When Ghouls Grow Up

Chapter 11: The Greatest Show Unearthed

Shaggy and Sibella walked out of the forest and into the late morning light.

"My, my, Mister Rogers, don't you just love the crisp air this time of year?" Sibella did a quick twirl as she took a deep inhale. Her eyes snapped open wildly. "It's simply fang-tastic!"

"It certainly is, like, nice weather, Sibella." Shaggy, now completely human, stretched his arms wide. "Say, like, what day is it, anyways? I didn't miss Thanksgiving, did I?"

"I do believe it's the last day of November, Mister Rogers." Sibella nodded to herself. "So I suppose you did miss the official day of Thanksgiving." She paused, one of her ears twitching slightly. "However, not all of the traditional festivities seem to be over." She pointed out into the field.

Shaggy followed the pointing finger and went white as a sheet. On the school grounds, Scooby and Jackie were playing football against Elsa and Winnie. Despite the sheer size of Jackie, it was obvious that the two teachers had been worked over painfully, covered in bruises and comical bandages.

"If you'll excuse me…" Sibella curtsied deftly before running over in the direction of the chain-clad giant.

Shaggy actually outpaced the young vampires, but his target was completely different. He tackled Scooby off of the playing field and held the dog's fur like a shirt. "Like, Scoob, ol' buddy, what do you think you're doing?" He chuckled nervously. "Don't you remember that Winnie's Dad will probably kill us?"

"Ree rouldn't rance (She wouldn't dance)." Scooby grimaced. "Rerides, rit's a Raturay (Besides, it's a Saturday)."

"Hm. I suppose that is, like, a good point." Shaggy paused in thought. "And I suppose it is the last day of the month, so it's not like we're going to be out-"

Later than would have been anticipated, Shaggy found himself flat on his back, having been tackled by an all too familiar face. "Heya, Coach!" Winnie's tail swung back and forth with quick, joyful flicks. "We were starting to wonder what happened to you. I mean, I knew you were alright, but you were still gone for quite a while."

"Oh, just get off of him Winnie." Elsa stood over the two, her arms folded.

"Ah, you're just jealous, Stitches." Winnie laughed as she stood up.

"Upset that you took my serum? Yes." Elsa furrowed her brow. "Jealous?"

"Totally!" Winnie smirked, her eyes glinting up at the much taller student.

"What are you guys, like, talking about?" Shaggy brushed himself as he stood up. "What happened with what?"

"You can't tell, Coach?" Winnie raised an eyebrow as she thrust her chest out.

After a moment, Elsa rolled her eyes. "He wouldn't catch on, even if he wanted to, Winnie?" She took a step toward Shaggy and placed a hand on the human's head. With a lone finger, she pushed his head down forty-five degrees and used another finger to target his face.

After a few seconds, Shaggy pointed Elsa. "Say, is this a new shirt? I thought I saw your parents bring you gifts as well at the open house."

Flabbergasted, Winnie marched over to Shaggy, her hands outstretched, but she was stopped by a single one of Elsa's fingers. The taller student nodded slowly. "Give it a minute more." After Shaggy stared blindly at both of them for a few more minutes, Elsa sighed. "Notice anything… bigger?"

"Say, like, speaking about big." Shaggy turned around. "Jackie and Sibella aren't alo-"

"Blast it, Coach!" Winnie ran up and embraced Shaggy from behind. "Look at me! I've hit a G-cup!"

"What?" Shaggy's face turned slightly red as he turned to face the werewolf.

"It was because she stole my serum and drank almost the entirety of the vial." Elsa tapped her massive foot on the ground.

"Well, excuuuuuse me." Winnie turned to Elsa and placed a hand on her ample chest. "But I wouldn't have had to have taken it, if someone hadn't tried one-upmanship, Miss Double Ds."

Elsa blushed. "I swear, it was for scientific purposes! The serum was still experimental! For all I knew, it could have changed my skin green and my hair into feathers, without the desired effect, even."

