A Seldom Desert Rain
A Scooby-Doo fanfiction by Someone on the Street
Author's Note: All characters are copyrighted to Hanna Barbera and Warner Brothers. I own nothing!
It felt good to be alone for once. Sure, having the gang along was alright, but long periods in such close quarters and no little chance at privacy can get grating. Daphne Blake really felt a little bad thinking this way, but the more she stared toward the horizon in a rare blissful silence, the more she appreciated the moment. No loud music, no chattering, and no food crumbs or dog hair to vaccuum out of the rear of the Mystery Machine.
Daphne looked at her surroundings, admiring the brilliant colors of the eroded bluffs as they were splashed by the first rays of dawn. At this point, she was the only occupant on the lonely desert highway, which allowed her some time to coast at a slightly slower speed to really take in the scenery. The last time she was out here with the others, she had never been given a moment to really take in the surreal beauty of the dry landscape that surrounded her for hundreds of miles. The seemingly endless stretches of gold and pink and yellow as they stretched over the horizon and out of sight were particularly awe-inspiring.
She squinted as she spotted a green fleck on the side of the road. As she sped closer, she was able to recognize the familiar shape of a road sign. In bold, white lettering, it read: Entering Scorpion Ridge City Limits. A small tinge of delight ran through her body. Great! She'd get off the road before the heat really hit.
At this point, the road began to twist around and through the land instead of cutting straight through. Then the pavement turned into a well-worn dirt stretch that descended down the final hill toward a cluster of familiar buildings. A few miles to the east of the small hamlet lay a towering formation of rock that vaguely resembled a scorpion, thus giving the town its name. She was eager to explore and revisit her friends (Daphne had admittedly grown very fond of the town), but first, she was starving. Parking the bright teal van in front of Sergio's Diner, Daphne locked up and ducked inside just as the temperature began to climb.
Looking around, the diner was nearly empty, though she simply chalked it up to it still being a bit early. She sat in a booth and smiled as a familiar face trotted to her table and greeted the redhead with a resounding "Hey, hun!"
It was Dottie, the spunky blonde waitress who she'd met during her previous stay in Scorpion Ridge. Notepad in hand, she cast a puzzled look around the booth. "All alone today?"
"Afraid so," Daphne joked with a shrug and a soft smile.
"Looks like ya scared everyone away!" Sergio called to Dottie from the kitchen.
"Shut it!" Dottie shouted back in a rather gruff snarl, making Daphne jump.
"I'd appreciate a cup of coffee to start," Daphne asked. She needed to settle her nerves first.
"Gotcha, darlin," Dottie responded, and briefly left Daphne's side before returning with her request. As Daphne skimmed the menu, Dottie placed a hand on her hip and inquired, "What's got you rollin' back into town?"
"Hmm? Oh well, I admit that I really wanted to come back and explore the town a bit more. I'm really taken with the scenery and I think a stay here for awhile will kill this writer's block I've been having."
"Well, you'll certainly find your peace and quiet here, hun."
Daphne nodded and ordered her breakfast. She ate in relative silence, taking a notebook from her own backpack and randomly scribbling down some notes. This was, for lack of a better word, her journal. She wrote whatever popped into her head, and this would have all looked completely random and disjointed to anyone besides herself. A wee bit of writing therapy to clear her head without the constant talking of the other four surrounding her was just what Daphne had been craving.
After finishing her meal and leaving a few dollars as a tip, Daphne made her way to the front door, eager to find a little inn. As much as she cared for the local eccentric, Lester, she truly needed a place for herself right now. Now, Daphne was prone to getting lost in her own head (a useful way to have some "privacy" when in an overcrowded van), and what a worse time for that to happen then now. She turned to wave goodbye to Dottie and Sergio while swiftly pushing open the door- WHAM -and the color drained from Daphne's face when she realized that the door had rammed into something solid.
She turned to apologize and perhaps offer to buy the poor victim's meal, only to see that she was staring into someone's torso. Gulp. This individual was clearly much taller, and she craned her head back to look up at the recipient of the less-than-friendly greeting.
"Why don't you watch where you're going," came a deep, stilted voice from the familiar man. Daphne cocked her head. Blue coveralls, a baseball cap, and the name tag with the name BUCK scratched on in permanant marker. Ah! Now Daphne remembered him fully. And by this time she immediately felt sheepish; their previous interactions had been... Less than stellar, to say the least. Good job, Daphne.
"S-Sorry, Buck. Didn't mean it, I swear!"
The mechanic blinked as he heard that familiar voice and took a closer look at the much shorter woman in front of him. His stern grimace faded slightly into a grin and he tipped his cap politely. "Hey, there, Red." Hey, it's not his fault that he didn't know her name.
"May I buy your meal for you?" Daphne offered, keeping her promise. "I really feel bad about giving you a concussion," she attempted to joke.
Buck rolled his eyes a little. "I'm made of tougher stuff than that, Red."
"I'll be more careful next time. Here." She handed him a twenty. "Lunch is on me." And with that, she scurried off to get out of his intimidating presence.
Buck briefly watched her go. He too felt a little bad for scaring her; he can't help being so tall. Sure, it's helped his reputation as a tough guy and most likely deterred anyone who meant him harm, but he was only human. He glanced about as he walked inside the diner. As he passed by the booth where Daphne had been seated, Buck spotted something laying on top of the seat.
It was a piece of paper, looked to be from a notebook. Hmm, that wasn't receipt paper. And the scrawl was handwritten, not typed. Normally, the mechanic would keep to himself and shrug it off, but for some reason he just HAD to see what was on the paper. He was a little on the curious side, after all. Nosy, curious, whatever word fits. Grasping the page in one massive hand, he skimmed the writing- and was immediately confused. It was just a bunch of random sentences.
Seeing Buck standing there and scratching his head, Dottie flanked him as she moved in to clear the table. "Whatcha got there?"
"I have no clue," Buck rumbled.
Dottie's eyes widened a little. "I did see that young lady writing in a notebook earlier. It probably fell out when she packed up."
The large Native American man groaned. Sure, he could throw it away and be done with this whole stupid ordeal, but this might actually be important to Red. And she did offer to buy him lunch. He sighed and folded the page of randomness, placing it into his pocket. The next time he sees her, he'll hand it off. There. Debt repaid. Simple. Right?
"Get me a cup of coffe," Buck said to Dottie.