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It was cramped and musty, and all Velma wanted to do was get out. Yet, with the clanking chains and screams of a phantom, she couldn't help but be thankful that a hand wrenched her into the closet by the shoulder. They were silent as their elbows brushed against the door, throats dry.Velma stared into jade eyes, and her stomach knotted, flipped and churned. The tremors racing across her body, the goosebumps against her sweater, the trembling of her hands as they were captured in soft, manicured ones—they were all unnatural. If the phantom was to blame, then Velma would argue that everything was normal. But alas, no. Those jade eyes, and that intoxicating perfume, those curious glances and fleeting touches, and the sudden kiss that plastered her against the wall—Oh no... Oh, oh no...Velma squirmed, her organs all slush.Those lips against hers were criminal. Damned. She just knew it. They sent her thoughts haywire—speaking of, what had they found earlier? Dry ice or a fog machine? And those computers? Hacked or faulty wiring?And for once, Velma couldn't bring herself to care. She gasped as lips peppered her neck, soft hands exploring her hips through her sweater. Everything was sweltering instead of the nipping chill that had led them to the telling thermostat—of... Jeez, what temperature had it been set on again?Velma squeaked, her intoxicating body pressing hard against her own. Knees buckled as she grasped the only arms that could steady her. Together, they panted, fevered, before lips met, open-mouthed. Velma couldn't think; she acted only on this abrupt, confusing primal need. Her thoughts were nauseatingly heavy, a swarm of—The clanks of chains electrified the two young women, tearing away from their grasps. "Daphne, the phantom!" Velma hissed, a spike of hot zapping down her back—which, this time, was arguably normal. "Daphne, come on!"The cackles and hackles of a phantom morphed into coughs and groans of an engine. The Mystery Machine turned another winding corner around a tall, looming range of mountains. Freddie hummed along with the radio, tapping his fingers on the wheel while Shaggy and Scooby took turns setting down their hand of cards."Now you are a cheat!" Shaggy said, jabbing his finger towards the Great Dane's chest. Scooby-Doo, in turn, shook his head violently in protest. "Yes huh! I asked if you had any aces, and you said, 'Go Fish!'""Ruh, uh!""Yuh huh!"As they bickered back-and-forth, Velma couldn't bring herself to shut them up. Her thoughts pondered on the unusually large space between her and Daphne—who stared out of the front windshield vacantly. Freddie's gaze, meanwhile, flickered from the twisting road and the dashboard. After what felt like ages without talking, Velma cleared her throat and asked, "How much gas do we have left?"Freddie shrugged. "There's the hotel right there," he said, pointing, "and the ol' Mystery Machine's pushing herself to get there. We might have a spot of gas when we park." The rest of the gang lifted their sights towards the hotel. And it was a safe assumption that the hotel had aged poorly since its picture on the brochure. On paper, the hotel was blanketed with a light sheen of snow, proud glinting windows, and strong, old-fashion wood that almost glowed in the sunlight. However, it was apparent that the hotel was a catfish; while the snow was not of any fault but the time of year, the windows were boarded or clouded with the occasional cracks, and the cottage-esque architecture was foreboding and leering against the trees. To Velma, it was as if the hotel was self-conscious, claustrophobic with the overgrowth of trees and overgrown gardens.Velma frowned and studied the outline of the forest. It took her a moment to realize that the tops of the trees were slanted in one direction, towards the exiting road. She eyed the horizon that she managed to catch from inside the van. The pines around the hotel were the only ones who took on this trait, whilst those miles away were proud and pointed. The mountains that cupped the hotel and resort sneered at the incoming guests, almost daring their arrival.The van groaned to a halt where the parking lot should've been. Where in the brochure, there were marked lines and finely-organized gardens, weeds had been overgrown and trampled into the ground over the last few years. "Is...this place abandoned?" Daphne asked quietly."Shouldn't be," Freddie said. "Back in town, they said they were still open, just not nearly as busy.""So should we look around then?"Shaggy chuckled hoarsely, and said, "You want us to look around? This is where all the ghouls and ghosts hit the sack!""Oh, don't start with that now," Velma muttered. "We've been here for barely a few minutes.""She's right, Shaggy," Freddie said. "And besides, we're out of gas. We're not leaving unless it's by foot."Without much else to do or say, the five clambered out of the vehicle, tightening their light sweaters over themselves. Velma clenched her jaw against the nipping chill, surveying the front of the hotel. And if any of the gang had any doubts, nailed to the hanging balcony over the front doors was a sign: Mackleberry Hotel. With Freddie and Shaggy strolling to the front door, Scooby-Doo investigated the small, dweller-made holes in the ground while Velma looked into the trees."Jeepers, it looks like we are the only ones here," Daphne said from behind.Velma felt herself tense. She hadn't expected her to be that close. Even so, she pointed into the trees. "Not necessarily, Daphne. There's a whole line of cars sitting over there.""Oh, you're right." Daphne narrowed her eyes towards the glinting headlights of small pick-ups and SUVs settled underneath the shade of the trees. "Why are they parked there like that?""I don't know..." A yelp of Scooby startled the two of them. Daphne and Velma turned towards him as he pawed his red nose. A gopher tittered at the dog's pain before diving back into its hole. Velma shook her head, amused. Scooby-Doo then growled at the ground, barked, before a spurt of earth dusted his muzzle.From the front door, Shaggy barked with laughter. "Quit clownin' around, Scoob! You're going to bully the gopher half-to-death!""Ra ropher?!" Scooby to offense and glowered at the hole. He stuck out his tongue before joining Shaggy at the door, with Velma and Daphne following close behind."Have you knocked?" Daphne asked."Yeah," Freddie replied with a nod. "And the door wouldn't budge either—"The "door that wouldn't budge" budged with grunts and minor swears before it was wrenched open. A man stood behind it, blinking in surprise with a mild smile. His bright blue eyes were vibrant compared to his dark grey hair, and for a man his age, he kept in good shape with strong shoulders and lean legs. "Why, hello there! Come to stay for a night or two?""Yes, Mister...?""Name's John Bornel, and I'm the owner of this resort. Now, eh, is that your van parked right there?"Freddie turned around and answered, "Yeah. We're real close to running out of gas, actually. Do we have to move it?"Mr. Bornel hummed to himself grimly, then caught himself. "Oh, yes! Yes, you do. I'll have some of my staff give it some gas and move it to the trees.""The trees?""Yes..." He studied the gang curiously and asked, "Where'd you say you come from?"Daphne answered, "We didn't. But we heard about this hotel from the town by the train. We just figured we could use a break."Once again, Mr. Bornel hummed. He stepped to the side