The flickering light of the television cast long shadows across the living room in Nowhere, where Eustace was enthralled by a gladiator movie. The booming sound of the battle filled the room, the clash of swords and the roar of the crowd echoing through the house.
Meanwhile, in the basement, a different kind of battle was taking place, though far less violent. Muriel, her face partially hidden behind a welding mask, held a torch in her gloved hand, the sparks flying in a mesmerizing dance. Her focus was on Courage, who stood patiently on a small platform, his fur gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights.
"You look gorgeous in wrought iron, Courage!" Muriel said, as she lifted her welding mask up.
Courage, who had been meticulously holding a pose, puffed out his cheeks slightly, a small, satisfied, "Mmm-hmm," escaping his lips.
"Just a minute more," Muriel said, as she lowered her welding mask.
In the attic, Shaggy and Scooby found solace in their shared passion for virtual escapades. Huddled on the creaky bed, their fingers deftly manipulated game controllers, their eyes focused intently on the vibrant pixels dancing across the computer screen. Adrenaline coursed through their veins as they navigated their virtual race cars with lightning-fast reflexes, determined to outmaneuver each other in a high-stakes chase.
"Look out, Scoob, like, I'm right behind you! Last chance to call it quits while you still can!" Shaggy exclaimed, his voice tinged with both excitement and a playful taunt.
Scooby's eyes narrowed in determination as he countered with a sly smirk, "Rin your dreams, I'm gonna win this race if it's the last thing I do!"
"Please, nobody can outrun the Shagster!" Shaggy boasted, a smug smile spreading across his face.
"Why I allow you twits to use me as your personal video game console, I'll never know..." the computer groaned, as it can't believe it had let them do this.
Outside of the farmhouse, where the windmill stands, it was slowly turning down, then it stopped all together, as a few parts of it came off.
Back in the living room, as Eustace was watching his movie with glee, the TV turned off, as did the lights in the living room.
"Aw, nuts. Darn windmill..." Eustace complained.
Back in the basement, the lights suddenly went out, plunging the room into an unsettling darkness. For a moment, there was only the sound of Muriel's startled gasp and the thump of Courage's heart in his chest. Then, just as quickly as it had disappeared, the light flickered back on, revealing a chaotic scene of shadows dancing on the walls and dust motes swirling in the pale, returning light. But the respite was short-lived. The lights began to flicker again, jerking on and off in a frantic rhythm, casting the basement in an unsettling strobe effect.
"What's up with the lights?" Courage asked, his voice trembling slightly, a mixture of fear and curiosity tinging his tone.
"Oh, my!" Muriel gasped, with surprise.
Scooby's brow furrowed in concentration, was on the verge of victory. A mere pixel away from the finish line, his virtual avatar was poised to claim the champion's laurel in his favorite racing game. He could almost taste the sweet triumph of finally beating Shaggy, in their countless gaming battles. But just as his trusty joystick was about to deliver the final blow, a blinding flash of white engulfed the screen, and the computer abruptly powered down. The attic lights flickered erratically, casting dancing shadows on the walls.
"Rey, what happened?!" Scooby wailed, his disappointment as palpable as the flickering light, "RI was almost THIS close to finally beating you!"
Shaggy's usual goofy grin replaced with a look of concern, jumped off the bed, "Huh, I think there might be something going on with the power, let's go check it out."
He grabbed Scooby's hand, and together they ventured out of the attic, their steps hushed as they descended the creaky stairs, leaving behind the eerie silence of the darkened room and the lingering frustration of a game abruptly cut short.
"EUSTACE!" Muriel shouted.
Courage watched from the basement door as she stormed out, her path leading directly to the imposing windmill where Eustace, with his usual grumbling demeanor, tinkered with his tools. Shaggy and Scooby, their faces etched with a combination of boredom and apprehension, stood nearby.
"Are we all suffering some kind of power outage?" Courage asked, his voice trembling slightly as he addressed the duo.
"Rhat do you think?" Scooby shrugged, his usual nonchalance masking a hint of underlying dread.
"Hey, what seems to be the problem over here, Aunt Muriel?" Shaggy inquired, his voice laced with a touch of concern for his aunt's predicament.
"Oh, it is VERY terrible, dear, our windmill appears to be on the fritz again!" Muriel replied to her nephew, before turning to her husband, "Eustace, I think it's time to fix that old windmill!"
"Reah, Raggy and I were in the middle of a racing game upstairs in the attic until the power started acting a little crazy!" Scooby added, attempting to explain their predicament to the already irritable farmer.
"Ah, quit your whinin', I'm working on it!" Eustace snapped, before he began to climb up the windmill.
"Knowing that farmer, I'd say we're gonna be spending a whole lot of years without any power," Courage sighed, his voice filled with a sense of resigned despair.
"You'd think after all the hours you spent tinkering with it, it would still be fixed!" Muriel told her husband, but he just ignored her.
Eustace, with a gruff grunt, pulled out the hammer he always seemed to carry in his back pocket and brought it down with a thunderous thud against the windmill's side. The entire structure shuddered violently, creaking and groaning under the impact, threatening to come crashing down. The jarring impact caused the large, red pod of the windmill to detach, its heavy form swaying precariously in the air before beginning a terrifying descent.
"Huh?" Eustace said, confused as he saw it fall.
Courage, still scratching his back, looked up in horror as the pod descended towards them. Shaggy and Scooby, their faces frozen in a mixture of terror and disbelief, gasped in unison as the red pod came hurtling towards their unsuspecting heads.
