"Like, what did you just say, Daphne?" asked Shaggy without even bothering to turn around to look at the pretty redhead, so distracted was he by the sight of the buffet table – loaded with all kinds of delicacies – on the other side of the crowded ballroom. As this was Halloween, he was wearing his costume, a navy blue crackerjack uniform with two thin red diagonal stripes on his right shoulder and a white sailor hat on his disheveled hair. His canine friend, Scooby-Doo, was standing right to him, and wore shoulder boards, each with a solid gold stripe, and a naval officer's cap perched across his ears.
"Mpfff!" repeated Daphne. Her Halloween costume was a princess, so she was outfitted in a royal purple kirtle, glass slippers, and a golden tiara. "Mpfff! Mpfff!"
"Jinkies, but there sure are a lot of people here!" observed Velma. She was dressed as a pumpkin, including a short, thick, artificial stem that rose out of her rust-colored hair. "I think it was very nice of Mr. Corbin to reward us by allowing us to use his spooky old mansion for our party!"
She was referring to a recent mystery the gang had solved. Denton Corbin, the wealthy industrialist, had been having his ancestral home haunted by the Garish Ghoul, a legendary fiend who had reportedly troubled some of his ancestors. This monster nearly succeeded in driving Mr. Corbin from his house, until Scooby-Doo and the gang revealed that he was none other than Jordan West, Mr. Corbin's accountant, wearing a green bodysuit and a mask. Shaggy had liked the costume so much that he had kept it afterwards, having great fun using it to frighten Daphne and Velma until Freddy had angrily taken it away from him.
"Mpfff!" said Daphne much more loudly this time. "MPFFFFFFFFF!"
"Like, did you just say 'Mpfff,' Daphne?" asked Shaggy.
"Rit rsounded rlike rshe rdid," agreed Scooby-Doo.
"Did Danger-Prone Daphne get herself tied up again?" asked Velma, turning around.
"Mpfff!" Yes, Daphne was tied up again. She was bound with thin white rope to an antique wooden chair. Her ankles had been tied together and drawn back, connected to a rod that ran between the rear legs of the chair. Her wrists were tied together behind the back of the chair, and her elbows were connected with long strands. Yet more rope had been used on her upper legs and torso, keeping her tied against the chair.
"Mpfff!" A plain blue bandana was tied across her face. Daphne knew from experience that such a simple gag should not be so effective on her, but try as she might, she simply could not speak more clearly or discover any means to remove it.
"You know, Daphne, you really should make more of an effort to resist when someone ties you up," scolded Velma as she came to the assistance, Shaggy and Scooby helping as well as they could. "Do you at least have any idea who did this to you this time?"
"I certainly do!" Daphne pointed with a trembling hand. "It was him!"
"Mr. Corbin!" they all exclaimed in surprise. They looked over at their benefactor, who was dressed in a devil costume and prancing merrily about just like old Mephistopheles himself. He was standing next to his date, the famous movie starlet, Candy Mint, who was disguised as a genie, in shades of red, pink, and white that subtly blended in pleasing arabesque patterns.
"Hey, what's the big idea of tying me up?!" Daphne demanded of him furiously.
"Just trying to spice up your party," he replied smoothly. "All you damsels need to keep on your toes or you'll end up getting bound and gagged! But don't worry; it's all in fun, and all I'll do is tie you all up!"
"Denty's a super-duper tier-upper!" giggled Candy Mint.
"Well, I guess it's okay then," said Daphne doubtfully.
"I notice you haven't tied me up yet," hinted Velma coyly, drawing her hands behind her back.
"You're right, he hasn't," agreed Candy Mint blandly. "That's cuz he only ties up damsels, and you're a vegetable!"
"A pumpkin isn't a vegetable; it's a fruit!" returned Velma angrily.
"And a charming one at that," proclaimed Mr. Corbin, "especially the way you so ably represent one, Ms. Dinkley. And now, if you'll pardon me, I see where one of your friends requires my ministrations." And with that he quietly snuck up behind Sharon Weatherby, who was dressed as Glinda the Good from "The Wizard Of Oz." He clamped a hand over her mouth, and with some assistance from Candy Mint, quickly had her tied up in much the same fashion as Daphne had been.
"Well, I never!" exclaimed Velma indignantly.
"Hey gang!" called out Freddy, making his entrance. He was dressed as Jungle boy, with a fur tunic, sandals, and a machete tucked into its sheath tied around his waist. "Gosh, Daphne, you look nice!"
"Nice?!" Daphne turned on him angrily. "Do you have any idea how much trouble I had to go through to get to looking like this? I had to get a manicure, a pedicure, and a perm. I spent an hour putting my makeup on. I'm wearing a corset so tight it's almost impossible to breath, and these glass shoes are killing my feet. And the best you can say is that I look nice?"
"Gosh, Daphne, I'm sorry," apologized Freddy. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"C'mon, Scoob, let's hit the buffet table," suggested Shaggy, edging away.
"Ryum, ryum!" enthused Scooby-Doo.
