A/N: THIS IS IMPORTANT! An explanation as to why I have not updated in over two weeks is at hand. First of all, on Wednesday of the week I was SUPPOSED to make my update, my parents sprang a surprise outing on me, and I didn't get home until very late. On Thursday, I had to meet with a Western State College of Colorado representative with my application and college entry essay (as well as a few odds and ends) at eight o' clock, during which meeting I was accepted. The rest of the week was filled with planning and meetings with my counselor at school to figure out how I was going to pay my college expenses, and I completely forgot about and everything internet-wise.
Now, I suppose I shouldn't have forgotten the internet, because when I finally remembered, my dial-up service wasn't working. Now, since my family's bankrupcy, we were no longer able to use credit cards, so my mother had to call up the internet service and arrange it so that we could send in a money order to keep our internet. Well, long story short, they said we didn't pay, we swore we did, and there was a long phone fight. We have finally gotten the internet back, and everything is right with the world again.
As I understand it, however, I'm not allowed to post in script format (Thank you, my last reviewer, who reminded me of this rule). Unfortunately, I can't possibly rewrite my chapters in standard story format, because I have too much to do anymore. Preparation for college has gotten the best of me. So, if you would like to report me for not following the rules, I would not blame you for doing so. In fact, if your conscience prods you enough, I encfourage you to. But, I will continue to update in script format for as long as my story is up (except for the final chapter), because it would take far too long to redo all the chapters. I hope you all understand.
Come to think of it, a mass majority of the Invader ZIM fics I've read are written in a format similar to mine. How odd.
Spookiest Spots on the Planet
Chapter 3
INT. ENTRANCE HALL
The team enters the entrance hall and sits down around the table set up there. They notice at the outset that a hover screen displaying the words "please stand by" has replaced the MM Host. They wait for the message to disappear and the hover screen to show the host. And they wait. It seems that the MM Host has a flair for dramatic entrance, because the team waits a good five minutes, with Dib resting his head on his palm, Zim drumming his gloved fingers on the table impatiently, Gaz hunched in her seat in angry contemplation, GIR rolling on his chair, and Minimoose hovering and squeaking. Finally, Zim loses it.
ZIM
ARRRGGG! The filthy human is late!
GAZ
Tell us something we don't know.
DIB
Jeez, we could be back in there getting evidence!
GIR
Do you really want to huuuuuuurt meeee? Do you really want to maaaake me cryyyyy?
The monitor finally lights up and displays the MM Host. In the corner of the screen, a little note in block letters says "live recording". Zim stands on his chair and places his fists on his hips, narrowing his eyes.
ZIM
It's about time! Tell me the secret to capturing the ghosts!
The MM Host stares for a moment, but then clears his throat.
MM HOST
So, you've used your bare senses to detect the paranormal activity that runs rampant in this place. Now it's time to collect some palpable evidence. There are several tools laid out before you...
Dib raises his hand hesitantly as if asking a dangerous question, with his eyes narrowed in a determined manner.
DIB
Uh... no there's not...
A hole opens up in the ceiling and a pile of devices fall haphazardly onto the table, including a electromagnetic reader, a pair of divining rods, and, for some strange reason, a plastic stethoscope. Some of these items spill over the edge of the table and onto the floor.
MM HOST
Now there is.
DIB (NODDING, SATISFIED)
Okay.
MM HOST
You'll either examine rooms by yourself, or with others. Be prepared to come back with your evidence in hand at midnight.
Gaz pulls another watch out of her pocket and sets it for twelve a.m. Dib raises an eyebrow.
MM HOST
The best of luck to you...
The hover screen goes blank. Zim lurches foreward and grabs a crystal pendulum off of the top of the new pile on the table top. He sneers at it, then at Dib.
ZIM
THIS is classified as a valuable tool? A ROCK on a STRING?
DIB
Hey, I don't see you pulling anything better out of that alien pak of yours!
ZIM (BAD ACTING)
Alien? Nonsense.
DIB
Besides, pendulums work. If it starts spinning, it means there's a ghost around.
Zim snorts. Gaz grabs the electromagnetic reader out of the pile and turns it on. Dib carefully lifts a infrared camera out of the pile as if handling his first-born child. GIR gets a hold of the divining rods and begins beating the floor with them. Minimoose bumps into a pair of night-vision goggles and squeaks. All of them wander out of the room and on their own seperate ways.
INT. DINING HALL
Zim has returned to his original room, and is holding up the pendulum, unsure of what to do with it. Something in the back of his biological mind sparks when the pendulum starts to spin. Zim recalls what Dib said about the tool.
ZIM
Hmmm... Ghost-things? Show yourselves!
Another chair is flung at him. He dives to the floor for the second time that night, then jumps to his feet, growling.
