!"
I reared back, baffled once again. "His… neck? Wha?--"
My thoughts were cut off, interrupted by the nagging ring of the school bell. Shaking my head with now all too frequent confusion, I scooped up my backpack and sauntered out of the classroom.
I didn't go to the front of the school to meet up with 15 like I used to. He still hadn't forgiven me for "abandoning him." Instead, I traveled against the flow of children, heading towards the playground.
Ever since I invited Zim to the windowsill, 15 stopped talking to me. Not only that, but he also stopped going to the windowsill at all. He had other friends now, and I was left with no one… No one but Dib, that is. Suddenly I didn't care what other people thought of me. I didn't care much about anything any more, the main reason my life was so screwed up at the moment. My grades were horrible, my best friend left me, and I was left obsessing over a green kid I didn't even know much about.
Zim.
It was all his fault.
Ever since I started thinking he was less than normal, I was insane now as well. So it was okay to hand out with Dib at that point.
And what a pair WE were. Dib would go on and on about his stories on Zim, while I just became more distant… More obsessed.
It was still so hard to believe that Zim was an alien, despite all the evidence I had. My stupid guess was that he worked for the CIA or FBI or something, and was trying to get information on either Dib's dad or… Ms. Bitters, Zim's teacher. Yes, Ms. Bitters. I also thought that Zim's "skin condition" was the result of some other previous mission.
But it didn't make sense! How could Zim work for the FBI? He was just a kid! Nothing made sense to me anymore. Nothing…
Before I realized it, I was climbing the fire escape ladder to the windowsill. I grabbed the top wrung, pulled myself up until my head was just above the edge, and stopped.
Something was on my windowsill.
Something small…. And green.
I climbed all the way up, cautiously watching the thing lying in the corner, curled up against the dusty glass of the windowpane. It was fast asleep, I noticed that right off the bat, on account of it's slow, deep breathing and it's tiny squeaking noises. I had no idea as to what this thing could be, but me (being the idiot I was) intended to find out.
I crawled up the ladder until I was squatting on the windowsill, not even three feet away from the sleeping animal. At least, I thought it was an animal. I slowly took off my backpack, setting it down as quietly as I could, and got out my ruler. Leaning back as far as I could, just in case this thing was violent, I reached out with the ruler and carefully prodded the green creature. Right when the ruler poked into it's green fur, the thing grunted slightly and then mumbled. It's hind leg twitched, and the thing rolled over, still asleep…
It was a dog.
"Awwwwwww. Hello puppy!" Suddenly I was completely drained of any fear I previosly had of the dog, and was feeling quite… bubbly. I loved dogs. ^_^
The green dog sat up quite abruptly, and let out a high-pitched squeal. I had no idea dogs could even hit that high a note! It bounced to it's feet and lunged at me, almost tossing me off the windowsill, and giving me the most painful hug I had ever had in my life.
It clung there for a few moments, before finally letting me go and rambling over to the corner of the windowsill it was sleeping in. It picked up a paper I hadn't seen there before and unfolded it before handing it to me. This was one talented pooch.
I held the piece of paper into the sunlight, and discovered it to be a note:
Rem-
You don't know me but I know you. This is Gir, my dog. Please take care of him since I can't right now.
P.S. he REALLY likes Mexican food.
Good luck. You're gonna need it.
Signed,
Mysterious Letter Writer Person.
I stared blankly at the note, not really knowing what to think. Glancing at the dog, which I know knew was named Gir, I thrust the note in my backpack.
"Who cares who wrote it, I GOT A DOGGIE!!!" I squealed, giving Gir a hug only slightly less powerful than the one he had just strangled me with. Too bad I didn't know how much trouble that dog really was.
~*~
*plop*
"Here you go, Gir! This is your new home!"
Gir looked around at the interior of my house, with a blank expression on his face. I had just carried him a whole mile from skool, with him squirming the whole way. Now he was plopped down on the gray carpet, seemingly fascinated with his new surroundings. It was hard to tell what he really was thinking, however, just looking at that expressionless face.
"Ooooooooooooooo!!!" The dog squealed. Unexpectedly, Gir leaped up and ran upstairs, straight to my room. His little feet were squeaking furiously as he bounded up the stairs, squealing all the while.
"No! Gir! Bad dog! Stay!" I yelled up the stairs, already sprinting up after him. I slid to a halt at my door to find Gir lying on my bean bag chair, with my headphones over his ears.
He was also thumbing through my drawing folder.
I stood at the doorway in disbelief. How could this… dog be looking at my pictures? Is he listening to my CDs?…
"Gir, how did you…" I mumbled at the dog, trailing off into silence. Gir just sat there smiling innocently at me.
"Ooookay. Right then." I turned around, closing the door of my room behind me. I stood leaning on my door for quite a while, wondering at the intelligence of Gir. Surely he's not a normal dog. Normal dogs don't listen to CDs. Or do they?…Once again, my whole look on life was turned upside-down.
"Remliss? What was all that noise?" I heard my mom call from downstairs. "Oh my gosh mom, you HAVE to see this!" I vaulted down the stairs, nearly ramming into my mom in the living room.
