The Hotel of Horrors

by Kate Howard

  “Like, I’m not one to turn down a meal, but what is this?” Shaggy asked. He dipped a spoon into a bowl of thick, red liquid.

  “Rorms!” Scooby cried. The strange red soup was full of worms.

  “What’s this?” Shaggy wondered, poking at a sandwich. It was slimy, and green stuff was oozing out of it. “It smells like stinky feet! Either this is the vampire’s meal, or someone’s trying to scare us. And the fastest way to do that is by scaring our stomachs so bad we can’t even eat!”

  “Raggy?” Scooby said. His voice was quivering.

  Shaggy looked nervous. “Like, there’s something scary behind me, isn’t there?” Scooby shook his head and pointed straight up in the air. “Rook!”

  All around the room, bats hung from the ceiling. Some had their wings spread wide, while others were tucked up in a sleeping position. In the candlelight, Shaggy could see hundreds of glowing red eyes staring at them.

  “Like, I think we might be trapped in the vampire’s lair.” Shaggy gulped. “And we might be the next thing on the menu!”

  “Mind if I join you?” Velma stepped out from behind a curtain. Shaggy and Scooby stared at her. Then they stared at the door. They’d been sure the vampire had locked it.

  “Like, how did you get in here?” Shaggy asked.

  “When the vampire chased you out of the kitchen, I hid around a corner. Then, when the coast was clear, I returned to the kitchen to try to figure out where that cloaked creep had come from. Let me show you what I found.” Velma ducked back behind the curtain.

  Scooby and Shaggy looked at each other. “I hope this isn’t another trap,” Shaggy said. “My stomach still feels funny from the sight of that worm soup. And after smelling that sandwich, I’m not sure I’ll ever eat again.”

  They stepped behind the curtain. It wasn’t covering a window, as it had seemed. Instead, the curtain was hiding a secret door. When they stepped through, Velma’s candle lit up the room inside.

  “Like, this whole room is filled with treasure!” Shaggy cried.

  “Rewels!” Scooby said.

  “Yes,” Velma said proudly. “I have a feeling we’ve found the jewels that were stolen from the museum, gallery, and people in Castle Rock.”

  The secret room glistened with jewels. Rubies, emeralds, and diamonds shone in the candlelight. There was a small fortune hidden inside a secret room in the castle!

  “How do you think the jewels got here? Like, who could have taken them?” Shaggy asked.

  “That’s what I’m not sure of yet,” Velma said. “I have a hunch about who might be our thief — and our vampire. But let’s look for Daphne and Fred, and see what they found.”

  Velma led Shaggy and Scooby back out of the secret room through a door on the other side of the room. That door took them into a narrow hallway that led them straight back to the kitchen. It was almost like a secret passageway. “I think this part of the castle was once the maid’s quarters,” Velma explained. “It’s like a series of secret tunnels inside the house.”

  As they walked back into the kitchen, the lights in the hotel flooded back to life. After the total darkness, the dim castle suddenly felt warm and bright. “Like, it looks like Fred and Daphne must have figured out how to turn the electricity back on,” Shaggy said. “Maybe we should celebrate with a quick snack before we head back upstairs.”

  “I thought you said you’d never eat again,” Velma responded. “Besides, we need to find Fred and Daphne. It’s time to set a trap for the vampire. We need to unwrap this caped crook for good.”

  As Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby walked back up the stairs toward their rooms, they heard a dull banging coming from the walls again. Then there was a screeching whistle and a rattling sound.

  “Like, this old castle sure makes a lot of creepy noises,” Shaggy said. “It almost sounds like there’s something knocking inside the wall. Scoob and I heard knocking in the kitchen walls right after the lights went out, too.” He scratched his head. “It’s like this place is haunted by a whole lot more than just a vampire.”

  Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby rounded the corner. Daphne and Fred were standing in the hall, right next to the small dumbwaiter door. The knocking was even louder now.

  “Hey, guys,” Fred cried. “Look who we just found!”

  Fred pulled the door of the dumbwaiter open, and Ivan climbed out! He was even more hunched over than he had been earlier in the night. He gazed at the gang, but didn’t say anything.

