Disclaimer: I do not own invader Zim or make any money off of this

Warnings: A few swear words, other than that nothing for this chapter

Chapter 3. Something Wicked This Way Comes

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, whoever knocks!"

William Shakespeare, Macbeth - Act IV, Scene I

Dib jolted awake, drenched in sweat. His breathing was erratic heart hammering. His scream echoing through the house. Someone was shaking him, slapped him across the face. He blinked until the face came into focus.

"Snap out of it Dib!" Gaz yelled at him. "God I am so sick of this. It's the same thing every fucking night."

Dib tried to get his breathing under control as Gaz pulled back. She looked at him is disgust, turned and marched out of his room, slamming his door behind her. He ran a shaking hand through his damp hair. What was wrong with him? He hadn't been able to have a decent night sleep ever since that night he had…

Shaking his head slightly Dib got out of bed. He glanced at the clock. It was only two a.m. He quickly dressed and quietly headed out of the house. It had been almost three weeks since then, and he had been home just this last week. Dr. Perkins couldn't see the point of keeping him at the asylum. Dib had shown no other odd behavior, besides his nightmares, and he couldn't even remember those after he woke up.

He was going to have to tell the doctor that the meds to help him sleep weren't helping. Two weeks and he had seen his father just briefly when he picked him up. Neither of them had said a word to each other, and Gaz only to threaten him or remind him of what a failure he was.

Dib somehow ended up at some park and sat in a swing. There was no one out at his hour, the streets quiet. The occasional dog bark filled the air. He furrowed his brows as he tried to remember what his dreams were. It really bothered him that he could remember…nothing.

A chill ran down his back and he quickly looked behind him. It felt like eyes were on him, watching him. Dib quickly moved off the swing and decided to make his way back home. Each step he took seemed to get harder and harder, the ground seemed to waver making him stumble. He leaned back against a wall, gasping for breath.

"Hey are you okay?" An older man paused to ask him, his dog at his side whined and began to bark at Dib. "Quiet Max." But the dog wouldn't stop.

Dib was getting light headed everything seemed to be moving around him and he slid down the wall. He felt like he couldn't breathe and he clutched at his chest gasping.

"I can't..breathe" Dib got out, but everything was going black and that annoying dog just kept barking.

"HEY, get up shit head! Dad said you have to go to Skool today!" Gaz yelled at him.

Dib sat up in bed and blinked. What, how? He looked down at himself, he was back in his bed, in his pajamas. Hadn't he left the house early this morning? He couldn't recall coming back home and he usually just stayed dressed afterwards. Did he just dream about going out? He sighed and got out of bed. He was dreading going back to Skool.

Zim watched Dib, his eyes narrowed on the slumped figure that made his way to Skool. There was something wrong with him. And he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. Dib might not be aware of it, yet, but his life belonged to Zim now. And Dib was now his responsibility to look after. But whatever had possessed Zim to do so he wasn't sure yet himself.

When Zim had checked to see what the worm-baby was up to he had been surprised, then furious that the boy would take such a coward's way out. And maybe just a bit of fear that he would never admit to. He had watched him every night since he had come home, knew of his nightmares. His late night walks alone. More than once he was tempted to speak to the stupid big-head, but something always held him back.

And then he had that mess to clean up last night, and Dib seemed oblivious to it. Zim wanted to see how much the dirt child remembered from it first. Maybe he really was crazy like everyone said he was. No, he never showed anything like this before. This was something new, something that even sent shivers down Zim's spine.

Finally it was the dreaded lunch time. Zim made his way towards Dib who had gone outside and was sitting alone.

"Hello Dib-thing."

"H-hi Zim." Dib seemed nervous and looked around for a way out, Zim only grinned at that. He liked to make the boy uncomfortable.

"Rough night last night?" Zim leaned down low next to him grabbing his wrists and pulled them towards him. Dib tried to jerk them back, but Zim was stronger than he was. Zim pushed back the trench coat sleeves and looked at the red, ragged scars that were there. Zim lightly rubbed his thumbs over them. Dib shivered from the light touch.

"It was you wasn't it?" Dib whispered. "You called them. Why?"

Zim's grip tightened a moment on Dib's wrist before he dropped them and then leaned in towards Dib's face, making his anger quite evident as he glared at him. "You belong to me now Dib, your life is mine. I can claim it whenever I want." He hissed low.

He saw the fear in his eyes, watched him lick his dry lips with nervousness. Good, let him squirm with fear, this could be fun. But then Dib's eyes darkened a moment, a deep blackness that made Zim frown and Dib just smiled slightly at him. It was just a moment before they seemed to turn back to the golden brown. And then Dib's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he passed out.

Zim didn't think Dib had any idea of what happened last night, but now he wasn't so sure. He was going to have to keep a close eye on his new pet.

a/n: Thanks for the reviews, I know this is going to be a strange one O_o, but interesting to write hehehe...