Chapter 4: The missing doorknob and the encounter
Shaggy, Scooby, Fred Jr. and Velma didn't finish with the election campaign preparations until almost 14:00, at which point the mayor allowed them to leave.
As they left City Hall on the Mystery Machine, Fred Jr. commented, "Boy, all of these preparations for Dad's election campaign got me worn out."
"Yeah." Shaggy agreed. "It's also got me hungry. Like, we worked right through lunchtime and boy, am I starved!"
"For once, I agree with you, Shaggy." Velma agreed. "I could use a good lunch to have myself re-energized."
Fred Jr. nodded in agreement. "So where should we go for lunch, gang?"
Before anyone can answer, Shaggy's phone started ringing.
Noting that it was Daphne calling, he answered immediately. "Like, hello?"
"Hi, Shag." Daphne said on the other end. "How's your day so far?"
"Like, tiring." Shaggy replied. "Shortly after you called, Freddie called and asked Scoob, Velms and I to meet up with him at City Hall, where we spent the morning and early afternoon helping Mayor Jones prepare for his re-election campaign."
"Jeepers." Daphne remarked. "You must be starved, Shag."
"Like, indeed I am, and we're actually on our way for lunch." Shaggy said. "Do you want us to pick you up at your place?"
"Yes." Daphne replied. "I just told my parents that I'll be heading out for the library to study, which is where I am now."
"Awesome!" Shaggy smiled. "So we'll see you there, eh?"
"Yeah." Daphne nodded. "See you."
As Shaggy hung up his phone, Fred asked, "Was it Daphne that was calling, Shag?"
"Yeah." Shaggy nodded. "She's at the library right now and wants us to go pick her up."
"Alright, then." Fred nodded as he made a turn at an intersection.
A short while later, they pulled up at the library entrance, where the redhead was waiting.
After Daphne got on the van, the Mystery Machine was off for the beach, where Shaggy and Scooby insists in getting a snack at the Clam Cabin.
"So how are things at home, Daph?" Fred asked as they drove down a street.
"Did you meet someone?" Velma added.
"Yeah." Daphne sighed, and Shaggy and Scooby could tell that her parents might have insisted that the gentleman she met is a better match for her.
"Like, if you don't feel like it, Daph, you can discuss this later." Shaggy said. "Right now, we've got to get something to eat. I'm really hungry now."
"Don't worry, Shag." Fred said. "We're almost there."
Sure enough, the Pacific coastline was by the side of the road, and the sign directing them to the beach was just a few metres ahead.
Soon, the Mystery Machine pulled into the beach parking, taking the spot closest to the Clam Cabin.
Without missing a beat, as Fred turned off the van engine, Shaggy and Scooby were quick to get off the van and race for the Cabin.
However, when the duo arrived at the door entrance, they saw that something was missing.
"Rey! Re doorknob ris missing!" Scooby exclaimed.
Sure enough, as Fred and the girls walked over and joined the duo, they all saw the doorknob missing.
"Zoinks!" Shaggy said. "What happened to the doorknob?"
Before anyone can answer, they saw Skipper Sheldon walking towards the door through the window.
"Someone stole my crystal doorknob, just like that blasted calm that stole my nose!" The old captain said as he gestures towards the patch that covers the area where his nose used to be.
The gang turned and looked each other. Never had they heard of someone stealing doorknobs before.
"Now that's really weird." Fred remarked after the old captain retreated further into the cabin. "Who wants to steal doorknobs?"
"Yeah, weird indeed." Velma nodded in agreement.
"Now what do we do for lunch?" Shaggy wondered. "My stomach sure is getting grumpy by the minute!"
"Don't worry, Shag." Daphne replied as she joined him and Scooby. "I happened to have brought a 'Shaggy Snack' and a 'Scooby Triple-Decker Sub', made from leftovers from my large lunch."
"Oh, groovy, Daph!" Shaggy smiled. "I sure can't wait to dig in!"