"Zoinks! Unidentified falling pod at 12:00!" Shaggy shouted, his voice filled with a raw, instinctive fear.
Courage's eyes widened in panic as he saw the looming danger, his terror escalating into a high-pitched scream. Shaggy, with a swift move, grabbed Courage before he could be crushed by the falling pod, dragging him and Scooby just out of the path of the plummeting object.
Eustace give out a laugh of mockery.
"Ronsidering how cheap Rustace can be, I wouldn't be surprised," Scooby commented, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he stared at the farmer, his eyes narrowed with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief.
Eustace turned back to the windmill, as it slowly stopped turning and the power was completely out in the farmhouse.
"Eustace, now look what you've done!" Muriel said, pointing to the house showing that all power was now gone.
"Like, way to go, Uncle Eustace!" Shaggy echoed, crossing his arms in a gesture of mock disapproval.
"Ack! Hey, stupid dogs and nephew, get your hides up here and bring me my socket wrench!" Eustace shouted to the cowardly trio.
Courage despite his fear, sighed resignedly, "The things we do for love..." he carefully placed the wrench in his mouth and began the arduous climb up the tower, Shaggy and Scooby trailing close behind.
"What the?! One of you got dog spit all over the wrench!" Eustace yelled, grossed out when he saw that the wrench was covered in drool from Courage. With a flick of his wrist, he shook the wrench, sending splattering of saliva onto Courage and Scooby, who cowered in fear.
"What? I can't carry a wrench and climb at the same time," Courage retorted, his voice barely a whisper.
Shaggy sighed, "I'll clean it for you," he snatched the wrench from his uncle, quickly wiped it clean with his shirt, and handed it back to Eustace, saying,"Like, here you go Uncle Eustace."
"Whatever. I'm gonna fix the mill, don't interrupt me Shaggy-haired-fella. Same with you dogs," Eustace grumbled, but took the wrench and began to 'fix' the windmill.
"Sorry, farmer..." Courage murmured, settling onto the stand that held the windmill's wings, his gaze fixed on the darkening sky.
Scooby grumbled, joining Courage on the perch, his voice a low growl, "Reah? Rell, you're welcome! Reesh, what a crabby pants!"
Shaggy, mirroring the dogs' sentiment, added, "Tell me about it..." as he sat down next to them.
All three of them silently observing Eustace's frantic efforts to restore power to the farmhouse, each of them secretly hoping that this time, his 'fixing' wouldn't result in further chaos.
The moon hung high, an abnormally bright orb against the backdrop of a clear, cloudless sky. The silence around the farmhouse felt oppressive, the only sound the faint creaking of the windmill as Eustace worked.
It was in this moment of stillness that Courage spotted a black speck in the distance, "Huh?! Hey, what's that over there?!" he exclaimed, fear creeping into his voice.
Shaggy and Scooby, their eyes widening, followed his gaze. A dark plume of smoke was steadily advancing towards them, seemingly emerging from nowhere, its eerie green glow casting an ominous shadow over the farm.
The trio felt an icy shiver run down their spines, despite the warm night. Their hearts hammered in their chests, their eyes fixated on the approaching smoke.
"Zoinks! Either that's just an incoming dust storm with a really creepy green glow or probably just a... spooky ghost!" Shaggy stammered, fear constricting his throat.
Courage let out a whimper, his body shaking uncontrollably.
Scooby, overwhelmed by terror, buried his face in his paws, whining, "RI'm too scared to look!"
"There, that's got it again!" Eustace said, as he gave the blades a push which started the windmill up again.
At least, for the moment.
Then, as if by magic, the smoke cloud vanished, leaving no trace of its existence.
"Huh?" Courage breathed, his eyes wide with surprise.
"It's gone?!" Shaggy echoed, his voice laced with incredulity.
Scooby, slowly uncovering his eyes, let out a shaky sigh, "Reh, I guess it was just our imaginations playing tricks on us again."
Shaggy, Scooby, and Courage took a moment to catch their breath, their hearts still pounding. It was likely just a dust devil, a common occurrence in their rural home. But the fear lingered, a palpable reminder that even the most ordinary nights could sometimes hold the unexpected.
"Is it finally fixed now?" Muriel shouted, from below.
"Nah, got to get another pod!" Eustace answered, before turning to the trio.
"Rou mean like the same one down there you accidentally let loose that almost killed us?" Scooby inquired, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Ah, shut up, you slobberin' mutt, and get over here! That goes for you and that other slobberin' mutt!" Eustace scoffed.
Courage sighed and reluctantly crawled towards the grumpy farmer, "Coming, farmer..." he muttered.
Shaggy and Scooby followed suit. Eustace forced Scooby to hold the wrench in an awkward position.
"So, uh... like, how long do we have to stand here, Uncle Eustace?" Shaggy asked nervously.
"You three are gonna keep this windmill turning while I go find another pod!" Eustace answered.
"Ro we have to? Rall three of us have a fear of heights!" Scooby whimpered, his eyes fixed on the ground far below.
Shaggy and Courage nodded in agreement.
"Yes, you stupid wrench-slobberin' dog! Now just hold onto that wrench and don't any of you let go 'til I come back!" Eustace ordered, as he climbed down the windmill.
The trio exchanged worried glances, their hearts pounding with fear as they were left alone at the dizzying heights of the windmill
"Oh, how come we are the ones who are given the most difficult tasks ever?!" Courage lamented, his voice trembling.
