Back at HQ, Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby are sitting in the lounge
discussing the case. The time is 7:35 pm and dusk is approaching. They
had gone back to the house to look for more clues, but all in vain. "If
you ask me," states Fred, "I say that this is all a wild goose chase."
"Roose?" asks Scoob perking up his head and smacking his chops. "Yeah,
Scoob and roasted!" jokes Shaggy. Both of them laugh. Scooby stops, looks
at Shaggy with a confused look and says "Ri Ron't Ret Rit." At this, Fred
and Daphne laugh. "If only Velma was here," sighs Daphne, "she could
probably make some sense of this." "Yeah." Fred sighs back "Hey, like
that reminds me." Starts Shaggy, "We haven't seen Velma since this
morning." "Reah." Scooby agrees. "Jeepers!" exclaims Daph, "Do you
suppose she is alright?"
"Well," Fred says picking up the phone and dialing the Dinkley's phone number, "let's find out."
"Velma," whispers Mrs. Dinkley gently shaking her daughter's shoulder, "Velma, wake up."
Velma just rolls on her back and groans. She rubs her eyes and asks, "What time is it?"
"7:37" her mother answers.
"Oh." Velma says opening her sleepy eyes. "Where are my glasses?"
"On your bedside table, dear." Is the reply, "You went to sleep with them on."
Velma gives a weak smile. She reaches for her glasses and slowly starts to emerge out of bed. "Was that the phone I heard ringing a while ago?" she asks.
"Yes," Marilyn replies, "it was Fred. He and the gang haven't heard from you since this morning and were getting worried. I set their mind as ease for you."
"Thanks." Velma says in a sleepy voice. "You're welcome." Mrs. Dinkley says kissing her daughter on the cheek. "Now get washed, dinner is almost ready and you don't want to look like that for your Uncle Fritz do you?"
Velma smiles. "No," she replies, "I guess I don't."
Her mother leaves. Velma walks over to her dresser, and looks into her mirror. There she sees a tired little girl with her hair looking like a rat's nest, a sleepy look on her face, and crooked glasses.
She begins to fix her hair. "At least I get a second chance to ask him about that bed." She thinks, "Now remember, Velma Dinkley, this time try to start the conversation before Mom insists Dad to tell another one of his stories!"
"It's getting late, guys" indicates Fred, "should we go out and get some Dinner?"
At this Scooby and Shaggy put on their jackets and run to the door. "Like ready to go when you are, Fred."
Freddie and Daphne chuckle to themselves. They too get their jackets and all four of them head out the door."
As the Dinkley family sits down for dinner, Velma keeps thinking to herself "Must start the conversation first. Must start the conversation first. Must start the conversation first."
Finally, she gets her chance.
"Uncle Fritz," she starts.
"Yes, Velma?" her uncle replies with a loving look in his eyes.
"There is a question that I have been meaning to ask you." She starts up again.
"Well then, go on. Ask away!"
Velma takes in a deep breath, thinking of how to put her question. "Is it possible," she begins, "for a flowers growing in the shade to grow better than those not?"
"Well," Fritz begins, "it can depend..."
"On what?"
"Well, on the fertility of the soil." He explains. Velma leans forward nearly putting her elbows in her plate. "Go on." She orders in her 'interesting' voice.
"Well, soil that has more nutrients," he continues, "will produce a better crop than those that don't. Why do you ask?"
"It's like this." Velma answers sitting up. "In this case that the gang and I are recently involved in, there is a flowerbed in the backyard which is shaded by a big oak tree."
"I see." Her uncle says. "Just out of curiosity, how big is this area?"
"Three by four feet, and it reeks!"
"Reeks?"
"Yes, there is a stench of something of which I would rather not say since we are eating."
"And by this stench," Fritz inquires, "how long do you think that this 'thing' has been there?"
"Two to three days." Velma replies stuffing her mouth full of her dinner.
Uncle Fritz scratches his chin. "Hmmm," he says, "that is a fairly large animal. Now a bunch of those things would be more like it, yet that is very unlikely..." he keeps talking about many different species of animals in the area. Velma just stares into space, thinking. "...Now a human being," Franz continues, "well that's another story. You see, because of what we eat, the stench of a corps is very unpleasant. It is like nothing you have ever smelled before, or ever will...."
"Of course," thinks Velma, "the area is big enough to hold a body. And when I disturbed the dirt, there was no sign of animal decay. Then it must have been a..." She jumps up, and runs to the coatroom. Uncle Fritz stops speaking, "Now what the devil has gotten into her?" he asks. "Velma?" her parents call out, "Velma what's going on?"
