It was a calm night at the Bagg Farm as a gentle blew through, making the windmill spin with it's usual squeak. Quiet and calm with the full moon rising in the distance. Inside the living room sat Eustace, Shaggy, Scooby, Courage and Muriel watching TV with not much on currently but some schlocky 50's b-grade horror film playing. None of them minded watching a lot of the older stuff, but sometimes even the older stuff had a campiness that was hard to enjoy. At this point, none of them would have minded something new or different to make the night less dull.
But the cowardly trio were jolted out of this by the sound of someone knocking on the front door. Courage let out a small panicked howl, prompting Scooby to pat him on the head in response.
"Wonder who that could be?" Muriel asked.
They all looked to the front door and they could see that someone standing just on the other side of the door. There appeared to be a tall pale man standing just outside, wearing dark clothing and looking dangerously thin.
As if his frightening appearance alone weren't enough, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage swore that as Muriel and Eustace approached the door, they've heard what sounded like an animalistic growl emanating from the figure standing just beyond the front door.
As the front door opened, he looked just as frightening as The trio figured. He was indeed tall, pale and frighteningly thin. Shaggy, Scooby and Courage even began to wonder if the man was actually made from bone itself. The few strands of red hair that adorned his head certainly didn't help matters at all. What frightened them most though was the eyes behind the lens of his glasses.
One appeared to be drooping and reminded them a bit of a lazy eye. The other looked to be bulging in it's socket and looked like it was about ready to pop out at any moment. The crooked rotting teeth was the last of his facial features that chilled them to the bone. The last thing they noticed before looking away was the red scarf wrapped around his neck.
"Hello," the man said in a tone that chilled Shaggy, Scooby and Courage as he waved to the family in the doorway.
"Hello," Muriel answered with a smile.
Eustace however, as usual, still scowled at the man and demanded, "Who the heck are you?"
The man placed a hand on his own chest and responded, "I'm Benton Tarantella."
"Who?" Shaggy asked.
"Benton Tarantella?" the man repeated.
"Rosen't ring a bell," Scooby answered, with a wrinkle brow.
"The famous independent movie director?" the man said.
Muriel was a bit excited as she beamed and said, "Oh Eustace, Shaggy, he's a famous movie director."
Eustace glared at the man and scowled, "Never heard of him."
"Scoob, little pink dude, have like, have either of you heard of him?" Shaggy asked, turning his gaze towards the dogs.
"Ro," Scooby answered shrugging his shoulders, while Courage shook his head.
Muriel's excitement grew though as her smile widened and related, "I knew it, I just knew it. He's famous you two."
"Big deal," Eustace scoffed to Muriel before turning back to the man. "What do you want?"
"I'll explain," he answered and then outstretched his hand. "May I?"
"Oh yes, come in Mr. Tarantella, come in," Muriel beckoned him to enter.
The man entered as Eustace continued to glare but said nothing. As he walked by, both Muriel and Eustace followed him towards the kitchen. But Shaggy, Scooby and Courage held back for a moment.
"Hmm," Courage hummed suspiciously. Something's wrong. He thought. But what?
Scooby and Shaggy give worried glances at each other.
"Like, why do I have a bad feeling about this Scoob?" Shaggy asked nervously, anxiety was welling up inside of him.
Scooby whined and whimpered at his response, he swallowed and trying to calm down.
A few minutes later, the six of them were seated at the kitchen table with Courage sitting in Muriel's lap. Muriel had offered to make the man some tea, but he had respectfully declined. Instead, he had insisted in getting straight to the point. In fact, he had almost sounded impatient about it.
"Like, why are you here?" Shaggy asked, he felt really uncomfortable the way that strange man was staring at him like that.
He cleared his throat and explained, "I was just driving by, scouting locations for my latest blockbuster," he made a finger frame and observed the five of them through it, like he was trying to get a good look at them.
"Oh scouting locations, that sounds so fancy," Muriel said.
Eustace had his arms crossed as he looked back at the guy and scowled, "So what?"
"This is my next opus," he continued and reached behind his back, pulling out a manuscript with the title of the movie written on the front. "The Return Of The Zombies From Beneath The Farm."
