"That was Captain Groovy and His Bubblegum Army/ You're listening to KNDY, your station for all your favorite bubblegum pop hits. Up next, Sugar, Sugar, by the Archies."
Freddie switched off the radio. "We're here, gang, the Wetherby Estate." He turned to Daphne. "What did your friend Sharon need us for, again?"
"I told you, Freddie," the redhead replied. "I was staying here with her when the Green Succubus showed up!"
"Zoiks! A succubus!" Shaggy held onto Scooby-Doo. The pair shook so hard with fright the van rattled. "Like, what's a succubus?"
"A female demon," Velma explained.
"Roh rno, ra rdemon!" Scooby exclaimed, shaking even harder.
"Relax, there's no such thing," Velma said. "Belief in succubi originated in medieval legends, inspired by…"
"Hey, Velma," Shaggy interrupted, "sorry to interrupt the mid evil legends, but I have another question. Like, what's that light out there?"
They all stared through the van's windows, coated with mist. An uncertain pale yellow light bobbed in the distance.
"It's probably the Green Succubus," Velma said, "come to lead you to the netherworld."
"No, I don't want to go to the netherworld!" Shaggy shouted.
"Velma, stop teasing Shaggy," Freddie ordered.
"We'd better get going," Daphne decided. "I thought Sharon would come out to greet us, but perhaps she's busy. A place this big takes a lot of upkeep and the Green Succubus scared away the only couple workers she had."
Velma said, "Freddie, while we investigate this supposed succubus, keep an eye on Daphne, okay?"
"What do you mean?" Daphne demanded.
"You know, so you don't get tied up," Velma explained.
"I don't know how this thing got started that I get kidnapped all the time," Daphne huffed.
"Well, in Which Witch is Which, you were bound and gagged by the witch and zombie, and in Mystery Mask Mix-Up by the scare pair, and in…"
Daphne interrupted. "And in What the Hex Going On? Sharon Wetherby was tied up. So it's not just me all the time."
"That's true," Velma admitted. "On second thought, maybe you'd better keep an eye on Sharon, Freddie."
"On third thought," said Daphne, "maybe you'd better keep an eye on me after all, Freddie."
There was a knock on the van door. Freddie rolled down the window. "Come with me!" a hooded figure ordered.
"No! You'll never take me alive!" Shaggy pushed Scooby-Doo in front of him. "Protect me from the succubus, pal""
Scooby-Doo jumped behind Shaggy. "Rwhy rdon't ryou rprotect rme!" he suggested.
"Hi, everyone," Sharon said, throwing back her hood to reveal dusty brown hair that reached down past her shoulder blades. "I'm glad you made it, although you may have wasted a journey."
"What do you mean?" Freddie asked, getting out of the van. Daphne jumped out and placed herself between Sharon and Freddie.
"I think the Green Succubus is gone," Sharon explained. "At least, I haven't seen her since Daphne left."
"Hmm, that's interesting," Velma said.
"Shaggy, Scooby, aren't you coming out of the van?" Sharon asked.
"No, like, we're staying right here," Shaggy said. "You know, where the Green Succubus isn't."
"But I told you, the Green Succubus stopped showing up."
"Yeah, but, like, she might decide to make a return engagement!"
"Ryeah!" Scooby agreed.
"That's too bad," Sharon said. "I stocked up on supplies for your visit. I bought eleven types of sliced luncheon meats…"
"Eleven?" Shaggy gasped.
"…and fourteen types of sliced cheese!"
"Zoiks, Scoob! Think of the sandwiches we could make!"
"And that doesn't include the bread, veggies, sauces, jams, and peanut butter, both chunky and smooth!"
"Chunky and smooth!" Shaggy echoed. "Scooby, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
…..
"Isn't this cozy, Freddy?" Sharon asked, snuggling up to him on his left side. She wore a sleeveless blue dress with a black belt and black slip-on loafers.
"Hey, Sharon," said Daphne, snuggling up to Freddy on his right side. She wore her usual purple dress and green scarf. "You ever hear the expression that two's company, but three's a crowd?"
Velma frowned at the three of them sitting on a sofa in one corner of the expansive living room. "We're not supposed to be getting cozy. We're supposed to be hunting for the Green Succubus."
"But Sharon said she stopped showing up," Freddy said, enjoying the attention.
"She'll probably show up," Sharon said, "now that Daphne's back."
"What are you suggesting?" the redhead flared.
"You know what I mean," Sharon said.
Freddy glanced around the room, oblivious to the tension surrounding him. "Nice place you've got here, Sharon."
"Yes, but it's so-o-o-o-o-o lonely," she sighed. "If only I had someone to share it with me."
"Maybe you could get a roommate," he suggested.
