The Hotel of Horrors

by Kate Howard

  Even though there were no fresh desserts on the counter, there was a big refrigerator. Shaggy pulled it open.

  “Hey, Scoob, check it out! I think we found this castle’s treasure room!” Shaggy said hungrily. He reached inside the fridge to grab everything he could.

  That’s when they heard another crashing sound in the walls. This time, the crash sounded much closer. It sounded like it was coming from the wall right next to Scooby!

  Scooby leapt forward, accidentally knocking a bowl of strawberries out of Shaggy’s hand. The lights in the kitchen flickered. As the bowl hit the floor, the lights went out, leaving Scooby and Shaggy in pitch darkness.

  “Scoob?” Shaggy whispered.

  “Reah?” Scooby answered.

  “Did you turn out the lights?” Shaggy could hear Scooby licking at the strawberries on the floor. He was chomping and munching noisily in the dark.

  “Ruh-ruh.”

  The kitchen was pitch-black and totally silent. Then, suddenly, a loud knocking sound came from the wall.

  A candle flickered next to Shaggy’s head. The two friends turned toward it.

  A shadowy figure wrapped in a thick fur cloak stood in the darkness just steps from Shaggy and Scooby. Most of the creature’s head was covered with a hood, but traces of glowing white skin peeked out around the edges.

  The figure said nothing, but moved closer to Scooby and Shaggy. It hissed, and its fur cape brushed against Shaggy’s arm. A row of bright, sharp teeth glinted under the cloak.

  With one last glance at the creepy, glowing figure, Shaggy dropped all the food in his hands. “Like, run!” he cried. “Scoob, I think we found Castle Rock’s vampire!”

  Scooby and Shaggy raced through the hotel’s cold, black hallways. They crashed into walls and knocked things onto the floor. Every few steps they bumped into each other, making their armor crash and clang. But the only thing they cared about was getting away from the creepy monster in the kitchen.

  After they’d run for a few minutes, Shaggy stopped short. “I think we can stop running now.”

  Scooby ran into him, and they fell over into a pile of metal on the floor. They were both out of breath and sweating beneath their armor.

  “Zoinks,” Shaggy said. “Like, I love dinner guests, but I think that one was more interested in us than he was in real food!”

  “Ris rit rone?” Scooby asked, panting.

  “I think so,” Shaggy said. As he spoke, a candle flickered at the end of the hall. It seemed to be bobbing toward them. Scooby jumped into Shaggy’s arms, whimpering.

  “Don’t worry, Scoob,” Shaggy said. “It’s just Dr. Franklin.”

  The hotel owner was holding a bunch of candles in his hands. “Are you all right?” he asked. “I don’t know what happened. The electricity seems to have gone out. But there isn’t a storm, so I can’t understand it.”

  Dr. Franklin handed Scooby and Shaggy a candle and pointed them in the direction of their room. Without another word, he whipped his cloak around and disappeared down the hall again.

  “Like, that guy just keeps getting friendlier and friendlier,” Shaggy said. “Let’s get back and tell the rest of the gang about that creep in the kitchen.”

  With the candle as their only light, Shaggy and Scooby had to move slowly through the halls. But a few minutes later, they found their way back upstairs. Fred, Daphne, and Velma were all out in the hall already, searching for candles in the pitch black.

  Scooby and Shaggy told them about their adventure. “Like, whatever it was, it was glowing,” Shaggy said.

  “Reah,” Scooby nodded. “Rowing!”

  “It was wearing a thick fur cloak!” Shaggy continued, waving his arms in the air. “And it had fangs!”

  “Reah! Rike ris!” Scooby flashed his teeth at the gang. He hissed and growled the way the figure in the kitchen had.

  “Hmm,” Velma said. “A cloak? White skin? That sounds an awful lot like Dr. Franklin. Are you sure it wasn’t just Dr. Franklin looking for you because the lights went out?”

  Shaggy thought for a moment. He scratched at his head. “Like, I don’t know.”

  “It could have been Ivan.” Fred asked. “He wears a cloak, too.”

  “Raybe,” Scooby said.

  “Dr. Franklin said that Ivan was in the kitchen, but we didn’t see him in there,” Shaggy said.

