the-secret-of-the-haunted-house1

The Secret of the Haunted House
WRITTEN BY DECK HARPER
COVER ART BY DECK HARPER
COLORED BY DECK HARPER
COVER LAYOUT BY DECK HARPER

Chapter 1:
It was a dark and stormy night! The
Mystery Machine drove along a road
through the vast woods. The gang had
planned on staying in a cabin on the
beach for the week, and they were very
far from their destination.
“Well gang, it looks like we’re lost,”
Fred said with a sigh.
Scooby and Shaggy, who were in the
back munching on Scooby Snacks,
abruptly stopped.
“Like, lost?” asked Shaggy. “Way out
here?”
“Jeepers,” said Daphne, looking out
the window. “This forest seems to go on
forever. Think we’ll ever get out?”
“Of course we’ll-” began Velma, then
the van slowly sputtered to a stop.
“We’re out of gas,” Fred said.
1

“That’s odd,” said Velma. “A minute
ago we were almost full.”
“Like, oh no!” cried Shaggy. “We’re
stuck out here forever! How could things
possibly get worse?”
Scooby turned around to look at the
Scooby Snacks. “We’re rout of rood,” he
moaned.
“It was nice knowing you Scoob-oldbuddy-old-pal,”
said Shaggy.
“Rou too, Raggy,” said Scooby.
The two hugged each other and
started sobbing.
“Not so fast guys,” said Fred. “I
always keep flashlights in the van. We
can go get help.”
“Like, you guys go ahead, Scoob and
I will stay here,” said Shaggy.
“Reah,” agreed Scooby.
“Suit yourself,” said Fred.
He tossed flashlights to Daphne and
Velma, then took out his own. The three
2

of them got out of the van, then closed
the door.
“Like, maybe we could try and get
some sleep,” said Shaggy.
“Ruh… rokay,” said Scooby. He
whimpered as he hopped into the front to
retrieve the suitcase. He came back
shortly and Shaggy removed two blankets
and two pillows.
The buddies set them down as beds.
However, just as they thought they had a
change of going to sleep, they both saw a
shadow shape run by the van out of the
corner of their eye.
“L-like, it was, probably just Fred,”
Shaggy said, pulling his blanket up closer
to his face.
Scooby did the same. “R-r-reah,” he
stuttered.
Shaggy quickly pulled more
blankets from the suitcases and hung
them up as curtains.
3

“Like, there may be creepy noises
outside, but, like, I’m not scared,” said
Shaggy, trying to sound brave. Then, a
leaf brushed against the van.
“Like, zoinks!” cried Shaggy.
“Rikes!” cried Scooby, jumping into
Shaggy’s arms. The two buddies shook
with fright.
“L-l-like, I hope Fred and the girls
will come back soon,” said Shaggy.
“What if rey rever come rack?” asked
Scooby.
“Like, I don’t wanna think about it,”
said Shaggy. “But, they’re probably
coming now.”
Shaggy crawled over to the nearest
blanket curtain and slightly lifted it.
There was a face pressed up against it!
Before Shaggy took it in, he ducked his
head away and let the curtain block the
view of outside.
“Like, that was probably Fred,”
Shaggy guessed.
4

“I rope ro,” said Scooby.
“Like, in fact, it was Fred,” said
Shaggy. “Let me show you.”
Shaggy hoped it was Fred, but
saying it was calmed him down. He edged
over to his curtain and held it up. There
was nobody in sight.
Scooby and Shaggy ran away from it
as quickly as they could and dove for
their blankets. They shivered there, but
not of cold, they were shivering with
terror.
Meanwhile, Fred, Daphne, and
Velma were exploring the forest.
“Jeepers, this place is kinda creepy,”
Daphne remarked.
“I’ll say,” said Fred.
“Maybe we should go check on
Scooby and Shaggy,” Velma said. “They’re
probably scared out of their minds.”
5

Suddenly, a shadowy figure in the
distance became visible. It was limping
towards them.
“Uh oh,” said Fred.
“Don’t run away,” said Velma.
“Maybe that somebody can help us.”
Daphne was the first to get a clear
look of the person. “I don’t know Velma…
he looks a bit…”
Suddenly, a man wearing a fancy
suit with a strange slime on his shoulder
became visible. He had a confused
expression on his face. The man was
walking straight towards them. He didn’t
seem to take notice of the people around
him until he was right in front of Fred.
“Where am I?” the man asked,
dripping slime onto Fred’s hand.
“I don’t know,” said Fred.
“Who are you?” he asked. “Who am
I? I can’t remember… don’t go to… the
haunted house…”
6