Scooby's arm ached from holding the heavy wrench, decided to take a moment's respite, ""RI need a quick breather!" he muttered, releasing his grip.
As soon as he did, the windmill sputtered to a halt, its blades slowing to a stop.
Scooby let out a groan, "Roh, boy. Rustace is not gonna like this..." he sighed.
Suddenly, Shaggy's eyes widened in horror, "Uh, dudes, I think Uncle Eustace is the least of our problems right now... look," he pointed towards a menacing, billowing cloud of black smoke that was fast approaching, the sound of galloping hooves echoing in the air.
"Ooh... it's that creepy dust cloud again!" Courage whimpered, fear creeping into his voice.
Scooby squinted through the haze, his heart sinking as he saw four shadowy figures riding towards them, "Rikes! Ro my eyes deceive me or are there four scary-looking men riding in horses inside that dust cloud?!" he exclaimed, his voice shaking.
Shaggy's fear momentarily forgotten, yelled, "Quick! Turn the windmill, dudes! Turn the windmill!"
Without hesitation, Courage snatched the wrench from Scooby and began to crank the rusty mechanism. The windmill groaned and whirred back to life, its blades churning furiously as the dust cloud swirled closer. With a deafening roar, the cloud engulfed the windmill, but as swiftly as it appeared, it vanished, leaving only a faint trail of black smoke on the horizon.
"Phew! For a second there, I thought we were all gonna get..." Courage began, but his sentence was cut short by a terrifying yelp. He had lost his balance, tumbling headfirst towards the earth. Shaggy and Scooby, in a futile attempt to save their friend, were dragged down with him, their screams echoing through the air.
"-HURT!" Courage shrieked as the three of them plummeted into the ground, creating a crater with their impact.
They popped out a moment later, dazed and disoriented.
"Like, did you have to jinx it, little pink dude?" Shaggy groaned, rubbing his throbbing head.
"Where's the leak, ma'am?" Courage asked, his voice thick with confusion, the wrench inexplicably lodged in his nose.
They looked up to see that the windmill, once again, had ground to a halt.
"Ruh-oh, that doesn't look good..." Scooby mumbled, his eyes fixed on the motionless blades.
Courage, however, was staring at something else. His eyes widened with terror, his fur standing on end, "Yeah, and neither do they!" he choked out.
Following his gaze, Shaggy and Scooby felt their hearts sink as they realized the dust cloud had reappeared. This time, however, the smoke cleared, revealing the horrifying truth behind the ghostly figures. Courage let out a gasp of terror, his entire body convulsing with fear.
"Uh, guys, I'm beginning to think that this actually isn't one of our imaginations..." Shaggy whimpered, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his heart.
The trio huddled together, their bodies shaking with fright as the skeletal riders circled the base of the windmill.
"Roh, boy! Rand now they're circling us by our windmill!" Scooby cried, his voice choked with terror as he clung to Shaggy and Courage for dear life.
A sudden memory sparked in Courage's mind. The windmill! "Windmill? Wait a second..." he muttered, his voice barely a whisper. Without a second thought, the usually cowardly beagle grabbed the wrench he had been carrying and scrambled back up the windmill's ladder.
"Courage, what are you doing?! Don't leave us here with these scary-looking skeletal dudes!" Shaggy's panicked voice called out as he clung to Scooby, their bodies a single, trembling mass.
Scooby returned the hug, his own fear making him grip Shaggy tighter. This trip to Moonscar Island was a picnic compared to this. He didn't even know if he had ever been this terrified of zombies or even werecats.
His stomach churned, his heart pounded, and his blood boiled. He was surprised he hadn't passed out from the sheer terror, the only thing keeping him upright was Shaggy's desperate clinging to him.
"Like, it was nice knowing you, Scoob!" Shaggy buried his face into Scooby's shoulder, his voice a barely audible whimper.
Scooby could only oblige, his own need for comfort overriding his fear. He closed his eyes, clinging to his best friend, feeling the tremors in Shaggy's body mirroring his own. All they could do now was hold on and hope for the best.
Meanwhile, Courage was scrambling up the rickety windmill, his tiny legs pumping with a ferocity that belied his usual trembling demeanor. He could hear the bone-chilling shrieks of his friends, their terror echoing in his ears, urging him on. He prayed to whatever higher power might be listening that he could reach the top before the skeletal horrors reached them.
Once he was back at the peak, the pink beagle grabbed the wrench, a silent prayer for his own safety slipping from his lips. He put the wrench back on the windmill and turned it with all his might, the rusty gears grinding into action. As the windmill began to spin, a purple glow enveloped the space, and the chilling figures of the skeleton demons dissolved back into the shadows.
Scooby, the first to regain his composure, opened his eyes with a gasp, "Ruh?! Rhey disappeared... again?!"
Shaggy, still trembling, followed suit, relief washing over him as he realized the danger had passed for now.
"Phew, that was a close one!" Courage declared, panting heavily, his voice tinged with relief. In his haste, though, he hadn't noticed he was standing precariously on the edge of the platform. With a startled gasp of, "Oh..." he tumbled headfirst into the ground, the thud echoing ominously.
Scooby and Shaggy, their hearts still racing, rushed to his aid.
"Rourage, are you alright?!" Scooby exclaimed, his voice a mix of concern and anxiety.
Courage, rubbing his head, moaned, "Ugh... I'm fine, Scooby... as long as the farmer's socket wrench is still turning the windmill... we should be okay..."