"Okay, I was on my windowsill, and I got up there and there was a DOG up there mom! A DOG! And it had this note, too!" I dashed over to my backpack lying next to the door where I had left it, and pulled out the note Gir gave me when I found him. I bounced over to mom, handing her note and almost vibrating with excitement.
"We ALWAYS wanted a dog, bet we could never afford one, and now it like came from HEAVEN! Can we keep it? We HAVE to keep it! Wanna come see him? He's in my room!" I raced up the stairs, my mom following behind. (but not nearly as fast)
I pulled open the door, to reveal Gir, still on my bean bag chair but fast asleep. The headphones were on the ground, and the art folder was clutched in Gir's fuzzy black paws.
My mom was still standing in the doorway while I walked over to Gir and picked him up. He dropped the folder and, still fast asleep, grabbed onto me instead. "So pleeeeeeeease can I keep him?" I begged to my mom, putting on the best puppy-dog face I could muster.
"Well," my mom sighed. "I suppose so. But you're taking care of it. I'm not going to have anything to do with that… thing."
"Aw, he's not a thing. He's my little Gir-Gir!" (The cuteness is just sickening, isn't it?)
"Alright… I'll put an ad for him in the paper, though. Just in case."
"Okay mom!" I called to her as she exited the room. I had nothing to worry about. No one would claim him. I was sure of it.
Just as I heard mom walking down the stairs, I closed the door and set Gir down in the middle of the floor. The second he touched ground, he sprung right up, like he wasn't even asleep at all. He ambled over to the bean bag chair, picked up the art folder and plopped down. He peeked over the top of the folder at me, and smiled. Opening his odd green mouth, he squealed:
"Meooooooow!"
~*~
Okay, time for a scene I didn't witness, but I found out about later! And *gasp* it's in 3rd person point of view! Don't get scared now, kids!
Rem lay in her bed, fast asleep, while the SIR unit known as Gir sat comfortably in a bean bag chair, watching the girl slumber. It was softly humming some unrecognizable tune, and an odd one at that.
Suddenly, a mechanical beeping interrupted the dog's humming. Gir snapped to attention and unzipped his doggy disguise, to reveal a tiny robot with a stupid grin on his metallic face.
The light beeping stopped abruptly as a long metallic communication device stretched out from a compartment in the robot's head. On the device's softly glowing screen was a smug-looking little Irken with gleaming faceted crimson eyes, both squinted ever so slightly.
"Gir! Are you in the Dib friend's house yet?" The Irken named Zim said quietly, so as not to wake the sleeping girl.
"Ooh! Hi master!!! Yep, she's is sleepin' riiiiiiight there!" Gir whispered a little too loudly, pointing the communication device over towards Rem. "Do I get my taquitos now?" squealed Gir, bouncing with enthusiasm.
"No, not quite yet, Gir. But soon! Oh so soon will you have your taquitos! Just -- pay attention, Gir! -- Just one more thing I need you to do for me…"
Another device stretched out of Gir's head, completely different from the communication device. It was long and thin, and had a tiny disk attached to the end. Unexpectedly, tiny beams of crimson and silver light emitted from this disk, and an object slowly began to form in the light's midst. As the object came into focus, the light got dimmer, until a solid, very real Irken Pak was hovering in the air, a few inches below the disk.
"Whoo, that was fun! Let's do dat again!" squealed Gir, trying as hard as he could to remain quiet.
"No. Right now, I need you to listen very very very very very very VERY carefully, Gir. I need you to give this Pack to Rem. It is…" The Irken smirked "A gift for her. Yes, a gift for our little friend Rem…"
~*~
The next morning, I awoke to find Gir sitting at the foot of my bed, bouncing up and down, holding a paper-wrapped object high above his head. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, squinting slightly at what Gir was holding. After gazing in an early-morning stupor at this thing for a few moments, I realized (much to my sheer horror) that it's wasn't just any paper that the thing was messily wrapped in but it was, without a doubt….
"MY DRAWINGS!!!!! OH MY GOD, YOU TORE UP MY DRAWINGS!!!!! NOOOOOOOO, HOW COULD YOU?!? SOME OF MY FAVORITES ARE IN THERE!!!" I was screaming at Gir, who was still holding the thing in the air but had stopped bouncing.
"AUGH! GIVE ME THAT!" I grabbed the doodle-wrapped catastrophe out of Gir's hands, and was stopped in my tirade only when I realized how heavy the thing was. I slouched under it's weight, wondering what on earth it could be. Probably a rock, judging by how odd Gir was. Seemed like something he'd do. Wrap up a rock, I mean.
"Ugh, what did you do?" I mumbled to Gir, holding up a piece of white paper Gir had scribbled on with paint and taped to the "package". I set it down carefully on the edge of my bed, since the paint was still slightly damp, and worked on slowly taking the wrinkled pieces of tape off the paper as carefully as I could, trying not to rip the paper. It didn't really make any difference, however, as the pages were already torn and wrinkled.