  “Madame Magnificent was also wearing a cloak,” Daphne pointed out. “It could have been anyone at the hotel.” She smiled at Shaggy and Scooby. “I think maybe it just seemed like something scary, since the lights were out.”

  Shaggy and Scooby looked at each other. Shaggy shivered, thinking about the fur from the cloak brushing against his arm. “Then why didn’t that cloaked creature say anything? It just hissed at us!”

  “Ivan never speaks,” Velma reasoned. “That would explain the hissing.”

  Shaggy shrugged. “Like, this place still gives me the creeps,” he said. “And if my stomach doesn’t get some food pronto, it’s going to be making some pretty spooky sounds, too!”

  Suddenly, Scooby started sniffing again. “Rie!”

  “Again?” Shaggy whined, rubbing his stomach. “Scooby and I have been smelling pie all night. It’s like someone is trying to torture us!”

  “Actually,” Daphne said, “I’ve got good news for you two.” She opened the door to her hotel room. When she came back out again, she was holding a hot apple pie. “Ivan delivered this while you were out hunting for the kitchen. He must have heard you say you were hungry.”

  “Like, why didn’t you say something sooner?” Shaggy asked. He handed Daphne the candle so he could grab the pie. “Flaky crust and sweet apples would have made me feel a whole lot better about that creepy old vampire!”

  At that moment, a candle flashed at the end of the hall. A cloaked figure stood in the shadows, staring at the gang. The figure’s face was hidden under a hood, but glowing white skin and a flash of teeth shone in the candlelight. “Get out,” the figure hissed.

  Shaggy shook with fear, nearly dropping the pie. “Like, you don’t have to tell me twice!”

  The figure hissed again before growling, “And stop poking around where you’re not welcome!”

  Then it blew out the candle and disappeared into the darkness again.

  “Pie or no pie, I’d say it’s time to get out of here. You heard what that thing said,” Shaggy moaned. “I’m not spending the night in a vampire hotel!”

  “Reah,” Scooby said, nodding. “Ret’s ro.”

  “Now wait just a minute,” said Fred, holding his hand up. “Remember what Daphne’s uncle said about his case? The missing jewels?”

  Velma nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking, Fred. The only clue the police have in that case is a cloaked figure with a glowing white face.”

  “Do you think this vampire and the caped thief are somehow connected?” Daphne asked.

  “I don’t know,” Fred said. “But we promised Police Chief Bestler that Mystery Inc. would help out.”

  “He meant in the daylight,” Shaggy moaned. “Like, I’m sure he didn’t want us hunting around in a creepy old hotel in the dark.”

  “Reah,” Scooby added.

  “Besides, you heard the vampire,” Shaggy said, gulping down a big bite of apple pie. “It told us to stop poking around where we’re not welcome. I’d say that thing made it pretty clear that we’re not welcome.”

  “There are no other hotels that we can stay at tonight,” Fred said. “We might as well look around and see if we can find out a little more about this vampire.”

  Fred, Daphne, and Velma headed down the hall. Daphne was holding the gang’s only candle. So when their friends walked away, Shaggy and Scooby were left in darkness again.

  “Safety in numbers?” Shaggy asked Scooby. “Should we go with them?”

  “Ruh-huh,” Scooby said.

  “I’m with you, Scoob,” Shaggy agreed. “I don’t want to be here in the dark all alone! But first, let’s
ditch this armor. Like, all it does is get in the way.”

  Scooby agreed. They quickly removed their armor and ran to catch up with the others.

  In the candlelight, everything looked strange and unfamiliar. Within minutes, the gang was lost, and the candle had melted down to a stub. They needed to find Dr. Franklin or Ivan, and fast, or they’d be left in the dark again.

  “Where is Dr. Franklin?” Daphne wondered.

  “And Ivan,” Fred added. “He dropped off the pie a few minutes before the lights went off. He must be nearby somewhere.”

  “He’s probably hiding inside a fur cloak, pretending to be a vampire,” Shaggy said. “Something about that guy seems super-spooky.”

  “Maybe we should look inside some of these old rooms,” Velma suggested. “I’m sure there must be extra candles somewhere. And maybe we can find the vampire’s hiding spot.”