Muriel was wide eyed though at the sight of the script and exclaimed, "Ooh a real movie script you two."
"And?" Eustace demanded with his arms still crossed and scowling.
Tarantella put his script away and explained, "I want to make my movie here, on YOUR farm. In THIS house."
Muriel smiled and replied, "Oh my."
Scooby wrinkled his brow, he needed to know why this man asked them to film his movie at the farm's location, but his impulse was not to trust a word the director said, "Rhat's the catch?" he asked with suspicion.
"There is no catch. Just help me film," he answered.
This just raised more red flags for the cowardly trio.
"We ain't interested," Eustace grumbled, not caring.
"We'll pay tons of cash," Tarantella said while pulling out a contract which Eustace quickly snatched when he heard the word cash.
"You said we. Like, who are the others?" Shaggy asked, not wanting to be taken in by this director.
"Me and my partner. He'll be here soon," Tarantella answered.
"Okay. We're interested," Eustace beamed with excitement.
Tarantella stood up from his chair and said, "Excellent. Now if you three will sign down there on the X."
Shaggy wanted to argue, but when his uncle was suddenly invested in something it would be impossible to argue with him. So instead he relcultently signed the contract with them.
But when the humans weren't looking Benton's glasses fell of his face. Revealing that he had on eye missing and the nose was a fake. Scooby and Courage let out a scream of terror.
"Raggy!" Scooby yelled in horror.
"Scoob, like what is it?" Shaggy asked, alarmed at Scooby's fearful tone.
"Zombie," Courage whined, while pulling on Muriel's dress, pointed at Tarantella and then morphed into the form of a walking, rotting corpse. Like one of the undead. Before Scooby and Courage could get anything else out, Tarantella walked over to get a good look at Muriel. He even did the finger frame again to observe her.
"Muriel, has anyone ever told you that you should be in pictures?" Tarantella asked and then kicked the two dogs away.
"Hey! Like, what was that for?" Shaggy asked in fury, as he went to comfort the two dogs.
Tarantella shook his head and scoffed, "Sorry about that. I just need them out of the way for now. I need to focus on my... actors."
Muriel however giggled and stammered with a blush, "My goodness, no."
Eustace finished signing the contract and asked, "Here's your contract. When do we get paid?"
"Right after we finish shooting the movie. And we start shooting... tonight," he said ominously.
Scooby and Courage gasped, while Shaggy was getting a bit more frightened.
"Tonight?" Muriel asked excitedly.
"Oh yes," Tarantella responded with a nod.
Muriel turned back to Eustace and said, "Isn't this exciting? Eustace, Shaggy, we're going to be movie stars."
Shaggy gulped and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah...Like, great..."
Tarantella looked back to the old couple and asked, "May I see your basement?"
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage let out disgusted groans at the sight and Shaggy backed the three of them away to keep from the drool from dripping on them.
Down in the basement, Tarantella walked about, trying to get a good look at the place using finger frame again. He seemed much more excited than you'd think someone would be just from touring a basement. Could have been because of his passion, but it was still unusual to see someone THIS excited by merely observing a basement.
"Yeah," he said, with beaming eyes as he walked about. "This is great."
He turned back to the family and suggested, "Great. We'll do the zombie resurrection scene here. This is a great angle. I love it." He moved a little closer to them, using long strides to move about. "We can do a tracking shot right over here and then, rack focus," he said practically growling.
The family stood in one corner and Muriel looked to her husband and nephew and said, "Eustace, Shaggy this place is a mess. We should really straighten up for the movie."
Eustace, who had been overlooking the contract, put it away and replied, "Right."
Courage walked away from the group, wanting to check what that 'director' was up to as Muriel began wiping down the furnace and Eustace began to sweep. Scooby and Shaggy decided to stick with Courage and walked with him as the little dog went up to Tarantella as he continued looking about the basement.
"This is great, great!" Tarantella said with enthusiasm as he turned around to face Shaggy, Scooby and Courage. Only for his hand to pop off and land at their feet.
The trio's eyes bugged out and the three of them let out frightened screams at the sight of his hand coming off. It didn't help that the man merely picked his hand back up and twisted it back onto the stump as the trio ran off.