And with that, he limped off into the
distance.
7

Chapter 2:
Scooby and Shaggy were fast asleep
in the back of the Mystery Machine. The
sound of footsteps crunching on leaves
didn’t wake them. The sounds of rain and
thunder were too loud.
Meanwhile, Fred, Daphne, and
Velma were following the strange man.
“Let’s go get Shaggy and Scoob,”
Fred suggested. “We don’t wanna follow
this guy without them.”
“Good idea,” said Daphne. “Scooby
can pick up the trail by sniffing the slime
on your hand.”
“Huh?” asked Fred. “There’s slime
on my hand?”
He looked for at it. Fred wanted to
wipe it off, but he knew Daphne was
right.
8

“I’ll follow him for now,” said Velma,
“just in case Scooby can’t pick up his
trail.”
“Okay,” said Fred, “we’ll catch up
with you later.”
He and Daphne began going in the
direction of the Mystery Machine.
They walked, and walked, and
walked, but it was nowhere to be found.
“I feel like we’re going in circles,”
Daphne said.
“We aren’t,” said Fred. “I think
somebody stole the van!”
Velma was still following the strange
man. It had almost been an hour already.
“I guess I’m alone here,” Velma
muttered. If the rest of the gang was
going to come, they would have been
there by now.
Velma glanced back; nothing. She
turned around and saw the man was
standing right in front of her.
9

“No… please…” he moaned. “Who
am I? Who are you? The haunted house…
no… go away… get out of here while you
still can… haunted… who…”
Then, he collapsed to the ground.
Velma knelt down.
He had fainted. Maybe the man
would remember things when he woke
up.
Velma decided to wait for the rest of
the gang. But another hour went by, and
they were nowhere to be found. It was
getting later, and the storm was getting
worse.
Velma glanced at the strange man.
Suddenly, his eyes shot open and he sat
upright.
“T… haunted house… no… oh…
man… T oh man…”
Then, he collapsed again. Velma
stared at him blankly.
“T oh man?” she asked herself.
“Maybe he’s starting to remember
10

something… T oh could mean to, and
man could mean m, and that spells Tom.”
Velma glanced at Tom. He probably
wasn’t going to wake up for a while
longer.
“Who could have stolen the van?!”
exclaimed Daphne.
“We left the keys inside, and Scooby
and Shaggy could have kept it unlocked,”
explained Fred.
“Well, if somebody stole the van,
Scooby and Shaggy must be around here
somewhere, right?” asked Daphne.
“Unless they didn’t see Scooby and
Shaggy,” said Fred. “And they’re being
taken to some horrible place in the
middle of the forest!”
Scooby and Shaggy slowly opened
their eyes. Directly above them was a
fancy wooden ceiling.
“Like, where are we?” asked Shaggy.
11

“I ron’t know,” said Scooby.
The two sat up. They were in a lit
room with walls painted dark red. In the
center of the room, was a long table.
Guests sat all around it. There were two
empty chairs.
“Like, it doesn’t matter where we
are, Scoob-old-buddy-old-pal,” said
Shaggy, “I know a feast when I see one.”
“Reah!” exclaimed Scooby, licking
his lips. “Let’s rig in!”
They leaped into their chairs. There
were platters with lids at every seat.
“Like, hey there,” Shaggy said to the
boy next to him.
He didn’t respond, so he nudged the
boy. He slumped down and his draw
dropped open, revealing him as a wooden
puppet. All the guests did the same.
“Like, zoinks!” cried Shaggy.
“Rikes!” cried Scooby, leaping into
Shaggy’s arms.
12

“Like, oh Scooby-Doo, where are
we?” moaned Shaggy, taking off his lid. A
head was right there.
“Welcome to the haunted house,” it
said, before letting out a horrific cackle.
13

Chapter 3:
Shaggy slammed the lid down atop
the head.
“Like, we’d better get outta here
Scoob,” he said.
“Reah,” agreed Scooby.
The two got up and began searching
the room for a door. Scooby was checking
one side of the room, Shaggy the other.
Suddenly, Shaggy tapped on the
wall and it slid open. As he was about to
tell Scooby, a hand grabbed his shoulder
and pulled him in. Then, the wall closed.
“Raggy?” asked Scooby, hearing the
noise. He whirled around. “Raggy?”
His friend was nowhere in sight, and
all the puppets that had previously been
on the table were gone.
“Ruh-roh,” Scooby muttered,
turning away from the table.
14

