Here's another enjoy.
(Reedited 5/10/22)
Courage was busy today, busy digging around all over the yard, searching desperately for something he hidden away, but forgotten where. Shaggy and Scooby had been spending a good portion of the morning just helping him and work all around the bare yard.
"I know I put it here, somewhere," Courage whined, as he pawed through the the dirt, to feel something hard, but his paws only sifted through crumbling dirt.
"Like, are you sure about that little dog dude?" Shaggy asked him as he stopped scooping up the dirt for a moment, to catch his breath.
"Reah, Scooby added, "Re've been digging for hours, are you sure you buried your yoyo here?"
"I am sure Scooby. Just keep digging," Courage insisted, as he began to dig again.
Scooby and Shaggy both sighed and went back into the hole and helped Courage keep shoving out the earth soil. After a moment of trashing through the dirt, there was an item that caught their attention.
"Hey, like what's this?" Shaggy inquired as he picked up a seemingly ordinary box curiously. It seems like a safe of some kind as evident by the lock in the front that's preventing them from opening it.
"I don't know, I didn't bury it," Courage noted with a shrugged, as he began to sniff the box all around.
"Raybe Rustace or Ruriel might know?" Scooby suggested.
"Doesn't hurt to ask," Courage said, as he got out of the hole and shook off all the dust on him.
"Good, because like, I'm hungry," Shaggy said, as he got out of the hole and shook all the dust off.
"Re too," Scooby agreed, as he also got out of the hole and shook the dust off, but unknowingly, he accidentally got dust of Shaggy and Courage.
"Scooby!" Shaggy and Courage protested in unison, as they now had dust on them.
"Rhoops," Scooby giggled, grinning sheepishly, "Rorry."
Entering the house, the trio went to the living room where Muriel and Eustace were. As they're neared them, they managed to catch the tail end of their conversation.
"-Where he hid his box full of money, so, happy birthday to nobody," Eustace said as he threw his crumpled-up newspaper across the room.
"Like oh yeah, I forgot my Uncle Horst's birthday was today," Shaggy said. Horst was Eustace's big brother, although his parents told him a couple times that his uncle doesn't talk about him much.
Courage sat right at Eustace's feet and tried to babble something with his mouth full, but found that task to be harder than he thought.
Eustace was turned away from Courage and growled, "Get away from me."
But Courage tried babbling again and even let out a whine to try to get Eustace's attention.
Eustace slammed his fist down on the arm of the chair and said scornfully, "What's the matter with you stupid dog? One little clue is all I-"
Courage grumbled a bit more with the iron box still in his mouth, until he opened his mouth wide and the box fell out of it. Unfortunately it landed right onto Eustace's foot, crushing it and making the elderly farmer scream out in pain. Even Shaggy and Scooby had to cringe at the sound of Eustace's scream.
Courage's stomach lurched. Oh no! I'm really in for it now! "I-I-I'm sorry farmer!" he stammered.
Eustace hopped up from his seat and angrily shook his fist at Courage and spat, "Ya stupid-"
Courage immediately cowered, put his paws on his head for protection, squeezing his eyes shut and brace for either a lecture or a beating, all the while he give out pitiful whimpers. Please be merciful!
But he stopped as soon as he looked down at the box and, very quickly, realization began to click in his head.
"That's it! That's the box I've been looking for!" Eustace said excitedly, as he kneeled down to pick it up.
Confused to why Eustace had stop, Courage opened his eyes to find him staring at the box, with gleaming and greedy eyes.
Shaggy and Scooby looked at each other in confusion, what did Eustace mean by that?
"Good dog Courage," Muriel said, patting him on the head before turning to face Eustace. "I wonder what's in it Eustace?"
"I'll tell you what's in it. His money! My good for nothing brother's money!" Eustace exclaimed, as he took the box into the next room and slammed it down onto the table.
He grabbed the top of the box and began to struggle, trying to open it, saying, "It's all mine!"
And even began biting at the edges of the box in a desperate attempt to get it open as Muriel, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage watched him from the doorway. He even began using his foot for extra leverage on the table. But no amount of effort would allow him to get the box open.