"But it didn't, now, did it?" Winnie nodded smartly. "Besides, you were the one who left it out in the open. I had to grab it, before Miss Drinks-a-lot found it and downed it."

Elsa refrained from her next argument for a moment and placed a thoughtful thumb on her chin. "Okay. I admit that you have a very good point there." She pointed at Winnie. "But did you have to drink the whole thing? It was tough making that first batch, and it's difficult to recreate without a compound to compare to. That could have made me rich."

"Say, like, pardon me for interrupting, but I need to, like, check up on Sibella and Jackie." Shaggy looked around. "You two don't, like, know where they went, do you?"

Scooby came running up at this time. "Raggy! Raggy! Rit's Rackie! (Shaggy! Shaggy! It's Jackie!)" He jabbed his finger towards the corner of the school, which was followed by a powerful shout.

"Oh, good grief." As Shaggy ran, he looked at Shaggy. "Does this happen often?"

"Ro." Scooby smiled sheepishly.

The human didn't take notice as he continued around the corner. What he found there shocked him greatly.

"No, Sibella, seriously." Jackie laughed loudly as he tried to pull his arm away from the student. "I think the wound needs to be washed, not licked clean."

"Oh, sit still, you big baby." Sibella giggled before licking a cut on Jackie's arm. "It's all the same, in the end. It's better than me tackling you and biting your ear, right?"

"I'm starting to wonder." Jackie shouted again. "What the heck! Do vampires have hydrogen peroxide for saliva, or what?"

"No." Sibella smiled impishly. "Like I said, you're a big baby."

"I am not." Jackie tried pulling his arm away again, when he noticed Shaggy and Scooby. "Oh, well, this is embarrassing."

"At least she's not, like, attacking you." Shaggy released a soft laugh, followed by a sigh. "Yeah things seem just about right." He stared up at the thin layer of cloud cover. "Oh, hey, like, look." He pointed at something falling out of the sky. "It's, like, the first snowflake of the year."

"Rah! Rowrake! (Yeah! Snowflake!)" Scooby stuck his tongue out to catch the beautiful ice crystal.

"Seems like everything's just about per-" Shaggy's eyes shot open. "Wait… first… snowflake?" He swallowed heavily. "Oh no."

Also as soon as Shaggy had uttered those words, the ground began to tremble.

"Woah! What's going on?" Jackie looked around quickly. "I don't remembering my dad planning a visit or anything."

Small fissures began to erupt from all sides of the school as the trembling became worse. Those fissures became boiling pots of dirt and rock with each bubble spewing forth more soil from the holes.

"Like, I have no idea, man." Shagy held the shivering Scooby in his arms as he backed up to the school's wall. He whimpered along with the dog. "But something, like, tells me we're about to find out."

Out of the churning hole began to emerge a mechanical colossus. It had to have stood nearly as tall as the school itself. The size was absolutely horrifying, but the design…

"It's… so cute!" Sibella laughed at the giant robot, which was shaped like some sort of plump mole, including ridiculously massive teddy bear eyes and smile. "Who invited the circus here? That's just too cute."

More quaking began, and as the group look around, they could see that similar robots were on either side of the school.

Laughing nervously, Shaggy swallowed heavily. "Like, they might be cute, but they're still giant robots."

"Rah. Riant robots! (Yeah. Giant robots!)" Scooby was hiding behind Jackie, just peaking from behind him.

"You know, ordinarily, I would agree with you, Sibella." Jackie's smile between very taut. "However, it should be acknowledged that this just isn't natural. In fact, it's just plain creepy."

Sibella sighed. "Boys."

A more powerful tremor shook the field and the school at its very foundations. The group standing beside the school didn't even have to crane their necks to see the massive robot that stood at the feet of the one in front of them. It, too, looked like a mole, but a very vicious one made out of various drill and miscellaneous cogs. A giant glazed window made up its eyes.