Sharon giggled. "You're on the right track, but it wasn't a roommate I was thinking of. Freddy, could you be a sweetheart and get me a glass of orange juice, please?"
"I'd like a glass of apple juice, Freddy," Daphne added quickly.
"One apple juice and one orange juice, coming up," Freddy agreed.
"Thanks for asking if I wanted anything, Freddy," Velma said.
"I might have known I'd find the two of you in here," Freddy said when he went into the kitchen. Shaggy was building a sandwich, layer upon layer, the top mere inches from the ceiling.
"Ryum, ryum!" Scooby-Doo licked his lips.
"I call it the Towering Inferno," Shaggy explained, placing a slice of swiss cheese, delicately, so it wouldn't topple over.
"I understand the towering part." Freddy poured two glasses of grape juice, since he'd forgotten what the girls had asked for. "But why inferno?"
"That's where the hot sauce comes in," Shaggy explained, dousing the sandwich with a bottle decorated with flames on the label.
Freddy returned to the living room. "Here's your juice, Daphne, Sharon."
"Freddy, look!" Velma exclaimed.
Daphne and Sharon shrieked in surprise. A panel in a wall nearby slid open. The floor beneath them rotated. The couch swung behind the wall, disappearing into darkness. When it returned, there was no sign of either Sharon or Daphne!
…..
"Rcareful, Rshaggy!"
"Almost got it, Scooby!" Shaggy stood on a chair to place the top slice of bread on his sandwich.
"Ge-e-e-e-e-et ou-u-u-ut!"
"Nice try, Scooby." Shaggy jabbed a toothpick with an olive onto the sandwich. "You're not tricking me into running away so you can eat this masterpiece!"
"Ge-e-e-e-e-e-et ou-u-u-u-ut!"
"You don't even sound like a succubus," Shaggy remarked, carefully counting the layers. "A little light on the pastrami." He jammed a slice into the sandwich center.
"Rshaggy." Scooby nervously poked his human friend. "Rit's rthe Rgreen Rsucubbus!"
Shaggy shook him off. "I told you, pal, that's not going to work."
"Rno, Rshaggy, rit's rnot ra rtrick!"
"Ge-e-e-e-e-e-et ou-u-u-ut!"
"Scooby, stop poking me! You almost made me knock over my sand… zoiks! The Green Succubus!"
"Ge-e-e-e-et ou-u-ut!" She stood with her hands on her hips, in an oversized, hooded dress. It was two shades of green, and embroidered with arcane symbols. The hem covered her legs down to her green toenails, and the hanging sleeves covered her arms down to her green fingernails. She also wore open toed sandals, and a green mask with horns on the forehead.
"Zoiks, Scoob, like, let's make tracks!"
Shaggy and Scooby-Doo spun their legs, running past the table. As they did, the wind they generated caused the sandwich to start toppling over. Shaggy darted out the kitchen door, Scooby-Doo right behind him. The Great Dane skidded to a stop, returned to the kitchen, and opened his mouth, catching the sandwich before it hit the floor. Layer after layer poured into his jaws! "Rdelicious!" He licked his lips. "Rwhew!" he added, steam coming from his ears as the hot sauce took effect.
"Ge-e-e-e-et ou-u-u-ut!"
Scooby-Doo spun his legs again and caught up with Shaggy in the hallway. They ran down the hall, the Green Succubus in hot pursuit. They flew up a staircase and down another.
"I think we lost her, pal." Shaggy opened a door that led to a guest bedroom. "Let's hide in here. She'll never find us!"
They slammed the door shut and pushed the bed in front of it. Scooby-Doo placed a dresser on the bed, Shaggy tossed on a lamp, and the Green Succubus helpfully added a bedside table to the pile.
"That'll keep her out!" Shaggy said.
"Ge-e-e-e-e-et ou-u-u-ut!"
"Hehe," laughed Shaggy. "She's probably getting mad since she can't find us!"
"Ge-e-e-e-e-et ou-u-u-ut!"
"It's funny how her voice carries, though. It's like she's right here in the room with us!"
"Ruh-roh," said Scooby. "Rshaggy, rdon't rlook rbehind ryou!"
"Relax, Scooby, there's nobody… zoiks! The Green Succubus!"
She was standing right behind them! Shaggy and Scooby-Doo pushed the bed out of the way and darted out the door. Just in time, as the Green Succubus swept her arms to catch them!
She followed them out, the hood falling back slightly to reveal her soft, orange-red bangs.
Shaggy and Scooby-Doo ran up another staircase and darted down a long hall. They paused before a corner to catch their breaths.
"Scooby, somebody's coming," Shaggy whispered. "It's probably the Green Succubus. Why don't you jump out and grab her?"
"Rwhy rdon't ryou?" the Great Dane suggested, pushing Shaggy forward.
Shaggy crashed into someone soft and feminine. "Gotcha!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her.