"So much for saving THESE pictures… Wait, did you…" I picked up the 'painting' Gir had done "Did you walk across this in green paint? Jeez, Gir, you're such a pain…"
I continued opening the thing Gir had wrapped up, until I lifted off one of the crumpled pages to reveal what the thing was.
It wasn't a rock, I'll tell you that.
I peeled off the rest of the paper, holding the thing in my hands. It was an oval shaped metal thing, flat on one side, so it looked like some kind of huge beetle when I set it down on the bed. The front portion of it was flat as well, and a magenta color for about three inches down, and the rest was a cool gray silver. It seemed to have wire trails going down the length of it. A lime green oval was on the top of it, with a tiny, lighter lime green square above that. I held it in my hands, still wondering what it was.
Somehow… it looked kind of familiar.
I turned it over, feeling the intricate grooves and cuts in it, marveling at how smooth the metal was. On the flat side of it were two spikes, one a few inches above the other one. The spikes were quite sharp, and I took care to avoid their points with my finger tips.
"What the heck is this?" I mumbled, half to Gir and half to myself.
Gir scampered forward, shoving the gadget like thing towards me, making pathetic whining noises while doing so.
"Okay, okay, I'll take it! Yes, thank you, just get off me!" Gir made a squeak and bounced off the bed, grabbing the damp picture he made for me on the way down. I watched him hit the floor, and stared at my room in disbelief.
"Oh… My… God… GIR!!!"
The whole floor of the room was splattered with paint. Purple, green, red, black, gray, and blue spread across the carpet everywhere. Sprinkled in among all the huge blobs of color…
Green paw prints.
~*~
Cleaning up all the paint out of my carpet took me the whole morning and afternoon, lucky for me it was Saturday. I sat in my backyard, paint on my clothes and staining my hands, watching the sun go down while Gir ran through the bushes chasing birds. The entire day while I scrubbed my carpet, I couldn't stop thinking about the thing Gir had given me, and it was still on my mind as I sat in the grass.
No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get myself to believe that it was some part of a machine, or toy or something. It was odd, how I was so obsessed over this hunk of metal. I didn't know what it was, where it came from, who made it, or anything about it at all.
The odd thing was, I didn't care. Usually I get all suspicious over stuff like this. I guess I get that trait from hanging out with Dib. But with this, I just wanted to look at it. To feel it's smoothness again, it's patterns.
I was addicted to a hunk of metal.
Like a smoker needs cigarettes, or a junkie needs drugs, I needed to be looking at this thing, just be in the same room as it. It was just indescribableM.
I got up from the grass and paced over to the sliding screen door, going inside as quickly as I could without really going too fast. Gir raced in behind me, just before I closed the screen. As I walked across the living room, I quickened my pace with every step. When I got to the stairs, I was practically running.
I slowed down as I reached my room, so that I wouldn't collide with the door. I swung it open, and picked up the metal gadget, clutching it in my hands as I sat down on my bed. Running my fingers over the wire trails once again, I smiled. I had no idea why I was smiling, but it just seemed right at the moment.
Outside, the sun had already set, and the crickets were chirping their little crickety hearts out. Still passing my fingers over the grooves, I looked out the window. It was a cloudy night, with not a single star in the sky. The full moon wasn't visible at all, since the clouds were so thick. The only clue that there was a moon at all was a soft glow hanging over one of the clouds in a perfect circle. I kicked my shoes off and flopped back in my bed. I closed my eyes, exhausted from the day's work of cleaning the paint out of my carpet. Gir hopped up on my bed, for once not making a sound. As he nestled up next to my legs, I lay there in the dark, listening to the crickets and letting the dark wash over me…
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
I opened my eyes and shot up in bed, tossing the metal thing away from me as far as I could. (Which wasn't very far, since it was so heavy.) I looked around in a sleepy daze, still wondering what had happened. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the metal item lying at the foot of my bed.
It was vibrating.
My eyes opened as wide as they could, still not believing that this was really happening. I slowly reached out with my shaking had, touched the object…
It immediately began to vibrate with even more power, pulsing with it's energy. It was vibrating so hard now, I couldn't focus on anything. I couldn't pull my hand away, my eyes shut closed, I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. All I could hear was the buzz of the vibration in my ears, I couldn't even open my eyes anymore…
All of a sudden I wrenched my hand away from the object, finally able to let go. I don't know what would have happened if I kept holding on, but the second I let go…
Pain.
Sheer. Immense. Pain.
Somehow, the object had found it's way to my back. I didn't even see or feel it move the whole time my hand was on it, but suddenly…
It was burrowing into my spine, using the two spikes on its flat side as drills. I could actually feel it pushing through the thin layer of flesh over my vertebrae, could hear my bones being drilled into. I screamed out in agony and horror, tears streaking down my face. I had no idea why no one was coming to help me, somebody save me…
And suddenly, darkness.
