Shortly after school on the same day, Buster and Muffy are walking down the sidewalk somewhere in the neighborhood. On the street, Muffy's limo is rolling along slowly, following the pair wherever they go. "Does that guy follow you everywhere?" Buster asks Muffy.

"Yes," answers Muffy. "I should call the police on him. Now, here's what I want you to do tomorrow night. When you and the other kids are halfway through the Tunnel of Terror, and you see the pirate running his sword through the sailor, that's when I want you to stand up, turn around, and..."

Buster suddenly stops walking. He is close to Prunella's house, and he hears a very deep, very mysterious voice. Muffy doesn't seem to hear it, and she keeps walking and talking.

"Buuusteeerrr Baaaxteeerrr..." drones the strange voice.

Buster looks in all directions, trying to locate the source of the voice, but in vain. Muffy, noticing that Buster is no longer with her, turns around and goes back to him. "What is it, Buster?"

"Who are you?" the rabbit boy calls out. "Where are you?"

"Buster Baxter..."

"What do you want?"

"Who are you talking to?" Muffy asks him.

"Shh!"

"We are aliens from the planet Glaxidon," the voice tells him. Muffy starts to glance around curiously as well.

"It's an alien signal!" exclaims Buster.

"I don't hear anything," says Muffy.

"We will land in your back yard tomorrow night," the voice informs Buster. "Wait for us."

"My back yard?" marvels Buster.

"Yes, your back yard," the voice confirms. "Out of all the back yards on Earth, yours is the most sincere."

"Come on, Buster," Muffy urges him. "The limo's blocking traffic." Buster holds up a hand to quiet her.

"You may bring your friends," says the voice. "Whoever will believe you."

"What time will you come?" Buster inquires.

"Tomorrow night. Wait for us." The mysterious voice ceases.

"What was that all about?" asks Muffy.

"Aliens from the planet Glaxidon..." mumbles the starry-eyed boy.

"I think those ears of yours must be picking up radio stations, Buster," says Muffy as Buster walks slowly after her.

"They're gonna land in my back yard tomorrow night!" he tells her.

"Then your mom will have quite a story," quips Muffy.

"I've gotta tell Arthur!" Buster runs quickly down the sidewalk in the direction of Arthur's house. Muffy turns and goes into Prunella's house, where she sees

the rat girl holding a cordless microphone.

"That was great, Muffy!" Prunella enthuses. "Because of the low frequencies, he didn't know which direction the voice was coming from!"

"This will be so funny!" Muffy gloats. "I can just picture him trying to convince all his friends."

"You'll tell him before it's time for the Tunnel of Terror, right?" Prunella asks her.

"Of course. I wouldn't want him to miss it for some phony aliens." Then Muffy hears girls' voices coming from the attic. "Is that your sister with a customer?"

"Yeah," says Prunella. "A new girl. She just moved here from Costa Rica."

"Good," Muffy remarks. "We can use more ethnic diversity in this neighborhood."

In the attic, Rubella is reading Sue Ellen's palm. "You are confident...you are courageous...you make friends easily..."

"Uh, yeah, I know all that," says the cat girl.

"Well, that's all I'm getting from your palm," says Rubella. "Let's see what the spirits have to say."

The two girls are seated on opposite ends of the crystal ball table. Rubella waves her hands over the ball. "Speak to me, spirits...speak to me..." Sue Ellen yawns. "Wait, I'm getting something...you will soon go on a long trip..."

"Oh, puh-leeze," says Sue Ellen incredulously.

"Funny," Rubella reflects, "the spirits are usually more talkative around Halloween."

Prunella climbs the stairs into the attic. "Why don't you take a crack at it, Prunie?" her sister suggests. "I'm not getting much." Prunella takes her sister's place in front of the crystal ball, and waves her hands over it.

"Did she tell you about the long trip?"

"Uh-huh."

"Come on, spirits," Prunella mumbles.

"Got any fortune cookies?" Sue Ellen asks Rubella, who is standing nearby.

Suddenly Prunella's eyes widen. "I've got something!" Rubella looks over her shoulder into the crystal ball.

"What is it?" asks Sue Ellen.

"It's...blood!" Prunella intones in a quivering voice. "Tomorrow night...Halloween...somebody is going to get hurt!"

TBC