"Finally! It's time!" The window's glaze cleared away to reveal one of the teachers was operating it. "It is finally time to end this silly charade and get to business."

This time, it was Shaggy who laughed. "Oh, come on, seriously?" He wiped the seat from his brow. "I was, like, really worried there, for a minute." He walked towards the small robot. "Hey, like, what are you doing, Mr. Squirm? Some landscaping?"

"DON'T make fun of me!" A drill-claw crashed into the ground right in front of Shaggy. "Everybody makes fun of the bookworm. What kind of monster is that? A bookworm can't do anything. Hah!" The worm's glasses narrowed. "Well, let me tell you, this bookworm's going to do something! I'm going to take over this school and train monsters, not to eventually make peace with humans, but to conquer humanity!"

"With this?" Sibella cracked her knuckles on her hip. "I don't know what you're thinking, but this isn't exactly intimidating."

"Oh, I do suppose you're right." Mr. Squirm smiled calmly. "It certainly is a good thing I have this button here, then." His thick tail slammed onto a giant blue button on his dashboard.

A small beacon shot out of the small robot's head and began to gleam. The small robot began to shake violently, rapidly expanding into a true behemoth. The other robots began to lose their exterior shell, revealing nightmarish machinations.

"My sincere apologies. I simply thought that the irony of a worm being inside of a mole willingly seemed quite fitting for this event." Mr. Squirm's glasses fell off of his nose, but he didn't seem to mind. "Of course, you pay about as much attention in battle as you do in literature class." His robot raised its arm to draw the attention of everyone present to a bluish energy field that surrounded the school and an additional fifty foot radius, forming a sort of box. "As of right now, noone can come in or leave, either physically or by magical assistance."

"Oh, for heaven's sakes," Miss Grimwood walked out of the school's door and promptly placed her hands on her hips, "what is going on out here?"

"Ah, if it isn't the guest of honor herself." Mr. Squirm reached down and grabbed the squat woman in his mechanical clutches. "Couldn't really start the show without you, now could we?"

"Mr. Squirm, unhand me at once!" Miss Grimwood writhed in the hand. "This is most unbecoming of a school teacher."

The bookworm smirked as he raised headmistress to his ride's eye level. "Oh no, Miss Grimwood. It is you who are unbecoming. Unbecoming of a headmaster for such an establishment as a school for young monsters!" He cackled. "Now watch, as I destroy everything you've worked for."

Suddenly, the front doors of the school burst open as a flaming ball of fury rolled out. "Squirm, you slime!"

"Ralmryra (Palmyra)?" Scooby pointed at the flaming fire troll. "Rook, Raggy (Look, Shaggy)!"

"Like, I'm seeing, Scoob. I'm seeing." Shaggy laughed. "We might actually stand a chance."

"Ah, yes. I hate loose ends." Mr. Squirm pressed a small yellow button.

A long tube that looked like a giant flute extended from the chestplate of one of the other robots."

Shaggy froze for a moment, but he soon realized nothing was happening. He laughed again. "Is that, like, the best you've got? That wasn't so bad, like, was it- SCOOB!" His eyes grew wide as he saw the collapsed dog. He turned his head to see that Palmyra was also sprawled across the ground, not a lick of flame in sight. "What happened?"

"A dog whistle." Sibella slowly moved her hands away from her ears. "Trolls, like dogs, vampires, and werewolves, have incredible hearing."

"Quite right. Give a gold star to the lady." Mr. Squirm chortled. "But don't worry. They're safe. For now. I've simply knocked them out is all." He sighed witheringly. "Unfortunately, my robotic assistants were designed to destroy larger targets than you, so I'm afraid I'll have to call in a little bit of backup.

With two loud crashes, the windows to either side of Shaggy, Sibella, and Jackie shattered, releasing the mechanical math teacher and the lithe music teacher.

