The Last Mystery

chapter 1: The phone call.

A glass dropped and shattered, and silence followed for the ensuing eternity. The only sound in the world came from the other end of the line, where Fred and burst into sobs once again. Daphne didn't cry. She didn't make any sound at all, she had simply been stunned into silent disbelief. The wine she'd been sipping when all the strength went out of her was now seeping into her new white carpeting, but at the moment she couldn't bring herself to care. Money could replace the flooring, but Velma was gone.

"D-Daph, I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to call the Ambulance. I-I shouldn't have called, but-but I-," he choked out, still holding back tears. Daphne shushed him, trying to regain herself. At last she was able to speak, but her voice was trembling. Somehow, she managed to sound at least a bit strong.

"It's okay, Freddy. I'll be there soon. I'll let you go." The line went dead, and Daphne felt her heart plummet. She found a chair quickly, and collapsed into it. Of all the gang, she had been the most active in trying to stay in touch. Even after her and Freddy fell through the cracks romantically, she did her best to talk to all her old friends as much as she could, even Shaggy, who Fred hadn't seen in 3 years, and only twice in the five since the split up of mystery inc.

Though she knew Freddy would object she had to contact Shaggy, and have him come with her. After all, Velma had been his friend as well, and maybe more at one point or another. Daphne wasn't one to pry, but her suspicions were not new. Regardless, Shaggy deserved to know, and it was about time him and Freddy grew up and ended this feud. She rose still bit shaky and just beginning to tear up, and went to her room, where her tiny, purple cell phone was lying on her dresser.

A dank, heavy smoke filled the air inside the large minivan swirling in almost psychedelic patterns around the long-haired, rail thin frame of Norvil "Shaggy" Rogers, as he lied on his back in the third row seat of the mystery machine, holding a Triple-Decker Sandwich in two hands, just about to chomp down. As he squeezed his meal to a mouth sized portion, Scooby Doo, leaning over his best friend from the back seat, Stretched out toward the tasty morsel, biting a good half of the thing away before Shaggy finished the rest in one chomp.

He chewed once, twice, three times before swallowing, with a befuddled expression on his far. "Like, I thought that would be a lot more filling…" Scooby panted heavily, strings of drool hanging from his mouth and pooling on Shaggy's shirt. In his drug-induced haze, the man clearly heard the hound say "Sorry, Raggy." "Aw, it's alright, Scoob, old buddy," he said, trying to get into a seated position. "YEEEOOOWCH!" he screeched as he felt his mid back length hair being pulled by the follicles. Just then he realized that it had somehow been shut in the van door, though how that may have happened escaped him.

At this very moment, he heard his cell phone go off in the front passenger's seat. Shaggy strained against the door, reaching for the small device,, but to no avail. Seeing his friend struggle, Scooby leapt from his position, landing squarely on Shaggy's stomach. Shaggy let out a yelp of pain while Scooby stretched out his neck and body, grabbing the still ringing device in his mouth, and dropping it on Shaggy's chest. "Thanks, Scoob," the stoner said, putting the phone to his ear and pressing talk. "This is the shag man, here. Like, how can I be of service?"

On the other end of the line, Daphne was worried. She could tell by his voice that shaggy was high as a kite, and in no position to hear this news. Still, she needed him to know. She made her decision, and spoke, trying to steady her voice. "H-hi, Shaggy, how've you been?" she asked, trying not to cry.

"Daph, are you okay? You sound upset. What's wrong?" Damn it. Shaggy was more observant that me might have seemed. Still, she didn't want him to be so out of it when he found out. Her resolve not to let on held strong. Her voice finally stabilized, all weakness gone for the moment.

"Shaggy, why are you like this again? I thought you had a job. I thought you cleaned yourself up." Shaggy stayed quite, his face dropped. The last thing he wanted was a lecture, but he knew she was right. "Listen, shag, sober up, and meet me here tomorrow, and we can talk. Bye." The line went dead, and shaggy threw the phone at the back of the chair.

"Like, forget this, man. She can't tell me what to do,'" He said, opening the door and freeing his hair. His head was sore, his mood was falling, but he didn't return to his pipe, nor did he go to any of his other usual stress relievers. He wouldn't say it, but Daphne was right, and he was wrong. After all, that stuff was part of what lost him his job anyway. He didn't want to think about that either.

He looked out the window out at the bug empty beach, and started the engine. "Scoob, old buddy, it feels like a time for some new scenery." He rolled down the window, and drove up to the main road, then onward into Coolsville Ohio, Scooby hanging his head out the window and drooping his tongue the whole way. Daphne didn't live in this part of Coolsville anymore, but in a big mansion just outside of town. He could get there faster in the morning if he parked in some backstreet to sleep tonight.

Shaggy parked in a dark alley, locked all the doors, and went to sleep, Scooby sleeping on the floor in front of him, with his head on Shaggy's chest. As he dreamed, Shaggy hoped that the phone call might bring him reunion with all the gang. He had, by now, gotten over his anger at Fred, and longed to rekindle friendship with him and the girls. Especially Velma.