So he slammed it down on the table and said, "I'm getting me tools," as he walked out of the room and Muriel went to dust the box off.
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage walked over to the box. Courage, decided to look into the keyhole of the box, for several seconds he saw nothing but darkness. But then, he saw something that frightened to his very core. Courage pushed himself away from the box and screamed at the top of his lungs. Shaggy and Scooby concerned, were about to go and have look but Eustace came back with a wrench.
"No!" Courage whined as he stood in front of the box to stop Eustace from attempting to open it again.
Eustace glared down at the dog and said, "What's the matter with you dog?"
Courage took this time to point at the box and then mimic what he'd been doing with the box just a minute earlier, even morphed into a creature with a mouth full of sharp teeth. "Don't open that," Courage begged before diving towards Eustace's feet.
"Stupid dog!" Eustace yelled, before grabbing Courage by his back and sliding him towards the wall where he would have hit if Scooby not caught him beforehand.
"Thanks," he said gratefully, as Scooby placed him back on his feet.
"Ro problem," Scooby heartily smiled.
"Okay little Courage guy, like what's the matter?" Shaggy asked gently, wanting to get an explanation, of what cause Courage to scream like that.
"When I looked into the box, I couldn't see clearly as it was very dark. But I saw a creature and heard some horrifying sounds," Courage explained, with a shiver.
"Zoinks," Shaggy shrieked, in fear.
"Re can't let Rustace open the box," Scooby said, panicking of what could happened if he did.
Eustace spent the entire day messing with the money box and trying to open it, but everything he did would not help him in the slightest. He eventually got too frustrated to carry on and rejoined the family in the den to fume and vent.
Normally, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage like to watch TV, but were focused solely on Eustace who was grumbling and still trying to come up with a way to open the box. At least for the moment, he stopped trying which allowed the three to figure out what exactly was in the box and how to prevent Eustace from opening it.
Scooby then formulated an idea, it was not the best one, but it was better than nothing regardless, "Raybe if we find the key first, we can hide it somewhere where he will never find it," he whispered into Courage's ear.
"That could work, but what should we do in the meantime and if he finds the key before we do?" Courage asked, as he continued to look over at Eustace.
"I'll like, try and get it away from him and distract him long enough so you can bury it somewhere far from here," Shaggy volunteered, bit nervous about this plan.
"Okay, I'll do it," Courage agreed was still nervous about the whole thing.
Eustace sat in his armchair with his arms crossed and the lock box in his lap as he fumed and ranted, "I can't open it without the stinking key, darn dead Horst, he hated me."
Muriel rocked in her chair and said, "What a shame you and Horst never settled your troubles."
As if on cue they turned to a local station simply titled The Channeling Channel and the commercial that was airing was one that looked like it could solve all of their problems, catching Shaggy, Scooby and Courage's attention. While the television had been more or less background noise up until now, all three of the cowardly trio turned to curious confusion, intrigued by the rather interesting commercial playing on screen.
"The Channeling Channel," the TV said, "Will return after a word from our sponsor. Are you trying to contact the dead?"
Muriel went wide eyed as the commercial went on.
"Are you trying to reach the unreachable?" said the voice on the TV.
"Blah! Blah! Blah!" Eustace interjected annoyed at what was being said.
"Shirley the Medium can put you in touch with the hereafter," the TV continued.
"Shirley?" Shaggy questioned, raising a confused eyebrow.
"Rhe can really do that?" Scooby asked, with a bewildered frown.
"So you can live and die happily ever after," the TV finished.
Muriel beamed at the commercial and suggested, "What a wonderful idea, we could hire Shirley. Now you and your brother can lay your troubles to rest, once and for all. "
Eustace, still feeling angry, kept his arms crossed and grumbled, "Our differences are settled. He's dead and I ain't."
"Come now Eustace. Isn't there anything you want to talk to him about? It is his birthday," Muriel responded.
That's when a sly grin came to Eustace's face and he said, "Yeah, now that I think about it, there is."
