Chapter 10: The secret passageway and yet another encounter
Authors Note: I suggest going to YouTube to search the title of the song specified as the accompanying music for this second chase sequence and listen to it while reading the passage with the chase sequence
Just before the group entered the secret passageway, William's keen eyes spotted something interesting in the bookshelf.
"Why, what's this?" He asked as he reached over to the book he spotted.
Taking a look at the book, Velma quickly said, "Jinkies! This is the diary of Alfred Hodge, the missing organ player!"
"Like, I think we should bring it along, Velma." Shaggy suggested. "It may have something useful."
"Good idea, Shag." Daphne remarked as Velma closed the book gently.
Once again, William and Fred lead the way as they made their way through the dark and narrow secret passageway, with Elizabeth holding onto William's hand to keep up with him. As the passageway was quite narrow, only William and Fred had their flashlights turned on.
"Well, I sure wonder what will we find at the other end of this passageway." Fred wondered out loud.
"Like, I hope it's not anything spooky." Shaggy replied from the back of the group.
Just then, the group heard laughter coming from behind them in the darkness.
"Well Shag, maybe we should include your ventriloquism tricks in our act." Daphne commented when she heard the laughter.
"Like, that wasn't me, Daph!" Shaggy replied with a tone of fear in his voice. The laughter then continued.
"Okay, if it wasn't you, Shag, then who?" Elizabeth asked.
The group stopped and turned around. Shaggy turned on his flashlight and shined it at the figure standing behind him and Scooby.
Standing behind them was a man dressed in a dark-coloured suit with green skin, red, ugly eyes and wearing a top hat.
"Zoinks! The Ph-ph-ph-ph-phantom!" Shaggy shouted as everyone else jumped at the sight of the Phantom!
The Phantom smiled at the group menacingly as it closes in on them.
"Run!" Fred shouted.
Immediately, the group took off running down the narrow passageway while the Phantom gives chase!
(Beginning of Chase Sequence. Music: Yakety Sax)
Fred held onto Velma's hand as they ran with Elizabeth holding on to William hand, while Shaggy, with Daphne in his arms and Scooby Doo racing with them, followed close behind.
The group raced down the narrow passageway before reaching a fork where the passageway then splits into three other passageways, one going to the left, the other going straight forward and the third going to the right.
Fred and Velma ended up taking the one on the left, with William and Elizabeth taking the one in the middle while Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne took the one on the right.
When the Phantom reached the fork, he had some hesitation as to which passageway to take before opting for the one in the middle, chasing after William and Elizabeth.
(William and Elizabeth)
The Phantom was chasing behind William and Elizabeth when they came upon a large dark room with five doors, three on the bottom deck while two are on the top deck accessible via stairs on both sides of the large room. (Think about the doors chase scene involving Shaggy, Scooby and Captain Skunkbeard in Pirates Ahoy!)
The pair of sleuths immediately took the door on the left on the bottom deck and immediately shut the door tight behind them, causing the Phantom to have some difficulties as he tries to open that door.
As the Phantom does so, he saw William emerging from the left door on the top deck and went to open the door on the right and entered it.
Immediately, the Phantom raced to the door William just entered and tries to open it, but as he do so, he saw Elizabeth emerging from the bottom right door whistling as she made her way to the bottom middle door as if she and William were not being chased by a phantom.
Once again, the Phantom then tries to open the door Elizabeth had just entered, but as he does so, William emerged from the bottom left door, whistling as he saw the Phantom and walked back into the door he had just exited.
Then, the Phantom tries to open that door as well, but he then saw Elizabeth emerging from the top right door, making her way to the top left door.
Being fooled once more, the Phantom tries to open that door, but as he did so, he once again saw the pair of sleuths exiting the bottom right door, where they then entered it once again when they saw the Phantom making his way to the door.
This time, the Phantom managed to force open the door, but as soon as he opened the door, he saw a cannon armed with a stuffed punch glove aimed at him.
Immediately, he shut the door close, but the force of the punch glove being fired from the cannon was still enough to force the door open and knock him down!
While the Phantom was down, William and Elizabeth quickly made their escape as they strive to reunite themselves with the rest of the group.
(Fred and Velma)
A few moments later, the Phantom was chasing Fred and Velma into a room full of barrels. The duo quickly ducked into one of the nearby barrels. (Think about the barrel scene in the chase scene of Pirates Ahoy!, involving Shaggy, Scooby and Captain Skunkbeard)
As the Phantom looked around, Fred peeked out of his hiding place.
Just then, the Phantom turned and saw Fred. Immediately, he grabbed a broomstick and tried to hit Fred. However, Fred managed to duck out of sight in the nick of time.
A few seconds later, Velma emerged from another barrel and the Phantom saw her. He then tried to hit her but like Fred, Velma was fast enough to duck out of sight.
Then, Fred emerged from another barrel, and the Phantom tried his attempt on whacking Fred with the same result.
Soon, the whole scene was like the Phantom playing a game of "Whack-A-Mole" with Fred and Velma. Each time Fred or Velma appeared at a different barrel, the Phantom will try to whack them with his broomstick, only to end up missing them when they quickly hid back into their barrels.
Eventually, the Phantom became so exhausted that he passed out, with Fred and Velma taking the chance to escape.
(Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne)
Several minutes later, the Phantom was chasing Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne into a room of cabinets. The trio quickly ducked into one of the nearby cabinets. (Think about the cabinets chase scene from Watt a Shocking Ghost involving Shaggy, Scooby and the 10000 Volt Ghost)
The Phantom opened the cabinet the trio had ducked into, only to discover that it was empty!
Just then, Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne peeked out of another cabinet and saw the Phantom looking into the cabinet they had just entered.
The Phantom saw the trio and tried to grab them, but they managed to close the cabinet before he could get them.
Then, the trio emerged from another cabinet. The Phantom caught sight of them and tried to grab them, but once again the trio managed to close the door before he could succeed.
Soon, the whole scene was repeated with the Phantom catching sight of Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne emerging from a cabinet, tries to grab them, only for them to quickly duck back in by closing the cabinet they're in.
Eventually, the Phantom decided to open a random cabinet and peek in, but as he did so, Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne opened another cabinet further away from him and quickly made their getaway.
(End of Chase Sequence)
Eventually, the three groups managed to reunite with each other at the fork where the three passageways reformed into one single passageway.
"Oh my word!" William said as they regrouped, trying to catch his breath, "That chase was sure tiring."
"You can say that again, William" Velma agreed.
"Well gang, we better carry on before the Phantom could catch up on us." Fred said.
"Like, good idea." Shaggy agreed.
After another few minutes of walking, they came upon a door at the end of the passageway.
William opened the door cautiously, not wanting to have a nasty surprise waiting for them on the other side.
To their relief, that door lead to the inside of the closet in Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne's room.
"Like, we're back in our room!" Shaggy said as they got out of their closet and settled down on the sofa.
"Yeah." Elizabeth said. "I think it will be a good idea if you guys lock up the closet door and not use the closet until we get to the bottom of this mystery."
"Good idea, Lizzy." Daphne agreed.
"So this is how the Phantom was able to travel to different places without being seen by anyone." William reasoned.
"It may also explain why rescuers were unable to locate our missing organist's body back then." Fred added.
"True." William nodded.
"Anyways, let's see what this diary has." Velma said as she opened the book.
Sure wonder what will they discover in this diary?
In the meantime, how do you folks think of my choice of the musical piece for this chase sequence? Please read and review!