AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!

Chapter Eight: Just Kidding Around

"Right." Shaggy said. 'Why are all the girls in my family always over-prepared for everything?'
'I heard that.' Melinda retaliated. 'And it's not over-preparing, it's cautionary planning.'
'Right....'
"Oh, never mind. Here." Melinda tossed him the body. "Have fun carrying that." Shaggy gulped. 'Oh yea, I'll have tons of fun.'

Daphne shreiked and Fred jumped away from the body as fast as possible.
"Mr. Harrison?" Fred said as he got up the courage to get a closer look at the body. "Well, now we know why we weren't greeted by him when we came by." Everything was quiet in the hall outside of the room. Too quiet. Daphne, holding Kylie, looked over her shoulder. The boys were missing!
"Freddie! Danny and James are gone!"

Velma and the kids could find nothing in the basement, so naturally, something bad was bound to find them. Anna and Susie were walking together hand in hand towards a door marked 'Pantry 3' in the basement. When they realized they were both too short to reach the handle, Susie got down on the ground on all fours and Anna climbed carefully onto her sister's back.
"Hurry. You're very heavy, you know. Lay off the Scooby Snacks." Susie complained at the added way.
"Hey! You eat them too!" Anna protested, placing both hands on her hip and pouting.
"Whatever, just hurry up. I'm only three years old here, I'd like to keep my back in perfect condition." Susie, a lot like her mother, was very articulate.
"Whatever." Anna said as she turned the handle. She jumped off of her sister's back and they turned back to the door. They soon realized the door was too heavy to pull open by themselves, so, naturally, they found Chastain and Mary to help them.
"No, you're lying! Something's behind the door!" Mary protested. She was used to being the pranked kid as she was easily scared.
"Nothing's there Mary, we promise." Anna said putting a hand on her shoulder. "Just trust us, okay?" Mary frowned for a minute, but sighed.
"Okay." She said nervously. She began to help her older sisters and brother pull the door open. It took a while, but eventually, the door creaked slowly open. All four children took a breather then looked inside. Four resounding screams echoed the cellar as they were pulled in and the door shut tight.

Velma jumped, had she just heard four very familiar screams from the other side of the basement? She turned around, hoping to God her kids were still following her. Her heart pounded through her chest, where were her kids? She began to run in the directio of the scream and came to a halt in front of a large door. She tried to pull it open, but the dooor was locked tight. She looked up and something caught her eye. On the top of the door, just before the frame-work, was taped a note. She knew she couldn't reach it alone, so she immediatly ran upstairs to find Shaggy, Scooby, and Melinda.

"Rhat's Thrat?" Scooby asked, ears perked to hear the noise, whatever it was, clearer. "Rootsteps!"
"Footsteps?" Shaggy asked slightly confused.
"Footsteps!" Melinda said in urgence. "Hide!"

"Shaggy? Melinda? Scooby?" Velma called down the halls. Now that she was by herself, this mansion seemed to be more spooky than it was before. "Are you here guys?" She noticed a door ajar down the hall. "Guys?" No answer. She went over to investigate. She pushed open the door and was pounced upon by a very tall something. They went crashing to the floor and Velma found herself lying on the ground and looking up into the face of Norville Rogers, who just happened to be on top of her.
"Velma?" He asked confused.
"Shaggy, if this is a way of telling me we need more time alone, I think this is the wrong way to go about it." Shaggy blushed.
"Like, sorry Velms. I thought you were the ghost." He said as he helped her up.
"Me? No, I didn't even see the ghost as I came up here."
"Umm, guys?" Melinda asked from the other side of the room.
"Yes?" Shaggy and Velma asked in unison.
"Where're the kids?"

Daphne and Fred began to search for clues on the whereabouts of their sons on the third floor; nothing showed up.
"Freddie, what if we can't find them?" Daphne asked, panic rising in her voice.
"We will, Daph. This is one mystery we have to solve...." Fred said as he took his wife, still holding their one year old daughter, in his arms.
"Daddy!" Kylie said pointing towards Fred.
"Yes, sweetie. Daddy." Fred said pointing to himself.
"Daddy!" She repeated continueing to point.
"Fred, I don't think she's pointing at you.... I think there's something up there." Daphne said pointing to the sill of a decorative window several feet above them.
"Of course. Her first clue and it's ten-thousand feet above us. No wonder she has your timing." Fred said, obviously trying to lighten the mood with a joke. Instead, he recieved a jab in the ribs from Daphne's elbow.
"Ow!" Fred said as he slowly walked towards the wall upon which the window sat. "I was only kidding!"

"You lost them?" Melinda asked in amazement. In all the four years that Velma has had children, her included, she had never lost a single one. Shaggy on the other hand, well he's had his better moments when it came to watching the kids.
"They're sneaky!" Velma said in defense. "Now, I need your help. I believe I found a clue to where they are, but I can't reach it alone. Will you help?"
"Of course we will!" Shaggy told her as he, not surprisingly, led them towards the door. Shaggy Rogers may be a coward, but when it comes to his family and friends, no one can make him back-down.
When they got to the door, Shaggy immediatly knelt on the ground.
"What're you doing?" Melinda asked.
"I want one of you girls to climb on my shoulders and get the note." He said as though it were an abvious plan.
"I'll do it, it's my fault they're gone." Velma said, already climbing on her husbands shoulders. She reached her hand up, but came short by just a bit. "Do you think you can raise me higher by just a bit?"
"Yea, but you'll need to hold on." Velma braced herself as she slowly rose. When he stopped moving, she reached up and retrieved the note. Once on the blissful, solid ground, she read the note aloud.

Come seek us where we lurk and hide,
Beware the feelings you have inside,
We haven taken a precious gift,
Should we let, our spirits, lift?
It is your choice, my dear friend,
Will you ever see your gift again?

Fred knew he couldn't reach it, but he also knew there was a ladder in the library on the second floor.
"I'll be right back, I'm going to get a ladder." He said as he flew past Daphne and down the stairs. He retreived the ladder and set it up to the window. Daphne, set Kylie down on her chair and held the ladder for Fred.
"Can you reach it?" She asked.
"Yea, I got it." Fred said as he climbed back down, a note in his hand.
"Let's see what this bad boy says."

We love children who love to play,
But will they love our games?
If not, it's quite a shame.
Two days you have to look,
Any longer and I'd be careful what you cook.

"This mystery has officially gotten out of hand." Daphne said. She turned around to get Kylie, only there was one problem. Where was Kylie?
"Fred! Kylie's missing!" Fred kicked the wall.
"Damn it, why the hell do all the bad things have to happen to us every other freaking day of our lives?"
"Fred, another note." Daphne said, picking up a small piece of paper identicle to the other note.

A precious sight we now behold,
Your daughter will lay stiff and cold,
Head our warnings now and find,
Your children home, safe and fine.