Scooby kept calling his friend, but to
no avail.
When he finally turned to the table,
he saw a grinning Shaggy sitting at one of
the seats.
“Raggy!” exclaimed Scooby,
beaming.
He ran over to Shaggy and gave him
a big hug. When he let go, Shaggy
slumped over and his jaw dropped down.
It was another puppet.
“Rikes!” cried Scooby, leaping
backwards. He slammed against the wall,
sliding it open. Scooby walked into the
doorway and emerged in a dark hallway.
The wall slid shut behind him.
Scooby gulped. There were candles
lining the wall. Scooby grabbed one and
began creeping down the hallway. The
walls were painted a dark shade of red.
As Scooby walked, he didn’t notice the
figure following him.
15

After a little while, Scooby reached
the end of the hallway. There were three
doors. He opened the one to the left, and
a skeleton instantly flew out of it, coming
towards Scooby!
“Rikes!” he cried, ducking. The
skeleton flew over his head and vanished
into thin air. “Phew,” Scooby muttered.
He walked towards the open door and
peeked in. All Scooby could see was
darkness. All of a sudden, a hand pushed
him forward and slammed the door. As
Scooby fell straight down, he heard the
door locking above him.
Fred and Daphne were trying to find
their way back to Velma, but it seemed
impossible. They had been wandering
through the forest for a few hours, and it
seemed like one big maze.
“Jeepers, do you think we’ll ever find
our way out?” asked Daphne.
16

“Maybe,” said Fred. Suddenly, he
spotted a man approaching them, gazing
at a map.
“Hello there!” exclaimed the man,
without looking up. He was dressed like a
magician. “Have you seen somebody
named Kelda?”
“Nope, sorry,” said Daphne.
“That’s alright,” the man said,
looking up. “She’s probably at the house
again.”
“Is it a haunted one?” asked Fred.
“That’s only what they call it,” the
man said. “Don’t let the rumors spook ya.
The name’s James.”
He shook Fred and Daphne’s hands
at the same time.
“Hello, I’m Daphne and this is Fred,”
said Daphne.
“What are you doing way out here?”
asked James. “Don’t tell me you’re also
looking for the Treasure of Morteś.”
“Nope, we got lost,” explained Fred.
17

“Oh, good,” said James. “There are
some rival groups also looking for it. The
Morteś family hid it somewhere and
they’re hosting a contest to find it. There
are a few places where they say it could
be, and almost every group sent one
person to one area. But you see, the
group I’m with sent both me and Kelda
here.”
“A contest?” asked Fred. “Cool!
What’s the prize?”
“Two million bucks,” said James.
“Huh?!” exclaimed Fred. “Two
million bucks for a scavenger hunt?”
James nodded. “Kelda has a map of
the forest, I’ve got a map of the house. If
you guys are lost, I’ll take you to the
haunted house and we’ll get the map
from Kelda.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Fred.
“Great,” said James, “follow me.”
18

Velma was wasn’t waiting for Fred
and Daphne any longer, she assumed
they had gone ahead to the haunted
house without her, so she was looking for
it. Tom wasn’t much help, he still hadn’t
woken up. In fact, Velma was carrying
him on her back.
Suddenly, Tom fell off. Velma
whirled around and saw he was standing
up.
Tom suddenly went in front of
Velma and ran away as fast as he could.
Velma gave chase. Tom ran until he
reached a hill. Then he began to run up
the hill. Velma began running towards
the hill.
She neared the top. Tom was
running as fast as he could. Suddenly, he
came to a halt.
An old white house was right in
front of his face. The windows were
shattered, and the dark rooftop seemed
like it could cave in at any moment. Tom
19

hesitated for a moment, then, he bolted
for the door.
Velma followed. She was catching
up fast, Tom had even left the door wide
open.
Velma emerged into a small circular
room with doors lining the walls. Tom
had gone through one, and hadn’t left her
a single clue. However, judging on the
way he was running, she assumed he
would have taken the one directly
forward.
Velma walked towards the door and
pushed it open. Inside there was a
straight drop down.
Velma edged closer, unsure of how
far the drop would be. Suddenly, Velma
felt a hand that felt like it was made of
smooth wood push her forward.
20

Chapter 4:
Velma landed in the same dining
room that Scooby and Shaggy had
awakened in earlier. There were three
people at the table, Tom, Scooby, and
Shaggy.
“Guys?” she asked. “What are you
doing here?”
Suddenly, they slumped forward,
revealing themselves as the same wooden
puppets like the ones Scooby and Shaggy
had seen.
Velma peered under the table and
saw a note in Shaggy’s hand.
21