"Reah!" Scooby agreed as he licked his lips.
"But in the meantime, what's with the missing doorknob?" Velma asked as they returned to the Mystery Machine.
"I don't know." Fred replied. "But I've got a hunch that we might be onto another mystery."
"Yeah, but I think we should think it over while having lunch, Freddie." Daphne suggested. "Afterall, as Shag will say, there's no way we can solve a mystery or do anything on an empty stomach."
After having their lunches at a restaurant, the gang decided to split up for the afternoon, with Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne splitting their time in the library and the nearby shopping mall hanging around while Fred and Velma spent the entire afternoon in the library.
During Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne's hang around in the shopping district of the city, they all noticed that many of the doorknobs were missing.
"Now this sure is strange." Daphne remarked as they left a clothing store. "Who on earth will want to steal a doorknob?"
"Like, beats me." Shaggy replied. "Unless those thefts somehow connects to the locket you found in the caves last month, Daph."
"True." Daphne nodded thoughtfully. "After all, it's a key-shaped locket, and most doorknobs are connected to key holes."
"But then, how can that locket fit into a lock?" Shaggy enquired. "Like, if I'm not mistaken, the shape of the locket seemed larger than the average key."
"Runless it's for ran rextra large lock." Scooby offered.
Shaggy and Daphne both nodded understandingly. Before they could say something, Daphne's phone started ringing.
"Hello?" She asked as she answered the phone.
"Hey Daph, Freddie and I had finished our studying at the library." Velma said. "Are you, Shag and Scooby finished?"
"Yeah, we're actually on our way back now." Daphne replied as she glanced at her wristwatch. "We'd better head home now. I've got an important meeting coming up for the evening."
"Alright." Velma nodded. "We'll meet you guys at the Mystery Machine.
Later that late afternoon, the Mystery Machine sped down the coastal stretch of Crystal Cove County Highway 1 in foggy conditions.
"You guys won't believe what Shag, Scooby and I saw while we were at the shopping district." Daphne said.
"Were there doorknobs missing, too?" Velma asked as Fred drove on.
"Like, yeah." Shaggy nodded. "Many of the stores we visited had to keep their doors open to prevent themselves from getting locked in."
"Holy moly!" Fred remarked. "Many of the library doors also had their doorknobs missing."
"Zoinks! Sounds like we might be stumbling upon a doorknob-stealing racket or something like that." Shaggy said.
As Shaggy made the remark, the foggy area behind them had a lightning strike and moments later, a ghostly-looking tractor-trailer appeared right behind them.
The truck soon caught up with the Mystery Machine and honked its horn loudly.
Hearing the loud horn, Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne simultaneously covered their ears while Velma remarked, "Somebody should tell that truck driver to slow down."
However, just as she finished the remark, the van suddenly lurched forward after being bumped by the truck.
"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed as he and Scooby were thrown to the back of the van.
"Are you guys okay?" Daphne asked as she turned to the back.
"Like, I think we are." Shaggy replied before looking at the side rear-view mirror and added, "But I don't think we'll be okay for much longer!"
Seeing the truck right behind them, Fred quickly steered the Mystery Machine onto a side road that branches off from the highway and down a hill.
"Hang on, gang!" He said as he made the steering.
As the van sped down the side road, the truck followed suit, mowing over a traffic sign in the process.
After making a sharp turn at a curve, the Mystery Machine continued its effort to speed up and lost the truck.
However, it wasn't moving fast enough, and the truck managed to rear end the Mystery Machine yet again, lurching it forward.
"Yahhh!" The gang exclaimed as they all lurch forward.
Then, the truck rear-ended the Mystery Machine a second time, this time leading it to crash through a barrier and fall down a cliff towards the stormy waters below while the gang continued screaming in fright.
Uh, oh. Will the gang survive? More importantly, what will happen next?
Stay tuned, and please read and review!