Velma puts on her jacket, grabs her purse and car key and calls back, "Don't bother to wait up for me!" With that, she closes the front door and runs out. "Well, what in the world?" Mr. and Mrs. Dinkley ask each other.
"Like now that's what I call a meal!" exclaims Shaggy as he Scooby, Freddie, and Daphne exit a fancy restaurant. "Reah!" burps Scooby.
On the ride back to HQ, Fred's cell phone rings. He answers it, "Hello?"
"Hi, Fred." Comes a voice on the other end, "it's Velma."
"Oh hi, Velma!" Freddie smiles on the other end.
"Listen, Fred." Velma began, "I think that I have come across something big about this case. You want to come?"
"Listen, Velma," Freddie whines, "if it has anything to do with that flowerbed, I'm not interested."
"Why?"
"There is nothing there. Besides, it is late and everyone wants to get to bed." Explains Fred. "We can checkup on this wild goose chase of yours tomorrow morning."
"Fine then," yells Velma, "I'll go alone." With that she hangs up the phone. Freddie does the same.
"What did Velma want?" asked Daphne.
"She's going back to the house." Freddie began, "She thinks that she is on a hot tip and wants us to come."
Velma drives all alone to Sarah's house.
She pulls into the driveway. She gets out of her car and heads to the back of the house.
With her flashlight, she finds the flowerbed and investigates it. There is no smell.
"That's odd," she thinks.
She begins to disturb the dirt. There is still no stench. She moves the dirt around some more. Suddenly, there is a clap of thunder, a strike of lightning, and a sudden gust of wind. A bolt of thunder strikes the flowerbed just missing Velma. She falls back.
She stands up and runs to the old oak tree. She is breathing deeply and she can hear her heart pounding in her ears. Then, behold, a sudden burst appears out of the flowerbed and ghostly being appears.
Velma leans on the tree her mouth wide open. She cannot believe what she is seeing. Her entire body begins to shiver. Sweat is pouring down her cheeks and her heart is beating faster by the second.
She looks into the being's face. It is neither dead nor alive; it is a ghastly, pale face with a look of terror. Just like how Sarah described it. She then looks at the clothes. The being is wearing a white blouse, with three bullet holes in the chest area and is soaked in blood and a beige skirt and jacket also heavily covered with blood. Velma is more terrified than ever. Yet, it doesn't keep her from making out some details of this strange being.
It is a woman. Most likely in her late eighties. She is not total spirit or flesh or in any way like a zombie. She is more like a piece of decaying matter with still some form and detail.
Velma then looks at the woman's hands. In some places you can see the bones, in others the muscles and ligaments, and in others the skin. In one hand, there is a small pistol with a piece of cloth around it to muffle the noise.
"I will kill her!" shrieks the woman; "I will kill her for what she did to me!" She holds up the gun and points it at Velma, who, totally terrified by this experience, blacks out.
"Well," Fred says picking up the phone and dialing the Dinkley's phone number, "let's find out."
"Velma," whispers Mrs. Dinkley gently shaking her daughter's shoulder, "Velma, wake up."
Velma just rolls on her back and groans. She rubs her eyes and asks, "What time is it?"
"7:37" her mother answers.
"Oh." Velma says opening her sleepy eyes. "Where are my glasses?"
"On your bedside table, dear." Is the reply, "You went to sleep with them on."
Velma gives a weak smile. She reaches for her glasses and slowly starts to emerge out of bed. "Was that the phone I heard ringing a while ago?" she asks.
"Yes," Marilyn replies, "it was Fred. He and the gang haven't heard from you since this morning and were getting worried. I set their mind as ease for you."
"Thanks." Velma says in a sleepy voice. "You're welcome." Mrs. Dinkley says kissing her daughter on the cheek. "Now get washed, dinner is almost ready and you don't want to look like that for your Uncle Fritz do you?"
Velma smiles. "No," she replies, "I guess I don't."
Her mother leaves. Velma walks over to her dresser, and looks into her mirror. There she sees a tired little girl with her hair looking like a rat's nest, a sleepy look on her face, and crooked glasses.
She begins to fix her hair. "At least I get a second chance to ask him about that bed." She thinks, "Now remember, Velma Dinkley, this time try to start the conversation before Mom insists Dad to tell another one of his stories!"
"It's getting late, guys" indicates Fred, "should we go out and get some Dinner?"
At this Scooby and Shaggy put on their jackets and run to the door. "Like ready to go when you are, Fred."
Freddie and Daphne chuckle to themselves. They too get their jackets and all four of them head out the door."
As the Dinkley family sits down for dinner, Velma keeps thinking to herself "Must start the conversation first. Must start the conversation first. Must start the conversation first."
Finally, she gets her chance.
"Uncle Fritz," she starts.