“Jinkies,” muttered Velma.
“Something strange is going on here. At
least I’ve found the haunted house.”
Fred, Daphne, and James were
coming over the hill and approaching the
haunted house.
“Jeepers, is that the haunted
house?” asked Daphne.
“You bet it is,” said James.
They approached the house slowly.
Suddenly, James stopped. “I think
Kelda’s down there,” he said, glancing at
a shadowy figure behind the house. “Just
in case, you two search for her inside.”
James began to walk towards the
figure in the distance.
“C’mon, said Fred, “this rain is
coming down so hard it’s starting to hurt
my back.”
Fred and Daphne made their way
for the door.
22

“Like, oh man,” muttered Shaggy,
regaining consciousness. “Where are we
Scoob?”
“I ron’t know,” said Scooby.
The two looked around. Tom was
sitting next to them, knocked out.
“Like, should we try to find some
food or look for a way out of here?” asked
Shaggy.
“Hmm… food first!” exclaimed
Scooby.
“Like, I’d love to but there isn’t any
nearby,” said Shaggy.
He and Scooby were in another
circular room, this one had only one
door. Shaggy tried the doorknob, and to
his surprise, it was unlocked. Shaggy
turned around to look at Scooby.
“Like, c’mon Scoob, the door’s
unlocked. Shaggy turned back to the
doorway only to come face to face with
another wooden puppet. It didn’t have
hair, and a black cloak covered
23

everything but the head. “Zoinks!” cried
Shaggy, stumbling backwards.”
“What ris rit, Rag-” began Scooby,
then he saw the puppet and let out a
yelp. “Rikes!” he cried, leaping back
towards Shaggy.
Suddenly, the cloak began to blow,
as if a strong wind had blown into the
house. Then, the puppet began moving
forwards and cackling at the same time.
“Like, this is the same guy who was
up against the window!” cried Shaggy. “I’d
know that creepy grin anywhere.”
“BEWARE THE APPARITION!”
boomed a loud voice that seemed to be
coming from nowhere.
The puppet, which was presumably
the so-called Apparition, was still
laughing and moving forward.
Scooby and Shaggy were backed up
against a wall. Just as it was about to
reach them, Shaggy grabbed Scooby,
pulled him to the side, and bolted for the
24

door. However, the Apparition turned
around and gave chase.
Scooby and Shaggy ran through the
door, slammed it, and locked it. The two
buddies turned around and saw a long
narrow hallway ahead of them.
“Like, that was a close one!”
exclaimed Shaggy.
“Ro ridding!” agreed Scooby.
As they walked away from the
doorway, there was a loud knock.
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
“Like, zoinks!” cried Shaggy.
“Rikes!” cried Scooby, leaping onto
Shaggy’s back. The two bolted. Behind
they heard the door being knocked down
and the Apparition’s constant laugh.
Fred and Daphne walked through
the front door and emerged in the
circular room. They walked straight and
25

opened the door Velma had gone into.
Fred was about to take a step, when
Daphne grabbed him.
“Hold on, mister,” she said.
Fred looked into the room. It was
pitch darkness.
“It’s just a staircase,” said Fred.
He went forward into nothingness
and when plummeting down.
“Whoa!” Then there was a loud
crash.
“I’m okay!” Fred called. “You come
down next.”
“Okay then,” said Daphne, leaping
through the doorway.
She hit the ground and stood up.
Daphne and Fred gazed up, knowing
there was probably no way out.
Suddenly, a hand rested upon their
shoulders.
“Hello guys,” said Velma. “Seen
Scooby and Shaggy?”
26

Chapter 5:
Fred, Daphne, and Velma all sat
down at the table, and once they had
exchanged stories, there was a moment of
silence.
“Hey Velma,” said Fred. “If Tom
went through this doorway, then how did
he close it?”
“Jinkies!” exclaimed Velma, “you’re
right. It’s a straight drop, he couldn’t
have closed the door.”
“Unless there’s some sort of secret
walkway,” said Daphne.
Before anybody could say anything
more, there was a loud crash.
Everybody turned around to find
James.
“That wasn’t her,” he said. “She
must have gone through one of these
doors… but I don’t think this one.”
27

Suddenly, the wall slid open and
Scooby and Shaggy bolted in. It slid shut
just as the Apparition reached in. His
wooden hand broke off and fell straight
into Shaggy’s hands.
“Like, get it off!” he cried, tossing the
hand at the table.
Fred caught it. “Shaggy, it’s just a
wooden hand.”
“Ruh-uh,” said Scooby, shaking his
head.
“Like, Scoob’s right,” said Shaggy.
“We woke up here, had some creepy stuff
happen, got chased by some creepy
puppet called… like… um…”
“Rapparition!” exclaimed Scooby.
“The Apparition?” asked Velma,
remembering the note in the Shaggy
puppet’s hand.
“Like, yup,” said Shaggy. “That’s the
one.”
“Rit was chasing rus!” cried Scooby.
28

