Ch 2: The Witch's Curse

With the first round of the Hex Girls rehearsal finished, everyone clapped and cheered for their fantastic performance. Once the cloud of smoke from the smoke bombs dissipated, Selena ran down the stage to her uncle, eager to hear what he thought about it. "So, Uncle Ben, what did you think? How was I?" She asked.

Ben hugged her tightly and answered with a smile on his face. "Selena. You were amazing up there. I could never have imagined that you could sing so beautifully."

"Yeah, it's like she was made for this," Daphne approved.

"That was quite an act, Miss Thorn. But I don't think we've had the chance to meet your other bandmates properly." Fred added with a smile.

"Thanks. And this is Dusk and Luna. We're eco-goths, kinda like Wiccans, just like Selena." Thorn explained while touching Selena's hand, which her girlfriend gently reciprocated.

"Eco-goths?" Shaggy and Scooby asked together. "What are those?"

"We're just goths who care for our earth how it should be," Dusk told them. "And thanks for earlier, by the way."

Shaggy and Scooby chuckled, happy to be called heroes for saving the Hex Girls from the ghost earlier.

"Well, those explosions at the end were pretty mystifying, right, Velma?" Fred asked the smartest of the group.

"Yeah, very mystifying." Velma agreed, understanding Fred's underlying message.

"So, girls, you're from Oakhaven too, right?" Daphne asked curiously.

"We are, but we won't be here for long. We're planning to go on tour after the festival. And, if everyone likes Selena, which I think and know they will, she'll be…coming with us." Thorne explained before looking at Ben. "That is…if you feel it's okay, sir."

Ben was surprised, but thinking about how much Selena had been through all her life, it could be good for her to get out of Oakhaven for a while and away from those bullies. But he was also aware of the music industry's risks. "Well, while I believe it could be good for Selena, I'm well aware of the music industry's dangers, if you get my drift. So, I'm not entirely against it, but not 100% on board yet."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Sir, we're aware of those dangers too. And we plan to stay as far away from them as we possibly can. We just feel that if Selena makes her own way in the world, this would be a great place to start." Luna added.

"Besides, we plan on coming back every once in a while. It's not like we wanna forget where we're from." Dusk added. "Like some people say: never forget who you are or where you come from."

"And if it goes well, we'll be close to cutting our 1st CD." Thorn added.

Ben was still unsure but loved how his niece had grown independent since moving out. And she was going out on tour and seeing the world had its positives, as it was sometimes dangerous. "Well, Selena doesn't exactly live with me anymore, and I'm only back here once a year anyway. Plus, all three of you are good people. So, I guess this is something my niece has to do to make her own life and way in the world."

"But there is the matter of having a discussion, right? I've seen it a dozen times when people from here leave to make their own way." Selena guessed.

"Indeed there is, Selena. But we don't have to discuss anything now. It can wait until the festival is over." Ben assured her.

"That's great, Mr. Ravencroft. There's plenty of time." Thorne said with a smile. "Well, it's been nice seeing all of you, but we gotta get back to our rehearsal. Having you guys around really helped Selena."

"And if she can do it in front of you guys, singing in front of the whole town and the tourists won't be a problem," Luna added with anticipation.

Selena then petted Scooby on his head. "See you later, Scooby. Hope you and your friends will be here for my debut."

"Hee hee hee hee hee hee. Re rill, Relena." Scooby assured his new friend.

"Yeah. After meeting you guys and Scooby liking Selena, we'll stick around. And hopefully, this mystery will be solved before your debut, and we can have a perfect time for the rest of the trip." Velma said, liking the idea.

Selena smiled and walked up to Thorn, Luna, and Dusk. "Shall we, girls?"

"We shall, sweet Selena," Thorn answered with a smile as they returned to the stage.

As the gang walked away with Ben, Fred voiced his opinion. "You know, with this ghost around, I don't think we should leave Selena or the Hex Girls alone. Daphne and I should keep an eye on them."

"Good idea, Fred. We know Selena is a good person, and so are the Hex Girls. And I got your tone, Freddy. Whoever is playing as this ghost must have stolen some of the Hex Girl's stage equipment and weaponized it." Velma agreed but then got snarky for a bit of fun. "And why is it that you always pair off with Daphne?"

Fred got nervous while Daphne looked touched and rather pleased. "Well, um…"

"Never mind, It's a good idea. Just keep an eye on Selena. Make sure she gets to wherever she's going safely." Velma told him. "That ghost is after her and Ben, so it's clear that they aren't suspects. Meanwhile, I wanna take a look at where the guys saw that ghost."

Shaggy and Scooby got nervous before Velma led them back the way they came, leaving a smiling Daphne with a sheepish Fred to keep watching the Hex Girls rehearsal.

A bit later

Velma held a flashlight at the trees from before and suggested. "Let's take a look behind these trees." Before they went behind the trees, they saw tire tracks. "What are all these tire tracks doing back here?"