He laughed as Muriel picked up the phone as enthusiastic greed overcame him. Shaggy, Scooby and Courage gasped, the three froze with horror. They immediately new where this was going, Eustace was going to try to get the location of the key that opens the box, the box containing something other than just money. Muriel began to dial and Courage began tugging at her apron to get her to stop, but Muriel didn't pick up on the message.
"Don't worry Courage," Muriel reassured, as she picked up the phone to dial Shirley but Courage tried to stop her from doing so, however, she mistook it as him being hungry. "Shaggy, be a dear and feed Courage."
"Oh, I just know something bad is going to happen, or my name is Archibald. And it's not," Courage said in alarm, after hearing what Muriel said.
"Like, so much for that plan," Shaggy gulped, shivering.
"Reah," Scooby whimpered in fear at what might happen once the box is opened.
It was nighttime, and it was getting really close to when Shirley was supposed to arrive. Shaggy, Scooby and Courage had attempted a few times to hide the box but Eustace refused to leave the box for even one minute, which made it harder for them to take it away from him. And with each passing moment, the cowardly trio felt their nerves and stress rising in them like a volcano ready to burst, the family soon heard a knock coming from the front door, heading over to it, Shaggy opened the door with Scooby, Muriel and Courage right behind him.
Like, must be Shirley. Shaggy thought as he opened the door and saw what looked to be a green chihuahua wearing green shirt, purple cape, blue hood and had a few earrings on both of her ears.
"Hmm?/Rmm?" Courage and Scooby hummed in confusion once they spotted Shirley.
"One thing: If you contact the dead for personal gain, there will be tragic consequences," she warned while already glaring at Eustace.
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage looked at one another and gave fear glances at each other and gulped, they already knew that this was going to be bad, and knew the real reason Eustace wants to contact his brother.
Eustace confirmed their thoughts when he demanded, "Just dial my dead brother and shut up."
With that, everyone turned to go back into the house.
Inside the dining room, the entire family was gathered around the table with Shirley sitting before a crystal ball.
Shirley sat before her crystal ball and said, "Join hands."
Everyone in the family did exactly that with Shaggy taking Scooby's paw and Scooby taking Courage's free paw after he grasped Muriel's with his other paw, Shirley closed her eyes and then opened up her mouth, the last thing the trio were expected to hear was the sound of a phone ringing on the other end of a phone line. Yet that what they heard as Shirley was contacting the other side.
That is the strangest sight I have ever seen, and I lived in Nowhere almost my whole life. Courage thought, to himself.
Eustace was becoming impatient as he banged on the table and growled, "You're on my payroll now. Wake up and get my brother on the line."
They sat there and waited, but there was no response from anyone, all they heard was the continuous ringing sound, but not the sound of anyone picking up. They all leaned in closer, eager to hear Horst answer on the other end of the line, but yet there was no answer.
Finally Shirley closed her mouth and said, "The party is not answering."
Eustace slammed his fist down on the table and snorted, "He never took my calls."
"…Yoyo?" Courage mumbled a bit before asking if she could find his yoyo.
"I shall try," She said as she focused on the crystal ball. "I see, I see, I see, I SEE!"
"What!? What!?" Courage gasped in eager anticipation as Shirley got more intense with her observation.
Finally she looked up from the ball and said, "A yoyo!"
"Yes!" Courage cheered, happily, his paws tingled with excitement.
"I see a yoyo, it is under the sofa," Shirley said as she pointed to the living room door.
Courage jumped up from his seat and dashed out into the living room, with blood pounding in his ears. Courage then pick up the pillows out of the couch, every sense felt on fire with tension, and where he found his yoyo. Courage cheered, as he begin to play with his yoyo.
As Courage played with his yoyo, Shirley turned to the rest of the family and said, "Any other little requests?"
Shaggy, Scooby and Muriel shook their heads as Eustace continued to fume, Courage returned a moment later and retook his place between Muriel, Shaggy and Scooby, grasping their hands and paws like before.
Eustace growled before turning back to Shirley and saying, "Try my brother again."
Shirley did just that and the ringing sound from her mouth resumed like before. This time they received an answer almost right away. However, the person on the other end was not Eustace's brother.
"Hello? Hello?" came an older woman's voice.
Muriel went wide eyed and exclaimed, "Aunt Gertrude?"
