One more lake and portage, and then Ihaan and the Mystery Gang would reach Red Squirrel Lake. They were so close, yet so far away, and Ihaan wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep up the lie: Yes, I like your outfit, Daphne. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it; he merely preferred his old clothes instead of new ones, but he wouldn’t do it. He wasn’t going to let the gang forget about him because he wasn’t used to their world.
While Ihaan’s head didn't hurt anymore, his sanity and the memory from earlier did. That must’ve been his mother calling for him when the canoe capsized. Ihaan had wondered about his mother, but now that he had seen the memory, he was even more curious.
Not now, Ihaan, he thought to himself. I need to catch a pike for Ro.
While on Carrying Lake, surrounded by more islands, rocks, and trees, Freddie tossed a Frisbee back and forth between his and Daphne’s canoe and Shaggy and Scooby’s. At one point, Scooby almost ate it, but Shaggy popped his back, and the Frisbee dropped from Scooby’s mouth.
Meanwhile, Ihaan gathered his bow and arrow, and he and Ro watched the water for pike.
Velma, just being Velma, spent the whole time writing in her notebook. She looked completely absorbed in her work and didn’t even flinch when Ihaan shot an arrow into the water.
Finally, she said, “What the—?” as Ihaan pulled the pike out of the lake and handed it to Ro.
She jumped into the canoe and ate her meal as if she hadn’t eaten in weeks.
“I can’t keep hunting for you,” Ihaan told the bird. “You need to fly, Ro, so you can get back to hunting yourself.”
Ro swallowed the last bit of the fish and gave Ihaan an, I know, look, but there was no doubt that she was still nervous. Ihaan didn’t want to push her, but at the same time, he had to. Ro needed to stand up for herself and fight her fear. If Ihaan did it last winter, so could she.
He considered putting his foot down and knocking Ro off the canoe’s edge again, but when she hopped into his seat and lay down beside him, resting her head on his thigh, he couldn’t—especially after she closed her eyes and peacefully drifted into sleep. Ihaan didn’t blame her; Ro had had a big day so far, and keeping her calm was the best way to prevent her from unleashing her Thunderbird. Now, if only Ihaan could stay calm, too. He did his best the rest of the way to the portage.
Unlike the previous portage, the next one was in an area of Carrying Lake that wasn’t overgrown, but it was also near a campground and the road. Ihaan usually saw more people there than at the portage on Anima Nipissing. Then again, Red Squirrel Lake was more famous than both Anima and Carrying—mainly because of the Ghost of Ontario legend. Red Squirrel Lake was where it all started—where Ihaan had his canoe accident and became the ghost.
He and the gang grounded their canoes on the beach, which was larger and sandier than the Anima portage beach, and began unloading them.
“Like, man, is there an apocalypse here, too?” Shaggy said, biting into a chocolate bar because he just hadn’t had enough after their chocolate break ten minutes ago.
Fred removed the map from his pocket and opened it, smoothing it out. “Well, there’s only one way to find out, Shaggy. Now, this portage is...” His voice trailed, and he carefully studied the map.
Daphne took it from him, and her eyes widened. “920 meters long? Are you serious? 920 meters in the forest?”
“But look on bright side,” Ihaan lightheartedly said. “Red Squirrel Lake is at end, and there is also campground. We can set up camp for night.” Red Squirrel Lake could wait another day. That would also let Ihaan practice with Ro.
Before he knew it, Shaggy and Scooby were beside him. “Like, campground?” Shaggy said, relief on his face. “You mean that we don't have to go to Red Squirrel Lake, Ihaan?”
“Not yet,” he answered before giving him a playful look. “After all, Red Squirrel Lake is known as the birthplace of the Ghost of Ontario, and it shows because of all the creepy fog there.”
“Ghost of Ontario?” Scooby and Shaggy said simultaneously. They hugged each other and shivered, their teeth chattering.
“Like, creepy fog?” Shaggy added. “Like, no way, man! We cowards are fine here. No Ghost of Ontario for us.”