Courage went over to Muriel and began tugging at her skirt to get her attention again.
Not understanding what he was saying Muriel looked back down at the little dog and asked, "Courage is something wrong?"
But Tarantella beat him to the punch and skidded over to Muriel, knocking Courage out of the way again.
Tarantella cleared his throat and told her, "Muriel, in this light well you look like, you look like you HAVE to be in MY movie."
"Oh my," Muriel beamed with a smile and a blush.
"In this scene, you will play the victim of the zombie sacrifice," he instructed to her while Courage ran back over and began tugging at Muriel again.
"That's so exciting," Muriel said eagerly as Courage continued trying to get her attention.
"What's MY role?" Eustace demanded.
Tarantella walked over to Eustace, handed him a shovel and replied, "YOUR role is digging the zombie's tomb."
"NOW you're talking," Eustace said proudly with a slight smile to his face.
"Oh, what about Shaggy? Will he have a part?" Muriel spoke.
Shaggy's heart lurched with dread, he hoped he didn't have any part of this movie, unfortunately this wasn't gonna be the case.
Tarantella chuckled and responded, "Oh I'm sure I'll find a role for him. But for now, I'd like to focus on THIS particular scene. We got plenty more movie for him."
His last comment made Shaggy swallowed nervously. Scooby was whimpering at the guy's response, he really didn't like where this is going.
Courage ran over and tried to take the shovel away from Eustace. "Don't do it! He's a zombie!" Courage warned as he grabbed onto the shovel.
Eustace however pulled back on the shovel and growled, "Get away from me! This is MY role."
After a moment, Courage lost his grip on the shovel and fell backwards. Before he could get back up, Eustace grabbed Courage by the back of the neck and carried him back up the stairs, tossing him into the dining room.
"And don't let me catch you down here again," Eustace yelled and then slammed the basement door shut. "Stupid scene stealing dog."
Scooby and Shaggy raced upstairs to check on the little pink beagle.
"Rourage, are you alright?" Scooby asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay Scooby," Courage replied, while rubbing the back of his head.
"Like, Something is wrong with that dude," Shaggy said, with a worried expression.
"We need to find more information about this Benton Tarantella," Courage added, his brow wrinkled.
"Ro the computer!" Scooby announced, as he pointed up in the air, with light shining. "Rokay, that's enough you guys. Rhank you."
It was revealed next to the Great Dane that Shaggy was gelding a flashlight and Courage was wobbling a board.
Up in the attic, Courage, Shaggy and Scooby sat at the computer just typing away any information they had about Benton Tarantella, which was not a lot to go on. All they knew is that he was an independent film maker and that he was currently making a sequel film. They typed this information into the computer and waited for him to do his thing.
After a minute, the computer buzzed in and said, "Sorry, no record of Benton Tarantella in the independent film database. Or in ANY film listings."
"Like, I was afraid you were gonna say that," Shaggy frowned, with a whimper.
"Sorry I couldn't help with that. Hey, want to sing a song I know," the computer said with some musical chords.
Courage instead continued typing away at the computer and said, with a sigh of exasperation, "Just keep checking,"
The computer sighed and said, "Alright alright, sheesh. I'll search public records."
A few minutes later, the trio finally got the results that they were looking for. Suffice it to say though, the results that they got were horrifying. Instead of getting any film records involving the name Benton Tarantella, they instead got crime reports and newspaper clippings detailing a series of unspeakable crimes by Benton Tarantella and his partner Errol Von Volkheim.
"Amateur filmmakers slay twelve," Shaggy said reading the article, while feeling shivers down his spine.
"Oh, no," Courage gasped in terror.
"Renton Rarentella and Rerrol Ran Rolkheim pose as film directors to lure unsuspecting victims to their fate," Scooby continued to read the article, as he did buckets of sweat dripped down his face and he was shaking with terror.
"Tarentella and Van Volkheim Jailed. Van Volkeim released for good behavior. Tarentella dies in prison," Shaggy continued.
"I knew it. Tarentella is a zombie!" Courage said, as he began to panic.