“Like, we need to get out of here,”
said Shaggy.
“Well, there is one way,” said James,
nodding.
He pressed against the wall behind
him. It slid away to reveal a staircase.
“Follow me,” said James. He led the
gang up the staircase and they emerged
in the circular room.
Standing in front of them was a
woman wearing a long, chocolate brown
coat and black boots.
“Hello James!” she exclaimed.
“Oh, hi Kelda!” exclaimed James.
“Follow me, I think I may know
where the treasure is,” she said.
Kelda went diagonal and opened a
door in the left corner of the room. She
walked close to the edge, but instead of
falling straight, she took a large step
forward and began walking on an
invisible path. James went next, then
29

Scooby and Shaggy, and last, Fred,
Daphne, and Velma.
“It’s just down here,” Kelda said.
She turned around a corner.
They emerged into another room.
The walls were lined with many portraits
of famous monsters.
“So, where have you found the
treasure?” asked James.
“I haven’t found it yet,” Kelda
explained. “But I think it might be in
here. There are so many spots to hide it!
Check this out.”
Kelda led James, Fred, Daphne, and
Velma away.
“Like, they’re probably headed
towards something creepy, Scoob,” said
Shaggy.
“Reah,” agreed Scooby.
“We can just hang out here,” said
Shaggy.
Suddenly, a hand tapped their
shoulders.
30

“Like, zoinks!” cried Shaggy.
“Rikes!” cried Scooby, leaping into
Shaggy’s arms.
The two buddies turned around and
saw the Apparition! It began to cackle.
“Like, run for your life, Scoob!” cried
Shaggy.
He and Scooby dashed in the
direction Fred, Daphne, and Velma went.
“So, where are we going now?”
asked Fred.
“Another room,” explained Kelda.
“Jinkies, how many are there in this
place?” asked Velma.
“A lot,” said James. “My map isn’t
even complete!”
“Hey guys,” said Daphne. “Scooby
and Shaggy aren’t following us. I can go
get them.”
“Okay,” said Fred.
Daphne broke off from the group
and went back.
31

Once more, they turned around a
corner and emerged in a room. It was
covered in knight armor.
“Wow,” said Fred, walking up to the
one with an axe. “These are cool!”
Suddenly, the knight swung the axe
at Fred. He ducked it and toppled
backwards.
“Fred, are you okay?!” called Velma.
“I’m fine,” said Fred, standing up
and rubbing his head. “But that knight
armor is alive!”
“Are you sure it’s not a trap or
something?” asked Velma.
“Maybe it’s guarding the treasure!”
exclaimed Kelda, walking over. The
knight once against swung the axe. Kelda
ripped it out of the armor’s hands. “It
sure is dangerous…”
Daphne found herself entering the
room where Scooby and Shaggy were, but
they were nowhere in sight.
32

“Guys?” called Daphne, looking
around. Suddenly, a note on the other
`end of the room caught her eye. Daphne
approached it and leaned closer.
Suddenly, a loud cackle filled the
room.
“Who’s there?” Daphne called,
whirling around. There was nobody in
sight.
“Daphne’s been gone for a long
time,” Fred commented as they left the
room with the knight armor to see the
next one Kelda had discovered.
“If you’re worried, you can go back,”
James said.
“C’mon Velma,” said Fred.
He and Velma turned around and
began walking backwards. Suddenly,
33

they froze. The living knight armor was
blocking their path. It swung the axe at
them. Fred tossed the wooden hand at it.
Seconds later, it landed at his feet, sliced
in two.
34

Chapter 6:
The knight approached them,
clutching the axe.
Fred and Velma slowly backed away,
but it kept coming.
“Duck!” cried Fred, as the knight
swung the axe. He and Velma did and
slid under the armor. They bolted away
from it as fast as they could.
Fred and Velma came into the room
with the knight armor and kept on
running. However, they stopped in their
tracks when they saw the room was
empty.
“Where’s Daphne?” asked Fred.
“Or Scooby and Shaggy?” wondered
Velma.
James and Kelda emerged into the
room.
35