  “Like, what if the vampire has friends?” Shaggy gulped.

  Fred ignored him and opened an old wooden door at the end of the hall.

  The light of the moon shone in through the dirty windows inside the room. Fred and Daphne peeked inside. “Just an old library,” Fred said.

  Velma looked inside the next room they passed. “This must be another guest room,” she said. “There’s a bed and a dresser, but nothing else.”

  When Fred opened the next door, Shaggy and Scooby poked their heads inside.

  “Zoinks!” Shaggy cried.

  “Rikes!” Scooby barked.

  “What is it, guys?” Fred asked.

  “There are, like, headless people in there!” Shaggy said. The room was filled with people. All of their bodies were dressed in elaborate outfits, but none of them had heads.

  Velma, Fred, and Daphne looked inside. “Those are just mannequins,” Fred explained. “They’re mannequins wearing old costumes.”

  Daphne carried the candle inside the room. It was just light enough for the gang to take a better look at the mannequins. Some of them were wearing dresses, but most were clothed in spooky costumes. There was a werewolf, a tattered zombie, and a witch’s robe and hat.

  “That’s interesting,” Velma said suddenly, pointing to a dark corner. “One of the costumes is missing!”

  “I wonder if this is where our vampire found its cloak?” Fred wondered.

  “Maybe you should just ask the vampire!” Shaggy cried. “Like, look!”

  Everyone turned. There, in the doorway, stood the hooded creature. This time, it was almost close enough that they could see a face beneath the furry hood.

  Fred reached out to try to pull the cape off the creature. But before he could grab hold, the cloaked figure stepped out of the room.

  Suddenly, the candle in Daphne’s hand went out. They were left in darkness.

  After the candle went out, no one moved. Luckily, the moonlight was bright enough that it wasn’t completely black. But the mannequins cast creepy shadows all around the room.

  Suddenly, a grumbling sound echoed from the corner. Everyone jumped.

  “Just my tummy,” Shaggy said.

  “You just ate an apple pie,” Daphne reminded him.

  “Like, that just means the dessert part of my stomach is full. But the sandwich part of my belly is still starving,” Shaggy explained.

  “There’s something strange about that vampire,” Fred said. He moved toward the door. “I think it’s time for us to split up and look for clues.”

  “Before we can do that, we need to find another candle,” Daphne reminded him.

  “We won’t be able to follow the vampire’s trail in the dark,” Velma agreed.

  Suddenly, Dr. Franklin appeared. “There you are!” he cried, giving everyone a fresh candle. It was almost as though he had been listening outside the door. He didn’t look very surprised to see them. “What on earth are you doing in here? These costumes are awfully scary, aren’t they?” He grinned.

  “We noticed that one of the costumes is missing,” Velma said.

  “Yes, yes,” Dr. Franklin said. He looked at the empty mannequin. “You’re right about that.”

  “Do you happen to know if it was a vampire costume?” Fred asked.

  “A vampire costume?” Dr. Franklin asked. “Why on earth would you ask that?” Suddenly, the hotel owner started sneezing again. He backed toward the door. “I’m sorry,” he said nervously. “I must excuse myself.”

  “Wait, Dr. Franklin!” Fred called after him. “Who do these costumes belong to? Why are they here?”

  But Dr. Franklin had already hustled off down the hall.

  “He sure was acting suspicious,” Velma said.

  “Do you think Dr. Franklin is trying to scare us away?” Daphne asked.

  “It’s possible,” Fred said. “But the question is, why? Daph, let’s try to track down Ivan, Dr. Franklin, and Madame Magnificent to ask them some questions. Velma, you take Scooby and Shaggy and see if you can follow the vampire’s tracks. We need to figure out what this vampire is hiding!”

  “Ro ray,” Scooby said, shaking his head.

  “Like, Scooby and I have been running from that creepy vampire all night,” Shaggy said. “There’s no way I’m going to go looking for it again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, well … I don’t want to think about seeing that vampire a third time. That would make me a real fool.”

  “The first time you saw the vampire was in the kitchen,” Velma reminded him. “That’s probably where we need to start our search.”

  “Rhe ritchen?” Scooby asked.