~*~
I slowly opened my eyes, but shut them immediately. The whole room was swimming through my field of vision, and I had the worst migraine I had had in my whole life. I groaned, rolling over…
"AAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!" I screamed, feeling the sharp pain of the thing on my back pressing into the carpet. I jumped up onto my knees, getting a new wave of nausea at rising so quickly. I stood up on wobbly legs, clutching my head and stumbling across my room. I groped for the doorknob, opened the door and staggered over to the bathroom across from my room. The second I got in there, I hunched over the toilet, doing exactly what you think I might be doing hanging over a toilet (x_x eeew…)
I stood up and rinsed out my mouth over the sink, looking at my sad reflection in the mirror. I had dark circles under my eyes, and I looked paler than some white-out correctional fluids I used.
I closed the door behind me for no apparent reason, since my mother was at work and the house was empty. I stared into the mirror once more, this time, wondering if the thing I felt digging into my spine last night was still there. I still felt the pain there, but that was all. It was extremely odd that I couldn't even feel the thing there, considering how heavy it was when I held it. On my back, however… it was like it didn't even exist.
I slowly turned around, wincing from the pain in my backbone. I stopped and stared in the mirror. There, under my t-shirt I was wearing the night before, was a lump where a flat back should have been. Frantically, I pulled up the back of my shirt, grimacing at the sight of what I feared most.
There, budged up right next to my skin, was the metal object, magenta section facing downwards and lime green oval on the top. I pulled on it with my hand, trying to get it off, making frantic noises while doing so. It was no use; the thing was truly bonded with my skin. The only thing I was accomplishing was making my back hurt even more
I slumped down on the tile floor of the bathroom, burying my face in my hands, letting more tears spill into them.
"Awwwww, don't be sad. It makes you look like pretty!" My head shot up and turned immediately to the little green dog sitting in the corner, crouched under the cabinet. Gir. Smiling insanely as usual.
"D-did you… Wha-?" I stuttered, more confused than ever.
""I liiike it." Gir squeaked.
"L-like what?" I asked, somehow accepting the fact that I was having a conversation with my dog. So much weird stuff had happened already, so why not have a dog that talks?
"Your present! D'you like it?" Gir grabbed the collar of my shirt, squealing inches away from my face. "D'YOU LIKE IT?"
"Augh! Get down! What do you mean do I like it? Why, did…Oh my god… YOU DID THIS!" I jumped up, pointing my finger wildly at Gir. "YOU were the one who gave this thing to me! What the hell is it, huh? GET IT OFF!" I was storming in a rage now, pointing at Gir the whole time. Gir was huddled in the corner, not looking nearly as happy as he usually did.
"Aw… I… I thought you'd like it… Master said it was a present… You don't like presents? That is soooooooo sad." Gir sniffled a little, rubbing his huge eyes with his paws.
"…What? Who's 'Master'?" I asked, lowering my hand which was still pointing an accusing finger at Gir.
"Master. He's my master. He told me ta give that to ya." Gir said, pointing to my back.
"Huh? Your… Oh, the person who last had you."
"Yep. I'm gonna go home now. Master has taquitos for me." Gir jumped up, making his way for the closed bathroom door, but I grabbed him just before he jumped for the handle.
"No you don't, you're coming with me…" I opened the bathroom door with one hand, the other clutching the squirming Gir.
I stormed into my room, locking the door behind me. Gir finally managed to wriggle out of my arms, and he bounced over onto my beanbag chair.
"Alright, you little green bastard. Who is this person, your 'Master'?" I was angry again, fuming at Gir. I wanted answers.
"Eh... Um… OOH! OOH! I KNOW! I KNOW! PICK ME! PICK MEEEEE!" Gir shrieked out, bouncing up and down and waving his arm in the air.
"Ugh…" I closed my eyes, rubbing my temple with my two first fingers. "fine, Gir. YES! Just stop yelling! Who is he?"
"Ummmmm…. HE'S GOT ONE 'A THOSE!" Gir squealed, pointing at the thing on my back.
"What? He's got a Pak too? But then what --" I stopped suddenly, realizing what I had just said. I called it a Pak. I knew what it was called… That was odd. I looked down at Gir again, and noticed something…
"Is that… Is that a zipper?" I asked, squatting down next to Gir. "I can't believe I didn't notice it before…" I reached over and gently touched the zipper, realizing that it was actually part of Gir's fuzzy green skin.
"Yep, and lookit what I can do!" Gir squealed, yanking down the zipper and pulling back his face, jumping out of his skin to reveal… a robot. Gir was a robot.
"Ta-da!"
"AUGH! EEW! GET AWAY!" I yelled at him, shaking my hand in his face. "You…" I gasped "YOU BELONG TO ZIM!!"
Gir nodded, still smiling.
"I remember now! Dib said something about Zim having a robot… and all those times in class when Zim was talking to that communicator-thing, I think it was a communicator, IT WAS YOU HE WAS TALKING TO! C'mon, put that costume back on, we're going to Dib's house."
**(found : Squeaky green dog)**
One month since I moved up next to Zim, and already I knew just a little too much about him…
Just four weeks, just one single month, and already my life changes. Changes for the worst.
