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"Z-z-z-zoinks!" Shaggy squeezed his back as far against the wall as he could. Eerie wails, unnatural moans, ominous organ music, flapping wings, and scuttling insect legs rang through the haunted house.
"Je-jeepers!" Daphne was squeezing against the wall beside him. Fred, standing just in front of the other two, gave a hum of agreement, trying to contain his shaking muscles.
Scooby was in Shaggy's arms, Velma wrapped up in a mutual embrace of terror with the Great Dane. The organ music began to pick up in a crescendo, and Velma stretched out a trembling arm. "J-jinkies!"
Shaggy squeezed his eyes shut. "Ohoho, like, please don't tell me, I can't take anymore of this!" A shadowed form began to shuffle into the room, arms first. In response, Fred raised his fists, getting ready to face the ghoul.
Scooby whimpered and tried to put a paw over his own eyes. When he couldn't reach, Velma used one of her hands instead. "Rha-rhank rou Relma," he stuttered out.
Fred's jaw dropped as he started to get a better look at the ghoul that was coming for them. "W-wow! I thought Frankenstein was the only monster who could be built like that!"
Daphne reached an only slightly shaky hand for Fred's shoulder. "I-I don't know if you can take her Fred!" At that statement, Shaggy's shaking slowed down.
"Wait a second," his shaking stilled, and Scooby turned his head to him. Velma kept her hand over the dog's eyes. "A girl built like Frankenstein...like, are you thinking what I'm thinking Scooby?"
Scooby's shaking slowed down too, and he pulled Velma's hand off so he could look at Shaggy. "Relsa?" Shaggy nodded and gave a big gulp.
Shaggy gave one last shudder. "Like, here goes nothing." He took a deep breath and belted out in a shaky but stern voice; "ELSA FRANKENTEEN WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?"
The moaning instantly stopped and the shuffling form stuttered to a stop, almost falling over. Daring to crack an eye, Shaggy looked around Scooby's head.
The form shuffled a bit, but this time it was awkward. A slow, deep, female voice came out. "Uhhhh...I don't know any Elsa."
Expression growing a stormy edge, Shaggy inhaled deeply. Letting out the breath, he let go of his friends. Scooby was prepared and landed on his feet, head stretched towards the figure. Velma was not and landed on her butt with a look that was two parts perplexed and one part offended.
Shaggy held out a hand. "Like, Fred, give me a flashlight." Though still afraid, and slightly confused, Fred retrieved a flashlight from his back pocket and handed it over. Shaggy levelled the flashlight ahead while Scooby sniffed deeply.
The light flicked on, illuminating the figure. Before them all stood a 7 foot woman with a broad frame and green skin, height accentuated by the wooden block soles of her sandals. A loose, baggy dress hung on her frame, a lighter green shirt beneath and a sagging sash ran from her ribs to her hips. Piled atop her head was a wild black pillar of a mane, twin white lightning streaks running up the sides, and a pair of bolts stuck out of her neck, one on each side. Her lengthy, strong looking arms ended in bent fingers, stitches clearly seen criss-crossing the skin, as if holding it together.
Velma's jaw fell open, her eyes blank and wide. Fred froze completely, except for eyes that swelled even bigger than Velma's. Daphne gasped, one hand pressed to her racing heart. Shaggy and Scooby both froze for a split second, stiffening at the sight. Then, Scooby bounded at the woman, mouth wide open. As he did, Shaggy slumped a bit and gave a sigh of relief.
Scooby soared through the air, passing between the woman's stiff arms, mouth headed straight for the wide-eyed face atop the massive frame. Daphne held her breath, and Fred watched, riveted by what he was seeing. The dog slammed into her body, but she barely bent backwards.
Fred and Daphne slumped in dismay, but quickly shifted to pure bewilderment as a slurping sound filled the room. Scooby was licking her face.
The woman's voice boomed out with a much less scary, joyful tone. "Ha-ha-ha! It's good to see you too Scooby-Doo!" She wrapped her arms around Scooby in a hug. Velma, Daphne, and Fred stared at the pair, aghast.
Shaggy walked over to the woman and reached up to rub her head. His voice had a hint of not quite post-scare delirium in it. "Like, you almost scared us to death Elsa!"
She rubbed the back of her neck in a sheepish way. The gesture made her look much younger. "So-sorry Coach." Meanwhile, Scooby was distracted by another scent.
Turning aside, the dog sniffed deeply a few more times. His expression quickly shifted from focused to elated again. "Winnie!" The howling immediately stopped.
"I see." Velma had recovered a little and was standing up. Adjusting her glasses, her voice was a mix of dismissal and relief. "These must be your students from that year you spent teaching. So it was a prank." Daphne shot her an incredulous look. "Albeit one in poor taste."