Shaggy cowered a bit as the hulking, whirring frame of Mr. Crossedwires stepped in. Jackie, on the other hand, placed his foot between the two. "Don't worry. I'll handle this." He launched his fist at the mechanism, but it didn't so much as dent the metal. Jackie grimaced. "….Ow."

"Ah, yes, did I mention that I had Cogsworth install a few upgrades?" Mr. Crossedwires smiled savagely as he took hold of the giant's arm. With one swift movement, he sent the giant sprawling not far from Mrs. Elmroot.

Sibella tried to take on the music teacher, but it was much harder than she had anticipated. They matched each other's lithe movements as they pranced around a small circle.

"Looks like it's your turn, human." Mr. Crossedwires ranked his metal knuckles.

"Not so fast!" A brown blur intercepted the machine and caught it in the jaw. A few more swift jabs, and the robot was forced back several steps. Winnie grinned at Shaggy and winked. "These robot types are easy. All you have to do is aim for the joints."

Elsa took hold of the machine's back, prying off a large panel.

"What the blazes are you doing back there?" Mr. Crossedwires pulled away from the girl. "Think I'm stupid enough to let you shut me down."

"Think you can distract him for a few more minutes, Winnie?" Elsa hovered behind the open back. "I'm afraid I can't do things too well, if he's moving."

"Sure thing, Stitches." Winnie sped forward, delivering another swift punch to the jaw joint on Crossedwires's face.

With his head spinning, literally, the robot couldn't do much. Elsa was able to grab his back and start messing with wires.

"Oh no… yes… you don't… hurry, Elsa… don't you… I don't… you dare… want to…" The two mechanical faces uttered such awkwardness as the head continued to move round and round.

Unfortunately for Mr. Crossedwires, there wasn't much he could do, stuck between Winnie jabbing his joints and Elsa jamming up his back. Soon, the eyes lost their shine as one of the arms fell off at the elbow. Elsa moved before the construct fell back on her.

Mr. Squirm yawned. "Gold star for style, Miss Gretel, but let's not be sadistic here. Finish them."

Miss Gretel stopped on a dime, avoiding one more punch from Sibella. She kicked the vampire over and drew her head back. Before her mouth could open, though, a white lasso wrapped around it like a gag.

"Don't worry everyone." Tanis swung down from one of the higher windows. "I've got this one wrapped up." She threw a few more loops around the witch's mouth.

Miss Gretel pulled at the tight wrapping, but she soon gave up. With a quick shrug, she fell onto her back.

"Amusing." Mr. Squirm sniffed. "However, even though I said my larger associates couldn't do much against you, I've still got a few more trick's up my sleeve." He whipped his tail into a massive red button.

Shaggy laughed nervously. "Like, you don't suppose that that was the self-destruct button, do you?"

As a nonverbal answer, several shuriken stars caught onto Tanis's bandages. She went flying until she was trapped against the wall.

"Unfortunately, Miss Tanis, the gold star was meant for Miss Gretel." Mr. Squirm sneered. "How about a flower, Sibella?"

The young vampires looked confused, until something snagged in her hair. Her eyes grew wide as she felt the solid. "Ack! No! A rose! Get it off me! Get it off me!"

"Don't worry, Batgirl. I'll save ya." Winnie ran in the vampire's direction, but a silver chain caught her in mid-bound and wrapped around her. In a mere moment, the two young women were lying unconscious on the ground.

"Winnie! Sibella!" Shaggy's breathing sped up. "Tanis! Oh man!"

"Ha!" Elsa crossed her arms triumphantly. "Unfortunately for you, there is no easy way to defeat my species."

"Be careful you don't get a big head, Miss Elsa." Mr. Squirm snickered. "You might just lose it."

Just then, with two sharp clinks, a spidery machine with two wrenches for arms pulled the bolts out of Elsa's neck. Said girl's head proceeded to fall off, its connections having been severed.

As Elsa's head hit the ground, she frowned. "I probably should have expected this." Her eyes shifted around to find her wandering body.