and said, "Hurry, come in. Strange things happen here with the winds. That's why this place has all of its windows all boarded up." The gang walked inside, eyes wandering around the interior. While decrepit and faded like its exterior, the main lounge of the hotel had a sort of charm to it. The wallpaper was a lovely tan, and the furniture was kept to date. The doorways had thick wood frames—and just to the right was a cozy restaurant, according to Scooby and Shaggy's intuition. Mr. Bornel shoved the door closed behind him and stepped behind the counter. "So, for how many— Oh! I didn't even ask all of you young fellow's names.""It's alright,' Freddie said. "I'm Fred, and this is Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby." In a chorus, they all greeted Mr. Bornel politely."Nice to meet you folks. It's nice having some more guests than the sprinkling we have—all on the same floor, even. Rest of the four have been empty for a while aside from the staff that live here, myself included.""And why's that? You said there were strange things happening," Velma inquired.Mr. Bornel nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so... It's been this way for, oh, a few years now. These strange winds've picked up once...ah...it arrived."Shaggy gulped. "It?""Yes. Every night, a sort of, uh, animal's ghost haunts these walls and the wind steals everything that doesn't have a foundation. In the beginning, cars would roll off the side there, past the brush and trees, by the ski lifts. Call it the, er, Howler.""H-H-H-Howler?!" Shaggy squeaked. "What's that?!"Mr. Bornel pursed his lips and frowned. "I don't rightly know, if I'm bein' honest. I've never seen it myself. It usually goes after my staff and guests durin' the night. But I've heard it, outside my windows and through the door." He scratched his jaw and said, "And, you know, I'd have sold this place if it wasn't for my brother. He helps with the finances... Lives upstairs across the hall from me in one of the suites. Without him, the hotel would be ruined...well, if it hasn't already. Most of the upkeep has quit over the last few months on account of missin' cars and people—" Mr. Bornel halted his words and chuckled quietly. "Ah, look at me, scarin' the sonny silly—" he jerked his chin towards Shaggy who shook along with Scooby-Doo— "while tellin' ghost stories. Can't even tell a lie to my guests anymore, they always find out anyway.""Well, we can help you out, sir," Freddie said. "We've actually done this quite a bit. We even solved a mystery at a university a month ago."Velma frowned, jaw tightened as she avoided Daphne's quick glance. She was hoping she'd forget about that case, and that phantom, and that moment. She barely heard Mr. Bornel promise Shaggy and Scooby food, and when he gathered the keys to the rooms for the next few nights. Nor when he led Freddie up the stairs with Daphne."Now," Mr. Bornel said, pausing on the stairs, "Hank, Mr. and Mrs. Bellbury, and Casey are the other guests; their rooms will be all 'round yours on the second floor.""Sounds good to us, right gang?" Freddie asked."Sounds good," Daphne mumbled."Oh, and another thing," Mr. Bornel continued, "Don's our chef, and his restaurant's open 'till ten if you want some food."Shaggy grinned. "Sold! What do you say, Scoob?" Scooby-Doo answered with just as much enthusiasm, rubbing his stomach cartoonishly."Good grief," Velma said. "Don't you two know you're the most expensive chow-hounds in the world?"Scooby-Doo's tail curled coyly as Shaggy shrugged. "Well, at least we don't waste a scrap!"From the top of the stairs, Daphne called for them: "Did you get stuck on a step or what?""Rumming rup!" Scooby barked joyfully, bounding up the stairs with Shaggy right at his hip. Velma followed with far more gentle steps. Her throat went dry once she had caught a pair of stark, jade eyes, adding to the squirming mesh of her gut. Velma turned away, leaving Daphne quietly disappointed beside her.At room 207, Mr. Bornel gave the keys to Freddie. "Here'll be the boys' room, right at the end here. The Bellburys are right next door in room two-o-nine. I'd advise you to leave the window closed.""Wouldn't dream of it!" Shaggy said eagerly.Freddie nodded, holding the key. "Thanks."Mr. Bornel bowed his head, then waved the girls over. "And over around the corner here's your two's room, two-ten, right across from Casey and Hank." Velma and Daphne left the young men and dog at 207, turning the corner as Mr. Bornel opened the door. "And...ah, wait." The pair followed him inside, pleasantly surprised by the cozy, cottage-style interior. There were two beds, an nightstand in between, two dressers, and a door leading to a quaint bathroom.Mr. Bornel went to the bed closest to the door and shook the frame. It creaked immediately, unsettling to the ear. "Ah, that's right, this room's the one with the broken bed... It was one of the newer beds too." He turned to Velma and Daphne. "I can find you two a different room, if you'd like.""Oh, no, it won't be any trouble," Velma said quickly. "We'll be alright.""Yeah, thanks Mr. Bornel, we appreciate it."The man smiled gingerly and handed Daphne the key. "Alright then, I'll see to it that your van is handled properly. It'll be in the trees beside mine.""Thank-you," they both said in unison. Mr. Bornel smiled one last time before closing the door behind him.Then nothing but silence. Velma trudged towards the window beside the second bed, overlooking the front of the hotel and, of course, the Mystery Machine. For a few minutes she watched, noticing the same details as before from a higher perspective: messy, overgrown parking lot, tilted trees, dingy hotel. The road that they had come from was obscured through the forest, and they sky was gathering clouds for the night to come. Velma tightened her grip around her arm. She had a book to read, and now a mystery to solve. The perfect distraction for her chaotic thoughts. though, she still felt Daphne's gaze pour into her shoulders, and she couldn't help but forget about the book to be read, and the mystery to be solved."Hey, Velma?"She swallowed, her gaze hard on the window. "Yeah?""So, uh, what bed are you going to sleep—""The broke one." Velma's answer startled both of them. For one, Daphne hadn't expected the sting that came with it, and Velma didn't anticipate her answer to be quick.Daphne lingered by the dresser, her hand on its corner. "Oh, okay. You know you don't have to," she murmured quietly."I know. But why wouldn't I? I'm taking that bed, okay?"The murky tension was deafening. Daphne stepped forward as Velma turned around. "Are... Are you okay? You haven't been the same since the university.""Not right now, Daphne. Please."The ginger nodded, arms folded. "You said that before too." Velma didn't answer. She couldn't find one to begin with. She didn't know if she'd be able to find an appropriate one, but Velma knew that whatever was stewing would boil over soon. Far too soon. Before anything else, however, there was a knock on the door. Daphne asked, voice cracked, "Who is it?""I want dinner, and it's time to go down for dinner, so I can eat it."It wasn't of his normal wit or charm, but that was Norville Rogers alright. Daphne opened the door to find a grinning Shaggy and Scooby, Freddie leaning into view. "Do you guys want dinner now? It's already seven, and Mr. Bornel said that Don serves snacks if you don't want a full meal."Daphne glanced at Velma with a subtle pain and nodded. "Yeah, we could use that."