“Well, maybe we’ll find it soon,” said
James.
“Yeah,” said Kelda.
Without noticing Fred and Velma,
they walked out of the room.
“C’mon Velma, let’s go with them,”
said Fred.
“Sure,” said Velma. She and Fred
followed James and Kelda back into the
main room.
“I want to check something out,”
said Velma. “You guys can stay here.”
“I’ll come with you,” offered Kelda. “I
might just find the treasure.”
“I’ll search for it through here,” said
James, pointing to a door on the right
side of the room.
“I’ll go with you,” said Fred.
He and James walked through the
door.
Velma and Kelda approached the
door at the far side of the room. Kelda
opened it and walked through.
36

Velma waited a minute, then
followed.
She landed back in the dining room.
“Jinkies,” said Velma, “just as I
suspected.”
A new puppet sat at the table, and it
looked exactly like Daphne. She was
slumped over with her face to the table
and a note in her hand.
“What’s it say?” asked Kelda.
Velma took the note out of Daphne’s
hand. “You’re next, Velma,” Velma read.
“Signed, the Apparition…”
“Uh oh,” said Kelda. “I know the
Apparition. It’s rumored to be a living
puppet that claims all who dare to enter
the haunted house.”
“This can’t be good,” Velma said.
“It’s only a matter of time before the
Apparition comes for me.”
“Maybe you can keep it a secret,”
Kelda said. “The Apparition can’t be real,
37

so if it doesn’t know you’ve seen the note,
you’ll be safe.”
“Jinkies,” said Velma, noticing a
note in Tom’s puppet’s hand. “What’s
that?”
Kelda grabbed it.
“What’s it say?” asked Velma.
“It says, don’t think I’ll let you off
that easy, Kelda,” she read. “Once I get
Velma, I’m coming for you, from, the
Apparition.”
As James and Fred were exploring
the kitchen, Fred told James about the
Apparition.
“I’ve gotta say Fred,” said James.
“This makes me worried. I think I’m going
to be next!”
“Really?” asked Fred. “I doubt it.
You’ll probably be last.”
“I don’t know,” said James.
38

“Well Velma, I’m gonna go check on
the other two,” said Kelda. She pressed
on the wall and walked up the staircase.
“I’ll be with you soon,” said Velma.
Suddenly, there was a loud banging
on the wall to the other side of the room.
“You’re next Velma!” a voice cried.
“You can’t escape me!”
The wall slid open and the
Apparition came in.
Velma backed up against the wall
and started slamming on it. It opened to
reveal the staircase. Kelda was at the top.
“What’s wrong Velma?” she asked.
Suddenly, the wall slid closed. “Velma?!”
she called.
The Apparition cackled as it made
its way towards Velma.
“I always get who I want!” it yelled.
Then, the lights went out.
39

Chapter 7:
“Like, where are we Scoob?” asked
Shaggy.
“I ron’t know,” said Scooby.
“Like, did the Apparition capture
us?” asked Shaggy.
“Yup,” said Daphne.
“Like, Daphne!” exclaimed Shaggy.
“Hooray, we aren’t alone!”
“No, we aren’t,” said Daphne. Also in
the room were Velma and Tom, who were
both knocked out.
Suddenly, a door opened and Kelda
went tumbling in, also knocked out. Just
as quickly as it opened, it closed.
“Rikes!” cried Scooby.
“The Apparition is getting faster,”
Daphne noticed.
Just as she said that, Velma began
to groan. Then, her eyes shot open.
40

“Jinkies, where am I?” she asked.
“Welcome to the club,” Shaggy said.
“We’ve all been captured by the
Apparition.”
“We’ve got to get out of here,” said
Velma. She reached into her pocket and
pulled out a small toothpick.
Slowly, Velma began to cut the
ropes tying her up. She then stood up
and untied Scooby, Shaggy, and Daphne.
“Like, let’s get out of here,” said
Shaggy.
“Reah!” agreed Scooby.
“Hang on guys, what about them?”
asked Daphne, pointing to Tom and
Kelda.
“They’re still knocked out,” Velma
said. “We can come back for them later.”
Suddenly, Tom stood up. “T... oh…
man…” he groaned.
“Maybe we can take him,” said
Daphne.
41

Suddenly, Tom toppled backwards
and slipped back into unconsciousness.
“Never mind,” she said.
“Come on,” said Velma.
“What happened to the lights?”
asked Fred.
“I don’t know,” said James.
Fred pulled a flashlight from his
pocket and flipped it on.
He and James slowly made their
way to the wall and pressed down on it. It
slid aside to reveal a staircase.
“C’mon,” said Fred. He and James
walked up it and emerged in the circular
room.
Suddenly, Fred yelped. In the center
of the room was the knight with the axe.
It slowly approached them, then, swung!
Fred grabbed the axe and swung it
at the armor.
42