"Strange. The road's back there." Ben agreed.

"Right. Let's see where these tracks lead." Velma said.

"Like, can't we wait for tomorrow, after breakfast? Shaggy asked nervously before seeing Velma and Ben move forward. "Guess not." He said before he and Scooby ran after them.

Velma suddenly stopped after seeing something, causing the other 3 to bump into her a bit before she pointed to an old barn a few feet away from them. Then, she saw the Mayor coming out. "Jinkies, it's the mayor."

Ben was curious. "What's he doing here?"
However, the mayor had already spotted them from afar thanks to Velma's Flashlight but acted as if he hadn't, hoping they would follow him. Taking another quick look around, he checked the barn door one last time before heading off, 'conveniently' dropping the key to the lock on the ground and pretending he hadn't noticed.

"I don't know. But we're gonna find out what's in that barn. Scooby and Shaggy will follow the mayor." Velma suggested, having not noticed Corey's act.

But Shaggy, his cowardice kicking in, asked. "We will?"

"Fine. Then you search the barn, and we'll follow the mayor." Velma said, knowing exactly how to get the 2 to follow the mayor.

Shaggy, seeing that following the mayor was less dangerous, agreed. "On second thought, we'll take the mayor. He'll never know we're on his tail. Eh, Scoob?"

Scooby agreed. "Reah."

Suddenly, Scooby felt a pain in his tail and saw Shaggy had accidentally stepped on it. He whined at the inconvenience before pulling his tail from Shaggy's foot. Shaggy was quick to notice his buddy's distress and gifted his foot.

"Oops! Sorry, Scoob." Shaggy apologized as Scooby shook off the pain before leaving to follow the mayor while Velma and Ben went to the barn.

Meanwhile, with the Mayor

As the Mayor is walking to the street of Oakhaven, Shaggy and Scooby sneak him, hiding behind trees planted on the sidewalk. The Mayor looks behind them, but no one was there, so he calls out to the boys.

"I know you boys are followin' me. Please come out. I've got some explaining to do regarding your mystery." Corey called out to them.

Shaggy and Scooby were stunned. They'd tailed guys before, never to be caught, but this was a first. Rather than making the mayor wait, Shaggy and Scooby exited their hiding place, hoping the mayor would answer their questions.

"Like, how did you know we were there?" Shaggy asked.

Mayor Corey smiled. "Your friend Velma gave you away with her flashlight back at the barn. It's kind of hard to miss it in the dead of night. Come with me, and we'll walk as we talk."

Seeing as they had a better choice than being sneaky, the boys nodded and followed the mayor on his walk.
Back with Velma and Ben

Velma had been fiddling with the lock to try and open the door since Scooby and Shaggy left to tail the Mayor, but to no success.

However, the brainy member of the gang was undeterred in getting inside. "There's gotta be another way in here."

Velma finds a barrel to climb on to get in through the window but hears a click and a thud. She turns and sees that Ben has found the key on the ground and opened the lock.

"Ben, where'd you find the key?" Velma asked, confused as to why it would be so close.

"I think Corey dropped it here. I don't think he noticed it fell from his pocket." Ben said as he pocketed the key.

Opening the doors, Ben and Velma enter the barn's darkness. Once inside, Velma waved her flashlight around, hoping to find something for the mystery, and discovered a Bucket Truck in the dark. She walks over to it and touches the hood, feeling its warmth.

Velma turned to Ben. "It's still warm, Ben. It was most likely used after the Mayor locked up the barn."

Ben only became more confused. "But why would the mayor drive it this late at night?"

Velma gained a confident smile as she spoke, enjoying the thrill of the mystery. "That's the mystery, Ben."

Ben put his hand to his chin, trying to understand why the mayor would do such a thing.

"Why would Corey be doing such things behind closed doors? He seemed so careful to… oh no…" Ben's face paled as he realized they had been had.

"Ben? What is it?" Velma asked, concerned by his growing panic.

Ben turned to look at her, his eyes wide with panic. "Corey saw us before he left the barn! He knows Scooby and Shaggy are on him!"

Velma finally had her own fear spike as she realized she'd sent Scooby and Shaggy into a trap. "Oh, no! We gotta go after them!"

The two ran out of the barn and headed back to town, hoping to save their friends before it was too late.

Back with Daphne, Fred, and the Hex Girls

As the two watched over the Hex Girls packed up for the night, Daphne felt it was time to ask Fred how they always pair off, smiling as she felt she knew the answer." So Fred, why do you always pair us up? I'm not complaining, but I would like to know."

Fred became nervous but steeled himself and told Daphne the truth. "Uh, well, I thought about that for the longest time, and there's never been a good time to tell you. Maybe it's time that I, well, that I tell you that I…" He stops, takes a deep breath, then finishes. "I love you, Daphne Blake."