If only I could begin to describe the things I've heard behind that wall… it's impossible. Mostly it was the all too common "You're an alien!" "No I'm not!" conversation between Zim and Dib… but once in a while…. Once in a while… Other things. Amazing things. And, get this, mechanical things. Every so often I'd hear something like some sort of machine Zim was operating, or some sort of communication device, always talking to "Girl" or "Gur", I could never tell. The wall muffles things.
At that moment, I was leaning on the wall, once again, listening to Zim announcing something to the class…
"I'm human! Yep! Human, human, human, just look at my neck!"
I reared back, baffled once again. "His… neck? Wha?--"
My thoughts were cut off, interrupted by the nagging ring of the school bell. Shaking my head with now all too frequent confusion, I scooped up my backpack and sauntered out of the classroom.
I didn't go to the front of the school to meet up with 15 like I used to. He still hadn't forgiven me for "abandoning him." Instead, I traveled against the flow of children, heading towards the playground.
Ever since I invited Zim to the windowsill, 15 stopped talking to me. Not only that, but he also stopped going to the windowsill at all. He had other friends now, and I was left with no one… No one but Dib, that is. Suddenly I didn't care what other people thought of me. I didn't care much about anything any more, the main reason my life was so screwed up at the moment. My grades were horrible, my best friend left me, and I was left obsessing over a green kid I didn't even know much about.
Zim.
It was all his fault.
Ever since I started thinking he was less than normal, I was insane now as well. So it was okay to hand out with Dib at that point.
And what a pair WE were. Dib would go on and on about his stories on Zim, while I just became more distant… More obsessed.
It was still so hard to believe that Zim was an alien, despite all the evidence I had. My stupid guess was that he worked for the CIA or FBI or something, and was trying to get information on either Dib's dad or… Ms. Bitters, Zim's teacher. Yes, Ms. Bitters. I also thought that Zim's "skin condition" was the result of some other previous mission.
But it didn't make sense! How could Zim work for the FBI? He was just a kid! Nothing made sense to me anymore. Nothing…
Before I realized it, I was climbing the fire escape ladder to the windowsill. I grabbed the top wrung, pulled myself up until my head was just above the edge, and stopped.
Something was on my windowsill.
Something small…. And green.
I climbed all the way up, cautiously watching the thing lying in the corner, curled up against the dusty glass of the windowpane. It was fast asleep, I noticed that right off the bat, on account of it's slow, deep breathing and it's tiny squeaking noises. I had no idea as to what this thing could be, but me (being the idiot I was) intended to find out.
I crawled up the ladder until I was squatting on the windowsill, not even three feet away from the sleeping animal. At least, I thought it was an animal. I slowly took off my backpack, setting it down as quietly as I could, and got out my ruler. Leaning back as far as I could, just in case this thing was violent, I reached out with the ruler and carefully prodded the green creature. Right when the ruler poked into it's green fur, the thing grunted slightly and then mumbled. It's hind leg twitched, and the thing rolled over, still asleep…
It was a dog.
"Awwwwwww. Hello puppy!" Suddenly I was completely drained of any fear I previosly had of the dog, and was feeling quite… bubbly. I loved dogs. ^_^
The green dog sat up quite abruptly, and let out a high-pitched squeal. I had no idea dogs could even hit that high a note! It bounced to it's feet and lunged at me, almost tossing me off the windowsill, and giving me the most painful hug I had ever had in my life.
It clung there for a few moments, before finally letting me go and rambling over to the corner of the windowsill it was sleeping in. It picked up a paper I hadn't seen there before and unfolded it before handing it to me. This was one talented pooch.
I held the piece of paper into the sunlight, and discovered it to be a note:
Rem-
You don't know me but I know you. This is Gir, my dog. Please take care of him since I can't right now.
P.S. he REALLY likes Mexican food.
Good luck. You're gonna need it.
Signed,
Mysterious Letter Writer Person.
I stared blankly at the note, not really knowing what to think. Glancing at the dog, which I know knew was named Gir, I thrust the note in my backpack.
"Who cares who wrote it, I GOT A DOGGIE!!!" I squealed, giving Gir a hug only slightly less powerful than the one he had just strangled me with. Too bad I didn't know how much trouble that dog really was.
*plop*
"Here you go, Gir! This is your new home!"
Gir looked around at the interior of my house, with a blank expression on his face. I had just carried him a whole mile from skool, with him squirming the whole way. Now he was plopped down on the gray carpet, seemingly fascinated with his new surroundings. It was hard to tell what he really was thinking, however, just looking at that expressionless face.
"Ooooooooooooooo!!!" The dog squealed. Unexpectedly, Gir leaped up and ran upstairs, straight to my room. His little feet were squeaking furiously as he bounded up the stairs, squealing all the while.
"No! Gir! Bad dog! Stay!" I yelled up the stairs, already sprinting up after him. I slid to a halt at my door to find Gir lying on my bean bag chair, with my headphones over his ears.
He was also thumbing through my drawing folder.
I stood at the doorway in disbelief. How could this… dog be looking at my pictures? Is he listening to my CDs?…
"Gir, how did you…" I mumbled at the dog, trailing off into silence. Gir just sat there smiling innocently at me.