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While it wasn't surprising that Shaggy and Scooby had several servings, the rest of the gang's snacks soon turned into two full plates of Don's phenomenal cooking. He was a portly man with kind eyes and an engraved smile behind the bar's counter, where the two hungry guests continued to indulge on their fifth helping. "Man, I've never seen so much food go down the drain!" Don said with a barreled-laugh. "And what a well-trained dog too!""Oh, that's ol' Scooby, alright," Shaggy grinned. "He can count to a hundred!""Rundred?" Scooby asked, confused."Er, fifty?""Rifty?""...twenty-five?"Scooby-Doo perked with a wide grin. "Ren! Ren!""Ten?!" Shaggy sighed, leaning against his palm. "Sorry, he can count to ten though.""Rone, roo, ree, rour, rive, rix, reren, rate, rine, ren!"Don chuckled, whole-fully amused as he washed his dishes. "Well I'll be... A nice dog with his nice chap! How about a little somethin' somethin' with all of your enthusiasm for my cookin', hmm?" Shaggy and Scooby-Doo leaned closer in awe. Don, elbow on the counter with his palm flat against his cheek, said, "Now, the restaurant 'ere closes at ten, but I start bakin' some of the morning pastries until eleven. How'd you say you two eat some of the extras of my baker's dozen?"The pair's gleeful eyes lit up and widened. "Why how could we turn that offer down?! Count us in, sir! We'll make sure your batch isn't put to waste!""Reah, reah! Rut ro raste!"Shaggy thought for a moment, and then asked, "And, er, do you prepare breakfast sandwiches, by any chance?""Not early on, no, but uh...I do have the ingredients."Shaggy turned to Scooby-Doo excitedly.On the other side of the room by a giant fireplace sat Freddie in a leather armchair, and the young women in a floral couch. Velma shook her head and muttered, "Hams...""At least they're forgetting about how creepy this place is," Daphne replied."That is true."Freddie chuckled, then turned towards the man sitting across from them. Jack Bornel was very alike his brother, though narrower in the face. He smiled at the three and asked, "Are they like that all the time?""When there's food around," Freddie answered. "But about the hotel—you said there's a mine underneath?"Jack, who was far more casual about his name than John, shifted his head side-to-side, weighing his answer. "Of sorts," he said carefully. "This 'ere mountain range has numerous mines interwoven for oil and some over rocks. Quartz, the like, I believe, though I may have gotten that mixed-up. Anyhow, this hotel originally housed the miners. Some say there's ol' trapdoors and rooms that lead to the caverns below. Difficult to say since the mine was shut down after it'd collapsed on itself. I'm willing to bed that the ones underneath are still in-tack, otherwise Mackleberry Hotel wouldn't be a thing."Velma hummed to herself, arms folded and her knuckles to her lips. Her eyes dropped towards the beautiful rug in thought before attaching itself to Daphne's heel, lingering up to... She closed her eyes and stared into the fire. Velma lifted her head, focused on the fireplace as Freddie spoke some more—which she didn't catch.That is, until Jack jumped in his seat, eyes to his watch. "For heaven's sake, look at the time! Excuse me," he said, standing up, "I must get to my room. I have to get up early tomorrow morning for some business down in the town.""And while you're down there, mind giving Miss Nancy a visit at her antique store?" Don asked from behind the counter, a wet rag cleaning the crumbs. He didn't look up at Jack as he explained, "I just feel bad fer her, since her business is closin' in a few months if she doesn't sell her jewelry.""Yes, I suppose I will," Jack said, rather stiffly. He fixed the tie of his lavish suit and strode past the trio by the fireplace. "Now, have a good night, I will be in my suite if anything were to happen." The gang bade Jack Bornel a good night, and Don a grumble.Once Jack was out of the restaurant, Velma quickly got to her knees and stuck her hand in the fireplace. "Velma! Don't burn yourself!" Daphne sputtered."I'm fine, Daphne," she promised, pulling out a burnt piece of paper. "I just saw this..." Velma stood upright, alert. She read the charred paper over and over again. "Daphne, Fred, take a look at this.""What is it?" Freddie asked."A bank statement for bankruptcy. I can't see who's it to, but it's the state bank." Velma handed it over to Freddie as he analyzed it, Daphne over his shoulder."An abandoned mine...and a bank statement. Whoever tried to burn this didn't just want to throw it out. This might be our first, tangible clue."Daphne nodded. "I think you're right, Freddie. And look, there's the date." She pointed to the corner. "That was yesterday." Freddie slipped it into his pocket for safe-keeping. "What do you think we should do?""Turn in for the night," he said, adding, "We don't have much to go by, or what to search. I suppose we could go bother the brothers to see if they know about any secret rooms or anything, but that could wait for the morning.""Well," Velma said, "that settles it, then. Early morning tomorrow."Freddie agreed. He turned towards the bar and, voice raised, said, "Shaggy! Scooby! Come on, let's go and get some sleep!""Why, what's so important for tomorrow?" Shaggy asked with Don bemused to the side."Searching for clues, of course!""What?!"Don patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, chap, you can come back for your snack."
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With everyone's stomachs full and the promise of warm beds (even the broken one), the gang went to their respective rooms for the night. Velma chewed her bottom lip as she turned to the next chapter of East of Eden, the flip of the page the only sound in the room competing against the whipping wind just outside the window. The hotel as a whole, it seemed, swayed—as if it was caught off-guard by the nightly weather.Velma's gaze flew from her book without another muscle shifting, eyeing the windowsill as it shuttered. Her lips tightened as she worked the spine of the book between her palms, flattening the rest of the pages. Before her eyes met printed ink, however, they lingered on the bathroom door as it creaked open. Daphne ran a hand through her hair, setting her folded clothes into her suitcase. Her hair caught the shine of the lamp in between the beds, and the outline of her body appeared vulnerable from underneath the purple, frilled nightgown.Before she glanced at Velma with her ethereal eyes, Velma focused her hardened stare to her book, the lens of her glasses shimmering. Her gaze couldn't leave the beginning of the paragraph. Adam and... Adam and... Adam and... Her throat was tight as she swallowed. She breathed in deeply as Daphne strode towards the window, leaning just to the side of the frame. Adam and Cathy sat in the gath—There was a sudden gasp intertwined with a frightened breath: "Jeepers!" Out of instinct than anything, Velma tore herself away from the book. As she set the novel down and got to her feet in one swooping motion, Daphne stepped backwards. "Velma!" The floorboards whined underneath their feet. "Just outside the window—giant footsteps!""Giant...foot—" Velma mumbled, at the window. It was clear that the first floor was larger than the second; the roof extended itself from underneath the window to Velma's knee. Looking over, it was also apparent that the hotel had been getting snow at nightfall with the glittering white trapped in the knots and cracks, the only bits of snow to avoid the sun. She frowned. Sure enough, there were footprints that drenched the wood, veering to the left. And yet...Her thoughts stalled as Daphne went to her side, a hand grasping Velma's arm. She didn't shake it away, though she certainly tensed. "What size shoe does that leave?! I feel like I can squeeze two of my heels in that!""I-I don't know, Daphne," Velma murmured, voice dry. She cleared it, and said, "I'll tell you one thing: that doesn't look human.""Well what can it be? The H-Howler's?"Velma frowned. "Now don't be ridiculous! That thing is of local legend!" she claimed. "By the odd curvature of the nails, and the parallel formations on either side, I'd say those footprints look like they're tracks of a bat.""A bat?! Why can't it just fly from our window?! Why does it have to—" Daphne stared at the footprints again as Velma stepped to the side. "Look at that! It came by our window, and then backed off and walked away again!""It's not like bats don't have feet," Velma argued. "Or a sense of curiosity."The jerk of blinds was a sound of protest. Once the window was out of sight, aside from its outline, Daphne folded her arms and stuck out her hip. "You can't be serious, Velma! That bat has to be as tall as the door!" With no response from Velma other than thoughtful knuckles to her lips, Daphne said, "Oh great. Now what if the Howler is a giant bat?! We've had our fair share of creepy hotels, but this takes the cake! I feel like a damsel just waiting to get my blood stolen from me!""Oh—! Cut that out, Daphne! There's no need to cause such alarm over this!" Velma hissed, working the anxious knot at the back of her neck. "We've found several strange tracks before!""Well we have a knack of finding them!""We're safe in here!""B-But the disappearances! The Howler!""Would you let me think for a God damn minute?!"Velma's jaw tensed as Daphne grew paler. The room was a deathly quiet now, accompanied by the unsettling whispers of the wind. With a soft breath, Velma said, "Just let me think for a minute...please.""I... O-Okay..."Velma nodded, then stepped onto the frigid tile. She flicked on the light and sighed. The amount of times Velma had found herself in an eerily cold bathroom—let alone a spooky place—was laughable. And what was even more so? Usually she'd wish for some time beside a roasting fire, or a flickering candlelight. Now? Cold was all she wanted, something that didn't remind her of flushed skin or heavy breaths.Velma strolled towards the sink, a hand resting on the blue-marked handle for the faucet. She twisted it, pulled off her glasses, then felt chilling water pool into her cupped hands. The water against her skin was refreshing, if not bitter-tasting. Velma rested her eyes on a warbly figure inches from her nose, which she rightly assumed was her mirror's reflection. Her mind was starting to wander.