Daphne froze. She had hoped for this answer, but hearing it aloud was like a dream come true. As Daphne felt a joy within her heart burst to life, she wasted no more time and leaped into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck and kissing him. Fred was caught off guard by Daphne's boldness but returned the kiss wholeheartedly. Selena and the Hex Girls all watched silently, smiling, watching the beautiful moment in silence so as not to ruin the mood.

When the two broke the kiss, Daphne spoke up. "I love you, too, Freddy Jones."

Fred held his newly promoted girlfriend in his arms, letting her rest her head on his chest while he rocked her back and forth to emphasize his feelings. Seeing the moment had peaked, Selena and the girls started to whistle and clap for the two, startling them and making them blush but smile.

"Well done, Freddy! That's how you make a girl happy!" Selena cheered as Thorn wrapped an arm around her.

"Way to be a man, bud!" Dusk whistles as Luna claps for their joy.

The two smiled and thanked the Hex Girls, Fred holding Daphne closer to him. "Thanks, girls. We'll be sure to get front-row seats to your concert. Speaking of, are you done with your rehearsals tonight?"

Thorn nodded. "Yep, we were just about to head home." She turns to the others. "I think we'll have to perform our ritual, girls."

Selena raised an eyebrow as she caught onto what Thorn was doing. "Oh? That ritual? I'd love to, but what do you girls think?"

Dusk smirked at Fred and Daphne's confusion while playing along with Thorn and Selena. "Not tonight, Thorn. My powers are weak from rehearsing."

Luna agreed with Dusk. "Mine too. How about tomorrow just before the concert?

Thorn fake scoffed with mock annoyance. "Never mind. Selena and I will do it ourselves. See you in the morning."

Selena and Thorn motioned their hands and fingers as if casting a spell at their friends. "Bad dreams, sisters."

Dusk and Luna mirrored the hand motions of their sisters-in-arms. "Bad dreams, sisters."

With that and a laugh between them, the Hex Girls split for the night, heading home. Wanting to keep Selena safe, Freddy, Daphne, and Thorn walked home with her.

Thorn then came up with an offer. "Selena, my place is closer than your apartment. Do you… wanna hang out there?"

Selena blushed a little, as while she'd been to Thorn's home before, it had NEVER been at night or since they'd started dating. "Uh… s-sure, Thorn. That would be… nice."

Thorn's blush lessened as Selena agreed, the girl smiling as she gently took her hand. Thorn then turned to Fred and Daphne. "You guys have to watch us, right? You can come to see our ritual before you go back to mystery-solving."

Fred nodded, happy with the arrangement. "Thanks, Thorn, but what exactly is this ritual you were talking about?"

Selena piped up, eager to explain. "It's an herbal vapor that helps soothe a person's vocal cords, made of peppermint, cloves, and lavender. It's an original Wiccan remedy from the McKnight family. We all take it before and after every show. I'm very proud of her for it."

Thorn blushed again, hugging Selena a bit tighter as she tried to hide her face in her girlfriend's hair. "C-come on, Sel, please…"

Selena smirked and held Thorn in her arms. "But you're so cute when you're flustered, Thorny- OW! NO, NOT THE EAR, YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE THAT!"

Having had enough of Selena's teasing, Thorn pinched her ear. It was a critical weak point if anybody wanted to silence Selena whenever she rambled or playfully got under Thorn's skin. Selena, meanwhile, was flailing about, trying to get her ear free from her girlfriend's grip, but it was like iron. Eventually, she let go, Selena rubbing her sore ear while Daphne and Fred snickered.

Back with Shaggy and Scooby

The boys were very confused about why the mayor was willing to confess to shady dealings, but if it meant not getting spooked by a ghost, they were all for it.

"So, Mayor, like, what were you doing in that Barn?" Shaggy asked, trying not to ask in a forced manner to make the mayor feel offended.

Corey had a sad look in his eyes. "Well, boys, Myself and a few residents of the town are being blackmailed into setting up a sham of a ghost to ruin the Ravencroft reputation. They stole our life savings and are threatening to dispose of it unless we put on this charade for them."

Scooby and Shaggy's jaws dropped in shock. They were being BLACKMAILED to commit a heinous crime against Ben and Selena, or else their entire life's worth of funding would be lost to them?! They'd be homeless and starving!

"Rat's rawful, rayor! Ro rou rave rany ridea rose rorcing rou ro roing ris?" Scooby asked, his blood now starting to boil at the thought of good people being used as puppets to commit atrocities.

The mayor shook his head. "Whoever this is, they are good at the stealthy bits and hiding who they are. To ensure we don't stab them in the back, they've been spoon-feeding us the money they took so we can go by day-to-day without issue, but I've got some additional funds stashed elsewhere. I've been sharing it with the others roped into this mess, and you boys caught me in the middle of my second stop."

Shaggy couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Zoinks! Like, how are you not gonna get in trouble with Mr. Mysterious and Spitful for telling me and Scoob?"