  “Ivan! Like, what on earth were you doing inside the dumbwaiter?” Shaggy asked.

  The hotel butler stared at the gang silently. He pointed at the candle that was still in Fred’s hand, then at the lights that glowed dimly overhead. Then he groaned and set off down the hall.

  “Well, that was strange,” Velma said. She poked her head into the dumbwaiter.

  “Sure was,” Daphne agreed. “I wonder how long he was stuck in there?”

  Velma pushed a switch on the inside of the dumbwaiter. It whirred and spun to life. “Very interesting,” she said. “This is an electric dumbwaiter.”

  “Did you guys find any interesting clues?” Fred asked.

  “Well, Scoob and I found the vampire again,” Shaggy said, holding his stomach. “And we found out what they eat, too.”

  “Rand rats,” Scooby said. “Rots rof rats.”

  “Bats?” Daphne asked.

  “Bats with glowing, ruby-red eyes!” Shaggy cried.

  Scooby opened his eyes wide and flapped his wings like a bat.

  “Ruby-red eyes?” Fred asked. “That’s strange.”

  “Rand rary!” Scooby said, shaking.

  “There’s something even more interesting,” Velma said. “I think we’ve found the stolen jewels that Police Chief Bestler is looking for! The treasure is hidden here in the hotel.”

  “I bet the cloaked figure that people have seen in town is the same vampire that’s creeping around here at the hotel,” Fred said.

  “If we can trap the person who’s trying to scare us away from the Castle Hotel,” Daphne declared, “we’ll also have our thief.”

  “That’s right, Daph,” Fred said. “So what are we waiting for? It’s time to find out who’s hiding under that furry cloak.”

  “Good luck with that,” Shaggy said, peeking inside the dumbwaiter. “Like, Scooby and I will be in our room if you need us.”

  “Actually,” Velma said, “I’ve got an idea for how we can catch the cloaked creature. But we’re going to need you and Scooby to make it work.”

  “Ro ray,” Scooby said, covering his eyes with his paws.

  “Would you do it for a Scooby Snack?” Daphne asked.

  Scooby shook his head.

  “How about two Scooby Snacks?” offered Velma.

  Scooby held firm. He shook his head again.

  “All right, make it three,” said Daphne, smiling.

  Scooby looked at Shaggy. His stomach grumbled and rumbled. “Rokay!”

  “All right, gang,” Fred said. “First, we need to figure out how we’re going to get our vampire to come back out of hiding again.”

  “I’ve got an idea that I think might work,” Velma said. “The vampire thinks Scooby and Shaggy are still trapped in the sitting room. If I hadn’t found the secret way into the room to let them out, they’d still be stuck in there.”

  “Thanks for rescuing us, Velma,” Shaggy said. “That room was a total downer.”

  “I hate to say it, but for this plan to work, we’re going to have to sneak you back in,” Velma said.

  “You want us to go back in the vampire’s lair?” Shaggy asked. “Like, why?”

  “I think I see where Velma’s going with this,” Fred interrupted. “If the vampire thinks you’re still in the room, whoever is hiding under that creepy cape will have to come back to let you out. They know we’re going to come looking for you if you’re missing for too long. And our thief is probably worried we’ll find the other things they’ve hidden inside that room w
hen we do.”

  “But the vampire seems to prefer the dark,” Daphne continued, “so to get it to come back out of hiding, we’re going to have to turn the lights off again.”

  “That’s a good point, Daphne,” Fred said, nodding. “When the castle is dark, the vampire will come back to get Scooby and Shaggy. Then we can catch it. But we need to hurry, or the vampire might come up with a different plan of its own.”

  “So, let me get this straight,” Shaggy asked nervously. “Scooby and I have to just sit there, waiting for the vampire to come back and get us?”

  “Don’t worry, Shaggy,” Velma reassured him. “We’ll trap the vampire before it has a chance to do anything to you. You’re just the bait.”

  “Rampire rait?” Scooby asked, swallowing loudly.

  “Let’s go,” Fred said quickly. “Daph, you get the lights. Velma and I will set the trap. Scooby and Shaggy, just try to look delicious.” He laughed.