"Oh, for Pete's sake," Eustace complained impatiently, while bringing his hand to his head in frustration.
"Muriel? Oh Muriel, how are ya?" Gertrude asked on the other side.
Muriel smiled and said, "I'm just fine, thank goodness."
Eustace was getting impatient as he tried interrupting the call by saying, "Hang up! You're tying up the line."
"You are using vinegar, aren't you?" Gertrude asked.
"Vinegar? In raspberry jam?" Muriel asked, clearly not expecting that.
Shaggy and Scooby exchanged, disgusted looks at each other, "Yuck!/Ruck!"
Courage gagged, at the thought of it, when will Muriel learn that vinegar does not go in everything?
Eustace's patience ran out however as he stood up and said, "Will you two quit jabbering!" He pointed back to Shirley and said, "Now get my stinking dead brother Horst on the line!"
Shirley tried again in vain to warn Eustace by saying, "The dead should not be bothered for personal gain."
"What? Oh just do it!" Eustace said irritably.
Scooby started back at the greedy old farmer, his eyes wide with fear, Eustace was going to opened at cursed box!
In an act of desperation, Courage leapt onto the table and waved arms and babbled to Eustace. Even did his standard morphing by becoming a smokey phantom and then becoming a sharp toothed creature once again.
"Like Uncle Eustace please, if you open the box-" Shaggy began.
Eusatce didn't have any of it and yelled, "YOU SHUT UP! AND YOU SIT DOWN YOU STUPID DOG!"
Courage did as he was told and returned to his seat. Shaggy groaned, clearly frustrated that his uncle will not listen, even for one minute.
So Shirley returned to trying to call Horst, this time after only a couple of rings, someone picked up.
"Hello?" came a gruff older man's voice.
Muriel smiled again and said, "Isn't this wonderful Eustace? Finally you can settle your differences."
"I wish it were just that," Courage muttered.
"Yeah yeah yeah!" Eustace stated as he dropped Muriel's hand and stood up from his seat.
Eustace picked up Shirley and shook her a bit as he demanded, "Where's the key to the box?"
"There is nothing in the box for YOU Eustace," Horst said angrily.
Eustace's anger increased as he growled, "You would say that ya cheap-"
But Horst interrupted him by urgently saying, "Bury the box Eustace and forget it ever existed."
Eustace growled as Courage once again pleaded with Eustace, but Eustace merely told Courage to get away from him and pushed him away.
"Uncle Eustace please," Shaggy flashed at him.
"Risten," Scooby begged, forcing himself to meet the farmer's gaze
"QUIET!" Eustace snapped.
"Listen to the family Eustace. It's for the best," Horst urged once again.
"Money! Money! Where's the key?" Eustace demanded once again.
"There's nothing in there for you!" Horst responded.
Eustace tried one last time as he roared, "GIVE ME THE KEY!"
Finally having had enough of Eustace's badgering, Horst sighed and said, "Okay!"
Confusion crossed Eustace's face and he asked, "Okay?"
"Check the lining of your hat," Horst said.
Eustace did just that and in no time at all, he pulled a key out of his hat.
"So that's where it was," Eustace said gleefully.
Rho ever knew it was under his hat all along. Scooby told himself.
Horst merely said, "You have been warned brother."
And with that, they disconnected from Horst as Eustace picked up the box and laughed triumphantly.
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage felt fear and sense of dread, now that Eustace has the key.
Shirley however wanted to take the time to defuse him by saying, "You should heed your brother's word."
Instead of answering, Eustace picked her up and took her out of the room. Concerned, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage followed them and saw that Eustace had opened the door and pushed her out of the house.
"We don't need you anymore lady, take off," Eustace said before slamming the door on her.
Eustace then went back to the dining room and placed the box on the table and was about to open it but got annoyed when Courage started jumping up and down again in warning.
"What's wrong with you dog?" Eustace asked.
But instead of giving Courage a chance to answer, he grabbed him and threw him into the kitchen. He then picked up the key and was about to open it when the phone rang behind him. Going over to it, Shaggy was about to pick it up and was about to answer but Eustace snatched it from the cowardly teen.