"Ooookay. Right then." I turned around, closing the door of my room behind me. I stood leaning on my door for quite a while, wondering at the intelligence of Gir. Surely he's not a normal dog. Normal dogs don't listen to CDs. Or do they?…Once again, my whole look on life was turned upside-down.
"Remliss? What was all that noise?" I heard my mom call from downstairs. "Oh my gosh mom, you HAVE to see this!" I vaulted down the stairs, nearly ramming into my mom in the living room.
"Okay, I was on my windowsill, and I got up there and there was a DOG up there mom! A DOG! And it had this note, too!" I dashed over to my backpack lying next to the door where I had left it, and pulled out the note Gir gave me when I found him. I bounced over to mom, handing her note and almost vibrating with excitement.
"We ALWAYS wanted a dog, bet we could never afford one, and now it like came from HEAVEN! Can we keep it? We HAVE to keep it! Wanna come see him? He's in my room!" I raced up the stairs, my mom following behind. (but not nearly as fast)
I pulled open the door, to reveal Gir, still on my bean bag chair but fast asleep. The headphones were on the ground, and the art folder was clutched in Gir's fuzzy black paws.
My mom was still standing in the doorway while I walked over to Gir and picked him up. He dropped the folder and, still fast asleep, grabbed onto me instead. "So pleeeeeeeease can I keep him?" I begged to my mom, putting on the best puppy-dog face I could muster.
"Well," my mom sighed. "I suppose so. But you're taking care of it. I'm not going to have anything to do with that… thing."
"Aw, he's not a thing. He's my little Gir-Gir!" (The cuteness is just sickening, isn't it?)
"Alright… I'll put an ad for him in the paper, though. Just in case."
"Okay mom!" I called to her as she exited the room. I had nothing to worry about. No one would claim him. I was sure of it.
Just as I heard mom walking down the stairs, I closed the door and set Gir down in the middle of the floor. The second he touched ground, he sprung right up, like he wasn't even asleep at all. He ambled over to the bean bag chair, picked up the art folder and plopped down. He peeked over the top of the folder at me, and smiled. Opening his odd green mouth, he squealed:
"Meooooooow!"
Okay, time for a scene I didn't witness, but I found out about later! And *gasp* it's in 3rd person point of view! Don't get scared now, kids!
Rem lay in her bed, fast asleep, while the SIR unit known as Gir sat comfortably in a bean bag chair, watching the girl slumber. It was softly humming some unrecognizable tune, and an odd one at that.
Suddenly, a mechanical beeping interrupted the dog's humming. Gir snapped to attention and unzipped his doggy disguise, to reveal a tiny robot with a stupid grin on his metallic face.
The light beeping stopped abruptly as a long metallic communication device stretched out from a compartment in the robot's head. On the device's softly glowing screen was a smug-looking little Irken with gleaming faceted crimson eyes, both squinted ever so slightly.
"Gir! Are you in the Dib friend's house yet?" The Irken named Zim said quietly, so as not to wake the sleeping girl.
"Ooh! Hi master!!! Yep, she's is sleepin' riiiiiiight there!" Gir whispered a little too loudly, pointing the communication device over towards Rem. "Do I get my taquitos now?" squealed Gir, bouncing with enthusiasm.
"No, not quite yet, Gir. But soon! Oh so soon will you have your taquitos! Just -- pay attention, Gir! -- Just one more thing I need you to do for me…"
Another device stretched out of Gir's head, completely different from the communication device. It was long and thin, and had a tiny disk attached to the end. Unexpectedly, tiny beams of crimson and silver light emitted from this disk, and an object slowly began to form in the light's midst. As the object came into focus, the light got dimmer, until a solid, very real Irken Pak was hovering in the air, a few inches below the disk.
"Whoo, that was fun! Let's do dat again!" squealed Gir, trying as hard as he could to remain quiet.
"No. Right now, I need you to listen very very very very very very VERY carefully, Gir. I need you to give this Pack to Rem. It is…" The Irken smirked "A gift for her. Yes, a gift for our little friend Rem…"
The next morning, I awoke to find Gir sitting at the foot of my bed, bouncing up and down, holding a paper-wrapped object high above his head. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, squinting slightly at what Gir was holding. After gazing in an early-morning stupor at this thing for a few moments, I realized (much to my sheer horror) that it's wasn't just any paper that the thing was messily wrapped in but it was, without a doubt….
"MY DRAWINGS!!!!! OH MY GOD, YOU TORE UP MY DRAWINGS!!!!! NOOOOOOOO, HOW COULD YOU?!? SOME OF MY FAVORITES ARE IN THERE!!!" I was screaming at Gir, who was still holding the thing in the air but had stopped bouncing.
"AUGH! GIVE ME THAT!" I grabbed the doodle-wrapped catastrophe out of Gir's hands, and was stopped in my tirade only when I realized how heavy the thing was. I slouched under it's weight, wondering what on earth it could be. Probably a rock, judging by how odd Gir was. Seemed like something he'd do. Wrap up a rock, I mean.