"Like, why couldn't be one of those zombies back on Moonscar Island?" Shaggy asked, remembering one of the mysteries with the gang.
"Reah," Scooby agreed.
"What?" Courage asked, not getting what they're talking about.
"Long story/Rong story," Scooby and Shaggy answered in unison.
Courage decided the drop this for now, as he continue to typed, "But where is this other guy? Van Volkheim."
"He's dead," the computer answered.
"Yes!" Courage cheered, while Scooby and Shaggy breathed a sigh of relief.
"And he was buried in a cemetery," the computer continued.
"Like, that's a relief," Shaggy said, beginning to calm down a little.
"That this house was built over," the computer finished.
That information made the cowardly trio's blood run cold and caused them to freeze up.
"Rhat's not," Scooby squeaked, feeling a shiver go up his spine.
This information is all that they needed to know what Tarantella was planning. The man was, beyond the shadow of a doubt, a ZOMBIE. A zombie of all things. And he was bringing back his old partner in crime to continue their killing spree.
Back in the basement, Eustace continued to dig into Von Volkheim's long abandoned grave as Tarantella tied Muriel down to a table that they had set up to use in the film.
As soon as he finished, he looked over his script and said, "Right, that's right. Nice and tight."
He walked back over to a side table that they had also set up in there and set his script down on top of it. He did this right as Shaggy and Scooby both came walking down the stairs and Courage came out of the pipe.
Tarantella saw the teen and asked in a cool voice, "Ah, ready to join us at last?"
Shaggy froze in front of him, he couldn't help but cower in fear, he gave a nervous grin, "Sure. L-L-L-Like, what d-d-d-do you need me t-t-t-t-to do?" he stammered, deciding that pleasing that murderer was perhaps his best bet.
He pointed to one side and instructed, "Wait right over there for now. I'll have a scene ready for you soon."
While Tarantella was distracted, Scooby and Courage snuck over to the side table and grabbed the script right off of it. As Tarantella walked back over to supervise the digging of the hole, Courage and Scooby rushed over to Shaggy and the three ducked down under the stairs to hide from view as they read the script.
Scene 1: Fool the family.
Scene 2: Dig big hole.
Scene 3: When planets align, dead partner rises from the grave.
Scene 4: Eat old lady! Possibly the young man too.
Shaggy gasped in fear after reading the last lines, he was shaking so hard, he almost drop the script. Scooby exchange a horror glance at his owner and Courage howled with Shaggy, with a fearful expression.
Shaggy swallowed, "Me and Aunt Muriel are like, the next victims," he said in a tiny voice.
They hopped out of their hiding spot and ran over to Muriel to try to rescue her, only for Tarantella to suddenly appear and snag the script from Courage's hand and grabbed hold of Shaggy's wrist with his free one. his skin crawled at the cold feeling of his rotted flesh on the wrist.
He blocked Scooby and Courage's path and said, "Perfect, you're both just in time doggies. I have great roles for the both you. You little dog will play the dog locked up in the trunk. And you will play the big dog tied up by the stairs. Eustace?"
"Stupid overacting dogs. And quit stealing my scenes," Eustace shouted as he grabbed Courage, his howls were broken in a panic, and his heart was pounding out of his chest, but his pitiful whimpers were unfortunately ignored and Eustace threw him into a trunk. And he then tied up Scooby to the rail of the stairs. Scooby all the while was whimpering and his eyes were wild with fear.
"Uncle Eustace do-," Shaggy started, but was quieted when Tarantella's other hand covered his mouth which thankfully was fully bone, making him feel a little less nauseous.
"And as for you my boy, I have a special role for you. It's called, dessert," he said with a laugh and began to drool.
"Mmph!" Shaggy protested and struggled, as his breathing was growing out of control and he was shaking with terror.
A few minutes later, Shaggy lied on the floor near the side table with his wrists and ankles tied up behind him and rag tied over his mouth, the cowardly teen could feel the tight coils of strong rope around his arms and legs. Scooby had his muzzle tied up, he could feel his muzzle shut up real tight, and his paws were all tied with ropes as he whined.
Shaggy squirmed on the floor, try to scream into the gag, but all was quiet and muffled, as Courage screamed and scratched from the inside of the trunk.
