"Finally.It's about time you recognize me as the true superior being I so am" -Zim

Chapter three:Nightmare come true

A glowing candle stood in the middle of a dark and cold room,giving a faint light to three occupants.In the dead silence,Dib tried to keep the pack of ice on his unconscious sisters head,while a frightened Irken beside him fidgets uncontrolably.Earlier,they had discovered that Gaz was bashed on the head with a twelve-inch metal wrench,and no one left a single clue.This frightened the two boys into thinking that somebody didn't want them in the house.

"What happened?" said a groaning voice.Dib looked down to see Gaz finally waking up.

"Gaz!"he cried worriedly"you're okay!did you see who hit you?Huh?Did you see?"

There was silence.Both Irken and human looked at Gaz.She replied shortly.

"Eh..No"

Dib's face fell.

"Atleast you're awake'' he said weakly"are you SURE you didn't see who whacked you on the head?"

Gaz nodded whole-heartedly.Dib sighed.He leaned back on the sofa,while Zim started to think about his death.

"I'm going to die" he whispered.However,Dib heard him and pounced off the sofa.

"No!"he snarled firmly,"No one's going to die!Not me,not Gaz,Not even you,Zim!We're all going to stay alive and get rid of whatever hung that barb wire on Zim,or whatever smashed the skull of Gaz!"

Zim and Gaz were silent.

"I'm touched" Gaz said sarcastically.She got off the sofa,her head still bleeding.

"Don't you see a pattern,Dib?"Zim asked"me and your filthy sister have already been marked by this whatever you call it.That means..."

The Invader looked at Dib,and so did Gaz.

"You're next",he growled.

Dib fell on his knees and began to think.Why didn't he see it before?Ofcourse he was next.He was just not aware of it.He was too busy attending to Zim and Gaz,he didn't notice he was the only one left.Right now,he felt he didn't want to be attacked.

"You don't want to be attacked,do you?" Zim asked.Dib looked up.He tried to speak,but he was too frightened.

"I can see it in your eyes,Dib worm"Zim said,"you're afraid"

"And I thought the paranormal didn't scare him" Gaz informed Zim.

"This isn't paranormal!Any human could have done this!"Dib cried,"anyone who could hate us!"

"So why on Halloween?" Gaz asked,"why didn't he try yesterday or the days before that?"

Dib was silent.Okay,so it could be paranormal.But why was so horrible to him?They weren't suppose to be scary.The thing made him scared of it though he really wasn't inside.The dark,the stained barb wire,the attack on Gaz...he didn't know what kind of creature would do these things on a Halloween...

A shuffling noise was heard.All three suddenly looked around for the source.Zim,who was holding the purple flashlight,pointed the beam at the desserted staircase.

"It's coming.."he said shakily.Dib crouched behind the sofa,and so did Zim and Gaz.The shuffling grew louder,and soft mumbling whispers joined the eerie noise.The three anxiously huddled together,waiting for something to happen....

Then it stopped.

The shuffling from the stairs ceased,and so did the murmuring.Zim,Dib and Gaz peeked from their hiding spot and pointed the flashlight at the stairs once more.It was empty like before.

"What was that?"Dib whispered.Gaz shrugged.

"Maybe it was just a rat..."she said.

"Rats don't whisper to each other.Besides, they--"

BOOM!

The floor beneath the coffee table exploded and hurled pieces of floorboards everywhere.All three dove behind the couch again and covered themselves.The explosions continued horribly.It kept going on,surrounding the couch.As it did,the whispering sounds started,this time more louder and faster.It was as though a humongous zombie choir was chanting a freakish incantation in a song.Hundreds of knife-like toothpick sized wood pieces were darting in diffrent directions.Finally,the explosions stopped,and the singing faded into nothing.Here and there the floor was covered in charred holes with strings of wet slime.Sharp pieces of wood that came from the impact burried themselves half way through the walls and in furnitures.Then,behind Zim and Gaz was a weak stuttering sound.When they turned,they saw to their horror,two pieces of wood from the floorboards that sank deep into Dib's leg and arm forming a small pool of his blood.

OOH!!Wha's gonna haaaaaaapppeeeenn??