"Elsa!" Shaggy began chewing his fingernails down to the quick as he realized that he was the only one conscious left. Well, him and Miss Grimwood and Mr. Squirm. "Oh man! What do I do? What do I do?"

"Well, ya'll are obviously going to have to do something, Sugar." Phanty drifted out of the wall. "Ya'll are pretty much the only one left."

"Ah, Miss Phantasma!" Mr. Squirm grinned horribly. "You always were the slow one, weren't you?"

The ghost ignored the canned worm and perched herself on Shaggy's shoulder. "Listen here, Sugar. Don't ya'll worry. I know ya'll can do this 'cause Alister told me that only a human could stop this mess."

A gelatinous blob hurtled towards the ghost and ensnared her, leaving her stuck on the ground.

"A true lady should be seen, not heard." Mr. Squirm nodded smartly. "This is a finishing school, after all." He turned his attention to Shaggy and reached his free mechanical hand down. "That's right, however. I almost forgot that you were human." He looked over at Miss Grimwood and leered. "Tell you what I'm going to do. First, I'm going to crush this human to fine powder. Then I'm going to have my machines destroy your school, crushing all of your dreams. Then," He picked his glasses up off of the floor, and they narrowed as he put them on, "I'm going to pop you like a bad grape."

Miss Grimwood pursed her lips. "You can do to me whatever you want, Mr. Squirm, but I demand that you drop Mister Rogers at once!"

"Oh man." Shaggy looked around at his fallen associates. "What could a human, like, possibly do now. Man, do I, like, wish Alister was here to tell me."

The smile quickly evaporated from Mr. Squirm's face. He turned his attention back to Shaggy. "What was that?"

"Oh, I was just wishing that Alister was here." Shaggy smiled sheepishly. "He's seems like a smart guy. I thought he could, like, you know, help."

"Don't say that name!" Mr. Squirm's glasses became bloodshot. "Never say that name!" He began closing his fist like a vice.

Shaggy groaned as he fought against the tightening grip. "Oh, man! Like, Alister!"

"NO!"

The hand made to act like a guillotine, but something stopped it. A branch. A curiously black rose branch. The branch began to grow and snake around the mechanical arms. Similar branches could be seen sprouting around the other robots as well.

A creature whose blackness greatly contrasted with the whiteness of the delicate snowfall showed up beside Shaggy.

"Alister!" Shaggy sighed in relief.

"Naturally. Who were you expecting? Beetlejuice?" Alister laughed. "Anyways, I should probably get you guys out of here." He grabbed Shaggy by the collar and flew over to nab Miss Grimwood. With a few flits of his powerful wings, he deposited them safely on the ground.

After the vines had completely coated their targets, they rapidly rotted and fell apart, leaving nothing let but a shivering bookworm in the middle of the field.

Alister quietly approached the sniveling literature teacher, and before the invertebrate could say anything in his defense, the darker creature snarled. "Save it for someone who cares!" His left arm turned into a flocked of crows which immediately pounced upon the giant form, making for a mass of black feathers. In a few moments, the crows fell high in the air, leaving only a pair of glasses and a sweater vest. As the birds continued into the sky, they ignited and exploded like fireworks.

Shaggy stared up in the sky as he approached Alister, whose arm had grown back. "Like, what just happened? I thought you said you, like, couldn't kill people."

"I said the bogeyman isn't allowed to kill, and I am not the bogeyman. I'm his son, his heir, but not the bogeyman." Alister chuckled warmly as he turned to the human. "But I must thank you. Without the assistance of a human, I could have never left my room."

He thanks went ignored, though, as realization hit Shaggy. "So you can, like, kill people?" He laughed nervously. "So you mean, like, that ax you sent flying towards my head could have, like-" His eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed backwards.

Okay, big battle is over, but there still is one chapter left.

Man, I wish I had a witty author's comment left for you, but I used most of my wit in the chapter. Oh well.

Please, enjoy and review.