"Ugh, what did you do?" I mumbled to Gir, holding up a piece of white paper Gir had scribbled on with paint and taped to the "package". I set it down carefully on the edge of my bed, since the paint was still slightly damp, and worked on slowly taking the wrinkled pieces of tape off the paper as carefully as I could, trying not to rip the paper. It didn't really make any difference, however, as the pages were already torn and wrinkled.
"So much for saving THESE pictures… Wait, did you…" I picked up the 'painting' Gir had done "Did you walk across this in green paint? Jeez, Gir, you're such a pain…"
I continued opening the thing Gir had wrapped up, until I lifted off one of the crumpled pages to reveal what the thing was.
It wasn't a rock, I'll tell you that.
I peeled off the rest of the paper, holding the thing in my hands. It was an oval shaped metal thing, flat on one side, so it looked like some kind of huge beetle when I set it down on the bed. The front portion of it was flat as well, and a magenta color for about three inches down, and the rest was a cool gray silver. It seemed to have wire trails going down the length of it. A lime green oval was on the top of it, with a tiny, lighter lime green square above that. I held it in my hands, still wondering what it was.
Somehow… it looked kind of familiar.
I turned it over, feeling the intricate grooves and cuts in it, marveling at how smooth the metal was. On the flat side of it were two spikes, one a few inches above the other one. The spikes were quite sharp, and I took care to avoid their points with my finger tips.
"What the heck is this?" I mumbled, half to Gir and half to myself.
Gir scampered forward, shoving the gadget like thing towards me, making pathetic whining noises while doing so.
"Okay, okay, I'll take it! Yes, thank you, just get off me!" Gir made a squeak and bounced off the bed, grabbing the damp picture he made for me on the way down. I watched him hit the floor, and stared at my room in disbelief.
"Oh… My… God… GIR!!!"
The whole floor of the room was splattered with paint. Purple, green, red, black, gray, and blue spread across the carpet everywhere. Sprinkled in among all the huge blobs of color…
Green paw prints.
Cleaning up all the paint out of my carpet took me the whole morning and afternoon, lucky for me it was Saturday. I sat in my backyard, paint on my clothes and staining my hands, watching the sun go down while Gir ran through the bushes chasing birds. The entire day while I scrubbed my carpet, I couldn't stop thinking about the thing Gir had given me, and it was still on my mind as I sat in the grass.
No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get myself to believe that it was some part of a machine, or toy or something. It was odd, how I was so obsessed over this hunk of metal. I didn't know what it was, where it came from, who made it, or anything about it at all.
The odd thing was, I didn't care. Usually I get all suspicious over stuff like this. I guess I get that trait from hanging out with Dib. But with this, I just wanted to look at it. To feel it's smoothness again, it's patterns.
I was addicted to a hunk of metal.
Like a smoker needs cigarettes, or a junkie needs drugs, I needed to be looking at this thing, just be in the same room as it. It was just indescribableM.
I got up from the grass and paced over to the sliding screen door, going inside as quickly as I could without really going too fast. Gir raced in behind me, just before I closed the screen. As I walked across the living room, I quickened my pace with every step. When I got to the stairs, I was practically running.
I slowed down as I reached my room, so that I wouldn't collide with the door. I swung it open, and picked up the metal gadget, clutching it in my hands as I sat down on my bed. Running my fingers over the wire trails once again, I smiled. I had no idea why I was smiling, but it just seemed right at the moment.
Outside, the sun had already set, and the crickets were chirping their little crickety hearts out. Still passing my fingers over the grooves, I looked out the window. It was a cloudy night, with not a single star in the sky. The full moon wasn't visible at all, since the clouds were so thick. The only clue that there was a moon at all was a soft glow hanging over one of the clouds in a perfect circle. I kicked my shoes off and flopped back in my bed. I closed my eyes, exhausted from the day's work of cleaning the paint out of my carpet. Gir hopped up on my bed, for once not making a sound. As he nestled up next to my legs, I lay there in the dark, listening to the crickets and letting the dark wash over me…
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
I opened my eyes and shot up in bed, tossing the metal thing away from me as far as I could. (Which wasn't very far, since it was so heavy.) I looked around in a sleepy daze, still wondering what had happened. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the metal item lying at the foot of my bed.
It was vibrating.
My eyes opened as wide as they could, still not believing that this was really happening. I slowly reached out with my shaking had, touched the object…
It immediately began to vibrate with even more power, pulsing with it's energy. It was vibrating so hard now, I couldn't focus on anything. I couldn't pull my hand away, my eyes shut closed, I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. All I could hear was the buzz of the vibration in my ears, I couldn't even open my eyes anymore…
All of a sudden I wrenched my hand away from the object, finally able to let go. I don't know what would have happened if I kept holding on, but the second I let go…
Pain.
Sheer. Immense. Pain.
Somehow, the object had found it's way to my back. I didn't even see or feel it move the whole time my hand was on it, but suddenly…
It was burrowing into my spine, using the two spikes on its flat side as drills. I could actually feel it pushing through the thin layer of flesh over my vertebrae, could hear my bones being drilled into. I screamed out in agony and horror, tears streaking down my face. I had no idea why no one was coming to help me, somebody save me…
And suddenly, darkness.
