Chapter 4
Return to Dracula's Castle
The drive was very awkward, with Fred letting out a snicker once in a while. Shaggy and Scooby where freely using the open windows to get air. Velma sat up front with the map, as Daphne sat next to Scooby, who sat next to Shaggy. Fred, naturally, was driving. Shaggy was greatful for the window, it made it easier for him to avoid certain smells in the car. It wasn't long before the castle came into view, though it was only a simple dot on a hill at the moment. As time went by, things began to look familiar, the village, and eventually the original race track. The car slowed, they'd reached the end of the road, they'd have to walk from here.
"Jeepers, that looks creepy." said Daphne as they looked up, the cool wind blowing.
"Come on gang." said Fred as they began to walk up hill, Velma grumbled, as did Daphne.
"I really have to invest in hiking boots for my purse." said Daphne, looking at her heels.
"Like man, I think I need to invest in a flea collar," said Shaggy as he tried to scratch his back.
"Come on," laughed Velma as she pushed Shaggy forward, Scooby snickered.
The hike wasn't that bad, it was mostly a straight stop, but Shaggy's speed had increased slightly more since he was a werewolf. This made the task even more difficult when he was in front of the group, walking was one thing, jogging to keep up with Shaggy was pretty exhausting. Scooby managed to keep right beside Shaggy, both looked back at the group, making sure nothing was following them. Shaggy kept reminding himself, this was Dracula's castle, and monsters roamed freely once they'd left the village. Tired, bitter, and out of breath the rest of the gang caught up to Shaggy at the gate.
"Your... even... faster..." panted Fred, sitting on a rock.
"Come on, you guys can't stay out here, like if something sees you... Your like a big flashing target that says, 'I am human, I am tired, eat me!' Now, up." said Shaggy.
"There are other creatures around here, besides vampires?" asked Daphne.
"Vampires...." Velma hadn't even fathomed what exactly they where traveling too, she felt more mixed up than before.
"Like, tons. We have to go before the swamp creature comes." said Shaggy, looking around as he broke the chain off the gate with his claws.
"You see that... that scares me. Growl all you want, but when you snap a chain with one hand... I'm concerned with my safety." said Fred.
'Good,' thought Shaggy.
It was yet another small hike to the front door, they should really have invested in a helicopter instead of a car. Fred had a pilots license, but no, they'd wanted a car. Shaggy pounded on the door of the castle. There was silence, so he pounded again. Still nothing, Shaggy let out a growl. Daphne, Velma, Fred, and Scooby took a step back from the angry lycan.
"OPEN UP DRACULA!" Shaggy kicked the door, causing a crack in the wood, just as the door opened.
"Do you mind, itz an hour till dawn. Come back... Sha-ggy?" Dracula blinked, than laughed, "Nize faze. Vhat happened?"
"Don't play dum. Like, I know you had something to do with this." said Shaggy.
"Me!? Vhat are you... vill you come in, your making me nervous." said Dracula looking at the horizon, "I've run out of sunscreen."
"Like, I want answers man." said Shaggy.
"Truzt me, Sha-ggy, I had nothing to do with ziz." said Dracula, closing the door quickly, "Okay, zo I know I'm not the mozt truting of monsters."
"R'i'll ray." said Scooby with an eye roll.
"Who else would do this?" asked Shaggy, pointing to his tail.
"I don't know. Angered anyvone lately?" asked Dracula.
"Drakey, honey. What's going on?" came a chipper female voice from the basement steps.
"Nothing, go back to bed." Dracula quickly yelled, "Not lizten Sha-ggy, the only way to fix ziz, is to find the person who cast the spell."
"You?"
"No, not me!" yelled Dracula, "I have a new verevolf racer."
"Yeah, who?" asked Shaggy.
"Rho?" asked Scooby.
"Winnie." said Dracula proudly, "She's taken over her fazhers car."
"Really?" Shaggy's brow raised.
"Yez," grumbled Dracula.
"Once he finds who did this, than what?" asked Fred.
"Oh... you brought friends... sorry for zhe lack of introduction. I'm Count Dracula. Az I waz saying. Find them, they have a spellbook." said Dracula.
"What if I can't..." Shaggy was cut off.
"Shaggy! Oh how nice to see you, sweety!" an attractive vampire came running over to them.
"Vanapira. Go back to bed." grumbled Dracula.
"Oh Drakey, hush. How are you hun. Well... fuzzy again I see." said Vanapira messing with Shaggy's fur, she froze, "Drakey! What did you do!?"
"I didn't do it!" Dracula yelled.
"She is going to be so upset that you turned Shaggy into a werewolf again." sighed Vanapira.
"Firzt off, I didn't. Second she iz not here, so we will never mention this too her." argued Dracula.
"Hey!" said Daphne.
"Oh, are these your friends?" asked Vanapira.
"Yes.." said Shaggy, "But what..."
"Listen, go talk to the witch sisters. They're in the basement, someone dropped a giant shoe on their house, so they're staying here." said Vanapira, still glaring at Dracula.
"I didn't do it!" he yelled, stomping off to bed.
"Nice meeting you..." mumbled Velma, as Shaggy followed them, "Wait.. where are you going?"
"Basement, come on." said Shaggy as he went down the steps.
"It's so wrong for us to be more afraid than Shaggy." said Fred as they ran after him.
"Wonder who they where talking about?" asked Daphne.
".... Winnie?" shrugged Velma, "Whoever that is."
"When we get through with this, I say we have Shaggy write down all things related to this." said Fred as they descended the dark stair well.