"Why, Shaggy, how passionate you are!" Velma murmured. "I always suspected you had feelings for me, deep inside… really, really deep inside, but still there. I knew that one day, like magma under the earth, they'd burst to the surface and you'd take me in your arms and…"
"Oh, it's you, Velma," Shaggy said, letting her go.
"Hi, gang," said Freddy, turning the corner to join them. "Any sign of Daphne or Sharon?"
"Like, what happened to them?" Shaggy asked.
"Short story, they both disappeared," Freddy explained.
"As best as we can figure things out," Velma said, "when the sofa rotated into a secret area behind the wall, it tilted down, and they fell down a chute into a basement."
"We haven't seen them since," Freddy added.
"Let's try their cell phones again," Velma suggested. "I'll call Sharon and you try Daphne."
"Right!" Freddy agreed.
"Like, do you hears bells?" Shaggy asked.
"Every time I'm with you, Shaggy," Velma assured him.
"No, I mean, coming from down the hall."
"That's Daphne's phone!" Freddy said. "It's coming from this room." He rattled the doorknob. "Locked!"
Freddy knelt down. Wetherby Estate was an ancient structure; all the doors had large, clunky locks. By peering through the keyhole, he could see most of the room.
Daphne sat in a wooden chair, her arms behind her back. Ropes tied her ankles together. A big, green bandana was tied over her mouth. She saw Freddy's eye in the keyhole; she tilted her head, desperately trying to form words, but the bandana prevented any intelligible sounds from forming.
"Hang in there, Daphne," Freddy called through the keyhole. "I'm coming to the rescue!" He threw himself against the door, but all he accomplished was to hurt his shoulder.
"Freddy, stop that," Velma ordered. "Scooby, can you do something?"
The Great Dane turned around, and inserted his tail into the keyhole. He scrunched his face, concentrating as he wiggled his tail, testing the lock. "Rit's rno ruse," he said.
"Would a Scooby snack help you concentrate?" Velma asked.
"Ryeah, ryeah, ryeah!"
"A Scooby snack would help me concentrate too," Shaggy hinted.
"You're not doing anything, Shaggy," Velma said, tossing Scooby a couple of the doggie treats.
Scooby-Doo ate the snack with relish and inserted his tail again. This time it clicked open!
"Good job, Scooby!" Freddy praised.
"Rah, rshucks," Scooby-Doo said, looking sheepish.
Freddy led the way into the room. "Daphne!" he exclaimed. "Where are you?"
The room was empty, except for Daphne's cell phone lying on the wooden chair….
…..
Sharon Wetherby's cell phone rang. It had been ringing a lot lately. There was nothing the brunette could do to answer it, though. She sat in another wooden chair in another room in the Wetherby Estate. Like Daphne, she was tied. Besides her wrists bound behind her back, and her ankles crossed and bound, a couple ropes surrounded her torso. A white bandana gagged her.
The doorknob rattled. Could that be Freddy, trying to get in?
"I'm sure I heard Sharon's ring tone coming from in here," Velma said.
"Good news; it's not locked," Freddy announced.
"Mpfff!" Sharon called out when they entered.
Freddy darted to her reach her, but the floor rotated as the wall opened up, taking Sharon away. "No, I was so close!" he shouted.
"Wait a second, Freddy," Velma said. "Sharon was tied pretty tight to that chair. I think she'll be right back."
Sure enough, the chair and Sharon rotated back out.
"Man, this place sure is full of secrets," Shaggy said.
"Ryou rsaid rit!" Scooby-Doo agreed.
"Sharon, are you okay?" Freddy lifted the gag from her mouth. "Where's Daphne?"
"Oh, Freddy, I don't know how to tell you this," Sharon said, "but Daphne is the Green Succubus!"
"WHAT?" everyone shouted.
"It's true," the brunette said. "She tied me up, but not before I grabbed one of the horns. The mask come loose, and I saw Daphne underneath! She was furious that I recognized her, and promised she'd do something terrible to me, to make sure I kept her secret quiet!"
"Wait a minute," said Velma. "We saw Daphne tied up a little while ago."
"Oh, did you?" Sharon thought fast. "Well, she must've tied herself up, so as to keep suspicion off her. Yes, that's it!"
"But why would Daphne pretend to be the Green Succubus?"
"It's jealousy," Sharon said instantly. "She knew the two of us were getting close, Freddy."
"Close to what?" Freddy asked blankly.
"So she invited herself to my place to check things out, trying to discover the hidden passages and rotating floors and all that…"
"Hey, like, did anyone else hear that thump?" Shaggy interrupted.
"I didn't hear anything," Sharon said, giving Shaggy an irritated glance. "As I was saying, she then put together this Green Succubus costume, so I'd call you all over to investigate."
