Note: Sorry I haven't updated this in forever, I haven't forgotten it.

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"You can't tell me you didn't hear that!" Dib shouted, pointing dramatically behind him. "You can't tell me you didn't hear something whisper 'Tonight'!"

"Shut up, Dib. I didn't hear anything but your paranoid mumbling, and if you make me lose this level I'll find a paranormal beast, lure it back, tie you down, and let it strip the flesh from your bones!"

Dib scowled at his sister. "You just don't get it." Nervously, he peered over his shoulder. It seemed that once he'd left the Skool grounds, the voice had followed him. At first he thought it was one of his classmates playing tricks on him, but the farther he went, the more convinced he became that it was a ghost that had haunted the locker room.

It must have attached to me for some reason. Maybe I can help it be at rest or something. Yeah, that's it. Just have to get it alone and ask what it needs. He spoke. "Gaz? You go on ahead. I've got some… uh, investigating to do."

"Whatever." She never looked up.

Dib waited until she'd walked out of sight before glancing around. The neighborhood was fairly still, and no one was in sight. Cautiously, he whispered, "Ghost kid?"

The wind blew dead leaves past his feet.

"Ghost kid, are you there? Talk to me. Do you need me to do something?"

"Tonight."

"You need me to do something tonight?"

"Tonight. Forest."

Dib blinked. "You need me to go to the forest tonight?"

"Tonight."

"What do I do there?"

Silence.

"Ghost kid? Come back! Ghost kid!"

"You usually talk to yourself, kid?"

Dib jerked around, then relaxed as he realized it was the neighborhood veteran, also known around the block as the guy with no legs. "Uh, no, no Mr. Vee, I was just talking to..." He glanced around one more time. "A ghost kid... that was here a second ago."

Mr. Vee lifted an eyebrow. "Right, kid." He leaned forward, and said sternly, "Take my advice, kid, and lay off the drugs. The reason I don't have my legs today is because I was sky high one night in the army. Took a stroll through a mine field."

"Yeah," Dib muttered, edging away, "That's great, bye Mr. Vee. I have stuff to get ready for."

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"Alright, come out! I know you've been following me, whoever you are!"

As he'd said, Dib had gotten ready. Night vision goggles, color infrared camera with night vision, electromagnetic field detector, and a direct line to Ghostbusters, just in case. After dinner, he'd left his house and headed toward the woods at the edge of town, but along the way he'd heard scuffles, curses, and something clicking.

"You're going to scare away the ghost kid!" Dib complained.

"Quit your whining, Earth-stink, the ghost-child won't care." Emerging from a bush, Zim brushed leaves off his uniform.

"Zim?" Dib glared. "What are you doing here, trying to mess up my investigation?"

"Huh? Oh... well, that's a good idea, but no." His eyes narrowed. "You were acting strangely today, more than usual. Many times this has meant plots against Zim, and I needed to follow you and find out what you were doing. But you'll never get me to tell you that."

"You just did." Dib pointed out.

"YOU'RE MAKING IT UP!" Zim yelled dramatically.

"Keep it down! Look, Zim, I'm not after you tonight, I'm trying to track down a ghost kid that told me to meet him, or her, here tonight, okay?"

"That's dumb." Zim stretched. "If that's all you're doing, I'm leaving."

"Good, I don't need my alien investigation mixed up with my ghost investigation."

"Your brain meats are all mixed up."

"Your spooch-thingy is all mixed up."

"Your face is mixed up!"

"Your organs are mixed up!"

"Your giant head is mixed up!"

"You take that back!"

"Hah, the mighty Zim NEVER retracts an insult, not even... when..." Zim's expression mellowed for a moment. "Dib, have you ever had the feeling that something really really bad is about to happen?" Zim blinked. "Dib? Answer me!"

Dib would have liked to answer Zim, he had every intention of answering Zim. However, he discovered that working his mouth was extremely difficult when a shadowy, ten foot spider-like creature dropped into view, right behind Zim.