Shaggy rubbed the back of his own neck. "Like, I guess. Kinda. But..." He pointed at the girl, apparently named Elsa, then at the shadows where the howling had come from. "If that was you...and that was Winnie..."
A stern look came on Shaggy's face, much to his friends' surprise. Turning around a bit, he bellowed at the top his significant lungs. "PHANTASMA," he paused for a breath and the music stopped, "TANIS," another pause and the insects stopped, "SIBELLA DRACULA," another pause and now total silence reigned in the haunted house, "LIKE, COME OUT HERE AND GIVE YOUR OLD COACHES AN EXPLANATION!!"
Another figure exited the shadows. This one was covered in lightish brown fur, or perhaps more accurately hair, with a wild, curly mane of reddish brown hair atop her head and running down to her neck. On either side of the hair stood two, pointed and equally hairy canine ears. More eye catching was the yellow of her eyes, her irises red, like they were infected or stolen from a demonic animal. She wore a blue dress with a sharply jagged hem and a bow near her neck of a similar hue. Her hands and feet were both slightly gnarled with short but wicked black claws.
Fred let out a *meep* and Velma froze again. Daphne shook some and clutched at Fred's arm. Shaggy and Scooby again went stiff with fright for a moment. Then, Shaggy simply gave her an exasperated look. Meanwhile, Scooby again pounced on the newcomer. And again, he was wrapped in a hug, albeit one with a lot less licking. The girl gave a full-bodied, slightly guttural laugh. "Scooby, Shaggy! It's so good to see you! Why, I might howl! In fact, I think I will!"
Her deep voice cut out as she let Scooby down. Then, she tilted her head back to let out a long, wolf-ish howl. Paws back on the ground, Scooby giggled at the action. Shaggy sighed a bit. "Like, then maybe you should have let us see you sooner Winnie."
The girl laughed and smiled. At the sight of her impressive canines, Fred began gibbering, though that may have been from Daphne's grip tightening on his arm. Velma blinked. Winnie shrugged in an 'I'm not-really-sorry' sort of manner.
"I'm sorry Coach, the other girls thought we should see if could scare you guys some." The quiet voice was followed by the thought-useless chandelier flaring bright yellow light. Within moments, the light finished its swell and settled back into casting a dim glow on those inside the house.
Revealed by the light was a small figure wrapped in dusty bandages. They somehow were shaped like a dress, twisting the very laws of physics. Twin pure black voids in the figure's head surrounded a pair of white-yellow lights, with a similar black mark for a mouth. Atop her head was a ribbon, disturbing in its bright red color, tied in a cheerful bow and holding together several wide strips of bandages that swayed with her every movement like hair.
Daphne gave a squeak and passed out. Fred sputtered one last time, then his eyes went blank and he began emitting a hum. Velma slowly adjusted her glasses. Scooby bounded over to the new figure, all smiles and giggling laughs. Shaggy beamed at her as well.
"Tanis! You've, like," he stretched his arms, "grown up!" Tanis and Scooby hug for a moment, but Velma and Fred haven't had enough time to properly react to the newest girl when a purple bat flutters down from the rafters. The bat seems to float perpendicular to the ground for a moment, wings spread, and then yet another figure is taking its place.
Fading into view is a clearly feminine shape, arms stretched out to spread her hair. If the hairy girl had a mane, then this girl had a curtain. The purple strands merged into one mass, one that had to be larger than her actual body. Said body wore a modestly fitted purple dress, with a red sash cinching the waist just a bit more. Her skin was the color of lilac, and her smile revealed two teeth that could only be called fangs.
"You all have been absolutely fang-tastic subjects!" At her sweet voice and terrible pun, Fred's eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed. Velma was in a trance-like daze, sinking to the floor as if she had lost the will to do anything but accept the fate these girls would bring up on them. Scooby got a confused look on his face, and Shaggy switched off the flashlight with a frown.
"Like, subjects for what?" The purple girl opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by a scratchy cackle. She closed her mouth with a fond, if slightly exasperated look. Shaggy and Scooby sported similar looks, once they had landed from their startled leaps for each others arms. Velma was looking around for the sound which, by now, filled the room, when something came through the floor less than three feet in front of her.
Crazy, translucent blue hair grew from a similarly translucent, blue head. The hair came almost straight up before flopping on its side, like some kind of heavy metal rocker, the look enhanced by a white skunk stripe right through the middle of it. Her eyes seemed a bit too wide, almost manic, the rest of her face in an uncannily motionless smile. Her shoulders came up, revealing a blue dress, slightly more solid in appearance than her body, and completely plain. It's only when the cowboy like white boots come through the floor that something is clearly wrong. To be honest, the elbows facing Velma should have been a clue, but now it was very clear. Her head was facing backwards.