"Hello?" Eustace answered.
"Don't open the box," Courage warned, he was in a phone booth across the street.
"You're not getting my money, whoever you are so just shove off!" Eustace yelled, before slamming the phone back down.
"Rho was on the phone?" Scooby asked him.
"Nobody, so quit bothering me, shouldn't be this complicated to just open a lock," Eustace said as he picked the box up again.
Courage run up to Muriel, Scooby went over to him and was about to ask him something but couldn't as without warning, Muriel shoved a spoonful of some food into both of Scooby and Courage's mouths.
"What do you two think of that?" Muriel asked.
Instead of answering, the dogs swallowed the unappetizing jam, screwing up their faces and tried not to gag. Luckily, that in of itself was enough of an answer for Muriel.
"You're right, too much vinegar," Muriel said as she went back to the pot on the stove.
Ray too much vinegar! Scooby thought, as he struggled to keep it down.
"Like, Uncle Eustace wait!" Shaggy stated, but he waved his hand in front of the cowardly teen.
"I waited long enough. Money money money," Eustace laughed as he inserted the key into the lock.
Shaggy's heart leapt into his chest as he saw a green glow begin to emanate from the box.
"UNCLE EUSTACE NO!" he screamed, but now it was too late.
He watched as he turned the key in the lock and he laughed even more. Even as the green glow grew brighter. Scooby and Courage came running into the room from the kitchen and their eyes grew as big as saucers at the sight.
"Oh, this is not good," Courage said ominously, as he placed his back against the wall next to the wall.
"Ruh-oh!" Scooby said agreeing with him his face drained of color, as he placed his back to the wall as well.
Eustace continued laughing as he ignored the glow and cheered, "I knew it. We're rich! WE'RE RICH!"
Muriel came walking in and asked, "Did you say something Eustace?"
She let out a little gasp as Scooby and Courage pushed back on the door, forcing her out of the room. Eustace picked up the box as the glow grew brighter still, by now however, his smile had vanished.
"Like, Uncle Eustace he kept that box locked for a reason!" Shaggy hollered, but he was again too late.
Two large green arms shot out of the box and Eustace threw the box right to the other side of the room.
He pointed at the creature and asked, "What are you doing in my box? With MY money."
The creature, now visibly angered, smacked away the dining room table and chairs reached out to Eustace. Shaggy, Scooby and Courage let out screams and Courage grabbed the lanky farmer and started running for the dining room door as Shaggy ducked into the kitchen where his aunt was, stirring a pot of jam.
Courage then ran over to Scooby where they realized that they were essentially trapped with the demon, the creature then surrounded the two frightened dogs with its hands.
Rit's trapped us! Scooby thought, with terror.
"Okay you can have him," Courage's terrified voice rang, before tossing Eustace into the air.
The demon grabbed Eustace with one of his hands. It then tried to grab Courage with its other hand. His heart pounding, Courage started at the incoming hand that was gonna grabbed him next, the pink beagle was frozen in horror.
"ROURAGE!" Scooby cried, without stopping to think, he sprang at the terrified cowardly beagle and managed to grab Courage and pull him away just in time.
Scooby then opened the door to the kitchen and entered it where they saw Shaggy and Muriel, Muriel was stirring something in the pot in her hands.
"What's wrong you two?" Muriel asked.
But before either of them could answer, the two dogs were sent flying towards the other side of the room because the demon punched the door open with incredible force. So much so, that they're was seeing stars for a moment.
Muriel screamed as the hand pulled her back into the dining room and hollered, "Courage! Shaggy! Scooby! HELP!"
Shaggy helped the two dogs back up to their feet and the three dashed back into the dining room to see the giant hands were trying to pull both Eustace and Muriel into the box. The elderly couple were holding onto the radiator in the room for dear life as the hands tried hard to pull them into the box with it. It was working, but the radiator began to pull up out of the ground and it wouldn't hold for long.
Thinking quickly, Scooby remembered the cloths line and how it could help them at this moment.
"Rourage, go get the clothes line. Rurry!" Scooby told him.