The armor was cut in half. The top
toppled sideways and the legs fell to the
ground.
“Hey,” Fred said, examining the
knight closer. “It’s a robot.”
“Hmm…” James said, looking closer.
“You’re right. Say, do you have another
flashlight?”
“You bet,” said Fred, tossing one to
James.
“I want to check something out,”
said James. “Be right back.” He walked
back into the kitchen.
Suddenly Daphne, Velma, Scooby,
and Shaggy came out from one of the
doors.
“Oh, hey Velma!” said Fred. “I see
you found Daphne, Scooby, and Shaggy.”
“Yes,” said Velma, nodding. “While
you and James were looking around, the
Apparition claimed me and Kelda.”
“I knew it,” said Fred.
“Like, knew what?” asked Shaggy.
43

“That James wasn’t next,” said Fred.
“While you were checking out the dining
room, I told James all about the
Apparition, and he worried he’d be next.
Also, the knight with the axe was a
robot.”
Fred pointed at the two halves of
knight armor on the floor.
“Hmm…” said Velma, bending down
to examine the armor, “where’s James
now?”
“He went off into the kitchen to do
something, I don’t know,” said Fred.
“Jinkies!” exclaimed Velma. “I think
I’ve got this mystery just about wrapped
up.”
“Great!” said Fred, “it’s time to set a
trap!”
Scooby and Shaggy gulped.
“So, here’s the plan,” said Fred.
“Scooby and Shaggy will get the
Apparition to chase them. They’ll lure it
here, then, we’ll drop this net.”
44

“Like, great plan Fred, but there’s
one small problem,” said Shaggy.
“What’s that?” asked Fred.
“The fact that Scoob and I are
included,” said Shaggy.
“Reah,” agreed Scooby.
“Would you do it for a Scooby
Snack?” asked Daphne.
“Ro way,” said Scooby.
“Like, we thought ahead,” said
Shaggy, holding up a box of Scooby
Snacks.
“Would you do it for raspberry
flavored Scooby Snacks?” asked Fred.
“Like, sorry Fred,” said Shaggy.
“This box contains all flavors.”
“Would you do it if you felt safe?”
asked Fred.
“Like, maybe, but it’s not gonna
happen,” said Shaggy.
“Oh yes it is,” said Fred. He handed
Scooby the axe.
“Ro way,” said Scooby.
45

“Would you do it for the axe and
Scooby Snacks?” Velma asked.
“Like, um…” began Shaggy. “Let me
think about this…”
“We’ll ro rit!” exclaimed Scooby.
“Like, it’s a deal,” said Shaggy. He
and Scooby began to munch on their
snacks.
46

Chapter 8:
Scooby and Shaggy popped one last
Scooby Snack into their mouth, then, the
box was empty.
“Like, okay Scoob,” said Shaggy.
“Let’s do this.”
“Rokay,” said Scooby, handing
Shaggy the axe.
“Good luck,” Fred said.
Scooby and Shaggy marched
towards the door to the dining room and
went in. They fell down and hit the floor
with a THUMP!
“Like, I don’t see the Apparition
anywhere,” said Shaggy.
“Reah,” said Scooby. “He’s robably
rafraid rof rus!”
“Like, yeah,” said Shaggy, laughing.
“That Apparition is the most cute looking,
47

non-scary, laugh-out-loud thing I’ve ever
seen!”
“Reah, re-he-he-he-he!” cackled
Scooby.
“That’s right Scoob,” said Shaggy.
“His laugh sounds like a little kid going
crazy over a bad joke.”
“Overall, ra Apparition ris ra nicest
ronster I’ve rever ret!”
Suddenly, a cackle filled the room
and the Apparition burst through the
wall.
“Like, zoinks!” cried Shaggy.
“Rikes!” cried Scooby, jumping into
Shaggy’s arms.
The two buddies rapidly began to
pound on the wall. It slid aside and they
ran up the staircase. The Apparition
followed.
“You cannot escape!” it cackled.
“Somebody’s coming,” said Fred,
“now!”
Daphne and Velma dropped the net.
48

“Uh oh!” cried Fred. “We caught
Scooby and Shaggy!”
“Like, thanks a lot!” cried Shaggy.
The two buddies slipped out of the
net and the Apparition emerged into the
room.
“Run!” cried Fred.
“Like, way ahead of you!” cried
Shaggy. He and Scooby bolted towards
one of the doors, Fred, Daphne, and
Velma dashed for another.
“You can’t get away!” cackled the
Apparition.
Scooby and Shaggy opened a door
and hopped through. The Apparition
followed.
“Like, he’s not gonna stop!” cried
Shaggy.
“Reah!” agreed Scooby.
Scooby and Shaggy scurried away,
but the Apparition gave chase.
Eventually, they were running in circles.
49