Shaggy, however, caught a glimpse of something that sent a wave of ice-cold dread through his veins, "You might wanna reconsider your words, little pink dude..." he said, his voice a hushed whisper.
The wrench, freed from the windmill with Courage's fall, clattered to the ground, a heavy thud that punctuated Shaggy's warning. Courage, confused, echoed, "Why?" The answer came a moment later in the form of a sharp, agonizing pain as the wrench slammed into his head. "Ouch!" he yelped, grabbing the wrench in a panicked frenzy, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow. "Oh, no! Not again!"
Shaggy, Scooby, and Courage's eyes wide with horror, looked up just in time to see the skeletal demons materialize once more.
"Rell then, now might be the perfect time..." Scooby declared, his voice thick with fear, before letting out a panicked scream, "TO RUN!"
The trio bolted, their legs pumping like pistons as they fled the looming windmill, their screams echoing across the desolate landscape. The demons, fueled by an insatiable hunger for souls, pursued relentlessly, their bony fingers reaching out like grasping claws.
Courage, despite his trembling limbs, bravely stood his ground, swinging Eustace's wrench with surprising ferocity, deflecting the demons' skeletal weapons. He heard Shaggy's panicked cries and, with a desperate surge of courage, charged towards his friend, wrenching away another bone-shattering blow.
The trio, breathless and terrified, realized they still held the wrench, and a glimmer of hope sparked within them. The windmill, with its eerie power, offered a fleeting sanctuary. They turned back, their hearts pounding like war drums, their eyes fixed on the looming structure.
"What do we do?! What do we do?!" Courage cried, his voice trembling.
Shaggy, desperate for a solution, spotted his uncle's tool bag and grabbed it, his eyes widening with a sudden idea. He thrust it towards Courage, "Here, try throwing these tools at them!"
Courage, clutching the bag like a lifeline, hurled Eustace's tools at the advancing skeletons. Each throw was a desperate gamble, a hail mary against the relentless onslaught. The tools whizzed through the air, missing their targets by a hair, with only one tool coming close enough to knock the spike from a skeleton's helmet. The resulting hiss, a chilling sound that seemed to ripple through the very air, confirmed that the demons were not amused.
"Rou shouldn't have suggested that, Raggy, now they're really sore at us!" Scooby wailed, his voice thick with fear.
With the skeletons now even more agitated, Courage yelled, "Up the windmill, quickly!"
Shaggy, Scooby, and Courage began their precarious ascent. The windmill's wooden structure groaned beneath their weight, and they dared not look down at the menacing skeletons gathered below, their bony fingers twitching with anticipation. Fear gnawed at their hearts, and even the most ardent windmill enthusiast would have felt their knees trembling during this climb. As they neared the top, however, Courage's grip on Eustace's tool bag tightened, and the bag caught on one of the windmill's blades.
Oblivious, Courage continued upward, and it was only when he reached the top of the blade that he realized his predicament, "Why am I still wearing this tool-bag?!" he exclaimed.
He tried to stay on the blade, but the bag, stretched to its limits, began to pull him back down, "Ooh-hoo-whoa!" he cried, as he was dragged towards the waiting skeletons below.
Shaggy and Scooby watched in horror as their friend tumbled towards his doom.
Shaggy, however, noticed something unusual on the wing where Courage had been clinging, "Huh? Hey, Scoob, take a look at this..." he said.
"Oof!" Courage grunted as he landed, surrounded by the skeletal demons, with no way out, "Um, you gentlemen aren't mad I threw tools at you, are you?" he stammered.
The skeletons raised their weapons, and Courage braced himself for the end. But just before they could strike, they all vanished, disappearing as the windmill started to spin again.
Relieved to be alive, Courage dropped the bag, dusted himself off, and muttered, "At least we're safe for now," But his words were cut short.
"Stupid dog!" the pink beagle heard Eustace shouting.
"And I spoke too soon..." Courage sighed.
"I told you, that stupid nephew and that other stupid dog not to move!" Eustace shouted, as he and Muriel walked back to windmill.
"Muriel, farmer, you'll never believe what me, Shaggy and Scooby saw! Every time the windmill stops turning, a fearsome horde of undead horse-backed riders would appear and attack us, like this!" Courage explained, transforming into a terrifying visage of his own to emphasize the point.
"You idiot dog!" Eustace simply yelled again.
"Oh, Eustace, he and the boys up there did get it going again," Muriel said, pointing to the temporarily working windmill, before shouting to her nephew and his dog, "Shaggy, Scooby, how are you doing up there?"
"Ruh... fine, fine!" Scooby replied, looking at the blades in wonder. He wondered if he should tell her about the evil looking skeletons that almost attacked him and his best friends but decided against it; she probably wouldn't listen anyway.
"Like, yeah! We're okay, Aunt Muriel! Thank you for your concern!" Shaggy called down, also looking at the blades and thinking the same thing Scooby was thinking.
"Anytime, dear!" Muriel replied, before turning to her husband, "Eustace, would you be a dear and let the boys relax for awhile? They could all use a well-deserved break."
Courage saw that the windmill was slowing down again, he groaned with dread, "Ooh, how can any of us relax at a time like this?" he knew it was a matter of time before those skeletons came back to finish what they started.
"Ugh, fine! At least that Shaggy-haired fella and that other dog didn't leave that spot up there like I told them to, can't even trust this dog over here for ten seconds!" Eustace grumbled, while he climbed up the windmill.