"Okay!" Courage nodded and quickly went outside, he went to the clothes line, and he quickly folded the clothes neatly and put them in the basket. Grabbed the rope and dashed into the house.
"Okay, like me and Scoob tie them together to the heater, you like, tie the other end around the house," Shaggy said.
Courage nodded and quickly went back outside. Shaggy and Scooby moved over to Eustace and Muriel and tied the clothes line around each of them before tying it to the heater. Just as the best friends finished tying it, Courage came back inside.
"My clothes line, did you fold the clothes?" Muriel asked. Courage quickly nodded. "Such a good dog."
"Now what?" Courage asked.
"Um. Um. Give me a mo- like I got it, Shirley, she might know what to do. and I know where we can like find her," Shaggy answered.
"Rokay. Ret's go find her," Scooby agreed.
In short order, the three were back in town. It was late, so no one was really out so no one could stop and question what they were up to. From the town entrance, they made their way to the local TV station and to their relief, they saw Shirley's little wagon sitting just outside of it. They ran inside quickly and it didn't take them long to find the studio that Shirley worked in (thanks to all the supernatural decals right around the door). They went inside to see Shirley was flossing her teeth for no discernible reason.
Rushing over to her, the cowardly trio were about to tell her that they need her help. But she beat them to it.
"The Stupid One, he opened the box yes?" she asked.
"Yes he did," Courage felt very confused, Shirley seemed to know more than he did about was going on.
"We did try to warn and stop him. But he's always been so stubborn and refuses to listen," Shaggy admitted.
"Respecially when money and his brother are involved," Scooby added.
"That is why I call him The Stupid One, alright, take me to him," Shirley said.
Back inside, Eustace and Muriel were still hanging on for dear life. Thankfully in no worse case as earlier, but given that the house's structure was weakening, it wouldn't last much longer. Now however, there was less to fear. Shirley went to face Eustace.
"You had to open the box didn't you?" Shirley scolded him, and then muttered something in her native language.
Eustace scowled as she closed the lid of the box with her foot. Almost immediately, the hands scream out in pain, releasing both Eustace and Muriel in the process. The hands twitched in agony and then pulled themselves back into the box. Shaggy, Scooby and Courage sighed in relief and then a crisp hundred dollar bill flew out of the box and into the air. Shirley caught the bill in her hand and then pocketed it in her dress.
"House emergency fee," she said as she pocketed it and began walking away.
Eustace sat up at the sight of the bill and declared, "I knew there was money in there."
He got to his feet and ran for the box again and picked it up.
"UNCLE EUSTACE NO!/RUSTACE NO!" both Shaggy and Scooby screamed but they were too late once again. Or, more likely, Eustace just wouldn't listen.
He opened the box and he was immediately sucked right into it. Scooby shook his head while Shaggy just facepalmed as his uncle's stupidity as the box clattered to the ground. Yet they could still hear him.
"Look at all this money! Whoopee! I'm rich! I'm finally rich!" he hollered from inside the box.
Shirley shook her head and muttered in Spanish once again as she walked out.
Muriel looked at her and said, "Thank you again at least."
"Like, at least everything is safe now," Shaggy said turning to Scooby and Courage.
They just smiled and Courage went and picked up the key that was near the box.
The very next morning, Muriel, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage were sitting in the living room as Muriel, Shaggy and Scooby were tasting Muriel's freshly made jam, which was surprisingly good, it was good, rich and full-tasting despite the vinegar, while Courage sat in the arm chair, playing with his yoyo.
"Like, Aunt Muriel I have to admit, your aunt Gertrude was right," Shaggy said as he ate another spoonful of jam.
"Reah, not bad," Scooby agreed, as he ate another spoonful of jam.
Muriel nodded and said, "I agree. This jam tastes heavenly."
"Can I buy some from you?" came Eustace's voice from the box on the stand by the arm chair.
Roor Rustace Scooby said in his head. Rall that money and no place to spend it.
"You can have all the jam you want when you get out of there," Muriel said. "But first we have to find that key."
Scooby and Shaggy chuckled as the both and Muriel had some more of the jam, neither one of them noticed that Courage actually had the key on him and was not about to use it.
Well that's all for now. VK IS OUT PEACE!