The mayor finally smiled a genuine smile at Shaggy's question. "My route to deliver supplies to the others is my only period of privacy from that monster, and seeing you kids trying to figure it all out was my ticket to ratting them out without endangering the others."

Scoob whined sadly and rested his head against the mayor's leg. Corey smiled sadly again and petted the dog. Corey reached his second destination as they walked: Old Man Willard's Hardware store.

"Wait outside, boys. I can't have the others learn about you just yet. We need every advantage possible to catch the ghost." Corey explained.

Shaggy froze at the mention of the ghost. "Wait, the blackmailer is the ghost?!"

Corey waved his hand in an 'iffy' motion. "Most times, it's them, but other times, they force poor Mr. McKnight to wear that costume in case they feel like they'll be caught. They have him as their scapegoat for when things go south for them."

He ducked inside the store before Shaggy and Scooby could fully process what the mayor told them. The two friends hid in the shadows as Corey gave Willard a small money package. Willard passed the mayor a larger package and waved goodbye to him as he started closing the shop.

Shaggy was impressed by the mayor's initiative to help his friends. "The mayor's one busy guy, Scoob. It's nice to see him help out the other people who are roped into this mess," he said.

Scooby nodded in agreement as the mayor came out of the shop with the package in hand. "Willard. You take it easy now."

As Corey left the shop and walked down the sidewalk until he was out of sight of the shop, he called for Shaggy and Scooby. "You boys can come back out now. Willard will be closing up shop now."

Shaggy and Scooby came out of their hiding place, continuing to follow the mayor to his next stop, the home of Mrs. Cunningstock. As he gives a package to her, Shaggy and Scooby hide in a nearby bush to keep an eye on the mayor, who is now starting to worry that things are going too well and something might go wrong.

Back with Fred, Daphne, Selena, and Thorn

Thorn led Selena, Fred, and Daphne to her humble but cute home with a large yard and a garden shed. Opening the gate, she welcomed everyone inside.

"Welcome to mi casa, everybody." Thorn presented and led her friends to her backyard toward the garden shed.

Ushering them inside, Thorn turned on the light and began to prepare her herbal vapor remedy. She poured a few ingredients into a small bowl with some herbs, ground them up in a small mortar and pestle, and then added a small dose of a liquid concoction. Mixing it, a small vapor arose from the bowl and quickly filled the room. Thorn and Selena picked up the bowl, holding it between them, and deeply inhaled the medicinal smoke.

Daphne was very impressed with the way they performed the ritual. "Wow, girls, that actually smells really good."

"Yeah. I can really smell the peppermint in it." Fred added with a smile. "So, how do you feel now?"

After inhaling the soothing smoke gently, Thorn and Selena smiled lovingly at each other. "Well, let's just say that when the festival starts tomorrow, you guys and your friends will be in for a hell of a show." Thorn answered.

"Hey, wanna see where we stash the ingredients for the ritual before you go?" Selena asked, wanting to show her new friends around.

"Sure. We have some time before we meet back up with the others." Daphne answered.

Thorn then led them into her house and into the kitchen, where she showed Fred and Daphne the cabinet with peppermints and cloves for the ritual, which was a lot and impressed them. "Wow. You certainly have a lot of those ingredients." Fred said with a whistle.

"Well, despite how we make it look, it's really not that easy singing this stuff." Thorn explained with a chuckle.

"And the ritual saves us the trouble of hiring a vocal coach. We looked up how to sing and are careful not to sound off-key." Selena added. "Luna and Dusk have the same ingredients at their houses, and as for the fangs, Luna's Dad's a dentist. He helped make the fangs for the band."

"What about your bat wings? Do they unfold?" Fred asked.

"Oh, they definitely do, but I'm saving that part for tomorrow's show in my debut," Selena explained while taking her mechanical wings off.

Fred checked the time and said. "Well, it's been really fun hanging out with you guys, but we gotta get back to the gang."

"That's okay, guys. I'm gonna be spending the night with Thorn anyway. But when you see Scooby again, give him and Shaggy some peppermints." Selena said, handing Daphne some peppermints. "Don't wanna have their breath stinking from eating all that food."

Daphne chuckled as she put the peppermints in her pocket. "Hahahahaha! You have no idea, Selena. But trust us, when you've been around them your whole life, you get used to it…eventually."

After Daphne and Fred left, Selena turned to her girlfriend and asked. "So, babe, what would you like to do to finish up tonight?"

Thorn smiled and touched Selena's cheek lovingly. "How about we just lay on the couch and cuddle while watching a movie?"

Selena smiled and leaned in, sharing a short kiss with Thorn. "How does 1978's original Halloween sound?"

"Ohhh…fucking A, baby," Thorn answered before they went to the living room and put the DVD of Halloween in, and took off their shoes and fangs before cuddling together on the couch and playing the movie.

As the movie played, with the two girls cuddling together closely, they could barely keep their eyes off each other before they slowly leaned in and gave each other a short kiss that slowly became more passionate while they moaned as their tongues danced together in their mouths.

"Mmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmmmm."

"Mmmmm. Mmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmmm." Thorn moaned as they wrapped their arms around each other. Being so into it, Selena pulled them down before they lay down, with Thorn on top before they continued their make out session.

After a few minutes, they separated, and Thorn rubbed her girlfriend's hair. "I love you, Selena. I love you so much."

Selena smiled lovingly. "I love you too…Sally. I truly…deeply…love you."

"How did you like that make-out session?" Thorn asked.

"It was great, baby. But…I thought we agreed to take things slow between us?"

Thorn smiled. "Well, I think we've done that for long enough. How about…tomorrow night, after the show…let's really do it, let's vow to each other that…we'll have sex. Wild, lustful, passionate lesbian sex."

Selena blushed and thought about it for a few minutes before smiling and giving her girlfriend a passionate, long loving kiss. "Promise of wild, lustful, passionate lesbian sex sealed, baby." She promised. After a few minutes of making out again, Thorn turned off the TV, and they finally fell asleep in each other's arms.

Back with Velma and Ben

The two bespectacled people ran as fast as they could to catch up to Shaggy and Scooby, worried they'd sent their friends into a trap. Velma hadn't run so fast in her life, worried she'd pass out from exhaustion, while Ben kept going like a marathon runner, his mind laser-focused on finding them. It wasn't long before they spotted the mayor, but to their surprise, he was walking and talking alongside Scooby and Shaggy as if they just had a nightly stroll.

"Mayor?! What's going on?!" Ben asked as he and Velma finally caught up to them.

The trio turned to face them, the mayor breaking out into a wide grin. "Oh, good! You're both here! Saves these boys from explaining everything too many times."

Velma, having caught her breath, demanded answers. "What explanation?! Scooby, Shaggy, are you ok!?"

Shaggy raised his hands in surrender. "Like, we're fine, Velma. Turns out the mayor is actually being forced to support this publicity stunt."

Ben's eyes widened, and he looked at the ashamed Corey with hurt in his eyes before they hardened into a cold glare. "Corey. Explain. NOW."

The mayor nodded and quickly explained what he'd told Scooby and Shaggy about the blackmailer forcing townsfolk to help them ruin the Ravencroft family name and how awful they all felt to be a part of it, but they had no choice; otherwise, they'd be homeless.

To say that Ben was horrified and furious was just the tip of the iceberg. "Wha- you- they- RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHH! We finally have the proof and freedom of the humiliation and shaming from false accusations, and now some lunatic is turning my friends into accomplices for one last stunt to ruin my family!"

Corey looked away, shame threatening to make him burst into tears. "I'm so sorry, Ben. You have every right to hate me for this."

Ben put his hands on the Mayor's shoulders. "No, Corey. I'm not angry with you or the others this madman has roped in, but I WILL be expecting some sort of compensation, for Selena's sake."

Corey nodded and motioned the kids and Ben to follow him. After a few more minutes, the Mayor led them to a warehouse. "Here's where we meet up for our 'orders' from the blackmailer. I have already called a small meeting inside with the others. They should be inside already waiting for me. Give me a minute to tell them I found a way out of this mess, and then I'll call you in."

The others nod as Corey looks behind them for other eavesdroppers but finds none. He then enters the warehouse. The group waits outside, the suspense of what is about to happen killing them. Shaggy and Scooby tremble out of fear that the blackmailer might be there, too, while Ben and Velma are eager to catch this guy and put the mystery to rest.

A knock from the inside of the door prompted the group to enter the barn. Shaggy opens the Barn door and enters with Scooby right behind him. Ben and Velma quickly follow, but to their surprise, they find nothing; then, they hear bat sounds as they sneak quietly. There was no sign of the mayor or his reluctant cohorts inside.

Shaggy was most confused at this development. "Like, where do you think he went, Scoob?"

Scooby shook his head. "I don't know."

Ben and Velma looked around, but it was as if Corey vanished into thin air. Velma was unable to compute. "How could a big man pull a Houdini disappearing trick so easily and suddenly? And where is everyone else?"

Ben then heard a noise and looked up. His face paled as he pointed up. "Why not ask her?"

The kids looked up… and saw the Witch's Ghost holding Corey by his throat as she levitated nearly twenty feet in the air! Corey struggled and gurgled in her iron grip, unable to get a peep out as he motioned with his hand to run away.

The Witch's Ghost, whoever was hiding behind its mask, expressed her rage. "How dare you disturb my resting place! Your suffering shall be LEGENDARY after I deal with this insubordinate worm!"

They all shout in terror as the ghost tosses Corey away like yesterday's garbage. The large man crashes into a pile of crates and smashes them to splinters upon impact. She then throws a fireball at the pile, causing it to erupt into flames and cause the warehouse to start burning.

The Ghost howled in fury as she flew straight at them. "THIS TOWN WILL PAY! YOU ALL SHALL BOW TO THE POWER OF ADERA RAVENCROFT AND TREMBLE!"