Reel it back in.
The fireplace. Those footsteps. The chef. Anything she missed—anything at all. Did she miss any details? Had she overlooked any clues? Was there a name legible along the singed ledges of the bank's note? What if Don was a mysterious character after all?Velma tensed her jaw, and she slipped on her glasses. The faucet was shut off. Was there anything else...? Anything that she—"Velma...?"She jolted at the sink and spun around. At the door, Daphne stood in her nightgown, holding her biceps. She appeared unsure of herself, briefly glancing at the window blinds. "What is it?" Velma asked, adding, "Did you see anything?""No. Of course not," Daphne breathed. "I'm not opening the blinds back up. I hate the windows of this place." Tentatively, as if to test her boundaries, Daphne stepped forward. Velma pressed herself against the sink without thought. "I just...want to see if you're alright? You aren't how you normally are..."
Around me.
The last two words hung in the air, unspoken. But they both knew that they were there.Of course, the past month—in front of the boys, anyway—was all a sham. A front, just like their (solved) mysteries. And why shouldn't it be this way? They weren't in the closet. Daphne never touched them—"I don't know. I-I'm just...confused.""And may I ask how come?"Velma tightened her grip around the sink. "You— You're a distraction!""I—""I can't think! I can't find or search for anything! Shaggy and Freddie were the ones that could piece together everything that happened at that university a month ago, and I couldn't focus on walking with my own two feet!" Velma snapped. She forced down another rock in her throat. "I can't get you out of my head when I need to focus on anything, and you're just— Your worrying is— I can't with you!"Daphne blinked, startled by how close to the edge Velma was—never had she seen her on the verge of tears. She watched as Velma turned around, discreetly wiping her eyes. "I... M-Me?""Yes...you..." Velma hissed, her voice uneven. A hand balled into a tight fist before unfolding to rub her fingers against her temple. "Why... Why did you kiss me?"That wasn't a true mystery. Both knew full well that it was their little exchanges to blame. The brief, bewildering moments of shared glances, squeamish senses and exploring hands. Stacking on top of one another before the untimely, sudden collapse of the unsteady tower they had inadvertently created. Neither knew when it started. Their exchanges had always been just...there. And it was comfortable. Freddie and Shaggy wouldn't have any clue as to what laid underneath their laughs—and Scooby-Doo, of course, would barely understand the idea of it—surely. So they did it, teasing the line of security and immorality until they couldn't take it anymore.They couldn't take it anymore, so they—no, Daphne—went and crossed that line, plunging them down a rabbit hole they couldn't crawl out of. The next few steps would be terrifying. Raw and unadulterated—far from the innocence that fooled the rest. And that was by far the most revealing truth of it all. Velma would rather have all of those masked phonies be real than dive into the unknown with Daphne. She desperately wanted her thoughts to go away, but with Daphne standing at the door, thinking to herself, Velma couldn't imagine... There was a chance that— But it— No— She had to get away from her. That was final.Yet...After a long time, Daphne finally whispered: "I don't know." She frowned as Velma continued to stare into the sink. "I... It just happened. I wanted to— I just wanted to see if...if you were alright from the phantom and I— I don't know. I couldn't...stop... I didn't want to." Daphne took another step forward. "And...and I thought you didn't either? You didn't stop me until..."Velma shook her head, a surge of guilt plaguing her. "It— It's not healthy. Th-this is a psychiatric disorder, Daphne! We're— We're breaking the law! We can't—""You and I both know we're not mentally ill, Velma!" Daphne gasped hotly."And how'd you suppose that?!" Velma shrilled, turning back around. "You know what happened to Carter back in town! You saw his face! And all he did was hold hands with him!""We are hundreds of miles from Virginia!""So what?! Don't think people here won't—"Daphne stamped her foot. "I don't care what people think! I—" She choked, and Velma relented, backed into the sink. "I mean...I know. I-I know. I do... I'm scared too, Velma. I don't want anything to happen to me, and God forbid to you... B-But you know that doctors and science gets stuff wrong all the time too! And all the people we unmask—they're all corrupted scientists and businessmen and...and..." Daphne breathed deeply, and then started over. "Shoot me for wanting to kiss you for so long. If I burn, I don't care! I...I want you... Is that— Is that so bad? Is that so hard to do?"It came out before she could stop it: "N-No..." Velma whispered. "Not for me, but...Daphne, we can't have people know. Who knows what would happen? All of my awards and chances from university would be gone! All of those job opportunities waiting for us! We'd... We'd...""Velma?" Daphne asked, softly. "Velma, I know. We wouldn't tell, okay? I— I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm selfish. I want you all to myself and no one else."As Daphne drew closer, Velma swallowed. "If anyone finds out, we're done for.""Just for one kiss?" Daphne asked. "If...if we're going down the same road anyway, why do we have to stop? If we're going to burn anyway...why can't we continue?"She was unbearably close, jade eyes steady on Velma. Cautious. Enchanting. Velma swallowed and twisted at her spot. "Daphne..." she whispered."I want to feel you," Daphne murmured, "I... I can't help it." She held the crook of Velma's arm. There was a slow nod. Daphne leaned closer, pecking the corner of Velma's lips. Giddiness erupted, and neither of them truly believed it was of any illness. It couldn't have been; every cell, every atom in Velma's body felt at peace with those deep eyes watching her carefully, and the cautious hand hovering over her hip. Hesitant, Velma replied in kind with feverish emotions swarming her gut. She tried to think of any psychiatric diseases that felt right, that nothing was wrong. Velma thought of many. Was this one of them? Daphne's hands had grown more confident, cradling her sides firmly, connecting their hips. Velma's thoughts were static. Nothing was coherent. A wordless force shepherded her to comply, and there was no struggle against it. No resistance. No fight.The Shouter (Yeller?) escaped her thoughts—along with the Mystery Machine, the gang, the clues. There was only Daphne, and her hands grasping the sink behind Velma as their bodies were bound together, and her soothing, gentle lips dripping with a greedy hunger. Velma caught herself from buckling by holding Daphne's shoulders in a tight embrace. The hands at Velma's hips burned, and she felt Daphne's groan bury itself into her chest. Velma continued to indulge, her excitement growing with intensity.And then...cold.Velma opened her eyes, perplexed. Blushing, she realized that her glasses had fogged; with the edge of her nightie, Velma sheepishly rubbed the lens as Daphne chuckled. She held out her hand as glasses were slipped back on. "Come on," Daphne breathed. Without another word, Velma followed, barely remembering to switch off the bathroom light. With Daphne's guiding hand, Velma landed on the bed with a long creak.She frowned, pulling away from