"Why, what are those?" Muriel suddenly asked.
Looking up, Courage saw pieces of the blades falling down from the windmill, "Wow, I must've accidentally scratched the blades too hard..."
He was cut off, as he heard Scooby calling him from up the windmill, "Rey, Rourage, come up here! RI think you need to see this!"
Courage climbed up the windmill to see what this was all about, "Huh? What am I looking at here?"
"When you fell down the third time, Scooby and I saw these... weird-looking symbols behind each of the windmill's blades," Shaggy explained, as he pointed at the toward the strange looking symbols on the blades.
"Reah. Re're not sure why, but maybe they're clues that could help us solve this mystery," Scooby added, before realizing that he was starting to sound like Fred or Velma, "Rait, did I just say that out loud?"
"Oh, great! Now we're starting to sound like the Gang!" Shaggy exclaimed, this is what he and Scooby get for joining Mystery Inc, when they're kids.
Courage ignored his best friends' complaints, as he looked at the symbol blades closer, "Hmm, I think you guys are onto something. I wonder..." then pulled out a camera and began taking pictures of the symbols.
"Rhat does it mean?" Scooby asked, the pink beagle
"I don't know, but the computer might give us an answer. Come on," Courage countered.
Going up to the attic, Shaggy approached the computer, its screen flickering faintly. With a creak, he brought it to life, its whirring a stark contrast to the silence of the attic. Scooby began scanning photos of the mysterious symbols etched into the windmill blades, while Courage started typing in the command.
"You three again? Let me guess: come to make me your console once more by inserting another ridiculous video game?" the computer asked, clearly not in a mood.
Shaggy, his voice tinged with uncertainty, countered, "Not this time, computer dude, like, we really need your help! It's an emergency!"
"Everything is always an emergency with you twits. Very well than, make it quick," the computer demanded.
Courage, taking charge, typed in their question: "Alright, so what can you tell us about these symbols on the windmill's blades."
"The windmill was built by 250 years ago by the first owner of this farmhouse, Farmer Jiles Galette," the computer began, showing the image of an old timely picture of Farmer Jiles Galette.
"Farmer Jiles Galette?/Rarmer Riles Ralette?" Shaggy, Scooby, and Courage echoed in unison, their voices filled with confusion.
"He built the windmill for his farm at the time when everyone else was dependent on water wheels built by a horde of vandals," the computer continued, as it show the images of the water wheels and the vandals when they're ALIVE.
"Rikes! Rhose are the same vandals that attacked us outside earlier!" Scooby exclaimed, his fur bristling with fear.
"When the water dried up, Farmer Galette was the only man with a working mill, the vandals hated him for that. But Galette kept the vandals at bay by carving magical symbols into the blades of his windmill wheel. Legend has it, if the windmill ever stops turning, the vandals will rise from the dead and seek vengeance on all who possess it," the computer finished, as he show the last images of the history behind the windmill.
The images on the screen faded, leaving behind a haunting silence. Shaggy, Scooby, and Courage exchanged anxious glances, their faces mirroring the looming dread hanging in the air.
"So, that's why those undead vandal dudes kept appearing and disappearing!" Shaggy exclaimed, his voice trembling, "When it turns, it prevents them from ravaging anyone. But when it stops, it causes them to continue their rampage!" As he spoke, his gaze instinctively drifted towards the window, his eyes searching for the windmill. Was it slowing down? Was the power waning?
"Indeed. Lucky for us, it's just a storrrrr..." the computer began before trailing off its words swallowed by the sudden darkness as the lights flickered and died, leaving the attic bathed in an ominous silence.
Horror gripped Courage, his fur standing on end as he gasped in alarm, "The power's out... again!"
A collective gulp escaped the trio, each member of the unlikely alliance recognizing the sinister implication.
"Rou don't think..." Scooby whimpered, his voice barely a whisper.
All three of them, their eyes glued to the window, watched in horror as the smoke, a harbinger of doom, began to reappear. A chilling scream erupted from Courage, shattering the attic window, his fear amplified tenfold.
"ZOINKS! LIKE, IT'S THE WINDMILL VANDALS!" Shaggy shrieked, his voice cracking with terror.
"RAND THERE HEADING STRAIGHT FOR RURIEL AND RUSTACE!" Scooby wailed, his demeanor an urgent desperation.
"COME ON, WE GOTTA SAVE THEM OR ELSE THEY'RE GONERS!" Courage yelled, his small body filled with a surprising surge of bravery.
Without another word, the trio raced out of the attic, their hearts pounding in their chests, and out of the house, ready to face the undead menace and protect their family.
The smoke billowed closer, a menacing blanket obscuring the moon. Shaggy, Scooby, and Courage, fueled by adrenaline and terror, sprinted towards Muriel and Eustace.
"Oh, my!" Muriel exclaimed.
"Come on, Aunt Muriel, we need to get back inside the farmhouse as quickly as possible! It's not safe out here!" Shaggy shouted, his voice a mix of desperation and panic.
"Those stupid dogs and nephew broke the thing worse than before!" Eustace shouted when he finished climbing back down from the windmill.
But before they could reach the safety of the farmhouse, the vandals appeared, their figures silhouetted against the infernal glow.
"What's huh?" Eustace asked, finally noticing the smoke and the vandals surrounding the family, "What's this, a rodeo?!"
"Eustace, look out!" Muriel shouted, as a vandal approached them.
"Rehind you!" Scooby warned, his voice laced with fear.