"I don't believe it," said Freddy. "That doesn't sound like Daphne at all."
"It's exactly like her," Sharon insisted.
"Like, why would she do all that?" Shaggy asked.
"She wanted to scare me away, of course," Sharon said, "so then she'd have Freddy all to herself. Look, the Green Succubus was here the entire time of her visit. Then she left, and so did the monster. Now she's back, and guess what? The Green Succubus is too!"
"Hey, there's that thump again!" Shaggy said.
"I keep telling you, there isn't any thump!" Sharon insisted.
"I heard it too," Velma said. "It's coming from this closet!"
"Keep out of that closet!" Sharon ordered. "There's nothing in there except… except some of my underwear, and that's private."
"You store your underwear in a closet in an unused bedroom?" Velma asked.
"The door's locked!" Freddy knelt down. "And it's too dark to see inside."
Velma said, "Scooby, can we borrow your tail again?"
"Rokay," he agreed.
A minute later, they had the door open. "Mpfff!" Daphne said as she hopped out, still bound and gagged.
"Daphne! Are you okay?" Freddy asked, removing the bandana. "Who did this to you?"
"It was Sharon! She's been pretending to be the Green Succubus all this time!"
Sharon blazed back. "No, Daphne, you're the one who's been pretending to be the Green Succubus!"
"She wanted you to think I was the Green Succubus, so she could have Freddy all to herself," Daphne explained. "She knew you wouldn't have anything more to do with me if you thought I was doing something sneaky like that."
"Rlook rat rthis!" Scooby-Doo had been sniffing around in the closet, and he now pushed out a large shopping bag.
"What do you have there?" Velma asked. She opened the bag. "It's the Green Succubus costume!"
"You can see it's Daphne's," Sharon said. "That dress is much too big for me!"
"That doesn't prove anything," Velma said. "The costume is meant to be on the large side."
"Why do you all take her side?" Sharon seethed. "I'm telling you, Daphne's the Green Succubus!"
"There are some open-toed sandals," Velma observed. "Hmm, a bit small for your feet, Daphne. Would you try them on, Sharon?"
"What is this, Cinderella?" Sharon asked derisively. "This is the first time I've seen those sandals."
"A green mask," Velma said, continuing her inspection of the shopping bag. "Green clip-on fingernails and toenails… plenty of rope… a few bandanas… and finally, there's this!" Velma said, holding up an orange-red wig.
"I've never seen that wig before!" Sharon insisted.
"I think we'd better call the sheriff," Freddy decided.
"But first, we'd better make sure Sharon doesn't get away," said Daphne. "Come on, let's tie her up!"
"I really don't think that'll be necessary," Velma said, but she was too late. Daphne had already launched herself at Sharon.
"I'm so sick and tired of everyone tying me up all the time," the redhead fumed. "Time somebody else got tied up! I'm going to wind the ropes around your arms, like so, urghh! That's not working; maybe if I twist a rope like this… no, not that either. Jeepers! Those villains never have the slightest bit of trouble tying me up, so why is this so hard? Wait, I've got you this time for sure, Sharon. Hey, stop that. Mpfff!"
"I'm sorry I had to tie Daphne up," Sharon said, as she tightened the bandana that gagged the redhead, "but it was the only thing I could do to stop her from tying me up!"
"I'm calling the sheriff!" Freddy announced.
"An excellent idea," Sharon agreed. "He can arrest her for being the Green Succubus!"
"Oh, give it a rest, Sharon," Velma said. "How could Daphne possibly be the Green Succubus? You can claim the small sandals and red wig were meant to frame you…"
"I do claim that!" Sharon shouted.
"…but you made one mistake."
"Oh, what's that?"
"Nobody's going to believe that danger-prone Daphne would ever be able to tie up anyone!"
Daphne squirmed on the floor, looking indignant as Sharon abruptly went silent.
"And don't bother calling the sheriff, Freddy," said Velma. "He'll say there's no law against pretending to be the Green Succubus in your own home or tying yourself up, either!"
"But, like, what about when she tied up Daphne?" Shaggy asked.
"Oh, come on," Velma said. "Daphne gets tied up all the time. That would be like calling the police because you saw someone jaywalking. I'm pretty sure the friendship is over, though."
"Mpfff!" Daphne agreed vigorously.
"No, don't untie her, Freddy." Velma put her hand on his arm. "Or the fight will just start all over again."
"No, Freddy, don't go!" Sharon pleaded, but Freddy lifted Daphne over one shoulder, and left the mansion with her.
…..
The photograph showed Freddy, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo sitting around a campfire on the beach. Originally, Daphne had been in the picture, too, sitting next to Freddy. Thanks to Photoshop, though, Sharon was now in the redhead's place.
"One day it'll really be like that," she promised.
THE END?