The Curse of the One Eyed Phantom
Disclaimer: Scooby Doo and all related characters are owned by Hanna-Barbera, Warner Bros.,and Cartoon Network. All other characters, names, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, places, and incidents is coincidental.
Chapter One: The Phantom's Message
The voice on the tape had been electronically altered but the message was unmistakable. Either
Mystery Inc. dispersed and Velma Dinkley leaves Coolsville forever, or prepare to pay the consequences. What consequences were involved wasn't mentioned, but no one, especially Velma, thought the caller meant Mystery Inc. any good wishes.
The second warning arrived a few days later, again by tape, but there were no more threatening tapes in the coming days and the gang put it down as just a prank. That was their first mistake.
One change was made at Fred's insistence. Flood lights were installed on all four corners of the building but after repeated complaints from neighbors, the one thousand watt lamps were replaced with one hundred fifty watt lamps; a timer turned off the lights one hour after dusk. The neighbors didn't complain after the lower wattage lights were installed and every one relaxed and went about their business. This would be their second mistake.
A week passed with no threatening tapes being received. Then, at four o'clock in the morning and with every one asleep, a black robed form slipped from the enveloping darkness, made it's way to the side of Mystery Inc. headquarters. Kneeling to remove the cap of a large canister, the hooded individual splashed a liquid over the wall; walking slowly, careful not to splash any of the liquid onto the black robes.
Suddenly, activated by motion sensors, the flood lights came on, silhouetting the startled phantom.
Recovering quickly, a match was struck, dropped and the phantom rushed to the nearby covering darkness. Behind the running figure Mystery Inc. headquarters exploded in flames.
-Xxxxxx
Part Two: Consequences
On the second floor of the building, Scooby Doo, mascot of Mystery Inc. was the first to become aware that something was amiss.
"Raggy! Raggy! Rake rup!"
"Go away, Scoob! Let me sleep."
"Raggy! Rire!" Scooby's announcement was punctuated by sirens in the distance. This was enough to
bring Shaggy out of his sleep induced fog.
"Scoob! Wake Fred, then Daphne! I'll get to Velma! Remember, we meet at the old oak tree outside!"
"Rright!" And then Scooby ran out of the room, barking loudly; the downstairs smoke alarms went off, joined almost immediately by the upper floor alarms, filling the house with their steady clanging.
Following their fire escape plans, the gang soon rendezvoused at the old tree; they watched the burning
building and the many firemen who went about the business of trying to save the structure.
"Relma? Relma! Rear's Relma?" Fred, Daphne and Shaggy looked disbelievingly first at Scooby then horrified at the inferno before them.
"Stop that man!" was heard as Shaggy started running toward the flaming construction. A fireman stepped in front of Shaggy, blocking his way.
"My friend, Velma, is still in there! Get out of my way!" Shaggy yelled hysterically.
"We can't let you or anyone else go in there! Where is she?" the fireman shouted over the noise.
"Upper story, rear bedroom on the right."
"Marco, Get the ladder truck over here!" And then he turned his attention back to Shaggy. "Take it easy, we'll get her out."
Shaggy watched as the driver, he assumed it was Marco, position the ladder truck and began the task of extending the ladder. The ladder was barely in place when a fireman, the same fireman that had stopped
Shaggy, started up the ladder; in less than five minutes the fireman reappeared at the window, an unconscious Velma slung over his shoulder.
An ambulance pulled up beside the ladder truck; meeting the descending fireman. Velma was placed
inside the ambulance. "I want to go along with her." Shaggy implored the medical personnel.
"Normally, we don't mind; in this case, we're going to be busy. You can help your friend best by meeting her at the hospital." The attendant jumped into the ambulance and it drove off.
It took some time for Fred, Daphne and Shaggy to get to the Mystery Machine and make stops at each home for a change of clothes before heading to see how Velma was doing. They were met at the hospital, not by a doctor, but by the fire Chief informing them that the Mystery Inc. headquarters structure was a total loss. The Chief also told them that arson was suspected.
The Chief was replaced by a white coated doctor. "Friends of Velma Dinkley?" He asked.
"Is she okay?" Shaggy blundered ahead of the others.
"She will be. She took in a lot of smoke. We'll be keeping her overnight at least."
"May we see her?" A worried Daphne asked.
"We have her sedated. She will be awake tomorrow. You can see her tomorrow." The doctor replied.
That night loomed ahead, it would be a long night; no one was interested in sleeping but it was agreed that nothing could be done tonight. The best thing was to get what sleep they could and Fred would pick Daphne and Shaggy up in the morning for their visit with Velma in the hospital.
"She'll be okay, Shaggy. You'll see." Daphne hugged Shaggy in front of his house.
"I know, Daphne. That's not what has me worried." Shaggy returned the hug, feeling as if he needed to hold onto something, someone, or let despair and depression take over. He should have went inside her bedroom to make sure she was awake, not just accept her answering call when he had shouted his warning.
"What has you worried then?"
"Did you see the Chief's eyes at the hospital? Daphne, he thinks one of us set the fire, the others are just covering up."
"Fred, I'm worried about Shaggy," Daphne had returned to the Mystery Machine for the ride to her home, telling Fred about what Shaggy had told her. "He's taking this incident with Velma hard. Do you think there might be something going on between them that we're not aware of?"
"No, Daph. They're just friends. All of us are taking this hard. But I agree with Shaggy, we'll have to solve this mystery to clear our names."
"Thanks, Freddy, for bringing me home." Daphne said as Fred walked her to her door.
"It'll be okay, Daph. Get some sleep, we'll search for clues after visiting Velma."
"Good night, Freddy," Daphne glided into the offered embrace. Their lips met in a brush, then was maintained, neither wanting to part. "See you in the morning." Daphne reluctantly detached herself
and entered her home for a restless search for sleep.
The three friends found a spot in the hospital parking lot and made their way towards the front doors, which opened automatically at their approach. A small coffee shop was open on their left, reception straight in front.
"We're looking for Velma Dinkley. She was brought in last night." Fred, as usual, took the lead.
"Burn unit, fourth floor, room 402." The receptionist said after hitting the appropriate computer keys.
"But she wasn't burned. Why would she be put in the burn unit?" A nervous Shaggy asked.
"she was involved in that big fire last night, wasn't she?" The receptionist asked condescendingly.
"Yes, but..." Daphne spoke up.
"Standard procedure." The lady dressed in pink pointed to the elevators on the right, dismissing the group.
"Two visitors at a time, no more than five minutes each visit." the nurse informed them when they arrived at the nurses station.
"You go first, Shaggy," Daphne softly touched his shoulder, "she needs to see you. Freddy and I can wait." Shaggy only shook his head in acknowledgment.
Shaggy moved slowly, as in a dream, a nightmare, toward the still form lying under the oxygen tent.
She looked pale but he put at least part of that to seeing her through the opaque plastic.
"Velma...Vel?" He faltered, unsure of his voice.
Velma turned, her smile widening when she saw her visitor. "Now, how did I know you would be my first visitor?" She reached out, slipping her slender hand under the crinkly plastic. He took it in both of his, "Fred and Daph are waiting. The nurse said only five minutes. Any idea when you'll get out of this contraption?"
"The doctor said they would run some breathing tests this afternoon. If I pass, I'll probably go home tomorrow morning."
"I never knew any test you couldn't pass." Shaggy smiled for the first time since she had been loaded into the ambulance. "Vel, I promise you, we'll find who did this."
"I know." she reached up to wipe away the tears cascading down his cheeks. "I know."