"Mmmph!" Shaggy tried to say to his aunt, what was going on but, but his mouth was too tightly bound, and thanks to the gag it sounded like he was merely putting on an act.
"That's very good you three. I didn't know you boys could act," Muriel complimented not seeing the danger they're in.
Shaggy tried to speak, but all he could make it out was, and his muffled cries did not carry far, "Mmmph."
Tarantella stood in the door leading outside and continued to watch the planet Mars drift in front of the moon. He rubbed his hands together and said, "The light is perfect."
He stepped down the stairs as Eustace approached him and asked, "Now what do I do?"
Tarantella placed a hand on Eustace's back and instructed, "Why you're the cameraman, all you do is run the camera."
He laughed and Eustace asked, "Do I get paid extra?"
"Sure," Tarantella responded, as they walked back towards the camera.
Eustace took his spot behind the camera as Tarantella looked over his script once more.
"Excellent, let's roll camera," he said and turned to the hole in the ground as he slammed the script back onto the side table.
Scooby began to yank on his leash, hard as he could. He had to break free! He couldn't let Muriel or Shaggy get killed! Try as he might, the leash wouldn't snap. He was as good as a stuck tied up animal.
Shaggy could feel his sweat begin to run cold, he started whimpering and shaking from fear, but then he and Scooby looked over to the chest that held Courage. To their surprise, they could see his back legs sticking out from the bottom of the chest and he walked the chest over to the side table where the script was lying.
Meanwhile, Eustace got the camera running and shouted, "Rolling!"
As he started filming, Mars drifted in front of the moon as the light from the conjunction of the two began to shine down on the hole. Tarantella had his back to the table and his eagerness was growing. What he didn't notice was Courage reaching up through the keyhole and pulling the script into the chest.
Rease hurry Rourage, Scooby thought desperately, giving pleading eyes to the chest.
"Great! This is gonna be great," Tarantella chuckled.
Scooby and Shaggy watched in abject horror, as a bony hand reached up from the depths of the hole, followed by another. With a shriek, the heavily decayed corpse of Errol Von Volkheim rose up from the grave, looking far worse than Tarantella with a head that was nothing but a skull with stringy hair and a single eyeball bugging out of it's socket.
Eustace was scratching his chin at the sight, but smiled and said, "Great effects."
Like, I wish this was only effects. Shaggy thought suppressing a whimper and a shiver of fear at seeing a resurrected zombie.
Meanwhile inside the chest, Courage was making some changes to the script as fast as his little paws would allow. He had to save Muriel and Shaggy, adrenaline pumped in his veins, while his heart hammered in his chest. The image of Muriel and Shaggy being dinner for bloodthirsty killers flashed through his head, he couldn't let them hurt his family.
The two zombies approached one another and greeted each other warmly before Tarantella pointed over at Muriel and said, "Let's set up for the NEXT shot."
"Ja! I'm starving," Errol responded as Tarantella waved Eustace over.
Eustace walked over and Tarantella said, "Eustace, this next scene features Mr. Von Volkheim and myself as newly risen zombies about to devour Muriel and Shaggy. I'm going to promote you to director."
"Mmmph!" Shaggy whimpered under his rag, if only he could scream out for help!
"What's the pay?" Eustace demanded.
"Tons," Tarantella answered.
Eustace smiled and replied with, "Deal!"
At this, the two walking corpses walked over to the table Muriel was tied to as Shaggy lie helplessly under it, the cowardly teen stare at Scooby, his eyes filled with fear. His pleading expression only helped to make the Great Dane feel helpless.
Scooby struggled to get free again, pulling more violently than he ever had before, even though he knew this wasn't working. He looked back at the chest and hoped Courage was finishing up whatever he was doing while the zombies loomed over Shaggy and his aunt, drooling and growling in anticipation for their feast. All Shaggy could do was whimpered in fear under his gag.
All the while, Eustace was trying to find the right angle for the shoot leading to Tarantella tapping his foot impatiently.
Eustace got behind the camera and asked, "Okay, is everyone ready?"
Tarantella nodded impatiently and said, "Yes yes. We know what to do."