Daphne's kiss. "Wait. Why the broken one?""I'm not going near the window!" Daphne insisted. "And besides," she added with a smirk, pecking Velma, "where's the fun in that one?"Velma grinned. "You little devil."Daphne's giggle hummed against her lips, her gentle hands teasing Velma's thigh. Legs hooked around the little devil, hips slowly grinding against each other. Every inch of their bodies was flushed. With heavy breaths, Daphne tore herself away and pulled her nightie over her head. Velma, in awe, propped herself against her elbows. Daphne bit her lip, cheeks blossoming a strong red.As Velma shifted her glasses, Daphne mumbled, "You don't have to look so surprised... We've changed in front of each other before.""Well...I've always tried to be polite and look away." Velma frowned. "Daphne...?"Daphne, whose face was a stark red now, looked away with her knuckles pressed against her lips. "I thought you saw too!""Daphne!" Velma's smile, however, contradicted her exasperation. Her eyes lingered on the body straddling her. Velma almost regretted her chivalry as her hands felt Daphne's skin along her torso. Even if she missed this sight however many times before, Velma was dazed by Daphne's figure now—served on a platter for Velma, and Velma only. Her eyes followed the curves of her body, dusted with freckles. Ginger hair that flowed in mesmerizing waves. Daphne, with teasing eyes, pushed Velma back to the sheets with a cheeky grin. She kissed Velma enough to convulse that mind of hers. Lips locked, Daphne clambered completely onto the bed before Velma's book—whatever it was—fell in between the bed and nightstand.Velma's hands flattened against Daphne's back, tracing whatever shape imaginable. Velma felt what she thought was the perfect body, following the dimples that creased Daphne's back—ones that she could only ask for. Even with clothes on, it was obvious that Daphne was the small-town dream girl. The one that the whole neighborhood swooned over. The one that got all of the boys' Valentines at school. The one that those boys—years later with sweaty palms and awkward faces—gathered the courage to even think about asking her to prom.And yet, that same dream girl was over her, lips crushing her own with such a passion that the boys couldn't even fathom. Her manicured hands clawed through Velma's nightie, and soon enough, it was slipped off entirely. Daphne paused, eyeing Velma's bare chest. "Oh...now you shouldn't be surprised!" Velma muttered."Well, no, but you have a bombshell for a body," Daphne purred.Flustered, Velma retorted, "One that's already been detonated.""Oh, I haven't done that yet...""You little—!" Velma inhaled as Daphne captured her lips, hands wandering along her naval and down to the rim of her underwear. A mewl erupted from between Velma's lips as a hand crawled against the swollen throb between her legs. She grunted once Daphne pressed harder, grinding her hips. "Daphne..." Velma whimpered. She felt feverish with an intense, sticky heat melting her thoughts. The pulses of her heartbeat throbbed some more, and she could only press herself closer towards her escape—away from terrifying monsters, away from corrupt humans.She was drugged. She was high. Her brain was in a tizzy, and Velma knew the swarm of hormones that had injected themselves into her bloodstreams had wormed their way into her brain. Daphne most certainly didn't care about the science behind it, and...well, Velma found she didn't care at that moment either. Not even a single bit. And if that wasn't a hard clue that she was far from sober, Velma didn't know what would be.With a sudden moan and a jerk of the hips, Velma shivered against Daphne as she felt pumping fingers. "Fuck..." Daphne groaned, intoxicated by the sheer feel of Velma raw against her. Curiously, Daphne pulled out her hand and licked what coated her fingertips. Velma had her eyes covered with her arm draping over them, her skin baking against her cheeks.Velma opened her eyes and adjusted her glasses as Daphne held up her arm. "Do. Not. Kiss me."Mischievously, Daphne hummed, "Why not?""I— You—" Velma decided to seal her lips. Her wish was obliged, and a soft, wet kiss was planted on her cheek instead."I have an idea," came as a seductive breath in Velma's ear.She squirmed. "Don't do that either! That feels weird!"Daphne sat up, her thighs running along Velma's waist. "Oh come on, Velma! I was whispering!""Well I don't like it in my ear!"Daphne folded her arms. "Do you want to continue or not?!""Of course I do, what else?!""Then stop bitching about the sex I'm giving you! You're such an old nag!" She giggled as Velma gasped hotly, and peppered her cheek with more kisses. "Come on... I want to spend this time with you." Velma's hand was captured with Daphne's, held against the sheets. She moaned softly as Daphne planted sweet kisses down her neck. "I've wanted this for a long time, and I really want to make you feel good.""I-I know," Velma said in a hushed voice.Daphne paused at her collarbone, hands kneading Velma's chest. "Do you trust me?""Of course I do..."Soft, brown eyes met jade. Daphne stole Velma's breath—and another piece of her heart—as she said, "Then you'll love this." Before Velma could speak, Daphne began to suck, her piercing eyes still on hers. Velma held her cheek, and Daphne's sultry stare softened. She then turned her attention to the other breast, replacing the hand that then began to travel down her torso to her naval, dragging her nails languidly. Her fingers teased the hem of Velma's underwear, slowly working them down her thighs. Velma shifted as they were slipped off, shivering against Daphne's smile. She moaned as Daphne hummed, her fingers slipping inside.Velma felt criminal. This shouldn't have felt as intense as it was, especially in that rickety hotel on that decrepit bed. Especially since it was unnatural—a sworn evil. But with Daphne's scalding lips on her naval, she couldn't help to believe otherwise.Daphne was on her knees, against the wool rug that carpeted the worn floorboards. She watched Velma from between her quivering thighs, feigning innocence. Their eyes didn't break from each other as Daphne kissed her skin deeply. Her eyebrow quirked, and Velma was apprehensive at once; Daphne was certainly planning something. She watched as Daphne flicked her eyes in between Velma's legs. It was then that Velma knew. "I know what you're thinking, and—!""Oh hush, nag," Daphne mumbled before leaning in. She hummed against Velma, smug.All of her anxious rambling had been snatched away, leaving Velma to scramble for her thoughts. Her uncertain hand gathered in Daphne's hair, the other digging nails into the back of Daphne's knuckles. Velma hissed out a breath and punctually swallowed. "D-Daphne..." she groaned, "oh my god." There was a moan in turn, which reverberated from Daphne's lips to Velma's trembling heart. Her hips jerked, and Daphne draped her arm over her stomach to steady Velma.Velma's chest seized as her gut rolled, and she flattened herself against the arctic sheets of the bed. Her glasses began to slip as she clawed whatever of the mattress she could pull. "Daphne, Daphne what—"Another wave of fire scorched her, and Velma moaned as her eyes—unfocused—settled on the shadowed-window, the moon out of sight. Her heartbeat was pounding, and her thoughts logic-less. "Baby, fuck!" she whined tersely, the trembles of her body growing in ferocity. "Daphne, I— I can't—"All at once, Velma felt her hips go rigid, the pulses of