Scooby and Shaggy slipped out and
began pounding on the wall. Not noticing
they were gone, the Apparition kept
running in a circle.
“Like, keep trying Scoob!” cried
Shaggy.
“I am, I am!” Scooby exclaimed, “you
reep rying roo!”
Suddenly, the Apparition tapped
them on the back.
“Like, zoinks!” cried Shaggy. The
wall slid aside and they darted up the
staircase.
Scooby and Shaggy were running so
fast, they were unable to stop!
“Look out!” cried Fred, as they ran
straight for him.
Then there was a loud crash as
Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and
Velma toppled over.
The Apparition grew closer. “I
always get who I want!” it cackled. “You
can’t get away from me!”
50

“Jinkies!” exclaimed Velma.
“Jeepers!” cried Daphne.
“Golly!” shouted Fred.
“Rikes!” barked Scooby.
“Zoinks!” screamed Shaggy.
The Apparition reached his one
hand out to grab them, then Shaggy
remembered what was in his hands. He
closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and
swung the axe!
51

Chapter 9:
The upper half of the Apparition slid
forward and landed on top of Shaggy.
“Like, zoinks!” cried Shaggy, tossing
it away.
“Don’t worry Shag,” said Fred,
standing up. “It’s just a robot, like the
knight.”
Suddenly, James and Kelda burst
into the room.
“You destroyed the Apparition!”
exclaimed James.
“Wow,” said Kelda. “I woke up in
that room and managed to escape.”
“So, like, who was controlling the
Appariton?” asked Shaggy.
“Reah, who?” asked Scooby.
“Simple Shaggy,” said Fred.
52

“Right!” exclaimed Velma. “Kelda
was behind all the hauntings of this
haunted house.”
“Huh?” asked Daphne. “Then how
was she with us when the Apparition
attacked? Or when she we were all
captured?”
“Easy Daph,” said Fred. “The entire
house was filled with robots running on a
sort of autopilot.”
“Right!” said Velma. “And if you’ll
recall, it took quite a bit to find Kelda.
She was watching over the house using
security cameras hidden throughout each
and every room. Once she had seen us all
and learnt our names, she got the notes
ready and made the puppets.”
“Like, we knew it all the time, eh
Scoob?” asked Shaggy.
“Reah,” agreed Scooby.
“But like, just to compare notes,
how’d you figure it out?” asked Shaggy.
53

“Well, Tom gave us the first clue,”
explained Velma. “I realized that T. O. M.
wasn’t his name, but it stood for the
Treasure of Morteś.”
“The second clue was how James
thought he’d be next,” said Fred. “That
meant the culprit had to be Kelda.”
“As soon as Kelda left, she used a
remote control to make the Appariton go
for me,” said Velma.
“Then who was Tom?” asked
Daphne.
“Simple,” said a voice. Tom walked
into the room. “My name is Samuel, and I
was hired by the Morteś family to make
sure nobody stole the treasure. I saw
Kelda find it and heard her saying
something about smuggling it to Europe
where she planned to sell it. That’s when
she knocked me out and managed to
wipe some of my memory.”
“What was that slime on your arm
then?” asked Daphne.
54

“It was probably just slime,” Samuel
said.
“Like, we pretty much came to the
same conclusion,” said Shaggy.
“Although, where is the real Treasure of
Morteś?”
“Reah, where?” urged Scooby.
“It’s through there,” Samuel said,
pointing to the door to the left of the one
leading to the dining room. “And thanks
to the help you kids have offered, I think
you should be the ones to get it and claim
the prize.”
“Completely agreed,” said James,
smiling.
“That treasure was worth so much
more than the prize they were offering, if I
had sold it I’d be as richer than you can
even imagine,” Kelda said. “And I would
have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been
for you meddling kids and your dumb dog
too!”
55

“Greetings all!” exclaimed an old
man, standing on a stage.
It was a bright and sunny day and
the gang was just outside of the forest.
“Now, after a week of searching the
Treasure of Morteś has been found!” the
man exclaimed.
The crowd went wild with cheers
and claps.
“So I am here to announce the
winner,” the man said. “The grand prize
of two million dollars goes to Scooby-
Doo!”
The crowd cheered as Scooby
walked onto stage.
“Congratulations,” the man said,
handing Scooby and small box.
“Roh boy!” exclaimed Scooby,
“Scooby-Dooby-Doo!”
56