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Lenore
A/N: I no longer feel it's my duty to put up a disclaimer... you guys get it now... if anyone reads this story. *cough*hint*cough*.
They drove into the night, Squee feel asleep easily like Edgar while Dib and Johnny remained awake. "Going to sleep?" asked Johnny, looking up in the mirror for a second. Dib shrugged
"Probably not, I never really could sleep in moving vehicles" he said.
Silence cut through the air again "How come you're never caught?" asked Dib, breaking it. "Because I can't be" replied Johnny "Why?", "I don't know". Dib blinked, deciding not to push the subject he looked at his hands.
"Do you remember what you wanted to be as a kid?" he asked after another second of silence. Johnny took a minute before answering, "I don't remember my life as a kid. All I remember was being pushed around and being called 'Noodle Boy'".
Dib looked up "I'm sometimes called Noodle Boy" he said quietly. Johnny found himself tightening his grip on his steering wheel. "Dib...can you promise me something?" he asked softly. Dib blinked and nodded "Yeah" he said, "Promise me that you'll never turn out like me," said Johnny.
Dib found himself shocked at the other's statement. But nodded again "Sure...of course, besides. I'm planning on being a Paranormal Investigator, even though nobody believes me. I'll show them, just wait; there's an alien in my class. Zim, I'm going to capture him and hand him into the government. He's trying to take over Earth but I'm not letting him"
Johnny listened quietly; the kid spoke with enthusiasm and determination. He smiled a little; maybe Dib had a good chance of not being like himself. "People are just ignorant," he said "Keep at it; they'll see when you prove them wrong".
"Really?" asked Dib, feeling excitement rise in him. Someone was actually encouraging him! It wasn't false either, Dib could feel it. "Yup" Johnny cheerfully insisted.
They didn't know but Squee had woken up during their conversation, being the light sleeper that he is. He was overjoyed at the fact Johnny had warmed up to Dib so well. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous because he wasn't Johnny's only friend anymore, 'No Todd bad!' Shmee scolded him. 'You shouldn't be jealous! Be happy! Maybe Johnny and Dib will leave you alone if they're best buddies'.'You're right, except I don't want Dib and Johnny to leave me alone, they're my friends!' Squee replied mentally.
'Don't be foolish my boy! I'm telling you they're a bad influence, what happens after Lenore joins huh? Where are you guys going to go!?'. Shmee made a lot of sense, dread filled Todd. The situation at hand was indeed, far from good. 'What do I do Shmee?' he asked fearfully 'Run away as soon as you can' insisted the stuffed bear.
'What if I get lost? I can't walk all the way back!' thought Squee, even more fearful than before. 'Sure you can! I'll help, just stay away from that homicidal maniac and that crazy paranormalist'. Squee held back a whimper of fright; it looked like he wasn't getting any sleep that night.
After a night of traveling Edgar woke to the sunlight streaming in the car. At first he felt panic strike him, where was he?! Sitting up he looked about the car, Squee and Dib in the back sleeping and Johnny next to him.
Memories flooded back to him of the previous day. Oh god what the hell was he thinking?! He just decided to join a band with the guy who killed him and two teenagers.
Groaning he allowed himself to go limp in his car seat. "What's the matter?" Johnny's sudden question caused the man to jump. "Huh? Oh, not much" said Edgar, not wanting to upset the homicidal man.
He could see the navy haired man across from him frown. "Then why'd you groan?" he asked, his dark brown eyes darting to the bespectacled man for a second. The other sighed "I just...have second thoughts" said Edgar, his own concealed orbs still stayed on his hand.
"Oh" spoke Johnny quietly. "So...you're not going to join?" he asked. Edgar sighed "I don't know, I could lose everything, my house, my job. I mean, if we don't make it..." he trailed off.
A heavy silence penetrated the little car. Edgar felt bad, he also felt a little afraid, what happens if Nny decided to kill him again? Hours passed and Edgar heard a yawn behind him. Twisting a little he looked in the back to see Dib stretching.
"Morning" he greeted the younger softly, Dib looked at him through his round, black framed glasses. "Morning" he returned, with the same softness and with the same smile. Though his was a lot more tired than Edgars, after all the elder was up earlier than him.
Squee yawned and stretched as well "Morning all" he mumbled, straitening himself. He'd fallen asleep, surprisingly, due to the fact he was exhausted. He didn't sleep at Johnny's home due to his fear. Then, the car took a turn, Squee looked out the window "Welcome to Nevermore!" exclaimed Johnny.
They were passing through a cemetery; Todd shivered and held Shmee closer to him. Dib must've noticed because he placed a hand on Squee's shoulder "Relax" he reassured the other. "It's just a cemetery, the only thing that ever comes out of there is Mortos Der' Soulstealer, and he's already come out for his 100th year commute."
"Squee" squeaked the boy, he knew Dib meant as well as Johnny did but that didn't make him feel better. "Other than that it's just a place full of dead people" continued the other.
Squee was officially terrified, he heard Dib sigh in defeat. "Why don't you think about something else until we get to Lenore's house?" suggested Edgar. "What did it look like again?" he asked, looking back at the smaller.
