Night Whispers
Rating: R, for violence, language, and graphic content
Disclaimer: Guess what. I still don't own Scooby-Doo, despite my violent attempts to take over Cartoon Network and rule with an iron fist. Who knew Eustace and Muriel were so handy with machine guns? ^_^
Summary Chapter 3: Shaggy has overstayed his welcome at Whispers Inn…
Chapter 3:
A Dish Best Not ServedFred woke up, yawned, and rolled onto his side. It felt good to just sleep in, without having any sort of deadline, any alarm to wake him up. He felt sort of dizzy, but he attributed it to exhaustion from driving so long yesterday.
He peered out the window, only to find it was cast in complete darkness.
It still couldn't be so late… he rolled out of bed, and headed over to the window. It wasn't dark out… the window had been completely covered in snow.
That meant that the first floor was completely covered with snow. "I guess there really were twelve feet of snowfall… hey Shaggy, Scooby… wake up, check this out."
He turned, and froze. Shaggy wasn't in bed.
"I guess he got up early and went to get some breakfast." He said, shrugged, and began to get dressed.
Scooby finally awoke from his comatose position on the bed, and yawned. "Where's Rhaggy?" Scooby asked, looking around.
"I think he left you behind to get some food, Scoob." Fred replied. He yawned absentmindedly. It seemed to be getting hotter in the room, and he was getting tired once again.
The Great Dane looked taken aback, and poked his ears forward. "Rood without me? Ri'll rhow him!" Scooby exclaimed, boxed forward a pretend hand, and strutted out of the room, only having minimal difficulty with the door, now that it had been pushed closed so many times.
There was a light knock on the door as soon as it closed. "You okay, Fred?" Daphne's voice called.
"That really depends on your definition of it, I suppose." Fred called back.
There was a long silence from the other side. After a moment, Fred heard Velma say, "I say we break down the door and go in."
"Hold on, hold on, I'm coming." Fred said. He tied his ascot, and went to open the door.
Daphne and Velma both looked somewhat haunted, though relieved to see him. "What's wrong?"
"Have you looked outside?" Daphne demanded.
"Yes… we're really snowed in. The windows are all blocked off." Fred agreed.
"No, that's not what we're talking about. That's only part of it." Velma said. She bent down by the grating of the vent, and began pulling the cover off.
"What're you doing, Velma?" Fred asked, bending down next to her. While he usually respected Velma's ideas, and sometimes-abstract concepts, this seemed a little more destructive than helpful.
Velma began to pull handful after handful of plastic wrap from the vent. Some of it came out with difficult. "This stuff was stapled in the vents. Daphne and I noticed something shining from our vent this morning. Coupled with the door… which is airtight… and the snow that just piled up over the windows…"
"If you spent another night in there, all three of you would have-" Daphne began.
"Suffocated." Fred finished for her. "But oh God… that means that someone is trying to kill us." No wonder the room was getting so hot… he thought, with slight horror at how close they had nearly come to an eternal sleep.
"I think I know now why people don't complete their stay at Whispers Inn." Velma said, her voice low.
"We've got to warn Shag and Scooby. They could be in danger." Fred said.
At that exact moment, a blood-curdling howl exploded through the hotel, carrying with it the sound of pain, loss, sadness…
"Oh no…"
Followed by a cry audible throughout the building…
"RRHAAAAAAAAAAAAGGYYYYY!!!!!!!"
~~~~~
No matter how fast you run, you're always late. Too late.
"Oh… Scooby…" Daphne said, laying one hand gently across the Great Dane's back.
The dog stood guard over his fallen master, sorrow etched in every contour of his body. His tail hung listlessly, draped over the ground.
Velma knelt down next to Shaggy, laying one hand first on his wrist, then at the side of his neck. "H-he's dead…"
This invoked another ear-splitting howl from Scooby. Fred stood in stunned silence. "Couldn't we… call an ambulance? Or…" Daphne began hesitantly, tears tracing small rivers down her cheeks.
"Nothing could get through that snow." Velma interrupted.
It was then that Phillip Blank and old Mrs. Saur came into the room. Both of them looked stunned, the old lady clasping one hand over her heart, Blank stopping as if transfixed.
"My god… what happened here?" Blank asked hesitantly.
Velma sat back onto her feet and thighs, a strange mixture of emotions slowly working itself across her face. "I… I don't know…"
There was not a mark on the young man… none that they could see out-right, at least.
"Who would do such a thing to such a nice young man?" Mrs. Saur demanded in her raspy voice.
Velma broke out into heart-wrenching sobs, no longer able to contain it. Daphne began to cry once again as well, hugging her best friend close. "Velma… oh Velma…"
Without word or preamble Daphne led her from the room.
That left Fred, Blank, Saur, and Scooby, the latter who was in no inclination to do anything but whimper mournful sobs.
For a long moment, there was silence. Then, Fred demanded, "Where's McCullogh and that little rat of an assistant of his?" He demanded, his hands clenching into fists.
"I haven't seen them today…" Blank began.
"I'll find them." Fred said, and stalked from the room.
No one stays as long as they choose in Whispers Inn, hmm?
Fred thought. When I find those bastards, they'll regret giving me even THAT small of a clue!~~~~~~~~~
Oboebyrd: Short chapter, but that was harder for me to write than I thought. If you were wondering, here is where the rating begins to escalate, so if you were wondering why I have it posted as 'R', the next few chapters will show you why.