Shaggy and Scooby led the long decent down the cold stairway. The only light they had was the torch that Vanapira held a head of them. Scooby looked back at the gang, all looking confused, he nodded in agreement. It was even odd to him that he and Shaggy... mainly Shaggy, was un-phased by the monsters. Then again, they didn't know the stuff they'd seen and been through. The monsters here where familiar, while the ones they normally met, where always someone or something new. They knew, for the most part, what these monsters where capable of. He watched Shaggy, who in the tight space was trying to distance himself as much as possible from his friends. Vanapira pointed in the direction where the witches must have been, but he stopped walking.
"Like guys, I'd feel more comfortable.. if like, you stayed here with Vanapira and Scooby." said Shaggy, with a half smile.
"Why?" asked Daphne.
"I just don't want any of you accidently offending them, they're... uh... touchy." said Shaggy, making it up as he went, he needed to talk openly with them.
"All right." said Fred, "We'll be right here, if something happens.."
"I'll be fine." said Shaggy as he hurried down the hall.
There was one room that had light coming from underneath, he assumed it to be theirs. He knocked gently on the door, and it opened, to reveal the shorter of the witches, Hazel if he remembered correctly. Gretchen was the taller one... he hoped. He smiled wearily at them, he stopped quickly catching his reflection in a shattered mirror in the background, he looked menacing, but they where un-phased.
"If it isn't the Shaggy werewolf. Last I heard you turned back into a hideous mortal," said Gretchen with a chuckle.
"I was... that's why I'm here. Like, someones turned me back into a werewolf." said Shaggy, indicating his face.
"Not that I understand why you want to be one, but none-the-less, have you checked with Dracula?" asked Hazel.
"It wazn't me!" came a disembodied yell.
"Sure.... hmm. In order to understand the spell, we'll have to ask some questions." said Gretchen, indicating for him to sit at a chair.
"Like, ask away man." said Shaggy with a sigh.
"Anything different from the last time?" asked Gretchen.
"Painful change, Less control, more urges...." said Shaggy with a sigh.
"Urges... like to eat more, or eat people?" asked Hazel.
"People... but food, like stops the urge only for a little though." said Shaggy, as Hazel looked at his snout.
"Open your mouth." she demanded, he did without question, "Hmm, strange. Your teeth are a mixture of huminoid and canine. Someone's been mixing spells."
"What?! You mean, like, it can't be fixed." said Shaggy, eyes wide.
"Oh no dear, it can... just a little more complex." said Gretchen.
"You see, spells alone are powerful, more than one is nearly unbreakable. Thankfully, whoever your dealing with, isn't familiar with magic... that much." said Hazel.
"You mentioned a painful transition.." said Gretchen, "When did it start... symptoms, any pain."
"Two days ago. Then yesterday night on the full moon where I live, like, this happened." said Shaggy.
"Hmm, that indicates.. according to this calendar. Somewhere between the 27th and the 28th, is when the spell was cast." said Gretchen, holding something silver.
"Like, man. Silvers bad for a werewolf... right?" asked Shaggy backing away.
"I think that this spell isn't over you... the only way to tell this, is by holding silver to your palm. If it stings, its a flesh spell, if it doesn't..." she placed it on the palm of his hand, nothing happened, "It's voodoo."
"Ooo, a wanna-be witch then." shrieked Hazel.
"So... like someone has a voodoo doll of me... but if they wanted to hurt me... couldn't they just, like totally poke it with pins and stuff?" asked Shaggy, scratching his head.
"My dear boy, that's rubbish. Voodoo is much different than just pins and what not. It requires work, spells, strong central power. Whoever your dealing with is vengeful, and wants you too suffer... I think this person wants you to know its them. Or they would have done the pins, not cast you into a werewolf... which would cause you to hide or flee from your homeland." said Gretchen.
"So, like how do I reverse it..." sighed Shaggy.
"Find the caster. You'll need to get the doll. Reverse the spell on it, take whatever item this person has, and remove it." said Hazel, "It's the only way."
"Though why you would want... YEOWROO!" The silver had started to burn.
"Oh newts and frog tails!" said Hazel, taking it from his hand.
"My dear, this person really hates you. They seem to be recasting the spell as we speak." said Gretchen.
"Is their anyway..." Shaggy shook off the pain.
"Trace? No, as we said its not flesh... but it seems they've strengthened the doll.... they've added something else of yours. Hmm... dear, you must be very careful." said Gretchen.
"What's going on?" Fred, Velma, Daphne, and Scooby burst open the door.
"Friends?" asked Gretchen, pointing to them, Shaggy nodded.
"Always good to have... especially in harry situations like these," screeched Hazel, nudging him in the ribs.
"I'm fine guys." said Shaggy, waving them off.
"As I was saying, you must be careful. The ways its been done, if you taste wild, or act on instinct and urges... I'm afraid this will be unfixable." said Gretchen, Shaggy's ears and tail fell, his friends vision snapped to her.
"So..."
"You have nothing to be concerned about. The images you long for are fight-able. Your heard-headed my dear. Use it to your advantage. In the mean time. This spell book should appease you. Once you find it, use this spell to break it. You could try it before hand, but the moment they say the enchantment again, or its triggered in anyway... well dear, you'll have to deal with the pain again." said Gretchen, handing him a large book, "Keep it dear, you seem to find yourself in a pickle very often from what I've gathered from around the realm. Honestly, goblins, and whatnot."
"Thanks." said Shaggy, standing up with a sigh, the others walked slowly, waiting for him.
"Oh... and Shaggy dear." said Gretchen, as her and Hazel whispered.
"Yeah," he half smiled.
"Keep in mind. If mortal doesn't work out for you... or if you just need a change. The monster realm always holds a home for you and Scooby." said Hazel, patting Scooby on the head.
"Yeah.. thanks..." said Shaggy, he and Scooby exchanging a look, that was not reassuring.. at all.
TBC