"Like, send them a bill! But leave us alone!" Shaggy and Scooby tried to run away, but they ran so fast that they dug a hole in the dirt until they fell to their shoulders.

As the witch turned around midflight to chase them, Shaggy and Scooby made a break for it, grabbing both Ben and Velma (Velma ridding Scooby and Shaggy carrying Ben), crashing through the wooden wall and running off screaming into the night. Eventually, coming to a good hiding spot, Shaggy and Scoby dove into a mailbox to hide from the ghost, forgetting they were carrying Ben and Velma, which caused them to drop them and crash. Upon impact, the two lost their glasses in the confusion, leaving them scrambling on the floor to find them.

Shaking the dizziness from the impact, Ben groaned as he swept around on his knees to find his glasses. "I can't see a thing without my glasses."

Velma was, unfortunately, no better off than Ben. "Me either."

Velma and Ben's hands touched each other as they kept looking, causing them a unique embarrassment that resurfaced at the touch. Velma admitted to herself that when she was younger, she had a crush on the older man but had grown out of it as the years went on. As for Ben, even in the short time they've had together, he'd like to think of Velma as a daughter of his own, one who enjoyed his books and was unafraid to speak her mind on improving them while having her tremendous potential.

Velma and Ben quickly pulled back their hands and apologized to each other. "Sorry."

As they finally found their glasses, Velma and Ben's glasses accidentally got mixed up. Velma's eyes were now three times their normal size through the clear lenses, while Ben's looked like pinpricks in the glassy frames.

Upon noticing the visual discomfort in their eyes, they looked at each other again and apologized. "Sorry."

As they switched their glasses back, Fred and Daphne finally reunited with the gang.

Daphne quickly became concerned when she saw her friends on the ground, helping Velma to her feet. "Hey, what's going on? Are you all ok?"

Ben gave a quick report. "Turns out the mayor and some of the townsfolk are being blackmailed to set up this publicity stunt, or else they'll lose their life savings and be rendered homeless. Scooby and Shaggy found a place the mayor thought was safe enough to talk about it freely, as he wanted to get out of this mess with everyone else. Velma and I caught up to them and were filled in on the situation, so Corey called a meeting between the victims to try and double-cross the blackmailer, but they must have been following us because when we got to the meeting spot to help the other people, the ghost attacked us and kidnapped the mayor!"

Fred's eyes widened in shock. "Oh, great, so the real estate punk is a dirty sleazebag, too! Wait… where are Scoby and Shaggy?

Velma pointed to a trembling mailbox. "That's no mystery."

Velma quickly ran over and opened the box. "Are you guys ok?

Shaggy nodded as he pulled himself out of the box. "Like, we could really use a very big meal after this is all over."

"Reah. Oh, Relena. We rhould ro to rer!" Scooby added, worried about Selena, as he'd grown fond of her.

Velma nodded and pulled the gang into a huddle. "Ok, guys, we are putting a stop to this NOW. So, here's the plan. Fred, you're going to…"

Several hours later, back at the Hex Girl's Stage

Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby arrived on the stage, waiting for the others. Scooby and Shaggy took the tarps off Dusk's drumset and Luna's keyboard, playing a small tune with them as they waited. As Scooby played, he felt a tapping in his head, turning to see an unamused Dusk with her hands on her hips.

"If you want to play my drums, please use the drumsticks." She requests and hands Scooby a drumstick.

"*Gulp* Heh, rorry." Scooby giggled nervously as he used the drumsticks to keep up the tune for a bit longer, Dusk butting in a few times to help the dog improve his technique.

"Like, that's pretty good, old buddy. When'd you learn to play like that?" Shaggy asked, oblivious to Luna standing behind him, looking rather displeased.

"No one touches my keyboard." She said, jabbing a finger into his back.

Shaggy nervously giggled and dove to hide beneath the tarps, watching Scooby play, while Dusk slowly smiled as she enjoyed teaching the dog to play.

Velma walked up to the Hex Girls. "Thanks for coming, girls. I know its late, but we need your help to catch the ghost."

Thorn looked annoyed, especially since she was cuddling with Selena before they were both roused from slumber. "We should be resting for tomorrow's concert. We only came because Ben asked us to."

Selena then looked at her uncle with a tired expression. "Uncle Ben, why oh why would you do this to me? You know I hate waking up in the middle of the night."

Ben raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I'm just following orders. Besides, you need to be here for this. It is our family's last obstacle before the naysayers finally shut up."

Luna, unconvinced, looked to Velma. "So, what do you want? How are we gonna help catch the ghost?"

Before Luna got an answer, the eerie wind started to blow, the moon's eerie glow tuning a sickly greenish white… and the Witch's Ghost rose above the tree line, laughing like a banshee! "HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Shaggy and Scooby said together. "Yikes!"

