Daphne looked around. "There's no one here now."
"We thought we'd gotten away from the first three witches when this ghost chased us from down there." Shaggy explained.
"First three witches?" Cherry asked.
Velma tried to use her expanded brain power on this. "You said she threw fireballs, right?"
"Yeah, and Shaggy, I told you, I don't think those first three girls we saw were witches, but the Hex Girls." Atticus said.
Velma kept examining and thinking, asking them various questions to put logical sense into this ghost business. She thought it was getting interesting. There was music heard from the distance.
"What's that?" Cherry looked around.
Fred smiled. "It's the Hex Girls!"
The group went away and saw Thorn, Dusk, and Luna on their instruments and preforming one of their best known songs to rehearse for tomorrow's concert. And where this was a song that even Atticus liked and even loved. The Hex Girls kept playing their song and finished, but then noticed they had an audience.
"Thanks," Dusk said to them. "But what are you doing here?"
"The concert's tomorrow." Luna added.
"Hey, wait a minute," Thorn came up, recognizing one of them instantly. "Aren't you Ben Ravencroft?"
Ben chuckled once he was noticed. "Why? You're not going to bite me, are you?"
"No, they're not, besides those fangs they're wearing are fake." Atticus said.
"I was just kidding, son." Ben told Atticus.
"Cool, I always wanted to meet you," Thorn came to the author. "You're like one of us."
"Yeah, you understand what we're into." Dusk added.
The Hex Girls then saw Scooby, Shaggy, and Atticus again and scared them again with their fangs, except for Atticus.
"That was quite an act, Miss, uhh..." Fred came to them.
"Thorn," the dark-haired girl introduced herself, then gestured to the blonde and red-head. "And this is Dusk and Luna. We're Eco-Goths."
"Eco-Goths?" Shaggy and Scooby asked in unison.
"And we don't need your approval." Thorn said, without explaining what an eco-goth was.
"Are you girls from here?" Cherry asked them.
"Yeah, but we won't be here for long." Thorn replied, she really felt a connection with Atticus, but she didn't know why.
"We're close to cutting our first CD." Dusk added.
"Well, it's been killer meeting you." Luna finished before they left.
"Same here." Ben said to them before they had to return to rehearsal.
Fred and Velma found the Hex Girls very suspicious. Atticus felt a connection with Thorn, but didn't know why he felt it.
"Daph and I should keep an eye on them." Fred said after everyone was suspecting the Hex Girls.
"Gee, why is it always you pair off with Daphne, Fred?" Velma teased their leader.
Fred grew nervous about answering that question.
"Never mind, it's a good idea." Daphne smiled.
"I wanna take a look around where the guys saw the ghost." Velma stated.
"It's late, Atticus, we should meet my mom." Cherry suggested.
"No way, this mystery is getting too exciting, you can go and meet you mom, but I'm staying with the gang to solve this mystery." Atticus said.
Cherry looked around. "I don't know where to go..." That was a predicament she was in.
"I guess you'll have to come with us then," Ben shrugged with a smile. "I'll tell your mother sorry for making you arrive so late."
Cherry smiled a little. "Thank you, sir..."
"Very well, you know the drill, let's split up, gang." Fred announced like always.
"Yes, sir." Atticus said.
"I'll go with Ben." Velma volunteered.
Cherry bit her lip, looking like a little lost puppy. "Can me and Atticus go with you?"
"Sure, if you want." Velma smiled down to her.
"We do." Atticus said.
"Come on then." Velma smiled, leaving ahead with Ben.
Cherry and Atticus followed them off after everyone split up.
"Cherry, would you say your parents are happily married?" Ben randomly asked.
"Uh, yeah..." Cherry shrugged, wondering why he would ask something like that. "Why?"
"Just curious, sometimes marriages don't work out the way you would expect them." Ben said as they explored.
"Some marriages, yes, but not all marriages." Atticus explained.
Velma looked ahead and saw someone familiar. "Jinkies, it's the mayor!"
"What's he doing there?" Ben wondered.
"I don't know, but we're going to find out what's in that barn, Atticus and I will follow the mayor." Velma suggested.
"Yes, ma'am, but maybe you, Mr. Ravencroft, and Cherry should check the barn while me, Shaggy, and Scooby follow the mayor." Atticus suggested.
"Good idea, Atticus." Velma smiled.
"We will?" Shaggy asked nervously.
"You wanna search the barn?" Cherry glanced at him.
Shaggy gulped. "On second thought, we'll take the mayor."
"He won't even notice us following him." Atticus said.
"Reah!" Scooby agreed.
Atticus, Scooby, and Shaggy went one way while Cherry, Velma, and Ben went the other. Atticus, Scooby, and Shaggy all began to follow the mayor ever so stealthily.