"The Best Manners of Scaring with Guests, of course!" The ghost, there is not much else she could be called, has a high pitched speaking voice to go with the laugh. She giggled just a touch, then spun her head around with a cackle. Velma let out a sigh that wound down. It perfectly matched with her body heading down to the floor, and her eyelids coming down over her eyes.
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Velma woke up with a wide stretch of her arms. Grimacing, she stretched her back out as well. "Wow, that was quite a dream." She then opened her eyes and blinked through her glasses several times. Across from her, Daphne gave a light snore from a couch that looked like a junkyard reject. On the floor between the two ladies, Fred gave a small whimper and shuffled on his side.
At that moment, a high pitched, scratchy cackle came from somewhere nearby, and Velma briefly stiffened. Then, she sagged with a defeated expression. "Or not."
Fred suddenly shot up with a frightened gasp, flipping onto the seat of his pants, one arm flying around to slam onto the couch beside Velma. The orange clad woman flinched away some. Taking deep breaths, Fred turned to see her. "Oh, Velma. I had the worst nightmare. We were cornered by these ghouls, all of us. They were terrifying! But the worst part was that Shaggy and Scooby weren't even a little scared!"
Velma opened her mouth to interrupt him, but a deep toned laugh stopped them both. Fred turned to look at the open doorway the sound came from. His expression took on a pained aspect. "That wasn't a dream, was it?"
Velma gave a sad smile. "If it helps, Shaggy and Scooby were scared." Fred seems to take heart at that. "At first." And the man's face fell. Next to them, Daphne awoke with a sigh. Sitting up, she pivoted her legs down and stretched her arms out in a single, smooth motion. Her eyes landed on her friends.
"Fred, Velma! You would not believe the dream I had." Before she could continue, Velma held up a hand. Daphne gave her a puzzled look. She turned to Fred, who was squinting in thought. A few faint sounds filtered in from somewhere nearby. Fred gave a nod and held up three fingers, counting down. On zero, a laugh burst out that quickly turned into a howl.
Daphne sighed, her expression borderline pitiful. "It wasn't a dream, was it?" The others both shook their heads. A moment later, however, Daphne snapped into focus, her back straight. "Where's Shaggy and Scooby?" Fred's eyes went wide, but Velma just sighed.
Flipping a hand toward the sounds they had heard, Velma addressed them. "Probably out there with their friends." Her point was confirmed by a giggle that was unmistakably Scooby-Doo. The three looked towards the sound for a few moments, then Daphne stood up and headed toward them. Velma fixed her with a bewildered look. "What are you doing Daphne?"
The woman in purple stopped and turned to them, determination on her face. "If they're Shaggy and Scooby's friends then they can't be so bad." Giving them a nod, she turned and quickly left.
Velma looked at Fred for help, but he was staring after Daphne. A second later, he scrambled to his feet and chased after her. "Wait up Daphne!" Velma gave another sigh. Then, taking a breath to brace herself, she smoothed out her skirt and rose to her feet.
A few moments later, the three entered the haunted house's dining room. Already in the room were Shaggy and Scooby, seated in the only solid and intact chairs at the head of the crooked table. Around them were gathered five ghouls. On seeing them, Scooby waved at his friends. Shaggy noticed when they waved back.
"Oh, like good. I was afraid you guys would be out a while longer." Daphne gave a slow nod, her expression frozen. Shaggy slapped a hand to his forehead. "Right, introductions!" He turned so he could see the girls as he went.
First was the massive girl standing to his right. She was the one in green with the tall, black and white hair-do. "Like, this is Elsa Frankenteen, daughter of Frankenteen Senior." The girl smiled and raised a massive hand in friendly greeting. Daphne gave a stiff smile, and Fred awkwardly waved back. Velma adjusted her glasses, a curious look in her eyes as they studied the bolts.
Second was the girl seated on the floor next to Shaggy. She was the hairy one. "Winnie the Werewolf, daughter of the Papa Werewolf." She gave a big grin at them, and a greeting that turned into another howl.
"Hello-ooooowwwllll!" Daphne gave a slight, startled laugh, then bobbed a wave at her. Fred raised his eyebrows and adjusted his ascot. Velma just blinked.
Third was the girl hugging Scooby from a three-legged chair next to his. She was the one wrapped in bandages. "Tanis, daughter of her Mummy-daddy." The girl loosened her hug on Scooby long enough to give a shy wave with one hand. Daphne responded with a beaming smile at her adorable actions, and Fred gave a friendly wave himself. Velma's lips twitched into a smile, and she dipped her head.
Fourth was the girl standing just behind and between Shaggy and Scooby's chairs. She was the one with the curtain of hair. "This is Sibella, daughter of Count Dracula." She gave a sly smirk.
"I hope you all had a good bat-nap." Daphne gave an awkward chuckle, and Fred actually rolled his eyes at the pun. In contrast, Velma snorted out a laugh and smirked to herself.