"Let's roll it," Von Volkheim said.
"MMMPH!" Shaggy screamed in his gag, as his eyes widened with terror. Like, little pink dude, hurry!
Scooby's heart was practically pounding out of his chest, he attempt to struggle again, he had to safe Muriel and Shaggy from becoming the plate special!
Eustace was just about to start rolling when he shout out, "Wait wait!"
"What?" Tarantella asked.
"WHAT?" Von Volkheim asked, irritated.
"Mmmph?" Shaggy lifted his head, why did his uncle stop, did he finally realize what's going on?
Even Scooby stopped when he heard Eustace's comment.
"Move over! I can't see Muriel's face," Eustace said to Tarantella.
This caused Shaggy to roll his eyes. Of course.
Annoyed, Tarantella mover over a bit. Back inside the chest, Courage had to sharpen his pencil to write the last part of this script, his heart was pounding wildly in his chest, he was fearing he might not finished this in time.
"Can we start now?" Tarantella asked bitterly.
Eustace scratched his head and asked, "How should I know?"
"Check the script," Tarantella responded, still impatiently.
This was just in time as Courage slammed the script back down onto the side table just outside the chest. Eustace didn't notice however as he picked up the script and began to read it aloud. "Let's see. Here's the scene. The big zombie let's the dog out of the box, unites the bigger dog and unties the boy," Eustace said as he read.
"What?" Tarantella asked in surprise and walked over to them.
"That's what it says," Eustace said with a shrug.
"Let me see that," Tarantella said and took the script from Eustace's hands and took a quick look. "I don't remember... well if it's in the script... okay."
"YES!" Courage shouted, from inside the box.
Tarantella hands the script back to Eustace and opens the chest, freeing Courage from captivity, he then walked over to Scooby and untie him from the rail of the staircase, as Scooby unite the rope that was tied up to his muzzle, making him shudder at the dead man's cold flesh. He then walked over to Shaggy and undid the ropes holding him. His skin still crawled at the cold feeling of his dead flesh on him wrists, but it quickly subsided as his hands were of their bindings and then he untied the rag over his mouth.
Courage and Scooby went over to the cowardly teen, their eyes glitter with sympathy as they could see he was still shaking from almost being disemboweling alive.
"Now what?" Tarantella asked.
"It says that the zombies go back into the hole and the dogs buries them," Eustace continued reading from the script.
"WHAT?!" Tarantella snarled and then took the script again. "This is not my work. THIS IS NOT MY WORK!"
Von Volkheim shook his head and groaned, "I can't believe it. You are such a lousy writer. You have always been a lousy writer."
"It's not my work," Tarantella argued one more time, but Von Volkheim was having none of it.
The second zombie walked back to the hole complaining all the while. "I come all this way, just for you to write me back into the grave?" he complained as he climbed back down into the hole followed by Tarantella. "That's it! Our partnership is caput! Once and for all. I never want to work with you again."
"Ah who wants to work with a hack like you anyway?" Tarantella scowled as Shaggy, Scooby and Courage walked over to the hole.
"Oh shut up," Von Volkheim responded.
"Help me with this," Courage said while running to the shovel. Nodding, Scooby went over and quickly filled the hole back up with dirt.
"I never saw that ending coming," Eustace said in surprise while Shaggy went to untie his aunt's wrists.
"Isn't this exciting Shaggy?" Muriel said happily.
"Yeah. Like. Exciting," Shaggy said panting, his heart was still recovering from his near-death experience, while hugging his aunt.
Meanwhile in the sky outside, the Moon and Mars parted ways.
Later that night, the family watched the footage that they had managed to record while Eustace was looking over the contract they had signed.
"When am I getting paid?" Eustace demanded angrily and the cowardly trio rolled their eyes at him once more.
Like, I wonder if he'll ever figure out that the whole thing was a fake. Shaggy wondered.
Muriel was in her rocking chair with Courage in her lap and said with a laugh, "Courage, Scooby dears, you both stole the whole movie."
"I'm ready for my close up," Courage said while putting on Tarentella's glasses. Only for them to shatter a moment later for some reason. "Ouch! Not that close."