ZIM
I am a trained invader! There is no one who gets the better of ZIM! NO ONE! Not even-
Zim falls over, unconscious, from a hit to the back of the head by a floating wine bottle. A disembodied voice laughs maniacally.
INT. LORD'S ROOM
Dib runs into the room, looking eager. He holds the infrared camera to his eye, grinning stupidly, and spinning around to catch everything he can. He sees the shadow of a human form flitting around the room, but when he looks over the camera, he doesn't see anything. His grin widens.
DIB
Uhhh... Hello?
The fan raises itself again, ready to attack, but Dib holds up his hand in front of his face, in defense.
DIB
WAIT! I just wanna talk to you!
The ghost's fan halts in midair and it appears to consider what Dib says. After a moment, the ghost's form materializes into that of a beautiful woman with a full pregnant belly. Dib smiles at her.
DIB
Thanks for not hitting me. So... what's it like being a ghost?
The ghost woman shrugs.
INT. NORTH-EASTERN CORRIDOR
GIR screams in delight, scratching the walls with the tips of the divining rods he'd collected from the table in the entrance hall. Spectral figures float along behind him, all of them appearing to be children, and all of them laughing happily. GIR stops dead in his tracks and does a back hand-spring, landing right in front of a child with a tilted hat.
GIR
You wanna play hide 'n seek? It'll be fun!
CHILD GHOST (IN STRANGE, ECHO-LIKE VOICE)
Yeah! I'll be it!
The child ghost giggles and leans his face into the wall, counting. GIR runs away, and the rest of the ghosts follow screaming in delight.
INT. DINING HALL
Gaz wanders in, bored. She hears a slight groaning and rounds the great table to find Zim, face-down in the dirt, reaching back and rubbing a large welt on the back of his head.
ZIM (MUFFLED BY FILTHY FLOOR)
mph, mrrrg phse...
GAZ (SHAKING HEAD)
What did you do, Zim? Trip over your own feet?
Zim lifts himself on his hands and stumbles to his feet. He growls in Gaz's face, and she slaps him for his insolence. Cowering slightly, he growls again, this time staying clear of Gaz's personal bubble.
ZIM
The filth-dead-evil... THING decided to hit me! This means war against the deceased of this planet! When Zim dies, he will be far less annoying! Wait...
Zim scratches his head, trying to decide if he will actually die. Gaz rolls her eyes.
GAZ
Have you seen Dib?
ZIM
NO! I have not seen your monkey-sibling! He is most likey befriending the dead! They have something in common with him anyway: the fact that they refuse to bow to their future ruler! Oh well, I'll just have to destroy them! BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!
GAZ
Yeah, there's only one problem with that.
ZIM
Mmhmm, what's that?
GAZ
They're already dead.
ZIM
Hah! That means nothing! I'll just have to devise a way to KILL the dead!
Minimoose floats in with the night-vision goggles strapped around his body. He squeaks, and Gaz points him out to Zim, who was momentarily lost in thought. Once he notices his moosey henchman, he waves him over.
ZIM
YES! Minimoose! Come! We have much to accomplish before the earth sun rises!
Zim turns to Gaz, wondering internally what to do with her. Considering the girl's indifferent to furious attitude toward her fellow man, he comes to a fairly reasonable conclusion. He's NOT going to bother destroying her.
ZIM
Eh, go away now.
GAZ (SHRUGGING)
Whatever.
She walks away to the other end of the room. Before Zim is able to start his project, Dib wanders in, talking to the ghost woman over his shoulder.
DIB
...And Zim is an alien from another planet, but nobody believes me. There they are.
He points to the others in the room. Gaz waves in a nonchalant manner while Zim screams and throws himself over the Irken tools he's already laid out on the dining table. The ghost woman waves back at Gaz and raises her eyebrows at Minimoose, who is slowly floating towards her.
DIB
Zim! What are you up to?
ZIM (EYES FIXED ON THE CEILING IN AN INNOCENT WAY)
Why must you always accuse me of everything, Dib-human? I am "up to" nothing.
DIB
I know you, Zim! You're never up to nothing!
ZIM
Bah! No one knows Zim!
They begin to bicker. Minimoose is now very close to the ghost woman and squeaks something in her ear. She gasps and smacks him away. He zooms into the darkness, squeaking. Suddenly, a freezing breeze makes all of them shiver and hug themselves. Dib looks around apprehensively.
An evil laughter fills the room as Gaz's watch beeps, signaling their return to the entrance hall. They all run out as the breeze turns into a full-blown wind.
A/N: The next chapter gets a bit more serious, and I couldn't decide if it belonged in a story like this. This has been a random humor so far, but I wanted to take this next chapter to a new level, in helping to free the spirits from Badicci castle. I really think you guys will enjoy the new chapter. Thank you again for your reviews and I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving! Best wishes and Blessed Be!