The Cardboard Box
Disclaimer: Scooby Doo and all related characters are owned by Hanna-Barbara, Warner Bros., and/or Cartoon Network. All other characters, names, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, locals is coincidental.
Chapter One: The Letters
For Norville, "Shaggy" to his friends, Rogers, sleep was hours away. The light brown haired man had never been good at writing essays, letters and such but with a pencil or pen and a blank sheet of paper, he could draw a picture that could make one cry or laugh depending on the subject matter. He was involved in such a picture, his hand flying over the page. He had plenty of time but wanted to finish as soon as possible.
A last bit of shading completed the drawing and Shaggy placed the pencil aside, judging the representation. Satisfied, he placed the illustration aside. He leaned back, stretching tired muscles. His bedroom was a typical bachelors pad, clothes, both clean and dirty, were thrown haphazardly around the room. A double bed hovered in one corner, so situated to avoid the morning sun that announced the new day through the one window. The covers lay willy-nilly over the bed, awaiting his return. The old pock marked five drawer chest sat against one wall. One large dog lay spreadeagled across the bed, one hind leg jerked spasmodically as if the canine were chasing a rabbit or in this case a Scooby Snack.
Selecting a notebook, Shaggy opened it to the first page. The blank page stared back. He picked up a sharpened pencil, tapping it on the desk as he contemplated what he should write. The best would be to begin at the beginning but where did it begin? Deciding to start with the gang he began to compose this, his first letter.
Dear Terrie,
I hope this letter finds you healthy and happy. I miss your sweet smile and bright eyes. I wish I could be with you.
I thought I'd tell you about the gang I belong to. My friends and dog make up all the members of 'The Gang'. We solve mysteries for different people. We named our gang, Mystery Inc., but everyone just calls us 'The Gang'.
Fred is our leader and he and I are the same age. He's blond haired, (that means his hair is yellow).
Daphne is red haired and I think she likes Fred. A lot. She's sort of a co-leader.
Velma (more about her later) is extremely smart and often solves the mystery before anyone.
Scooby Doo is my dog or I'm his human, I've never figured out which.
It's late here and I think I'll head off to bed now.
Good night, Terrie.
Shaggy
He folded the paper carefully, placed the page in an envelope and dropped the envelope in the cardboard box. After storing the box on the top most shelf of the closet, he dressed for bed and pushed Scooby aside. "Move over, Scooby, make some room."
-Xxx
Five years later
"Shaggy, you have a choice, go get some pizzas or..." Velma laughed as Shaggy and Scooby ran out of the room so fast her hair flew up from the passing breeze. 'That should get them out of the way while I clean our room'.
It had become 'our' room the past Halloween. They had elected to stay in, passing out candy to the little visitors. The sweets and costumed travelers had come to an end at the same time. A movie and ice cream for dessert seemed the perfect combination to relax. Rampant hormones, overzealous kisses resulting in lustful embraces had ended in love making in her bedroom.
The lilliputian brunette had demanded a major cleaning. With Fred and Daph still gone on their honeymoon the cleanup chores had fallen to to the young couple. Between kisses, hugs and other pleasurable interruptions, it had taken two full days to complete the task.
A good dusting was the first chore followed by vacuuming. Being the organized person she was, she started in one corner moving clockwise around the room. Bookshelf, her chest of drawers, headboard, Shaggy's new chest, change the bedding and lastly the closet. It wasn't that she feared the closet but it would take the most time.
At least Shaggy had learned to pick up his dirty clothes. The problem was he just dumped them in the closet. The wardrobe was where the clothing monster lived. Shaggy and Scooby would have a pizza each while waiting for the pizzas they would be bringing home which gave her enough time to attack and destroy the monster lurking behind those doors.
Being diminutive did have its advantages but confronting the closet monster wasn't one of them. That was where she would need reinforcements in the form of a kitchen step stool. She opened the doors and pulled out the dirty clothes before climbing to the top step.
The top shelf was crowded with various bits of discarded items including a box of Christmas tree ornaments. The cardboard box was hidden behind several pieces of this collection. What called Velma's attention to the box was the happy face drawn on the side of the package. The plan was to move the box aside, wipe the shelf and return the box to its original setting. Unfortunately a little thing called gravity had not been accounted for. A misplaced push and the cardboard box became airborne, landing some five feet behind the stool.
Velma turned to see dozens upon dozens of letters scattered across the floor. "Oh, just great!"
Each envelope was dated, an one word seasonal weather report, and all had one name: Terrie. As Velma worked to put all the envelopes back in order and in the cardboard box Velma was bombarded with thousands of questions. Not the least of which was who was this Terrie and why hadn't the envelopes been mailed?
"Any one interested in Pizza?" Shaggy called when he and Scooby returned.
"Good, you're back and I'm famished. We can have lunch then you can help with the laundry." They hugged and lingered over a kiss. She was dying to ask but remained silent, enjoying the pepperoni flavored kiss.
-Xxx
Coolsville had benefited from excellent weather for several days. Warm days and cool nights were perfect for sleeping and other nocturnal activities. Velma loved this time of year, May flowers perfumed the air. It was also perfect to take a light blanket up on the roof to think about things. Things like a cardboard box and what it held.
One such night found Velma sitting on a worn flannel blanket watching the diamond like stars against a velvet sky. Her knees were drawn up, arms wrapped around her shins; she sat there thinking about how to ask Shaggy or stay quiet. She hadn't come to any decision when Shaggy appeared with two cups, handing Velma one.
"What brings you up here?"
Velma sipped at the hot cocoa, patting a spot beside her, "feet."
"feet?" Shaggy sat down, raising his eyebrows.
"Cold feet, actually." This brought another raising of eyebrows. "Shaggy, do you have a secret girlfriend?"
TBC