The boys kept trying to track down the Mayor without being noticed. However, at one point, Corey was able to see them, but Scooby and Shaggy disguised themselves as a teenage couple on the bench. Atticus had to have himself hidden behind a tree.
"Ah, young love..." Corey smiled at the 'couple' as he continued to walk off.
Scooby, Shaggy, and Atticus looked to watch the mayor go and continued to follow him. Where was he going? When they heard some noises in the background, they tried to follow them, but the mayor wasn't there.
"Like, where do you think he went, guys?" Shaggy asked.
"I ron't row." Scooby replied.
"I don't know either." Atticus said.
They went ahead, but found a frighteningly familiar vocie. "How dare you disturb my resting place!?"
Shaggy and Scooby screamed, preparing to run quicker than they did last time.
"Who are you, lady?!" Atticus asked loudly.
The ghost didn't seem to answer him, she just kept trying to scare Scooby and Shaggy.
Cherry stood with Ben and Velma to the barn. "One of us needs to lift the other to get in through that window."
"Agreed, but who should get lifted?" Velma asked.
Cherry stepped back.
"Are you sure?" Ben asked her.
Cherry chuckled nervously. "I-I'm kinda scared of heights..." She said, referring to how much taller Velma and Ben were compared to her.
"Don't worry, we'll be really careful not to drop you." Ben said while getting down to her height.
Cherry rubbed her arm. "Well... Okay... Just so you know, I'm a little clumsy..."
"I used to be clumsy too, we'll take care of you." Velma promised before they put Cherry over their shoulders to crawl into the WINDOW.
"Ready, Cherry?" Ben asked her.
Cherry gulped a little. "Ready..." she said weakly.
Ben and Velma did what they had to do to get her through the window and Cherry made it in, but there was a crash heard afterward.
"Cherry, are you okay?" Velma asked in concern.
Cherry opened the door, her glasses were crooked a little due to the fall. "Great... Thanks for asking..." she smiled softly, before falling backwards.
Velma and Ben then entered inside. Ben, Cherry, and Velma kept exploring.
Cherry kept walking, but got her foot stuck in something, then grabbed her leg to try to get it out. "Stupid gum..." she mumbled. After getting it off her shoe, she threw the gum away and joined Ben and Velma.
All three of them then found a vehicle there.
"A cherry picker." Velma examined. She came to a take a closer look and felt it. "It's still warm, guys."
"But who would be driving this late at night?" Ben wondered.
Velma made a thinking face. "That's the mystery..."
Cherry looked over and noticed one of the Hex Girls. She then decided to follow the member of the Hex Girls. Cherry went with Ben and Velma to track down the Hex Girl and wondered what the others were up to.
Atticus was still not moving from his spot, even with the help from Scooby and Shaggy. Shaggy and Scooby ran into town, running into the others, after Ben and Velma returned each other's glasses and Fred and Daphne caught up with them.
Cherry tried to message and call her mother on the phone, but couldn't reach her for some reason. Poor Michelle must have been worried sick. Atticus followed after them, not scared one bit, but decided to leave the ghost, thinking that she was nothing, but a fake.
"What happened, guys?" Velma asked.
"Like, we followed the mayor into some warehouse and that ghost attacked us." Shaggy explained.
"He did?" Velma asked. "There goes my cherry picker theory."
"Cherry picker theory?" Fred questioned.
"Wait til you hear what we saw at Thorn's place." Daphne added in.
"Where's Cherry?" Atticus asked.
Cherry came from behind Ben. "Hello..." she greeted sheepishly.
"Oh, there you are," Atticus said. "Now what's this about what happened at Thorn's place?"
Daphne and Fred were about to explain.
"Hey, like, we were reporting first," Shaggy interrupted. "Right, Scoob?"
"Reah!" Scooby nodded.
Cherry kept trying to get signal on her phone. "Mom... Where are you...?" she whispered to herself in concern.
"Okay, one at a time, we'll each report in of what we found out one group at a time." Atticus said, hoping this would solve the problem.
However, Mayor Corey came over. "What is going on here?" he glared to Scooby, Shaggy, and Atticus. "What's the big idea running me over?"
"Oops, sorry about that, Mr. Mayor." Atticus said.
"Yeah, Scooby and Shaggy just lose it when they get scared," Daphne smiled apologetically. "In fact, I'm worried that staying in Oakhaven must just be too frightening an experience for them."
"I think we should leave." Fred added.
'Wait, what did they just say?' Atticus thought.
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that..." Corey frowned.
Velma looked determined. "But I need to get one more clue before the night is over, then I can solve the mystery of the witch's ghost before tomorrow's autumn fest."
This disappointed Shaggy and Scooby instantly.
'I knew that Velma wouldn't just wanna close up this case.' Atticus thought.
Everyone then went to the Hex Girls's stage to observe what Fred and Daphne told them about at how it looked like they were cooking up a witch's brew when they found them. Cherry kept playing with her phone as they walked.