The Mysteries Beneath-Scooby Doo Mystery Inc.

~Beware The Beast From Below~

We all cheer after solving once again, another mystery that ended with us standing in a cell of the Crystal Cove Jail. We all start to head out to celebrate our victory when Sheriff Stone closes the door. 

"Better idea," Sheriff says. We all glare at him. "Aw, come on, Sheriff," Fred whines.

"Just cork it. You see this badge? Know why it's here?" Stone asks. Velma, being Velma, answers, "It came with the shirt?"

Sheriff Stone ignores her and says, "It's here because if there's a crime, I solve it," before walking away.

I go to sit on the bench behind us when Stone pipes up again. "Oh, and by the way, I've called all your parents, who by now, I have on speed dial," Stone laughs, "Oh, are you in trouble. Especially you two. Say hi to Dad, the mayor." Stone then walks out of the room, as the rest of the group hangs out around the door, while I continue my journey to the bench.

Daphne said something, I wasn't really paying attention to and then I heard my brother's voice. "Good thing we're not in this to be liked." I facepalm as everyone looked at him weirdly. He caught his mistake and said, "Maybe that didn't come out quite right." I shake my head and head over to where the rest of the gang is and I stand next to my brother,  rubbing his back.

~~~

I was braiding my hair as my brother was talking to our dad. "We've only got one thing on our minds, Dad. Solving mysteries and building traps." I decided to chime in, "You like building traps, Fred, I like the mysteries." He smiles at me.

"That's two things," Dad said, my brother trying to get Dad to understand. "You know what we mean, Dad. We just want answers." Fred says gesturing to me as well. I ask, "Is that wrong?"

"Tickling chin whiskers, Madi, the mayor's kids are supposed to set an example," Dad says.

"We're trying, Dad. in fact just yesterday, Fred entered one of his traps in the district science fair, and I--" I said, being cut off by our father.

"I don't want you guys to make a mistake, you'll regret." He says. Fred, being Fred, asks, "You mean like making a bad trap?" That is pushing Dad's buttons, as he gets irritated and says, "No!" He says before walking out.

Fred looks down, upset. I finish my braid and walk over to Fred's desk to give him a hug.

"It's ok, but we gotta go before we are late," I say letting go of the hug, smiling at him, and tossing him the Mystery Machine keys. He catches them, smiles back and we head out to the van.

~~~

We had picked up Velma, Shaggy and Scooby, and are now getting Daphne. She runs out of her house, jumps in the passenger seat, and we head to school, driving down one of the mountain roads. Scooby has his head out the window enjoying the wind, while Daphne has her arm on the seat backing. I am in between Daphne and Fred, drawing. I hear Velma call Scooby from the back and as soon as she does, a manhole cover gets blown off with a geyser of steam. Thanks, Velma. The manhole cover hits the asphalt, creating cracks as it imbeds itself.

I look back at my drawing, which has a bunch of stray marks from my pencil being bounced around, and I sigh. I put my art pad in my backpack. As soon as I sit back up, there is a green skeletal hand that hits the window right after Daphne rolls it up. I close my eyes and take a deep breath in and out, opening my eyes again. The van suddenly starts to rock back and forth four times before leaving.

"Zoinks! Like, what was that?" Shaggy asks. Fred steps out into the street, saying, "It looks like a mystery to me. And I think that's just a little more important than school." Fred then runs off, leaving the rest of us to follow.

~~~