"So, you're like helping Simone and Lena drain the lives of victims?" Shaggy asked, struggling to take in all the information Jacques had just given them.
"I didn't really have a choice. They threatened to drain my daughter's life, I couldn't take that risk. They've had me doing this for years. But when you and your friends came onto the boat, I recognised you from Mystery Inc. I knew if anyone it would be you who could put an end to what Simone and Lena have been doing for centuries."
"Rhat do re do now?" Scooby asked.
"I have a plan." Jacques responded, his face suddenly turning to a smirk.
"If you're as old as you say you are, then I bet you're the one who found Morgan Moonscar's treasure!" Velma declared from her spot on the ground. Simone quickly turned around, glaring at her. "Morgan Moonscar… he was the cause of all of this. Lena and I were part of a group of settlers who made this island our home. We looked to our cat-god for a bountiful harvest. Until that night when he came ashore…"
A group of settlers danced by a large bonfire, one of them happily playing the accordion whilst some others clapped in time. Many of them sat on wooden picnic tables, everyone in high spirits, even the cats playing alongside the fire keeping warm. Without warning, the music stopped, the dancing stopped, even the cats stopped. The settlers turned their attention to an army of approaching pirates, Morgan Moonscar being the captain. He slashed through one of the tables with his large, freshly sharpened sword.
"He drove the islanders into the bayou. All except from Lena and myself."
The settlers cowered in the water, shivering in fear and the cold temperature of the water. Shortly after they had been driven into the bayou, a flock of alligators followed after them. Lena and Simone watched from their hiding spot, behind one of the many trees surrounding the bayou. They gasped as they watched their fellow settlers fight for their lives against the inevitable.
"We found this place underground where we took for safety until we knew Morgan Moonscar and his crew were gone for good."
Lena and Simone looked up to their statue of the cat-god, they had taken shelter in the underground tunnel, the only light being from several fires they had made. They were interrupted when light from a full moon shone from a hole above and beamed down on them and the moondial behind them.
"We prayed for a curse to be put onto the pirates, to destroy them as they had destroyed our island. Our wish was granted. We became cat creatures and destroyed the pirates."
Lena and Simone snarled in the faces of the pirates, Morgan in particular feared them as they were interrupted from their digging of treasure. Lena and Simone inched slowly forward, baring their newly sharpened fangs and claws. The pirates screeched in fear…
"Only afterwards did we discover that invoking the cat-gods power had cursed us as well." Simone looked angry as she finished, reminiscing what happened. "Over the first hundred years of our newly found curse, boats would come over to the island. One was full of spice traders who started a pepper plantation which flourished." Lena explained.
"At least until the harvest moon." Simone added, "sometimes it became necessary to lure outsiders. And that's where the new plan came into place. Lena has years of practice."
"So the zombies are just the poor souls that you've drained! They were just trying to warn us so we didn't suffer the same fate they did." Daphne realised, taking pity on the zombies that they had feared the entire time they had gotten here, when really the real enemies were the very ones inviting them to stay. "Pretty smart for a television reporter." Simone joked, making Lena laugh along with her.
Groanings from the zombies began filling the air, sounding like they were close to the tunnel. Simone and Lena looked up through the (skylight) hole that the full moon could be seen through. "Sounds like the zombies are trying to warn Scooby and Shaggy." Beau commented, remembering all the times the pair had told him about the zombies and he hadn't believed them.
"Luckily for us, those pair of wimps have no way of knowing the zombies aren't trying to harm them. Another reason we didn't bother making wax figures of them. They're easily taken care of." Simone responded.
"Simone, hurry! The moonlight is in the midnight alignment." Lena yelled, this being the first time in the gang's presence she referred to Simone as Simone and not Ms Lenoir. "They must be drained now."