"She said it was in a big house on top of a hill" he said, pointing at a big house on top of a hill. "That must be it!" said Johnny, he made his way up the gigantic hill.
Pulling up the front of the large building Johnny got out of the car with everybody else. A little girl with scraggly blonde hair and very odd eyes was sitting in front of the house. She had on a black and white robe of sorts, besides her was Ragamuffin. A black and white doll with three black scraggly locks of hair to one side of his head. His body was striped with black and his arms and legs were bare.
The girl smiled a crooked smile at the sight of them. Her loopy looking eye bore into them. Todd once again uttered the sound that gave him his nickname. He never expected Lenore to be so...freaky looking.
Johnny looked the girl over, he noted the skull shaped brunettes in her hair. Which seemed to have an odd green hue to it. Even he felt slightly intimidated by her. "You wouldn't happen to be undead...would you?" Dib hesitantly asked.
The girl's creepy smile grew bigger "Why yes I am" she said. "Squee!" yelled Todd, diving back into the car. Everyone looked over at him "Relax, just because she's undead doesn't mean she's going to kill you" reasoned Dib. All he heard was a whimper from the car.
"Oh, I'm used to it" mumbled Lenore, looking down. "He probably didn't expect...you to be....dead" explained Edgar feebly. Lenore looked up at him "really?" she asked. Edgar nodded "once he warms up to you he'd be fine" insisted Dib, managing a smile.
"Yay!" exclaimed Lenore, throwing her arms up in the air. The situation brought serious déjà vu to Edgar, who seen Johnny do the same exact action.
Then, a slightly awkward silence over took the trio. Lenore put her arms down and gazed at them. Ragamuffin coughed causing everyone except Lenore to jump. "Does anyone have any idea about what we're going to do?" he asked.
At the others dumbfounded stares he blinked his black orbs "What?" he questioned. "How can you talk?" asked Dib, everyone turned to him. He shifted, uncomfortable under their gazes.
"Uh… if it's no trouble to answer" he added awkwardly. "Not at all" said Ragamuffin, waving a stubby arm.
"I used to be a really powerful vampire. But I ate the wrong person by accident. She was friends with a witch who turned me into a doll. To break the spell she cast I required a drop of blood to touch me. That was about a hundred years ago, she picked me up". Ragamuffin gestured to the girl next to him. "I think she was alive then cuz' she looked different. So, years later, she picked me out of her trunk and was sewing up my arm, cuz' it was ripped, that's when she pricked herself. A drop of her blood landed on me, but I was only half freed from my curse since she was embalmed."
Ragamuffin concluded his story to shocked faces. Only Lenore and Dib weren't gawking at him. Dib had been busy scribbling down everything Ragamuffin said.
"You actually ate people?" Johnny asked, looking disgusted. "I had too okay?! I was a freaking vampire for gods sake!" the living doll waved his arms obviously pissed. Johnny's eyes narrowed and everyone shifted from him. Then the skinny man relaxed slightly "I suppose it isn't gross if you have to" he finally muttered, looking away.
"Exactly, and it isn't easy either." Responded Ragamuffin "I sometimes wonder if my race got killed off" he added. With his arms at his side he looked much calmer. "Me too" said Dib "From the information I got from my paranormal group there hasn't been a vampire attack reported in a very long time".
"Well, either we got killed off or we got better at attacking people" deduced Ragamuffin. "But let's get back on track, now, what do we do know?" He turned to Johnny and Edgar who looked at each other. "Umm... Maybe we should stay here and plan" suggested Edgar. "It is a big house, we'll stay wherever".
"Uhh… I got other friends living with me" countered Lenore. "Oh well, that kills that plan then" shrugged Dib. All eyes were back on the two adults. "Hmmmm…." Pondered Edgar, stroking his goatee. "What about a hotel or something?" suggested Johnny.
"Do we have enough money?" asked Edgar. Johnny shrugged and Edgar sighed. "We'll use my credit card then" he said. "Yay! Road trip!" squealed Lenore, hopping up and down. "I call window!" she added, raising one arm.
"I guess I'll grab middle then" grumbled Dib, obviously not pleased. Lenore's crooked smile was back on her face. "I guess we'll drive into town and see if we can get a room" said Edgar, Johnny nodded. Everyone piled in the small car, Squee was very glad to have Dib next to him.
"Road trip, road trip, goin' on a road trip" sang Lenore happily. The now crowded gray buggy started up and Johnny steered them back on the main road near the graveyard. "We follow this road to town right?" asked Edgar. "Uh… I think so" replied Lenore, Edgar sighed.
"Have a map?" he asked Johnny, the other nodded and pointed at the glover compartment. As Edgar fumbled inside it for the map (while avoiding getting his hand sliced), Johnny drove forwards. Almost everyone felt a sense that they were driving towards a new life, with both new challenges and new accomplishments. Whether it is for good or bad they will all march on.
Well…. Lenore was impervious to this feeling. But she was happy and that was a good enough motive for her.
A/N:You may have notice my writing style had changed slightly and is less chaotic. However, I feel it is unnecessary to edit all of the other chapters... I dun got all that much time Xd.