"Yes, Velma?" her uncle replies with a loving look in his eyes.
"There is a question that I have been meaning to ask you." She starts up again.
"Well then, go on. Ask away!"
Velma takes in a deep breath, thinking of how to put her question. "Is it possible," she begins, "for a flowers growing in the shade to grow better than those not?"
"Well," Fritz begins, "it can depend..."
"On what?"
"Well, on the fertility of the soil." He explains. Velma leans forward nearly putting her elbows in her plate. "Go on." She orders in her 'interesting' voice.
"Well, soil that has more nutrients," he continues, "will produce a better crop than those that don't. Why do you ask?"
"It's like this." Velma answers sitting up. "In this case that the gang and I are recently involved in, there is a flowerbed in the backyard which is shaded by a big oak tree."
"I see." Her uncle says. "Just out of curiosity, how big is this area?"
"Three by four feet, and it reeks!"
"Reeks?"
"Yes, there is a stench of something of which I would rather not say since we are eating."
"And by this stench," Fritz inquires, "how long do you think that this 'thing' has been there?"
"Two to three days." Velma replies stuffing her mouth full of her dinner.
Uncle Fritz scratches his chin. "Hmmm," he says, "that is a fairly large animal. Now a bunch of those things would be more like it, yet that is very unlikely..." he keeps talking about many different species of animals in the area. Velma just stares into space, thinking. "...Now a human being," Franz continues, "well that's another story. You see, because of what we eat, the stench of a corps is very unpleasant. It is like nothing you have ever smelled before, or ever will...."
"Of course," thinks Velma, "the area is big enough to hold a body. And when I disturbed the dirt, there was no sign of animal decay. Then it must have been a..." She jumps up, and runs to the coatroom. Uncle Fritz stops speaking, "Now what the devil has gotten into her?" he asks. "Velma?" her parents call out, "Velma what's going on?"
Velma puts on her jacket, grabs her purse and car key and calls back, "Don't bother to wait up for me!" With that, she closes the front door and runs out. "Well, what in the world?" Mr. and Mrs. Dinkley ask each other.
"Like now that's what I call a meal!" exclaims Shaggy as he Scooby, Freddie, and Daphne exit a fancy restaurant. "Reah!" burps Scooby.
On the ride back to HQ, Fred's cell phone rings. He answers it, "Hello?"
"Hi, Fred." Comes a voice on the other end, "it's Velma."
"Oh hi, Velma!" Freddie smiles on the other end.
"Listen, Fred." Velma began, "I think that I have come across something big about this case. You want to come?"
"Listen, Velma," Freddie whines, "if it has anything to do with that flowerbed, I'm not interested."
"Why?"
"There is nothing there. Besides, it is late and everyone wants to get to bed." Explains Fred. "We can checkup on this wild goose chase of yours tomorrow morning."
"Fine then," yells Velma, "I'll go alone." With that she hangs up the phone. Freddie does the same.
"What did Velma want?" asked Daphne.
"She's going back to the house." Freddie began, "She thinks that she is on a hot tip and wants us to come."
Velma drives all alone to Sarah's house.
She pulls into the driveway. She gets out of her car and heads to the back of the house.
With her flashlight, she finds the flowerbed and investigates it. There is no smell.
"That's odd," she thinks.
She begins to disturb the dirt. There is still no stench. She moves the dirt around some more. Suddenly, there is a clap of thunder, a strike of lightning, and a sudden gust of wind. A bolt of thunder strikes the flowerbed just missing Velma. She falls back.
She stands up and runs to the old oak tree. She is breathing deeply and she can hear her heart pounding in her ears. Then, behold, a sudden burst appears out of the flowerbed and ghostly being appears.
Velma leans on the tree her mouth wide open. She cannot believe what she is seeing. Her entire body begins to shiver. Sweat is pouring down her cheeks and her heart is beating faster by the second.
She looks into the being's face. It is neither dead nor alive; it is a ghastly, pale face with a look of terror. Just like how Sarah described it. She then looks at the clothes. The being is wearing a white blouse, with three bullet holes in the chest area and is soaked in blood and a beige skirt and jacket also heavily covered with blood. Velma is more terrified than ever. Yet, it doesn't keep her from making out some details of this strange being.
It is a woman. Most likely in her late eighties. She is not total spirit or flesh or in any way like a zombie. She is more like a piece of decaying matter with still some form and detail.
Velma then looks at the woman's hands. In some places you can see the bones, in others the muscles and ligaments, and in others the skin. In one hand, there is a small pistol with a piece of cloth around it to muffle the noise.
"I will kill her!" shrieks the woman; "I will kill her for what she did to me!" She holds up the gun and points it at Velma, who, totally terrified by this experience, blacks out.