Chapter 11: The capture, explanations and the party goes on
Sure enough, as Shaggy had predicted, they discovered costume parts and certain chemicals inside the locker.
"So this is how the ghost was able to glow." Fred says.
"Yeah, like, with that formula on making the luminative paint dye from chemistry class, he was able to make his costume glow." Shaggy nodded as he gestured at the notes Daphne had picked up.
"And with the handwriting of the notes and locker number, we can guess who was responsible for pulling this ghost stunt." Fred added.
"But what about the champion plaque?" Daphne asked. "It's still missing."
Just then, the ghost appeared at the doorway and hollered, "Ah, there you are!"
"Like, why don't you ask him, Daph?" Shaggy asked frighteningly. "Gangway!"
Immediately, the group took off, running around the locker room as the ghost gives chase.
Eventually, the gang managed to exit the room and headed straight for the football field with the ghost in pursuit.
After a while, the group managed to lost the ghost before reaching the field.
As they raced up the short stairs and reached the field, Daphne accidentally tripped over a piece of rope.
"Ooof!" She exclaimed as she hit the ground.
Before Fred could ask if she was alright, Shaggy and Scooby followed, with the former also tripping over the rope.
As Shaggy got up, Scooby unknowingly bumped into him, causing him to fall over again, while Scooby fell backwards, dazed, down the stairs and started rolling like a wheel towards the pursuing ghost behind them.
"Scooby, look out!" Daphne shouted as she helped Shaggy up.
The ghost, upon seeing Scooby rolling towards him, quickly reversed direction and tried to run off.
However, Scooby collided right into him and landed right on top of him.
"Like, you did it, Scooby!" Shaggy shouted. "You caught the ghost!"
"Ri did?" Scooby asked before looking down and saw the ghost right under him, struggling to get up to no avail. "Ri did!"
Moments later, the school's faculty were at the football field as the gang and the principal accompanied the ghost.
"You kids did a marvelous job in capturing the ghost." Principal Spears said.
"Thanks, Principal Spears." Daphne replied. "But Scooby is the one you should thank."
"Yeah." Shaggy nodded. "He really sacked the ghost in the dugout."
"But anyways, let's see who this ghost really is." Fred says as he pulls the mask off, revealing a familiar-looking face.
"Why, it's Ray, the guitarist of the Alex Super Experience Band, who's in our chemistry class." Daphne recognized.
"Like, but I don't understand!" Shaggy says. "Why did you dress up as a ghost to interrupt the Halloween costume contest?"
"Surprise!" Mr. McDabble said.
"Huh?" Daphne asked. "What's going on?"
"Well, let me explain, kids." Principal Spears says. "Throughout the history of Coolsville Central High School, every Halloween party, we hold the tradition of having a mystery-solving event during the party, right after the costume contest. This year, with special thanks to Mr. McDabble, head of the school's science faculty, as well as Randell 'Ray' Jackson, who was on the school's science honour roll last year, we were able to come up with this spectacular mystery."
"Wait, so everything we went through was just a game?" Fred asked.
"That's right." A voice said, and as everyone turned and looked, it was Paul Wilkins, the school's former football player who's very much alive and is now the school board superintendent. "The legend regarding my disappearance back in 1930 was simply part of the mystery-solving event. While it was true that I quarreled with my teammates after the 1930 state finals, I didn't disappear. Rather, a few days after the finals, my father received a job transfer to San Diego, so I moved out of town. Even though I was attending school there, I still missed my days back here, and after getting employed in the administrative sector of various school boards in the state, I eventually made the transfer to Coolsville and became the superintendent of the school board."
"I see." Fred nodded. "So when Principal Spears pitched to you the idea Mr. McDabble and Ray came up with for this Halloween's mystery-solving event, you agreed to come on board, since Ray does bear some resemblance to you at a young age, right, Mr. Wilkins?"
"That is correct." Paul nodded. "He sure did a great job dressed up as my ghost."
"Like, so Ray, after Mr. McDabble taught us how to make the luminous paint in class, you know you can use those chemicals he used to make the ghost costume after you and Mr. McDabble were pitched the idea for this mystery-solving event, right?" Shaggy asked his classmate.