"Daphne, don't be mad," pleaded Freddy. "Come on, let's dance!"
"No, I'm not dancing with you; I'm dancing with, with, with, Shaggy!" she decided, grabbing Shaggy by the arm and leading him out onto the dance floor.
"But, like, I'm half starved!" Shaggy objected, looking longingly at the platters of food.
"I wanted to dance with you, Daphne," protested Freddy feebly.
"No one's dancing with me, Freddy," said Velma.
"What, no one's dancing with you, Velma? That's terrible!" Genuine concern crossed Freddy's boyish features as he momentarily forgot his distress with Daphne. "We can't have that! Hey, I know what! You can dance with Scooby here! Come on, Scooby, dance with Velma, okay?"
"Rokay," agreed Scooby-Doo.
"But, but, but," sputtered Velma, but Freddy did not hear her, as, remembering about Daphne again, he stomped off in a huff.
"Thank you, everybody," said the bandleader as the music trailed off and the crowd quietly applauded. "That was 'Recipe For My Love.' Up next we've got a number I know you'll really enjoy, 'I Can Make You Happy.'"
"Okay, Shaggy, you can go to your food." Daphne released her hapless partner. "I think I made my point with Freddy." And Shaggy, not needing a second invitation, dashed over to the table, with Scooby-Doo hard on his heels.
"Like, commence Operation Clean Sweep!" ordered Shaggy, taking a plate in each hand.
"Raye, raye, Rcaptain!" agreed Scooby-Doo, giving a smart salute. There was a blur of motion as all the party vegetables, hot wings, cold cuts, cheese cubes, crackers, bread rolls, candy apples, and pumpkin pies which had been on the table were transferred onto their plates, and then, a moment later, into their stomachs.
"I wonder where Freddy went off to?" puzzled Daphne, looking around.
Velma, meanwhile, made her way up to the second floor of the mansion to look at the artwork on the walls, and then headed over into the library. She nodded appreciatively at the leather-bound books, stately tomes all lined in rows on ornately carved wooden shelves. "Ah, cordefr, ED3765, experimenter73," she read off the spines in approval. "And, my goodness, what's this?! David-presents? What's that hack doing here?! I thought Mr. Corbin had better taste than that!"
She tilted her head to one side, as she thought the faint sounds coming from the party below had changed in nature, from merrymaking to screams of terror. "What's going on now?" she wondered, slipping the book back in its place. "I swear, if I'm not around to take charge then things always go to pieces!"
She hurried back to the ballroom, which, she noticed to her astonishment, was now completely empty, except for Sharon Weatherby, who was still struggling in her chair. "What's going on here?" asked Velma loudly.
"Rthe Rgarish Rghoul!" explained Scooby-Doo, sticking his face out from under the table.
"What do you mean, the Garish Ghoul?" demanded Velma angrily, dragging Scooby-Doo and Shaggy out too. "There isn't any Garish Ghoul, don't you remember? It was just that guy pretending he was!"
"Yeah, but like, the real one showed up!" explained Shaggy. "At first no one noticed him, because everyone's wearing costumes, but then they did, and then he screamed for everyone to get out, and they did, all except Daphne, because he had her tied up!"
"Mpfff!" called out Sharon Weatherby, doing her best to say that she hadn't been able to leave either since she was tied up.
"And then he carried Daphne out of here," continued Shaggy. "And then what happened after that, like, I don't know, man!"
"Well, we're heading outside to find what happened afterwards," decided Velma. "Come on, you two cowards, let's go!"
"Like, I can't help but get the feeling that we're forgetting something," said Shaggy as he and Scooby-Doo reluctantly followed Velma through the door.
"Mpfff!" said Sharon Weatherby, but she was alone now, so no one heard her.
Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo went outside where they discovered quite a commotion. There was a crowd of people over to one side near the edge of the redwood forest, where the sheriff and his deputies (who seemingly had been summoned) were busy keeping order.
"Everybody, stay back!" the sheriff ordered. "Everything's under control here!"
"Sheriff! What's going on?" demanded Velma, elbowing her way through the throng.
"Ms. Dinkley! Am I ever glad to see you!" The sheriff wiped some sweat from his forehead. "Your friend, Ms. Blake, is in terrible danger!"
"Mpfff!" called out Daphne, and as Velma looked high up into the night sky, she could just barely see Daphne lying on one of the enormous branches of a redwood tree. She had been tied to the branch with several coils of rope, and gagged with an orange bandana. But most alarming of all were the sticks of dynamite that encircled the tree branch, placed about halfway between her feet and the tree trunk.
"Don't worry, Daphne, we'll get you down!" shouted Velma. She turned to the sheriff. "What are you doing just standing here? Climb up there and get her to safety!"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Dinkley, but I can't do that. You see the Garish Ghoul has threatened to set off the dynamite if anyone gets too close!"
"Muhahahaha!" came a loud, high-pitched laugh. Velma looked around, and although she could not see the Garish Ghoul, the laugh convinced her that he was nearby, and very much keeping a watch on things.
