Dobranoc, Gamma is the eleventh chapter of Gunnerkrigg Court. The chapter can be found here.
Summary[]
The chronology of this chapter is as original as it is twisted. It continually flashes back and forward. The "time" is marked by a countdown in the upper left-hand corner of the beginning of each page, counting down the hours until the rain storm that hits at the end of the chapter. The order in the summary is the order in the chapter; it is not listed chronologically. (Remember, the higher the numbers, the more the story is in the past.)
0 hours, 3 minutes[]
Zimmy is waiting impatiently in one of Gunnerkrigg Court's outdoor courtyards. There are Tic-tocs nearby. Annie and Gamma are waiting behind Zimmy. Annie's scar is visible. (See Chapter 8.)
Annie and Gamma have a conversation in Polish when Zimmy picks up a branch and throws it at a nearby TicToc. It flutters away.
9 hours, 21 minutes[]
Annie and Kat are in the library. Kat complains about how hot is. Zimmy and Gamma appear, still in their school uniform despite the weekend, and Zimmy says that it's so hot because a big storm is coming. Kat asks what the two are doing in the library, still mad at Zimmy (see Chapter 2). Zimmy snaps that it's none of her business, calling her "nose". Kat calls Zimmy a butt and Gamma laughs (possibly at just the word "butt") then suddenly collapses. Now worried, Zimmy pleads with Annie to get Gamma somewhere to sleep.
11403 hours, 12 minutes[]
Zimmy is walking alone through her hometown, Birmingham[1]. A speech balloon is over her head, filled with static. Gamma appears around a corner. The static bubble shrinks. Zimmy turns and sees Gamma and the two walk closer to each other. The static shrinks even more.
8 hours, 10 minutes[]
Back in the library, Gamma is sleeping on a makeshift bed. Zimmy grumbles that it was "decent" of Kat to bring the bed stuff for Gamma. Annie tells her that Kat's a good person, but Zimmy just grumbles. Annie asks why Gamma is always so tired. Zimmy replies that Gamma tries to stay awake as long as Zimmy does, but Zimmy never sleeps.
10107 hours, 12 minutes[]
Walking through Birmingham, Gamma suddenly passes out. Zimmy says that they were almost at the library. Suddenly, a giant insect-like thing slides through the alley wall towards Zimmy. Zimmy pleads with Gamma to wake up.
6 hours, 2 minutes[]
In the library, Zimmy explains to Annie that things happen when she's around, and Gamma "helps to put things straight." It doesn't work as well when Gamma's asleep though. She also says it kind of works with Annie, too. When Annie questions further, Zimmy says that she sees things that aren't supposed to be there, and when it gets bad things change "for real."
Annie's ghostly scar suddenly appears before Zimmy. She turns away and grunts for the storm to "just rain already."
9384 hours, 38 minutes[]
In Birmingham, Zimmy sees a Rogat Orjak with a pole through its arm climbing out of a wall. Zimmy is sneering at it when Gamma puts an arm on her shoulder. The beast vanishes, just a hallucination. Zimmy says with her mind "How do you do that?" and Gamma replies with her mind, as well. "I don't know."
.......[]
In a Birmingham library, two shady men approach Zimmy. Zimmy cries "I ain't going back to no school!" One of the men says that this school is different, and that she will live there. He says Gamma can come too. Gamma asks what they are saying, and her voice turns into Annie's.
0 hours, 6 minutes[]
"Zimmy?" Annie touches Zimmy's shoulder, snapping her out of her vision. She apparently had a hallucination of the above scene. Zimmy goes into a corner of the library, crying "This isn't real! It already happened!" The corner of the library Zimmy is in turns into a Birmingham alleyway.
Suddenly Gamma wakes up and tells Annie, "The storm is about to break. We must go outside."
0 hours, 4 minutes[]
Gamma and Annie take Zimmy to the outdoor courtyard. Zimmy advances beyond the overhang, while Annie and Gamma stay in the shade. Annie's scar is again visible.
We now see the translated conversation of the first scene. Annie: "How do you feel?" Gamma: "Much better, thank you." Zimmy throws the branch at the Tic-toc. Annie asks why she did that and Gamma says "That bird is the Thousand Eyes. Zimmy cannot stand it looking at her. She can feel its stare."
Zimmy shouts up at the clouds. "Rain, you bastar-!" Thunder booms.
0 hours, 0 minutes[]
A single raindrop falls and hits Zimmy's head. Her head sizzles and Zimmy grins in relief.
The rain falls harder and Zimmy dances around in the storm, steam billowing off her head. She laughs and kicks off her shoes, then slips and falls. She sits up and wipes the dirt from her eyes. We see her eyes for the first time. They're red.
Gamma tells Annie that Zimmy says "Thanks. For sitting with us."
Annie says "Well, I'm not sure I understand, but... She's welcome."
Characters Featured[]
Notes and Trivia[]
- "Dobranoc" is Polish for "good night."
- This is one of the few chapters that give focus to a character other than Annie's life before coming to The Court.
[]
| v • e Gunnerkrigg Court Chapters | |
|---|---|
| Volume 1 | The Shadow and the Robot • Schoolyard Myths • Reynardine • Not Very Scary • Two Strange Girls • A Handful of Dirt • Of New and Old • Broken Glass and Other Things • Questions and Answers • Doctor Disaster Versus the Creepy Space Aliens from Outer Space • Dobranoc, Gamma• Mainly Involves Robots • A Week for Kat • The Fangs of Summertime
|
| Volume 2 | |
| Volume 3 | |
| Volume 4 | |
| Volume 5 | |
| Volume 6 | |
| Volume 7 | |
| Volume 8 | |
| Volume 9 | |
| Current Chapters | |
| Extra Comics | Bonus Pages • City Face (comic) • Annie in the Forest • Traveller • Coyote! • Zim Grim |