"NOW, AT LONG LAST, THE BLACK SHEEP OF MY FAMILY WILL DIE! AND THIS TOWN SHALL PAY FOR IT'S TREACHERY TO ME!"

The witch's ghost revealed the other townsfolk who were forced to help in this awful deed: Jack, Old Man Willard, and Mrs. Cunningham, with Mr. McKnight nursing an injured Corey, who had a few bandages wrapped around his head. They were trapped in a large cage meant to hold a large bear, now slick with gasoline.

The witch looked down at the people in the cage, a wild and evil grin on her decayed lips. "Now that you have exposed my plan, I shall consider you all loose ends." She readies a fireball in her hand. "And all loose ends are… EXPENDABLE!"

The witch hurls the fireball at her forced henchmen, all of them screaming for their lives as the flames start to get closer to searing them alive.

"OH NO! SCOOBY, SHAGGY, HELP THEM!" Velma cried out, trying to find a fire extinguisher on the stage.

The two goofballs leap into action and through the flames, screaming in fright, but don't let their fear stop them from saving the people. Scooby had Willard, McKnight, and Cunningham in his arms as he dashed out before the flames consumed the cage, with Shaggy right behind him carrying Corey and Jack. As everyone ran for their lives and scattered, the ghost zeroed in on Selena, swooping down and seizing her in her grasp.

Selena screamed as she felt her body roughly yanked into the air, Thorn screaming out her name as her hand was ripped from hers. "SELENA!"

Selena screamed as the ghost was right in her face, carrying her higher and higher into the air, laughing and screeching as the ghost gleefully began to strangle her prey.

"AT LAST, THE SCOURGE OF MY SISTER'S WRETCHED BLOODLINE ENDS, AND THIS TOWN BURNS FOR ITS DEFIANCE TO ME!" The ghost screeched, tightening her grip on Selena's neck.

The poor girl couldn't even scream as she felt her neck be crushed in an iron grip, and the world began to darken as Selena's struggles became weaker. Ben whirled in panic as he spotted his screaming niece, now several dozen feet in the air with the witch. But then he spotted something odd about the ghost: smoke was coming out from the bottom of her dress, and her back looked far too hunched. Not lingering on the question for long, Ben quickly grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it at the witch's head.

The stone struck a bullseye; the witch yelped in pain and turned to Ben. "Eager to perish, are you? FINE! BURN IN HELLFIRE, FOOL!"

Before the ghost could throw another fireball, Selena came to her senses. The grip on her neck had significantly weakened with just one hand strangling her, and, in an act of survival, she bashed her forehead into the ghost's nose. The ghost screeched in pain as she lost control of whatever gave her her flight, falling towards the gang as Selena slipped from her grip.

Selena screamed as she fell, expecting to hit the ground in a big splat, but someone caught her. She opened her eyes to see her uncle holding her tight, and she broke down sobbing again, clinging to him like an anchor. The witch was not so lucky, falling like a lead balloon from the sky but hurtling straight toward the gang, her screams turning to laughter.

"IF I AM DEFEATED THIS NIGHT, I WILL TAKE YOU ALL BACK TO HELL WITH ME!" The ghost screamed as she lunged for Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby.

As the two goofballs screamed and Velma hyperventilated, she noticed something to her left. It was the branch that they'd set up for the ghost trap initially before they tried murdering their minions.

Velma called to Fred and Daphne as the Witch's Ghost prepared to attack. "GUYS, NOW!"

With the command given, the tree branch that had been set to strike was set loose, hitting the Witch's Ghost with such force that she was sent in the opposite direction. She crashed into a Soccer ball net and deformed the metal upon impact. She groaned in agony but did not get up.

Velma cheered at their victory. "Yes! You did it, guys!"

The others quickly came over, the civilians forced to help the blackmailers, grabbing their arms and pinning down the witch as she came back to her senses and struggled to escape.

Freddy looked at the ghost in disdain as he prepared to remove the mask. "Okay, let's see what scumbag's behind all this."

Fred removes the mask with a simple tug to reveal an older woman they've never seen before, with grayish blond hair, a mole on her chin, and a plump face. Her green eyes glared menacingly at Selena, who hid behind Thorn and the Hex Girls while Ben stood protectively before them.

Shaggy was most confused. "Like, who's this?"

Corey, finally having woken up after his attack, spoke up. "Everyone, this is Mrs. Jessica Crowsdale, mother of Reva and the aunt of Jeff. They were those two delinquents arrested earlier this evening. She's the blackmailer who stole our livelihoods to make this stunt work."

Jack growled as he jabbed a finger into Jessica's face. "You planted rats in my kitchen so the health department would shut me down! If Selena hadn't helped me, I'd be out of work, and a cheap fast-food joint would have gutted my restaurant! Then you steal my money to make a quick buck from ruining the Ravencrofts?!"

McKnight looked away in shame. "She's the one who gave me the t-shirts, demanding 100% of the sales, or she'd have my pharmacy burned down."