"That's right, Shaggy." Ray nodded. "It was part of the game, you know, so I got myself the costume and made the paint."
"And to point the finger of the disguise to yourself, you took some of the chemicals and stored them in your locker and even painted the door with the paint you've made." Daphne pointed out.
"That's right." Ray said. "I knew that in popular legends, ghosts tend to haunt the place where they were last seen alive, and since that locker room was where Mr. Wilkins was supposedly last seen alive, and since my own locker at school is filled with other stuff, particularly equipment for my practice with Alex's band, I knew I had the spare locker in the teams locker room as a place."
"You even dropped your chemistry notes there to further solidify our suspicions that you were involved." Fred added as he showed the notes Daphne had picked up.
"Like, so as Principal Spears was announcing me as the winner in the costume contest, you were getting prepared for the ghost entry, right?" Shaggy asked Ray.
"That's right." Ray nodded. "Once I put on my costume, I entered the balcony that oversees the entire gym during the contest, and two guys from the drama club helped get me hooked onto the cable that allows me to appear like I was floating in the mid-air when the lights are out. We did plenty of practices with that beforehand, and it was quite fun."
"Wow." Scooby remarked.
"Like, you can say that again, Scoob." Shaggy said.
"Wow." Scooby repeated.
"Okay, you can stop that." Shaggy turned to Scooby.
"Say, there's something that still bothers me." Daphne said. "What happened to the 1930 football champion plaque?"
"Not to worry." Principal Spears replied as he signalled someone. "Like the ghost stunt, that disappearance was part of the event."
"Right." Paul nodded as two of the school's maintenance staff arrived and carrying a visibly shinier plaque.
"Like, wow!" Shaggy says. "The plaque is as clean as a whistle."
"That's right." Principal Spears nodded. "Our two maintenance staff members used a special drill that makes ghost noises when un-unscrewing the bolts attaching the plaque to the wall."
"So that explains the ghost howling noises we heard when Ray appeared in the darkness in his ghost costume." Daphne nodded understandingly.
"Yeah." Shaggy agreed. "Like, while Ray was doing his act, the two maintenance staff members removed the plaque with the special drills with aid from the luminous light provided by Ray's costume. They must had gotten some of the paint on their boots, because Daph and Freddie later discovered some footprints that led outside."
"Those footprints must have led to where their pickup was parked at, because we soon lost the trail at the parking lot, and when Shaggy asked Scooby to try to track down the scent, he ended up leading us to the cafeteria." Fred added.
"That's right." Mr. McDabble nodded as they wrapped up the mystery. "You kids sure did good in taking part in the event."
"And we sure did had some fun." Fred said. "Right, guys?"
"Yeah." Shaggy nodded.
"We sure did." Daphne added with Scooby nodding in agreement.
"Coolsville Central has always took pride in setting up these mystery-solving events in the annual Halloween party each year." Principal Spears says. "Each year, there's always a group of students that takes interest in the mystery, just like in last year where the Mysteries Five solved the disappearance of the school mascot in the Halloween party's mystery-solving event."
"Cool." Henry remarked. "So I suppose the party resumes?"
"Yes it does, Mr. Chan." Principal Spears nodded. "And now for the music Shaggy had promised."
"Right." Shaggy nodded as he led the faculty back to the gym with the stage curtains closed.
As everyone took their spots, Shaggy walked onto the stage to the microphone after a quick change back to his cowboy costume, accompanied by Scooby.
"Like, good evening, Central." Shaggy spoke in the microphone. "Did everyone enjoyed tonight's Halloween party?"
There were a lot of "Yeah!"s coming from the crowd, although Shelly remarked, "Yeah, I was having fun until you and that ranger beat me in the costume contest."
"Groovy!" Shaggy smiled. "And now, for the music you're all looking forward to. Tonight's Halloween concert is to be performed by...The Coolsville Chamber Orchestra, conducted by an alumni of Central: The great maestro Claudio Messick!"
There was a large round of applause as the curtains opened up, revealing an orchestra of musicians and their conductor all dressed in Halloween costumes with their instruments ready.
After the applause died down, the maestro turned to the orchestra and raised his arms with the baton in hand. The musicians responded by raising their instruments.