her heart beating her skull to a high. Her breaths were heavy as she laid on the bed, Daphne crawling back up to hover over her, quite proud. "Daphne... God, Daphne...""I know," Daphne chuckled smoothly. She stole a bitter, salty kiss from Velma, much to the latter's chagrin. There was little to no protest, however, and instead Velma replied with a passion. Once she had regained more of her energy, Velma shoved Daphne to her back, straddling. It took only a minute more for Daphne to turn themselves over once again. "I'm not done," she panted as Velma squinted, her hand palming the space beside her."Daphne, my glasses."Daphne plucked them from beside Velma's head on the pillow and set them down. "They're beside your water," Daphne said, resting her hand in the center of Velma's chest. "You can be as blind as a bat with me.""Bat's aren't actual— Umph!"Daphne interrupted her with a kiss and a swift, "I don't care." After a few, long, kisses, Daphne sat up, her hips rocking. "Do you like this?" she asked quietly.Velma's rust eyes blinked, unamused. "All I see is a freckled blob wearing a wig.""I mean—" Daphne guided Velma's hands along her torso and around her hips— "do you like what you feel?"Of course Velma did. She nodded, squeezing as her hands ran along womanly curves. "I can do this all night," she mumbled, still in the midst of a high."You better," Daphne breathed, shifting around one of Velma's legs before sinking down. They both moaned on contact, their hips rolling experimentally. Daphne mewled in excitement, burying herself deeper against Velma. "I— Shit..." she cried, the creaks of the bed keeping to their pace.Velma's grip around Daphne tensed as another jolt raced. One thought had finally emerged: Do it. Give it to her. Now.Abruptly, Velma twisted them around, Daphne gasping in shock as she landed on the other pillow. Velma felt her smile against her lips as she traced a line along Daphne's thigh. It hooked around her, and she began to grind. Daphne held her close, one arm wrapped across her back and the other joined at her elbow, her hand tangled in dark brunette locks. Velma decided that, if Daphne was a distraction, that nothing else would garner her attention, then she'd give it her all. She would give her undivided attention to Daphne, and her body, and the horde of unrelenting emotions curdling in her gut."Holy shit, fuck me, Velma," Daphne whined in her ear, which wasn't a bother. In fact, it fueled her carnal desire. Velma sealed that promise with a burning, lustful kiss.
~ [] ~
Coming from the bathroom, Shaggy stretched and checked the time. "Ten o'clock already? Man, I'm in need of my after-dinner snack!"From behind a newspaper on his bed, Freddie asked, "And not your 'before-breakfast' one?"Shaggy chuckled. "Oh that comes in a few hours." The blond rolled his eyes with a light grin, and the dog hopped up from the foot of the bed with a wagging tongue."Rait! Rait for re!" he barked, bouncing towards the held-open door."After you, Scoob," Shaggy said before closing it behind him. As they strode down the stairs, wondering about what goodies Don had cooked up, Scooby-Doo hobbled down the stairs excitedly while Shaggy held his stomach. "Now, what about a nice, gravy, turkey and noodle sandwich?""Reah, reah!""Oh, and some tuna?""Reah!""And crab, if he has some?"Scooby-Doo scrunched his nose. "Yuck!" he spat immediately."Well, it is my sandwich, Scooby." At the restaurant doorway, they both halted. All of the lights had been shut off, only the cloud-shrouded moon pouring wan light in from the windows. "Uh... Don?" Shaggy asked as Scooby-Doo quirked his head to the side. "Man, I wonder where he is? He said he'd be hear 'til morning, right?" His companion nodded, wandering in slowly. Shaggy followed with a frown. "Like, where could he be? It looks like he cleaned up for the night.""Ruh huh."Shaggy turned his head curiously. "No?" he asked."Rook. Racks.""Racks?" Shaggy went to the bar where Scooby-Doo peeked over, on his hind legs. "Wait, you're right! Look at all these ingredients laying around! The dough, the eggs, the apples—it looks like he was baking some apple pie!""Ror rus?""No, not for us, Scoob. Probably for the people in the morning." Scooby-Doo pushed through the bar's gate and inspected the ingredients. Shaggy folded his arms and followed. "Now Scooby, we're not going to eat this if he's going to come back."Scooby-Doo frowned and looked over his shoulder. "Rights roff?""Well—" Shaggy's eyes widened, and he put his knuckles to his lips. "You think he was taken?""Ruh huh."Shaggy shivered at the spot, rubbing the back of his hand. "Well, Scooby, do you think he's still here?" Scooby-Doo sniffed the air, then shook his head. "N-No, I mean the H-H-Howler!""Rowler?!""Yes! What else could've taken Don and left his food?! A freak that doesn't eat, that's what!" Scooby yelped and coward beside Shaggy. They trembled together, eyes darting around for anything peculiar, and ears straining for any noise. And...nothing. As their trembling slowed, they looked around. "But, like...there's no one here right now, is there?" Scooby-Doo shrugged. Shaggy hummed and said, "Maybe we should try and find him? Just in case...you know?""Reah," Scooby muttered, peeking over the counter. "Robody rere.""Nobody here? Okay, well that's good for the time being." Shaggy, with his palm on the counter, looked across the room. "Scooby, you search through the kitchen, and I'll stay here and watch.""Ritchen? Rokay."As Scooby nudged the door to the kitchen, he halted, ears perked. Upon realizing that he hadn't heard the door, Shaggy looked over his shoulder. "What?"Scooby-Doo was staring at the ceiling, head tilted. "Reak.""You hear something—" Shaggy followed his eyes— "upstairs?" Scooby nodded. "Do you think it's Don?""Reah, reah!"Shaggy swallowed. "Alright. Like, let's go look..." He followed Scooby-Doo out of the room quietly, pausing whenever Scooby-Doo had, and turned towards whatever Scooby-Doo did. And once on the stairs, Shaggy heard it: muffled, fluid creaks. His voice was dropped to a whisper when he murmured, "It sounds like it's coming from one of the rooms." They stopped on the second floor. "By our rooms?" Scooby looked over his shoulder and nodded. They stepped forward, and, immediately, the two yelped. Scooby leapt into Shaggy's arms, whimpering as an obscured shadow crawled along the walls. "Wait, wait, hold it Scoob.""Rhat?""That is no monster.""Rit's rot?"Freddie stepped into the dim light, hands raised. "It's just me, Scooby," Freddie chuckled. The dog giggled to himself as Freddie—in his striped pajamas—scratched his head. "And what happened to your snack?"As Shaggy set down Scooby, he said, "Well, Don's just...gone. A pie's there and everything.""A pie?" Freddie frowned in thought, hands to his hips. "So you weren't up here?""No?""I heard something, though it seems to have gone away."Silence rested on their shoulders as they listened. "Yeah... Hey, the creaking's gone.""You heard it too?" Freddie asked."Yeah. Well, Scooby did first, but we thought it was Don."The blond scratched the back of his head, his eyes dropping to the floor. "Now hey, what's that you're leaving all over the floor?"Both Shaggy and Scooby-Doo jolted, audibly confused as they lifted their feet. White powdered their shoes and the wood-boards around them. Scooby-Doo sniffed and sneezed. "Rour.""Flour? Oh, that must've been from the pie Don was baking," Shaggy said. "How'd it get all over us? We didn't eat anything.""I have