But Eustace did not heed the warning, "Huh?!"
Their blood ran cold as the vandal, with a sickeningly swift movement, swung his sword, severing Eustace's head clean off. The body, still twitching, stumbled around, seeking its missing head. Muriel, Shaggy, Scooby, and Courage screamed, their hearts pounding in their chests.
"It's the Fried Chicken from Outer Space all over again!" Shaggy wailed, his voice choked with fear. He wanted to shield his eyes, to shut out the horrific scene, but he was frozen in place, his body petrified with terror.
"Hey! Give me back my body, give me back my hat and get your finger outta me ear!" the somehow still living head of Eustace demanded, the vandal who was holding his head like a trophy.
"Shaggy, Scooby, you guys stay right here! I'm gonna try and see if I can get the windmill turning again!" Courage declared, his tiny form a beacon of bravery amidst the chaos, as he clambered up the windmill's rickety ladder.
"But, like, you don't even have Uncle Eustace's socket wrench, little pink dude!" Shaggy pointed out, his voice a mixture of fear and disbelief. How could Courage possibly hope to turn the windmill without the proper tools?
Before Shaggy could ponder the absurdity of it all, Scooby's panicked voice shrieked, "Raggy, duck!"
Shaggy looked up just in time to see a vandal swing his sword with terrifying precision, decapitating his own head.
"Oh, great! Now how am I gonna eat without a stomach?!" Shaggy's head exclaimed, his voice filled with a mixture of shock and disbelief. He stared down at his severed neck, his body still writhing in the dirt despite the fact he could no longer control it. His alarm only grew as he realized the vandal had picked up his head and was now carrying him away.
"RAGGY!" Scooby screamed, his voice filled with an overwhelming sense of despair. Seeing Eustace without a head was horrifying, but seeing his best friend, his companion, reduced to a disembodied head was a level of terror he hadn't known existed.
The vandals, their bloodlust now fully unleashed, turned their attention to Muriel and Scooby, who fled in terror, their screams swallowed by the night. Courage, perched precariously on the windmill blades, began to run, his tiny body a blur of pink against the night sky, as he desperately tried to save them all.
The vandals, hot on their heels, were closing in on Muriel and Scooby, their next victims. Just as the shadows of the vandals loomed over the fleeing pair, they vanished as if by magic. The windmill, with Courage's frantic efforts, whirred back to life. Relief washed over Scooby, but his joy was quickly replaced by a chilling sight. Shaggy and Eustace, both headless, were stumbling around, their bodies moving aimlessly.
"Eustace, Shaggy! Oh, dear!" Muriel said, worried.
Scooby, unable to bear the sight of his owner's headless body, felt a wave of nausea wash over him. For a brief, horrible moment, he wished he could faint.
"Courage, come down! We have to get inside and hide before they come back!" Muriel called out to her pet.
Scooby groaned, burying his face in his paws, "Rhat's exactly what we were trying to tell you!"
"Mm-mm! I'm sorry, Muriel, but I can't!" Courage grunted, his tiny muscles screaming in protest from the exertion.
"You can't? Why not?" Muriel asked, confused.
Courage, panting heavily from the effort, finally stopped running, his fur slick with sweat. The vandals materialized before Muriel and Scooby. Scooby and Muriel let out simultaneous screams of terror.
"RHAT'S WHY! ROURAGE, KEEP TURNING!" Scooby screeched, his voice cracking with panic.
Just as the vandals lunged, they were once again sucked away by the wind, disappearing as Courage frantically continued his desperate, tireless work on the windmill.
"I'm turning as fast as I can!" Courage yelled, his voice strained. His tiny legs were burning, but he couldn't allow himself to slow down.
Scooby's heart sank as he realized Courage wouldn't be able to keep running much longer. The small dog was exhausted.
"It's the windmill!" Muriel stated.
"Rhe only way to stop those vandals from coming back is to have our windmill turn again!" Scooby agreed.
"Well, we got to get it fix then! But, Courage, Scooby, only Eustace knows how to fix it," Muriel said, before remembering that Eustace was the only one who could fix it.
Unfortunately, preoccupied with their discussion, both Scooby and Muriel failed to notice Eustace's lifeless body, a chilling sight in itself.
Scooby whirled around, his eyes widening with terror at the sight of a headless Eustace, hammer still gripped in his hand, lurching towards them, "Reah, but his headless body can't!" he exclaimed, his voice a strangled squeak.
Eustace's body, now a whirling dervish of destruction, slammed into the windmill with a sickening thud, shattering the structure into a pile of splintered wood. Courage, caught in the collapsing debris, went down with the windmill, a scream escaping his trembling lips.
The vandals, their eyes glinting with malice, roared in triumph as they reappeared, their weapons raised menacingly, their targets: Muriel, Scooby, and Courage. Terror choked their screams.
"NO!" Courage wailed, his voice a desperate plea against the impending doom.
Scooby and Courage huddled together, terror flooding their limbs, their eyes tightly shut, dreading the inevitable. The cowardly pink beagle slowly opened his eyes, only to be met with a sight that sent his heart plummeting. Muriel's head lay severed, being carried away by one of the vandals.
"Courage, Scooby, help!" the head of Muriel shouted, as the vandal started to carry her head away.
Courage let out a horrifying scream, his eye sockets seeming to bulge out of his skull, "NO, MURIEL!" he shrieked, the image of her decapitation seared onto his memory. The fear was visceral, raw, and overwhelming.