After a gentle lift, the maestro gently swinged his hands before the principal violinist started playing the dark and spooky first notes of Camille Saint-Saëns tone poem Danse Macabre.
(Note: Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre is the music piece featured in the Mickey Mouse version of the popular fairy tale Hansel and Gretel from both Mickey Mouse Works and Disney's House of Mouse)
The faculty soon focused closely at the music as the orchestra performs the tone poem, and the musical notes resonates with the creepy, spooky mood.
"Jeepers, this music sure gives one a haunting feeling." Daphne remarked quietly.
"Yeah, they sure know when's the perfect time to perform a spooky piece like that." Shaggy agreed.
"Reah." Scooby nodded in agreement.
"It almost sounds like they're about to cast some spell or curse." Alex Super remarked.
"I certainly will think that, too." Fred nodded.
After the orchestra performed several more Halloween-related music pieces, including a handful of dance pieces, the concert and party were over.
After saying their goodbyes to their friends, Shaggy, Daphne, Scooby and Fred walked home together.
"Boy, this Halloween party sure was fun." Fred remarked as they walked past a group of trick-o-treating kids.
"You said it, Freddie." Daphne nodded. "But it was the mystery that was the highlight."
"Yeah, same here." Shaggy said. "Mr. McDabble sure knows how to come up with spooky but fun mysteries, like, especially with his knowledge of teaching the class on how to make the luminous paint."
"Yeah." Daphne nodded in agreement. "Ray sure did a great job playing the ghost of Superintendent Wilkins."
"And we sure had fun solving the mystery, right guys?" Fred said.
"Like, we sure did." Shaggy agreed.
"Yep. It sure was groovy." Daphne remarked.
"Reah." Scooby nodded in agreement.
Eventually, they arrived at Fred's place first, and while Fred prepares to enter his house, Daphne decided to walk over to speak to him about something, although she did ask Shaggy and Scooby to wait.
As they watch Fred chatting with Daphne, Shaggy remarked quietly, "Like, so what do you think of them together, Scoob?"
"Rou mean Fred rand Raphne?" Scooby asked. Shaggy nodded in reply.
"Ri rink rey should give rit re try." Scooby said.
"Yeah, I would think that, too." Shaggy nodded. "Daph told me that some of her friends have been convincing her to go out with Fred, since they look almost quite alike, like, you know, a beautiful girl with red hair and a handsome-looking blonde."
"Reah." Scooby nodded. "Ran ideal rouple."
It was then that Daphne returned to the duo after saying her goodnights with Fred as he entered his house.
"Sorry for keeping you guys waiting." Daphne said as they carried on walking down the sidewalk. "I had something private to speak to Fred about."
"Like, no worries, Daph." Shaggy replied. "That's what being a gentleman is about, eh Scoob?"
"Reah." Scooby nodded in agreement.
Daphne smiled as they carried on walking down the sidewalk, chatting about other topics and having some laughs.
Eventually, they reached the intersection between Maple and Easy Streets.
"So I'll see you guys tomorrow at school." Daphne said to the duo. "And by the way, thanks for arranging for the concert for tonight's party, Shag. The music they performed were really groovy."
"Like, no problem, Daph." Shaggy smiled. "If I can, maybe I'll arrange the Meedles to come over to perform in Coolsville someday."
"That will be groovy, Shag." Daphne smiled. "I really liked their music, and I look forward to performing in the school's musical talent show with you."
Shaggy nodded as he looked at his friend's eyes. "Like, same here, Daph."
Eventually, after wishing each other goodnight, the trio went their separate ways.
So the group that will eventually become Mystery Inc. has solved their first case, but there's one piece of the puzzle missing.
That's right. That missing piece is Velma! Where is she? How is it that she didn't make an appearance?
Well, in The New Scooby-Doo Movies Season 2 episode The Spirit Spooked Sports Show, it was revealed that Velma had attended a different high school than the rest of the gang prior to transferring to their school.
So far, this story takes place before her transfer to Coolsville Central High School, but don't worry, the story isn't over yet. In fact, it's only close to being halfway through! So stay tuned, and please read and review!