"But there must be something you can do Sheriff," she pleaded.
"Yes, everything's under control," he said. "You see, I've contacted the state patrol, and they're sending one of their hostage negotiation experts over, just as soon as they can."
"Just as soon as they can? What's the delay?" demanded Velma.
"Well, there's another hostage situation going on in Center City right now," he explained. "But they've promised to send him here just as soon as he wraps things up there!"
"But that might not be for hours! We need to do something before then!" said Velma.
"Like, I wonder where that ghoul got that dynamite in the first place?" asked Shaggy, filling in the awkward pause which ensued.
"That's a very good question!" exclaimed Velma.
"I'm afraid he got it from me," confessed Mr. Corbin, appearing from within the crowd. "You see, I keep plenty of it in my gardening shed, to use to blow up old stumps."
"You wouldn't happen to be responsible for any more of her predicament, now would you?" Velma demanded of him angrily. "I know how much you like to tie up girls, and I find it pretty suspicious the way you suddenly showed up just now when we can't see the Garish Ghoul anymore!"
Denton Corbin sputtered indignantly in reply as Shaggy suddenly spoke up. "Like, sorry to ruin your theory, Velma, but I saw Mr. Corbin in the room at the same time as the Garish Ghoul!"
"And besides, you should be worried about your friend, not making false accusation!" seethed Candy Mint, taking Mr. Corbin by the arm and glaring daggers at Velma.
"Mpfff!" called out Daphne. She was very tired of being up there in that tree! The rough bark was very uncomfortable to lie upon, and there was a stiff breeze making her cold. Worst of all, though, was the thought that at any moment the Garish Ghoul might decide to set off the dynamite, so she needed someone to please come to her rescue right now!
But what could anybody possibly do?
"Don't worry, Daphne; I'll save you!" came a new voice.
Everyone looked over in astonishment. On a branch of a nearby tree, silhouetted against the full moon, stood Freddy! He tossed out a length of rope with a lasso at one end, and smiled in satisfaction as it caught high above.
"No! Stand back, Mr. Jones!" ordered the sheriff. "We don't want the Garish Ghoul to do anything desperate!"
But Freddy ignored the command, and gave out his best Tarzan yell as he swung over next to Daphne. He sliced her ropes with his machete, and then, taking her in one arm, tossed out another lasso, and the two of them swung out of view, mere seconds before the dynamite exploded, cracking the branch and sending it crashing to the ground.
The crowd held their collective breaths for what was, in actually, merely a few moments, but which seemed to them to be an eternity. Then they gave a loud cheer as Freddy and Daphne triumphantly walked into the clearing.
"Daphne! Are you okay?" asked Velma anxiously as she hurried to her side.
"Yes, Velma, I'm fine," Daphne answered. "Thanks to Freddy showing up just in time!"
"Like, that was a narrow escape!" said Shaggy.
"Rwhew!" added Scooby-Doo.
"Oh, honestly, don't you people know what actually happened here?" Velma frowned. "First, Freddy storms off. Then the ghoul shows up. Then the ghoul disappears, and Freddy shows up again. He comes over to Daphne, and yet the ghoul conveniently waits to set off the explosives until the two of them are safely away! Now, what do you suppose all that actually means?"
"Ri rdon't rknow!" shrugged Scooby-Doo.
"He, wait a minute! I know what you're getting at!" exclaimed Shaggy. "It means that the Garish Ghoul must have extra-slow reflexes!"
"It sure is lucky you untied me so quickly, Freddy!" shuddered Daphne.
"What! Do I have to actually spell it out for you?" Velma looked at them in exasperation. "Very well, then. You see mpfff! Mpfff!"
"I told you that all you damsels needed to be on your toes!" cackled Denton Corbin, as he and Candy Mint busily tied up Velma.
"Mpfff!" protested Velma furiously.
"Jeepers, Mr. Corbin, you sure do like to tie people up, don't you?" observed Daphne.
"But, like, I wonder what Velma was trying to tell us just now?" puzzled Shaggy.
"Mpfff!" screamed Velma into her gag.
"Oh, she probably just wanted to point out how brave I was," shrugged Freddy. "Which I really wish she wouldn't do. I just did what I felt I had to do for my princess!"
"I thought you were wonderful, myself," said Daphne. "And what's more, I think anyone who says differently is just plain jealous, that's all."
"Well, it appears Daphne is back with us, safe and sound," said the sheriff, looking very relieved. "Although I wonder, who was that Garish Ghoul? He seems to have completely disappeared now!"
"Oh, I think he was probably just some stranger passing through," answered Freddy hurriedly. "I have a feeling we won't be seeing any more of him."
"Still, it's going to drive me crazy wondering about that," said the sheriff. "Oh, well, I can't worry about every little thing. I tell you what, if I had a nickel for every unsolved mystery in these parts then I'd be one rich law enforcement officer!"
"Rehehehehe!" laughed Scooby-Doo, and everyone else joined in the laughter too, except Velma of course, who merely went "Mpfff!"