  “Delicious? Vampire bait?” Shaggy whined. “Like, that’s not very funny.”

  The others laughed.

  “Let’s go, gang,” Fred called, heading down the hall. “There’s no time to lose.”

  Daphne split off from the others. She was going to turn the electricity in the hotel back off. The rest of the gang headed back through the kitchen toward the vampire’s lair. They entered the living room through the secret door. The main door was still locked from the outside.

  “We’ll wait in here,” Fred told Shaggy and Scooby. He and Velma were behind the curtains, inside the room full of jewels. “When the vampire opens the door to let you out, you two need to find some way to lure it inside. Then Velma and I will jump out and trap it.”

  Moments later, the lights went out again.

  “Daphne must have flipped the electrical switch,” Velma whispered. “The vampire should be back here any minute.”

  Shaggy and Scooby sat on the couch, waiting nervously. They watched the door, listening for the click that would tell them the vampire was unlocking it. They sat and stared, but minutes passed and still the vampire didn’t return.

  “Like, what happens if the vampire doesn’t ever come back?” Shaggy asked.

  As he spoke, Shaggy felt a fur-covered arm around his neck. The vampire was standing directly behind them!

  Scooby jumped off the couch just in time to escape the vampire’s clutches. But Shaggy was trapped, held in place by the vampire’s long arms.

  The vampire started tying Shaggy up. He squirmed and wriggled, but the vampire held him tight.

  “Don’t worry,” the vampire hissed. “I found your little friends, too, and they’re all tied up. No one is going to rescue you this time.”

  But the vampire had forgotten about Scooby! All of a sudden, he leaped up on one of the room-service trays. The force of his jump made the tray roll forward — toward Shaggy and the vampire!

  With a loud splat, the rolling tray hit the vampire squarely in the stomach. Wormy red soup flew into the air. It covered the vampire’s white skin, dripping everywhere like blood. The oozing, stinky sandwich landed with a plop on the top of the vampire’s hood.

  The cloaked creature let out a high-pitched scream. “My makeup! My costume!”

  While the vampire hollered and wiped at its face, Shaggy jumped up and shook off the rope that was wrapped around his hands. The vampire hadn’t had time to knot it yet.

  “Shaggy! Scooby! In here!” Fred cried from behind the curtain.

  Scooby stood watch over the vampire while Shaggy poked his head inside the secret door. Fred, Daphne, and Velma were all tied up together, sitting on a pile of jewels. Both of the girls had gags in their mouths. Fred had just managed to shake his free.

  “Like, this wasn’t exactly the plan,” Shaggy said as he untied his friends.

  “I ran into the vampire while I was turning off the electricity,” Daphne explained. “I was caught by surprise, which gave our caped creature an advantage. The vampire gagged me and dragged me here.”

  Fred continued the story. “Velma and I were caught by surprise, too. Instead of going back to its lair through the main door, like we’d expected, the vampire sneaked in through the secret passage. Velma and I were tied up and trapped in here before we could warn you.”

  “I guess we’re going to have to come up with another trap to catch the vampire,” Velma said sadly.

  “I can’t believe our plan didn’t work,” Fred said.

  “Like, not so fast!” Shaggy said, pushing aside the curtain between the two rooms. “I’m happy to say that room service — and my old pal Scooby-Doo — saved the day!”

  Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy hurried back into the living room. Scooby-Doo was sitting on top of the vampire.

  “Great work, Scooby.” Fred said, bringing a candle closer. “Okay, gang, let’s see who’s hiding under that fur cloak!”

  Daphne reached forward and pulled back the vampire’s hood. “Madame Magnificent!” she cried.

  “Just as I suspected,” Velma said.

  Madame Magnificent narrowed her eyes at the gang. “This is not the way to treat a famous actress,” she cried, spitting a worm out of her mouth. “I demand a costume change!”

  Just then, Ivan and Dr. Franklin hurried into the sitting room. “What’s going on in here?” Dr. Franklin said. “What on earth are you doing in a pool of tomato soup, Madame Magnificent?”