a feeling that Don's not up here," Freddie murmured. "Now come on, we're going back to the restaurant and doing a full sweep." Scooby-Doo and Shaggy shrugged, then followed Freddie down the stairs. This time downstairs, however, was far more eerie than before; the shadows were peering, the floors were whining, and the windows were whistling. Then, in the distance, trees rustled unseemly against the wind. The three's collective attention snapped to the right towards the window. Freddie, Shaggy and Scooby stepped forward and hovered over the windowsill. "Look," Freddie whispered."Like what is goin' on, I can't see a thing!" Shaggy hissed back. He narrowed his eyes and followed the outline of a few shadows. "Is that— Are those people? What are they doing out there?""I don't know..." Freddie murmured, "but we can't follow them now. We'd get swept up by the wind." He turned away from the window. "Now come on, we're almost there." They turned a few more corners, then right into the restaurant. Freddie walked in, then crossed his arms. "And neither of you bothered to turn on the lights?"Shaggy and Scooby glanced at each other meekly. "Like, we can see fine with the windows? I don't know where the light-switch would be." Immediately, the restaurant was bathed in a yellow, leaving the two to blink rapidly. "Oh...there."Freddie watched them, unamused from beside the grandfather clock. "Uh huh..." His eyes dropped to the ground and immediately, he gasped: "Whoa! No wonder you two were tracking flour everywhere, get a load of this!" The trio were equally startled by the mess that had caked itself into the ground. Flour was everywhere—the walls, the tables, the bar. How had they missed that before?! They passed a few tables, eyes focused on the hand-prints on surfaces, and the foot prints littering the ground. Quickly, towards the center of the room, Freddie held out his arms. "Hold it. Someone's been cleaning this up!"Shaggy gulped, peering over the blond's shoulder. Indeed, the flour had been cleaned-up, obvious from the straight line of flour bordering the cleansed wood floor. Scooby-Doo turned to the side, growing rigid. As he sputtered nonsense, tugging Shaggy's shirt and pointing, Freddie held his chin. "Now who would be cleaning at this hour? And right after Don's disappearance?"Beside him, there was a gulp. "Like— Like him!" Shaggy exclaimed, his arm shooting towards the fireplace."What?!" Freddie jumped in place, spinning towards the back of the restaurant. Horrendous growls came from the shadows, a formidable outline lurking within them. It rattled and spat, its tone grueling and coarse. They stayed in place, horrified."F-F-Freddie?!"Uncharacteristically, Freddie sputtered, "W-W-W-What?!""I th-th-think we sh-sh-should r-r-r-run..." Scooby-Doo, who'd pressed himself against both young men, whimpered in agreement."I-I-I-I think so t-t-too..." Freddie said, backing them towards the bar as the shadowed figure began to step into the light. "SCRAM!" Without gravity, the trio bolted over the counter and dashed into the kitchen, blinded with fear. The horrible cry followed them, claws clacking and teeth snapping.
~ [] ~
Their room was quiet aside from the howling winds just outside the window, and the last creak of the bed after Daphne had rolled off of Velma. Their breaths steadied themselves with their eyes kept to the ceiling. Daphne counted the knots in the wood, listening to the groans of the hotel, and Velma...tried to determine where the ceiling met the wall. Her glasses were still set on the nightstand. Once the last few spurts of euphoria were extinguished, sobriety began to sink back in. Velma clung to the sheets, holding them to her neck while Daphne held herself underneath them, not bothered by the lack of coverage on her shoulders.Velma didn't need her glasses to know that Daphne spared several looks towards her—ones of a sudden and timid worry. She wrestled with the guilt as Daphne switched off the lamp, then rustled against her pillow."Goodnight, Velma," Daphne murmured into the room.In turn, she squirmed and swallowed. The ghost of their activities still prickled her skin. The ghastly thoughts and followed actions haunted her."Goodnight, Daphne..." It came out as a soft whisper, unsure but genuine. Velma clenched her jaw and hoped she'd get some semblance of sleep.
~ [] ~
The first thing Velma awoke to was the still, frigid air of the room. She shivered and blinked with a frown, sitting up. The sheets were drawn to her shoulders instinctively as she reached for her glasses. Once slipped on, she found the blinds of the window closed, the bathroom door open, and their clothing haphazardly tossed towards the edge of the bed.Realization swung her stomach violently. Velma looked underneath the covers before pressing the bundle of blankets and sheets tight around her neck. "Jinkies..." she whispered. So it wasn't a bizarre dream. Velma and Daphne really did— Her eyes swerved to her side where her...friend(?) stirred. Daphne's shoulders were uncovered, and her hair was wild yet strangely managed. Velma forced her stare away from the lines and curves of Daphne, hardening it at the broken, irregular bedposts and ill-managed bed-frame.What was she thinking? How could she have let it come to this? This wasn't right. It couldn't have been. She may not be of religious mind, but Velma had listened to her mother's Catholic antics before, that the Devil lured people astray with addictive, alluring sentiments. Money. Pride. Power. Territory.Sex.Velma balled her hands within the sheets. Of course, she was never really a sexual-type person. It wasn't that she didn't know anything; she knew quite a lot, in fact—especially in terms of biology. Velma, with many things, was indifferent. It never peaked her interests until much, much later—a couple of years into college, actually. And even then, only for brief moments. Until Daphne wormed her way into her life, and that was it, wasn't it? What if her mother was right—that Daphne was the Devil's ploy to secure Velma's inferno? Well, of course, if she believed in any of that. But then again, that of religion spawns from truth. From reality and fact. And with pulling off masks left and right, Velma knew more than anybody that temptation truly was the Devil's best-served just deserts.Everything made sense. Daphne was a bewitchment. Daphne was the only inconceivable reality Velma faced. The reality that, damn everything—She groaned beside Velma, startling her. Daphne sat up and stretched, her eyes slowly sliding back to Velma. Woven within her gaze wasn't what Velma would call innocence or purity, but a genuity instead.Damn everything, Velma wanted more. That terrified her more than anything, wanting someone more than solving a puzzle, or building her knowledge, or even focusing on the comfortable, sturdy future as a successful business woman—in whichever business she'd take on."Jeepers," Daphne murmured, "is it cold...""Yeah," Velma replied, bluntly.Daphne took note. Velma kept her eyes on the blanket as the woman beside her wrestled with herself, tensing her jaw in thought. "Velma...? Can, can we talk?" Velma only nodded, not quite reaching Daphne's eyes but her covered lap instead. "I-I can't lie and say that I don't want to do what we did last night again, because I do. But, I-I know you're still...not quite here—" Spooked, Velma wrenched her stare towards those jade eyes. Daphne swallowed, and continued: "I... I know we're not on the same page, and—and I'm sorry. I really am. It's just so...so...""