The last girl was the one floating over the others' heads. She was the translucent blue one. "And, like, finally we have Phantasma, the daughter of the Phantom." The girl cackled and swirled through the air in a flip.
"Nice to meet you!" Daphne watched her, then raised a hand and waved. Fred let out a sound of amazement, and Velma adjusted her glasses with a perturbed look on her face.
Shaggy turned now and stretched his arms out towards his friends. "Girls meet, like, the gang! Fred, the bravest guy I know with a great mind for machines, Daphne, the kindest, sassiest person you'll ever find, and Velma, smartest girl on earth with a big heart to help people." The three waved hello, blushing slightly at the glowing introductions.
Once the girls had chorused their hellos to the gang, Daphne cleared her throat and glanced over all of them. "So, how did you all meet?" Shaggy gave a laugh that had just a hint of hysteria to it.
As he went, he ticked off things on his fingers. "Like, it's a long story involving job ads, contracts, a spooky bog, volleyball, ballet, a military school, spider-bats, the biggest papa wolves ever, a magic mirror, and a crazy spider-witch lady with four arms." He looked over to Scooby. "Like, did I miss anything?"
Scooby looked up in thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Rope." As soon as he said it, however, his face lit up. "Wait, Ratches!"
Shaggy nodded and pointed at him. "Right, Matches! Miss Grimwood's tiny dragon. She also had an octopus butler, a floating hand in a glove, and a spider that spun the volleyball net." Silence fell. Everyone else turned to the trio near the doors with nonchalant expressions.
The three looked back with stunned expressions. Letting out a hum, Daphne responded. "That sounds...exciting..." Velma nodded along. This time Shaggy's laugh was definitely hysterical.
"Like, exciting is an understatement, huh-hu." The girls laughed too, and Scooby-Doo let out an anxious giggle. Daphne laughed a bit, and Fred gave a good chuckle.
Velma smiled a bit bigger, but she seemed a bit distracted. Adjusting her glasses, she got to the point. "So, what are you girls doing here?" Elsa rubbed the back of her neck and looked at Sibella. Sibella gracefully motioned for her to speak, and Elsa grimaced.
"We were sent out for our senior year class, The Best Manners of Scaring with Guests. We're supposed to be in the practical application phase." Velma raised an eyebrow.
Sibella sighed and further explained. "We need to make it through a full haunting without our subjects running, or drawing a mob."
Phantasma sunk lower to the ground, hands folding atop Tanis's head. She heaved a sigh and her body dropped. "That last part is surprisingly tricky."
Daphne was a bit stumped on that. Fred, however, was nodding along. "I could see that." Velma looked her friend over and gave a hum.
Shaggy, meanwhile, had fixed the girls with a worried look. "Like, how many times has it gone wrong?" Winnie growled, and Shaggy quickly leaned away from her.
Winnie's voice was somehow even rougher than usual. "We've been through twelve towns already." She gave a slight whine and her ears drooped. "How many times are we going to have to do this?!"
Elsa rubbed her friend's back in sympathy. The sadness in her big voice was enough to make Velma and Daphne's eyes tear up a little. "This was the last place we could think to try."
Sibella nodded and gave a sigh of her own. "As good as it is to see you again Coach, and as impressive as it was, your fearlessness is a bit less than fang-tastic for our class."
Shaggy rubbed the back of his neck, and Scooby hung his head. Scooby's eyes darted to Sibella. "Rorry Ribella." Shaggy nodded in agreement with his best buddy.
Phantasma hummed and rolled over onto her back, settling her arms under her head and floating around the room. At the other end of the room, Fred had a thoughtful look on his face. "The class doesn't involve actually hurting anyone, right?"
Most of the girls looked intrigued, but, despite her eyes being closed, Phantasma piped up with the answer. "Nope. I mean, we couldn't do it every year if we traumatized people too badly."
Velma adjusted her glasses and shared a look with Fred. She gave a slight hum. "In that case, we might have a solution." She turned to her other friend with a flash of her glasses. "The mayor called us in because they were worried this would hurt," she emphasized that last word, "the town's struggling tourism industry, right Daphne?" At the same time, both women sprouted smiles.
"Give me a few minutes to put together a catchy slogan, and we can make the pitch." At Daphne's opening statement, Fred and Velma huddled around her. While they exchanged increasingly excited whispers, the girls turned confused faces on Shaggy and Scooby. The two exchanged a quick look, turned to the ghouls in sync, and shrugged.
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A few days later, the Mystery Machine drove out Main Street under the town sign. Above them, Phantasma was helping a man on a ladder hang an addition under the town's name. In bright, blue text, the main sign read "Crystal Cove." Under it, in a spooky green font, was a new slogan; "The Most Haunted Place on Earth."