"Boys, help!" Muriel shouted with terror again.
Scooby and Courage exchanged a look of sheer terror, the gravity of the situation crashing down on them.
"Is there a doctor in the house?!" Courage shouted, his voice cracking with fear.
"SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?!" Shaggy's frantic scream pierced the air.
"RI'm coming, Raggy!" Scooby roared, abandoning all logic in a blind panic as he sprinted toward his owner, leaving Courage behind.
"Scooby, wait!" Courage pleaded, his voice a plea for sanity in the face of chaos, but it was too late. Scooby was gone, a blur of frantic movement.
He didn't have time to react as the vandal carrying Muriel's head lunged toward him.
"Uh-oh!" Courage Courage yelped, grabbing onto the vandal's cape to avoid becoming a victim.
The vandal noticed the cowardly pink beagle clinging to his cape and rasped in anger.
"Um, hi, do you think you could give me back Muriel's head please?" Courage asked nervously, being polite despite his life being on the line.
The vandal fully stopped, and Courage managed to wrap his cape around the vandal, binding him up.
"I'll take that as a yes!" Courage declared, grabbing Muriel's head.
"Courage, get me onto my body!" Muriel told the little beagle.
"I'll try!" Courage replied, searching for his owner's body. The moment he found it, he tossed Muriel's head towards it, yelling, "Go long, Muriel's body!"
Unfortunately, a vandal hit it at the last moment and sent her head flying in another direction.
"Ooh! Oh, my!" Muriel exclaimed.
Luckily, it was caught by Eustace's body, she sighed with relief. But when she saw what body her head was on, she panicked, "No no! That's not right!"
Courage screamed, "Wrong body!"
"Over here! Don't just stand there, get me back onto my body, so's I can fix this windmill!" Eustace shouted from behind the pink beagle.
Courage's heart pounding with fear, turned to witness the scene unfolding before him. A vandal, gleefully oblivious to the carnage he was inflicting, stood poised to toss Eustace's head, his laughter a chilling counterpoint to the desperate pleas. Courage's eyes widened in terror as he saw another vandal, towering and menacing, approach the pink beagle. "Uh, farmer..." he whimpered, his voice barely a whisper.
Before he could react, the vandal swung his weapon, severing Courage's head in a horrifying display of violence. The world went black for a moment, then a searing pain shot through Courage's neck. He felt the top of his head and, as realization dawned, panicked.
This cause Eustace's head to go on Courage's body.
"Now I'M a stupid dog!" Eustace said, as he put his hat on his head.
Meanwhile, Scooby was engaged in his own desperate struggle. He was hot on the heels of the vandal who had snatched Shaggy's head.
"Save me, Scoob, I don't wanna stay a head forever!" Shaggy's head shouted, its voice filled with a mixture of fear and desperation.
The vandal, emboldened by his latest conquest, decided to make a macabre game of it. He tossed Shaggy's head back and forth between his companions, a cruel amusement evident in his laughter as Shaggy's head bounced between their hands.
"DUDE, I'M HIT!" Shaggy screamed, his voice echoing in the air, a disembodied plea for help.
"RI got it, I got it!" Scooby called out, his voice filled with determination as he charged towards the vandal.
But his path was blocked by another vandal, a hulking figure who stood in his way.
"Ruh?!" Scooby yelped, caught off guard.
Before he could react, the vandal raised his weapon and swiftly cut Scooby's head from his body.
"No, not my pal too!" Shaggy cried out in horror, the sight of his best friend's head being severed bringing a wave of despair. He landed unceremoniously on what was left of Scooby's body, "Oof!" he grunted, his head now resting upon Scooby's shoulders.
As the vandal claimed Scooby's head as a trophy, Scooby's body whimpered with fear. However, almost miraculously, Shaggy's body leaped up, grabbing Scooby's head and slotting it back onto his body. Scooby, his spirit undimmed, took control of his body and continued to chase after the vandals.
Shaggy and Scooby found themselves staring at each other, their heads perched upon the other's bodies, a bizarre and unsettling sight. The hungry duo looked at each other in silence, unable to speak, the awkwardness of their situation palpable.
"Roinks!" Scooby exclaimed in Shaggy's signature catchphrase, adding to the surreal nature of the moment.
"Rike, this is embarrassing!" Shaggy mumbled, awkwardly echoing Scooby's sentiment as they came to terms with their new, and decidedly odd, predicament.
"Uh, guys, a little help here?" Courage yelped, the vandal holding his head laughing at his plight. He was momentarily confused when Muriel's body sprang up and grabbed his head, placing it back on its own body. "Nevermind, I'm good…" Courage said, but then felt a wave of weirdness as he looked down at Muriel's body, "Sort of." This is the weirdest day of my life.
The trio, along with Eustace, stared at each other, the absurdity of the situation dawning on them.
"Rou guys too, huh?" Scooby asked.
"You have no idea," Courage replied, unsure if he felt relief or unease.
Suddenly, Muriel's scream pierced the air. Turning around, the family saw her surrounded by the vandals.
"It's Muriel, she's in trouble!" Courage exclaimed. Without a second thought, he grabbed Eustace's head, "Forgive me, farmer!"
He ran towards the vandals and tossed Eustace's head like a bowling ball at the legs of the distracted horses. The horses, caught off guard, toppled over like bowling pins, sprawling on the ground.
"STRIKE!" Courage shouted, a triumphant glint in his eyes.
Muriel then went over to get her husband's head, who was laughing in a daze.