  “Dr. Franklin, we’ll explain everything,” Fred said. “But first we need to call Police Chief Bestler. I think we’ve found something he’s been looking for.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Police Chief Bestler arrived at the old hotel. The gang quickly told him about their night and showed him the room full of stolen jewels. Madame Magnificent sat angrily under her wet cloak. Scooby was still keeping a close eye on her.

  “I can’t believe you solved our case!” Daphne’s uncle said. He patted Daphne’s shoulder proudly.

  “But how on earth did you know it was Madame Magnificent, Velma?” Shaggy asked. “Like, no offense, but everyone in this hotel seemed a little suspicious to me.”

  “You’re right, Shaggy. At first, it seemed like it could be anyone,” Velma agreed. “The vampire was wearing a cloak, but that didn’t narrow things down at all.”

  “It’s very cold in the hotel,” Dr. Franklin said. “We all wear cloaks to keep warm.”

  “Right,” Velma said. “The first real clue we found was in the mannequin room. It wasn’t until later that we realized all of those costumes must be Madame Magnificent’s old movie costumes. I bet you played a vampire in one of your movies?” She glanced at Madame Magnificent, who nodded proudly.

  “The next clue was the electric dumbwaiter,” Velma continued, looking at Ivan the butler.

  “Rhe rumbraiter?” Scooby said.

  “Like, what does the dumbwaiter have to do with anything other than Ivan and that delicious pie?” asked Shaggy.

  Velma held one finger in the air. “Exactly. Ivan is so small that he could ride in the dumbwaiter to bring the pie up to your room. Then, just as he started to ride back down to the kitchen, the power was switched off and the dumbwaiter stopped.”

  Daphne spoke up. “If the dumbwaiter stopped working when the electricity went out, then that means Ivan must have been stuck inside the wall the whole time the lights were off!” She looked at Ivan. He nodded. “Poor Ivan.”

  Velma continued. “I put two and two together when Shaggy told me he and Scooby had heard knocking sounds coming from the wall after the electricity went off. I realized the knocking must have been Ivan, calling for help. That’s when I knew he couldn’t possibly have been the vampire. He was trapped inside the wall the whole time the vampire was chasing us.”

  Ivan’s pale face turned red. He ducked his head, embarrassed that people were talking about him.

  “And it was easy to rule out Dr. Franklin,” Fred chimed in. “Because of his allergies, he starts sneezing whenever Scooby’s nearby. Plus, Shaggy, you told us the vampire’s clo
ak was made out of fur. If it was Dr. Franklin hiding under there, that would have been a very sneezy vampire.”

  “Very smart,” Dr. Franklin said, beaming. “Very smart, indeed. But, Madame Magnificent, why did you do this?”

  Madame Magnificent lifted her head. “I had jewels hidden everywhere in the hotel.” She glanced up at the bats hanging from the ceiling in the sitting room. Now that the lights were back on, the gang could see that the room was filled with fake bats whose eyes were made out of rubies.

  “Wow!” Daphne exclaimed. “You really did have jewels hidden everywhere!”

  Madame Magnificent continued. “I had to keep you nosy kids from poking around, so I tried to scare you away from my hiding places. I put my old acting chops to good use. I set a perfect scene, designed the perfect costume, and practiced my sound effects. It all came together perfectly!” She laughed bitterly. “I was going to use the money I made selling the stolen jewels to buy the Castle Hotel. I am a movie star, and I deserve to live like the star that I am. I don’t want to live in this old, rundown hotel anymore!”

  “You don’t have to worry about that,” Police Chief Bestler said. He wrapped handcuffs around her wrists. “Your new home is going to be the county jail!”

  Madame Magnificent squirmed. “I was this close to scaring you away from my home and my treasure, for good!” She hissed, which made her sound just like the vampire. “I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids and that miserable fur ball.”

  Police Chief Bestler led Madame Magnificent away.

  “I have an idea for you, Dr. Franklin,” Daphne said. “This old castle really is groovy. What if you turned it into a haunted hotel?”

  “You mean, a theme hotel?” Dr. Franklin asked. “With fake vampires and ghosts and other spooky stuff?”

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Daphne said. “Some people like to be scared. A good gimmick might help you get more visitors.”