  Shaggy thought about the bowl of strawberries he’d had in his arms when they’d first seen the cloaked figure. It was probably still all in the kitchen, just waiting for him.

  “I guess it couldn’t hurt to look for clues in the kitchen,” he agreed. “It’s not like the vampire is going to be back in there, looking for a cheese sandwich.”

  “Okay,” Fred nodded. “While we search for the others, we’ll also try to get the lights back on. It seems mighty suspicious that the electricity went out for no reason at all. It’s time to get to the bottom of this!”

  Fred and Daphne headed off to find the castle’s residents. Shaggy and Scooby led Velma toward the kitchen. The strawberries were still in a pile on the floor, right where Shaggy had dropped them.

  “I guess this vampire isn’t big on cleaning up,” Shaggy said. “Hey, Scoob, do you think this floor is clean?” He looked at the strawberries hungrily.

  “Ruck,” Scooby said.

  “Hey, old pal, you were eating strawberries when the lights went out last time we were here,” Shaggy said. “Like, I could hear you licking them off the floor.”

  “Rot re!” Scooby insisted.

  “You heard someone eating when the lights went out?” Velma asked.

  “I’d know the sound of someone enjoying a tasty snack anywhere,” Shaggy said. “Someone was eating. Like, I was sure it was Scooby-Doo, cleaning up the strawberries I had dropped on the floor.”

  “Rit rasn’t re,” Scooby said.

  “So unless there was someone else in here with you, that means you must have heard the vampire eating,” Velma said. “But real vampires drink blood, right?” She opened the fridge and poked her candle inside. “I don’t see any bottles of blood in here, which means our mysterious vampire was eating something else.”

  “Randriches?” Scooby asked.

  “I don’t know,” Velma said. “But if that cloaked creep was eating regular food, then it means our vampire really must be a person wearing a disguise. And whoever is under the disguise is trying to scare us away.”

  Shaggy felt something furry against his arm. “Hey, Scoob, that tickles,” he said, laughing.

  “Rhat rickles?” Scooby asked. His voice came from all the way across the kitchen. He was nowhere near Shaggy.

  Shaggy looked over and saw the vampire’s long, fur-cloaked arm reaching for him. “I told you to get out,” the figure hissed. “Stop poking around!”
<
br />   “Like, you’re the one poking me!” Shaggy giggled. Then he shrieked. “I guess that vampire did have to tell me to get out twice. Like, this time, I’m listening!”

  Shaggy started running. “Scooby! Velma! We’ve gotta go!”

  But Shaggy was going nowhere fast. He slipped on the strawberries that were still on the floor. Scooby was just steps ahead of him when they spun out of the kitchen. The vampire chased them down the hall. Velma had run off in the other direction.

  Scooby and Shaggy crashed through the hotel’s dark halls. The vampire was close on their heels, reaching and grabbing for them. Their candle had long since gone out, so Shaggy grabbed Scooby’s tail and let him lead them through the dark with his nose. The hooded creature chased them all the way to the end of a long hallway.

  “It’s a dead end!” Shaggy cried. The monster was coming closer to them in the darkness. Just then, Shaggy pushed open the only door at the end of the hall. He and Scooby rushed in and slammed the door behind them. “That was close!”

  The two friends were in some sort of living room. There were ornate couches, shelves filled with books, and delicate vases perched on tables. The walls were covered in thick drapes.

  Shaggy and Scooby pressed against the door to try to keep the vampire from following them inside. But then they heard a key turning the lock — click! — from the outside.

  Shaggy gulped. “Like, Scoob? I think that caped creep locked us in here.” He reached for the doorknob and turned. The door didn’t budge. “We’re the vampire’s prisoners!”

  “Ruh-roh,” Scooby said.

  “That’s what I was thinking,” Shaggy agreed. “Well, at least the vampire is out there. And hey, look! Someone left candles … and food!”

  There were two room service trays sitting in the middle of the room. The trays were covered with silver domes. Shaggy ran over and pulled the top off the first tray. Underneath, there was a platter full of food.

  Shaggy rubbed his tummy. “Do you think Ivan left this for us?”

  Scooby poked his nose around the platter. Something didn’t smell quite right. He began to sneeze, and his eyes watered. His stomach gurgled uneasily.