...confusing?""Yes," Daphne weakly gasped, her hand finding Velma's thigh. She frowned and pulled it away. "Y-Yes. I... But what I'm trying to say is that I— I really care about you. About our friendship, and...and... I need you to know that, if...if this ruins you being my closest friend, we can stop." Daphne was now the one that pulled her eyes away in an effort to hide her distraught. Guilt stung Velma's chest, and hesitance burned her thoughts.But she didn't say anything. Velma let Daphne's words settle heavy on her shoulders, enough to break them. In a murmur, she asked, "Why don't we go down and get breakfast? We...uh, we could use it."Daphne watched her, a stew of disappointment, anguish and hope surging in her eyes. "That... Okay, yeah," she mumbled.They picked themselves out of bed and got dressed, avoiding each other's gazes. For the length of time they perceived to have drug on, the two young women got dressed rather quickly and were out the door within ten minutes. As they went down, they found that the hotel was significantly warmer on the first floor with the glow of lamps. At the foot of the stairs, Velma and Daphne turned right towards the restaurant to find...no chef?"What?" Daphne asked, visibly confused with her wandering eyes and tightly-knit eyebrows. "Where's Don? We're not early, are we?""Or late, it's nine twenty-three," Velma said, pointing at the grandfather clock beside them."But then...where's all the food?""More like, 'Where's Shaggy and Scooby?' Come on, we have to find the boys anyway," Velma said. It barely took a minute once they strolled out of the room to find Freddie, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo passed out in the lounge area. Velma and Daphne shared a look before the latter shook Freddie awake by his shoulder.The blond jolted awake, his hand slapping the back of his neck. "Oh! You're both up. Did you two get any sleep?""Like a rock," Velma answered.Daphne nodded. "Yeah... And I see you three didn't." Shaggy was groggily lifting his head at the sound of their voices, Freddie stretched until his back popped, and Scooby-Doo was still snoring away from beside the couch. "What happened?"Shaggy's eyes widened instantly. "The H-H-H-Howler!" he stammered."Wait, you saw it?! Where?!" Velma interrogated."Upstairs. Downstairs. Through the window. At the door. In the kitchens. At my room."Freddie, in the middle of Shaggy's sputtering rant, said, "What he means is...everywhere.""Right until he went onto the roof and flew into the mountains!" Shaggy finished, exasperated.Daphne gasped. "He flies?!""Yeah!" Shaggy blinked, perplexed and trembling at the thought of the ghastly Howler. "You...you really never saw it?"Velma shook her head. "We didn't even hear a thing. We were in our room all night." She ignored Daphne's curious, worried gaze. Neither of the men caught on, too focused on their nightly horrors. "Now...what did this 'Howler' look like if it could fly?""Rowler?!" The gang jumped as Scooby wrenched himself off the ground, tail tucked between his legs."He's not here, Scoob," Shaggy said, reassuringly. "We're just telling them what we saw.""The Howler must've been to preoccupied with you guys," Daphne said.Shaggy shook his head, hands raised. "You wouldn't believe it. It had to have been seven foot—" he raised his arm over his head, to which Scooby-Doo mimicked— "zombie albino bat!""Zombie?!" Velma asked, brow arched.Daphne, however, took note of a different word: "Bat?!" She turned to Velma, her hand tight around her arm. "Jeepers! Velma, I told you—""I know, Daphne..." Velma's jaw tightened, and she watched the other three. "We might've been visited by our Howler friend after all.""You did see it?""No," Velma answered with the shake of her head. "But Daphne did see footprints by our window."Freddie leaned forward, almost standing from his seat. "Are they still there?"Daphne shrugged. "I don't know, but we could check.""Now hold on." Velma held out her arms as the rest got to their feet. "What about Don? He wasn't in the kitchen, so where is he?""Taken into the night by the Howler, what else?" Shaggy answered quickly.The young women were taken aback. Daphne didn't notice the brief touch around her wrist as she said, "Well that's news to us! What the hell happened?!"Freddie looked to Shaggy. "You're going to have to explain everything to them. They need to get caught up.""Right, okay." Shaggy sighed, poised himself, and exhaled. "So me and Scoob were getting ready and decided to go ahead and eat our midnight snack, since Don said he'd be up later... But he wasn't there! We went into the kitchen, and all of his things were there, but no Don," Shaggy explained. "And so, we...well...kinda, like, looked for some of the bagels and—""What you could've been digesting right now isn't important," Velma said flatly.Shaggy chuckled with Scooby-Doo, shrugging meekly. "Anyway, we go down into the restaurant and he's not there! He left an unfinished pie out, and we decided to look for him." He then frowned and scratched his head in thought.Scooby perked. "Reak, reak!""Reek? Oh! The creak!" Both women were perplexed as Shaggy turned back to them. "Right, so we started hearing this—uh—rhythmic creak. We go upstairs to see if it's Don, and it was coming from one of the rooms.""Reak, reak. Reak, reak. Reak, reak."Shaggy nodded vigorously and pointed to his companion—who swayed with each imitation. "That's it! Just like that! It was, like, real slow at first when we were further away—Scooby heard it first—and it got faster.""Reak-reak-reak, reak-reak-reak—"Petrified, Daphne and Velma shared a look. Daphne pursed her lips. Could it be...?Velma shook her head, quite doubtful. No. Maybe. I don't know."And then we saw something through the window!" Shaggy added a nervous laugh. "That was when we ran into Fred, and we went back down into the restaurant to turn on the lights.""You didn't do that in the first place?" Daphne asked, brow arched."Well, uh—""No," Freddie intervened, "but lucky we had at that point. It was in the middle of being cleaned."Velma asked, "Cleaned? What was there to clean?""Rour," Scooby-Doo answered."Uh huh, and the Howler took over the janitor's position," Shaggy said, gulping. "He attacked us from the fireplace!"Velma's frowned deepened as she began to pace, arms crossed, and said, "Well, it sounds like quite the mystery we have here."Freddie nodded and walked towards the stairwell. "Definitely. Come on, let's go to your room and see those footprints. We might be able to follow them." He lingered by the doorway. "Room one-ten, right?""That's the one," Daphne confirmed. Freddie waved them over and strode up the stairs. Shaggy and Scooby-Doo followed, gulping. And trailing behind were the two women. Daphne refrained from touching Velma's shoulder and hissed, "Our bed..."Velma tightened her lips for a moment. "I know. Let's just hope that's not what they heard.""No, I mean it will be obvious we slept together, Velma," Daphne whispered. "We— We never cleaned up! And that other bed is untouched!" She swallowed. "What do we do?"Velma worked her jaw. "We...threw our clothes on to get breakfast, and you slept in the broken bed."Daphne frowned. "Now there's no time for jokes!""I'm not." The hushed themselves as they soon joined Freddie at the door. Daphne, tense, grabbed the key from her pocket and put it to the doorknob. Velma stood behind Scooby, bracing herself. The lock clicked, and the door began to whine as it opened...