Daphne was appalled by these revelations. "Jeepers! How in the world would she have gotten away with it?"

Corey looked at the kids in shame. "She has a cruel reputation and a rich background, that's how. She's got enough money to buy out all of Oakhaven a dozen times over. The only reason she hasn't is because it's not something she can simply buy, and on one would sell to her, anyway."

Willard looked angry at the criminal woman, restraining himself from striking her. "You tried to muscle me into selling my store so you could sell it to a big company and floor the town as a tourist spot and convenience stores!"

Mrs. Cunningham looked even less happy. "Finally, you tried to buy out my property and my home just because you hated my flower garden!"

Jessica scoffed and answered them all in order. "Jack, your food is overrated, and little businesses like you need to get big or get out. McKnight, your daughter is dating a witch and has become one herself, and I need no further justification to end you. Willard, you are outdated and need to be replaced like any other old store being bought out by a big company. And Cunningham, I hate your roses and daisies."

Velma then looked at the back of her costume, revealing a ruined jetpack. "Well, that explains how you could fly, but where did you get that?"

Jessica scoffed again. "Peasants like you would never even hear of companies that make these babies. You don't even have the money to walk through their doors."

Luna then pointed out the device on Jessica's arm and pulled it off. "Hey, this is my flare gun I modified for flash paper! I was going to use this for the show, but it went missing- WHY IS A SHOTGUN BARREL ATTACHED TO IT!?"

Thorn and Dusk rushed over to see Luna's flare gun modified into an ACTUAL weapon, the large shotgun barrel attached to the end to make the fireballs it launched ACTUAL fireballs from gunpowder and carved iron jars full of oil instead of wads of flash paper.

Jesica then glared at them as if she was still in charge. "It was easy to get you to serve me like the slaves you should be, especially when you are serving a noble cause to eradicate the last two witches in the world! THEY ALL MUST DIE IN THE NAME OF GOD, AS WELL AS ALL OF THEIR FRIENDS, FOR THE SIN OF CARING FOR A DEVIL! Why else would I send my daughter and nephew to hunt her down? Lousy kids couldn't finish the job, though."

Everyone was stunned into silence by her raving, but Ben's rage was building as Selena wept into Thorn's shoulder, the Hex Girls glaring with the promise of death in their eyes as Jessica kept going. "When you arrested my kids, you just HAD to die, you little witch! It is your fate to burn in hell-UGH!"

The madwoman didn't get to finish when Ben slammed his foot into her gut, sending her sprawling across the ground and knocking her out of the grip of the civilians. He then strode over and grabbed her by her costume, lifting her into the air with just one hand before hurling her across the clearing and slamming her back against the stage, where she crumpled to the ground. Silently, Ben marched over to Jessica, picking her up again and throwing her again, this time into a tree, a sickening crack echoing in the night as something broke. Jessica was too dazed to scream and in too much pain to know what exactly had broken, but she didn't have time to figure it out as Ben then slammed his foot against her throat and pinned her to the ground.

"S… stop… p-pleee-aasse…"Jessica croaked out, gasping and sputtering for air.

Ben just pressed harder, Jessica's face turning purple from the lack of air.

Selena was horrified that her uncle was capable of such rage but couldn't let him kill the madwoman, lest he lose himself, too. "Uncle Ben, stop! Don't you want this to end? To finally be free of the hate? Be free of her?"

Ben whirled around, entirely on auto-piolet as he faced her, not realizing he was yelling at Selena, "NO, I WANT TO KILL HER!"

Everyone froze dead stiff, shocked at Ben's words as he ranted in fury. "I want to put this bitch in chains and drag her worthless hide around so everyone can see her for the RAVING LUNATIC that she is! I want her and her ENTIRE family to suffer as she made us suffer and then to die alone in darkness!"

Ben raises his foot, ready to stomp Jessica's head in, but Selena quickly hugs him from behind. The man freezes, the sudden act pulling him out of his mind-clouding fury as he slowly puts his foot down and shakily steps away from Jessica's broken form.

He turns to Selena, his face pale and full of shame. "Selena… I-"

He didn't get to finish as his niece hugged him tightly, tears flowing as she whispered, "I'm here for you, just like you were for me. Just… don't disappear again. Please."

Ben said nothing but hugged her back, silently nodding as the police finally arrived and took the broken Jessiaca away.

It was over.

As the patrol car pulled away, Selena gave it one last glare and said, "I'll be sure to send you and the other two a postcard in your prison cell when I'm going on tour with my band, bitch."

Hey everyone, Zerzenkul0981 here! Sorry this took so long, but life is demanding. I'm glad you all stayed to read this from us, so give us some reviews and tell us what you think!

Hi, my friends. WolveHulk here. I hope you all enjoyed this second chapter. The final part of the movie will be coming soon, and hopefully, it won't be too long. Be sure to thank my good friend Zerzenkul0981 for his help, as he's a really big help. Rate and review, and we'll see you all soon, my dear fans and friends.