"Quick, before they get up!" Muriel yelled, as she put her husband's head back on her dog's body.
The family ran, their bodies a confusing jumble of wrong limbs and heads, all fleeing the vicious vandals.
"I've run a lot before, but never as a dog! Seriously, Scooby, how do you even walk in all fours without trying?" Shaggy asked, a touch of bewilderment in his voice, despite the gravity of their situation.
They finally managed to escape the vandals and collapsed, exhausted.
"Okay, everyone, it's time to start fixing the windmill! But first, let's switch back to our regular bodies!" Courage declared, a hint of exhaustion in his voice.
They nodded, swapping heads back, each relieved to be back in their own bodies.
"Hurry!" Muriel cried, fearfully.
Turning, Shaggy saw the grim truth: the vandals were regaining their feet, their menacing grins a clear sign that they were far from finished, "They're getting back up!" he yelled, his voice laced with urgency.
"Rome on, people, let's go, go, go!" Scooby barked, his tail wagging frantically as he urged the group into action.
Nodding in agreement, the family sprang into action, their focus laser-sharp as they began the daunting task of rebuilding the demolished windmill. To their relief, the vandals' fury had left the structure in pieces, but the pieces themselves remained intact, making their task slightly less daunting.
"Hurry, they're coming!" Muriel exclaimed, with panic.
"We know, we know!" Courage called out, his voice shaky but determined.
A tense silence fell over the family as they worked with frantic speed. Minutes felt like hours, the ticking clock of impending doom hanging heavy in the air. Finally, the base of the windmill was complete, but they still needed to fix the top.
"You done yet, Uncle Eustace!" Shaggy asked, anxiety twisting his gut as he watched the vandals closing in on his aunt, who was clearly terrified.
"Almost, just need a new pod to keep the wheel in place!" Eustace replied.
"Rone pod, coming up!" Scooby obliged, his tail whipping around to grab the new pod that lay by him, quickly delivering it to the farmer.
"I never thought I say this, but thanks, you slobberin' dog!" Eustace said, uncharacteristically.
"NOW!" Courage cried, his voice trembling.
"Turn, baby! Turn!" Eustace said, as the windmill began to turn by itself again.
"It's working!" Shaggy shouted, a wave of relief washing over him.
"Rhe windmill's fixed!" Scooby added, a triumphant bark escaping his lips.
"Yay!" Courage cheered, his voice finally free of its previous fear.
And as if by magic, as soon as the windmill whirred back to life, the vandals vanished, leaving behind a silence broken only by the rhythmic creak of the windmill.
"Oh! Eustace, you did it!" Muriel said, Eustace climbed back down.
"No, Muriel, WE did it together," Eustace said, in a uncharacteristic voice.
Shaggy, Scooby, and Courage stared at each other, their jaws practically touching the floor. They had never heard Eustace give them credit for anything, let alone a team effort.
"Like, did you hear that, dudes? For once, Uncle Eustace is giving us some credit!" Shaggy sputtered, his eyes wide.
"Rhat's a first and probably the only time he does too," Scooby reminded, knowing this moment of unity wouldn't last.
Courage sighed with relief, his heart still pounding from the ordeal. "It's a miracle, you guys, we finally got our windmill turning again and the vandals will never bother us again! Thank you, Farmer Jiles Galette…" He suddenly stopped, his head snapping towards the windmill blades."Huh?"
"Zoinks! Those symbols are making... some kind of picture, but what?" Shaggy asked, squinting at the spinning blades.
As they watched, the symbols coalesced into an image of Galette: a wide, toothy grin plastered on his face, his fingers held up in a peace sign.
"Ris that... Rarmer Riles Ralette?" Scooby questioned, a confused look on his face.
"Uh, Shaggy, Scooby..." Courage began, his voice laced with a growing sense of unease.
He and his friends started to back away from the windmill, their instincts screaming at them to get further away from the ominous image. However, they hadn't realized they were standing on the edge of the barn roof until it was too late. With a collective gasp, they all tumbled over the edge, landing with a heavy thud on top of Muriel and Eustace. The five of them lay sprawled on the floor, their heads once again separated from their bodies.
"Oh, wicket! Now look what you three made us do!" Eustace's head snapped.
"Look on the bright side, Uncle Eustace, at least the windmill isn't broken anymore, heh," Shaggy's head chuckled nervously, trying to lighten the mood.
"Stupid dogs and nephew!" Eustace's head grumbled.
"Guess that's one way to put all our heads together," Courage's head commented, attempting a pun amidst the chaos.
"SCOOBY-DOOBY-" Scooby's head began to shout, before falling off to the side, "Whoa, oof! DOO!"
Well that's all for this chapter, next will be The Uncommon Cold. I like to thank Aartman7141999 schweenieboy and Angry9guy for the quotes and ideas. Let me guys know in the reviews/comments of what should I do for the future episodes or next chapter. And what Courage should say in future chapters. Until then this is vakarns signing out.
The Uncommon Cold: Scooby and Courage seeks a cure for Shaggy and Muriel's unusual colds among some swamp-slugs enslaved by a snake named Big Bayou from Yoruba Mythology. The cure lies in Big Bayou's book, which Shaggy, (who stubbornly refuses to rest and insists on helping his friends.) Scooby and Courage must steal in order to heal Shaggy and Muriel and free the slugs. (Note: this is similar to the My Little Pony episode: A Health of Information where Shaggy refuses to rest, despite Scooby and Courage's protest.)