I slowly opened my eyes, but shut them immediately. The whole room was swimming through my field of vision, and I had the worst migraine I had had in my whole life. I groaned, rolling over…
"AAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!" I screamed, feeling the sharp pain of the thing on my back pressing into the carpet. I jumped up onto my knees, getting a new wave of nausea at rising so quickly. I stood up on wobbly legs, clutching my head and stumbling across my room. I groped for the doorknob, opened the door and staggered over to the bathroom across from my room. The second I got in there, I hunched over the toilet, doing exactly what you think I might be doing hanging over a toilet (x_x eeew…)
I stood up and rinsed out my mouth over the sink, looking at my sad reflection in the mirror. I had dark circles under my eyes, and I looked paler than some white-out correctional fluids I used.
I closed the door behind me for no apparent reason, since my mother was at work and the house was empty. I stared into the mirror once more, this time, wondering if the thing I felt digging into my spine last night was still there. I still felt the pain there, but that was all. It was extremely odd that I couldn't even feel the thing there, considering how heavy it was when I held it. On my back, however… it was like it didn't even exist.
I slowly turned around, wincing from the pain in my backbone. I stopped and stared in the mirror. There, under my t-shirt I was wearing the night before, was a lump where a flat back should have been. Frantically, I pulled up the back of my shirt, grimacing at the sight of what I feared most.
There, budged up right next to my skin, was the metal object, magenta section facing downwards and lime green oval on the top. I pulled on it with my hand, trying to get it off, making frantic noises while doing so. It was no use; the thing was truly bonded with my skin. The only thing I was accomplishing was making my back hurt even more
I slumped down on the tile floor of the bathroom, burying my face in my hands, letting more tears spill into them.
"Awwwww, don't be sad. It makes you look like pretty!" My head shot up and turned immediately to the little green dog sitting in the corner, crouched under the cabinet. Gir. Smiling insanely as usual.
"D-did you… Wha-?" I stuttered, more confused than ever.
""I liiike it." Gir squeaked.
"L-like what?" I asked, somehow accepting the fact that I was having a conversation with my dog. So much weird stuff had happened already, so why not have a dog that talks?
"Your present! D'you like it?" Gir grabbed the collar of my shirt, squealing inches away from my face. "D'YOU LIKE IT?"
"Augh! Get down! What do you mean do I like it? Why, did…Oh my god… YOU DID THIS!" I jumped up, pointing my finger wildly at Gir. "YOU were the one who gave this thing to me! What the hell is it, huh? GET IT OFF!" I was storming in a rage now, pointing at Gir the whole time. Gir was huddled in the corner, not looking nearly as happy as he usually did.
"Aw… I… I thought you'd like it… Master said it was a present… You don't like presents? That is soooooooo sad." Gir sniffled a little, rubbing his huge eyes with his paws.
"…What? Who's 'Master'?" I asked, lowering my hand which was still pointing an accusing finger at Gir.
"Master. He's my master. He told me ta give that to ya." Gir said, pointing to my back.
"Huh? Your… Oh, the person who last had you."
"Yep. I'm gonna go home now. Master has taquitos for me." Gir jumped up, making his way for the closed bathroom door, but I grabbed him just before he jumped for the handle.
"No you don't, you're coming with me…" I opened the bathroom door with one hand, the other clutching the squirming Gir.
I stormed into my room, locking the door behind me. Gir finally managed to wriggle out of my arms, and he bounced over onto my beanbag chair.
"Alright, you little green bastard. Who is this person, your 'Master'?" I was angry again, fuming at Gir. I wanted answers.
"Eh... Um… OOH! OOH! I KNOW! I KNOW! PICK ME! PICK MEEEEE!" Gir shrieked out, bouncing up and down and waving his arm in the air.
"Ugh…" I closed my eyes, rubbing my temple with my two first fingers. "fine, Gir. YES! Just stop yelling! Who is he?"
"Ummmmm…. HE'S GOT ONE 'A THOSE!" Gir squealed, pointing at the thing on my back.
"What? He's got a Pak too? But then what --" I stopped suddenly, realizing what I had just said. I called it a Pak. I knew what it was called… That was odd. I looked down at Gir again, and noticed something…
"Is that… Is that a zipper?" I asked, squatting down next to Gir. "I can't believe I didn't notice it before…" I reached over and gently touched the zipper, realizing that it was actually part of Gir's fuzzy green skin.
"Yep, and lookit what I can do!" Gir squealed, yanking down the zipper and pulling back his face, jumping out of his skin to reveal… a robot. Gir was a robot.
"Ta-da!"
"AUGH! EEW! GET AWAY!" I yelled at him, shaking my hand in his face. "You…" I gasped "YOU BELONG TO ZIM!!"
Gir nodded, still smiling.
"I remember now! Dib said something about Zim having a robot… and all those times in class when Zim was talking to that communicator-thing, I think it was a communicator, IT WAS YOU HE WAS TALKING TO! C'mon, put that costume back on, we're going to Dib's house."