Velma asked, “Are you two forgetting that Ihaan is the Ghost of Ontario?”
“He’s just messing with you guys,” Fred said, smiling at Ihaan. “A very teenage thing to do, Ihaan. Well done.”
Daphne hid behind her hand. “We like to mess with them, too.”
Oh, Ihaan didn’t doubt that. It was fun to mess with Shaggy and Scooby, but now they needed to focus again.
After a few Scooby Snacks, they started the portage toward Red Squirrel Lake on a larger, more organized trail than Anima Nipissing. Ihaan carried his canoe, and Ro sat on top of it, ducking under the occasional tree branch.
“Like, check out that bird, Scoob!” Shaggy laughed, gesturing at her. “She looks better up there than when you were the pharaoh in Egypt.”
Pharaoh, Egypt? What were they? Well, whatever they were, Scooby didn’t look happy, and he huffed to show it. His reaction was similar to how Ihaan felt about Daphne’s clothes, but he still wouldn’t risk it, so he said something else when he chimed in:
“Hey, Scoob, if you were bird, I’d be happy to give you ride on canoe like... pharaoh?” He hoped that question didn’t come off as too clueless about the gang’s modern and mystery-solving world, although now Ihaan found himself wondering about all the mysteries they had solved before him and Ro. No, was it wrong to be interested in the modern world? The Spirit Animals wouldn’t want that; perhaps that was why they had not yet visited Ihaan.
“Are you okay, Ihaan? You seem distracted.” Ihaan jumped at Fred’s question and nearly dropped his canoe, but Daphne came in and caught the side that tilted.
Ro let out a quick squawk before sliding off the canoe into Scooby’s paws.
“Like, good catch, Scoob and Daph,” Shaggy said, holding up a sign that had the number ten on it. “I give that a solid ten out of ten.”
Ihaan shivered at the thought that his distraction could’ve hurt Daphne or Ro. What was wrong with him that day? “I’m sorry, Fred,” he apologized. “I’m sorry I’m distracted.” It wasn’t a good sign when it came to fitting in with the Mystery Gang. Ihaan needed to try harder.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Freddie gently pressed.
And look even worse? “No, I do not,” Ihaan quickly replied, glancing at Daphne and Scooby. “Thank you, Daphne and Scooby, but we’re moving on.” And just like that, he swung the canoe back around and kept walking, silently begging, “Please don’t forget about me, please don’t forget about me.” Ihaan’s heart raced, and a few drops of sweat rolled down his temples. He couldn’t keep it up much longer, but he tried—and managed until he set the canoe down for a break.
With those stupid glasses on and smelling like Deet, Freddie approached him. When did Daphne return those glasses? Freddie hadn’t learned to act yet. Ihaan didn’t even know who the heck he was trying to impersonate.
“Yo, dude,” he said, “I feel ya if ya don’t want to talk about it; however, there’s no harm in occasionally saying, ‘Oh, I need help with my newfound teenage self.’” He rested his palms on his chest. “I’m here for ya, dude, like a good ole’ older brother.”
Oh, gosh, this was the worst one yet, especially when Freddie clicked his tongue and waggled a finger. “If it’s a girl, let me give you The Talk. Ask her first, dude, and then—”
“Oh, gosh, Freddie, shut up!” Ihaan eventually shouted. He grabbed a low-lying tree branch and smacked him in the face, knocking the glasses off.
“Ow!” Freddie yelled, snatching his nose. “Excuse you, young man!”
Thank you, Ihaan, Velma mouthed.
“I hate this!” Ihaan finally admitted to the Mystery Gang.
Shaggy and Scooby took turns leaping into each other’s arms, but Daphne, Velma, Fred, and Ro froze as if something had just petrified them.
Tears streamed down Ihaan’s cheeks, and he said, “I’m doing everything I can to be like you guys, but I hate it! I hate that impression, Freddie, and I don’t like these clothes!”
“Wha—?” Freddie removed his hand from his nose and met Ihaan’s eyes. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Yeah,” Daphne said. “You didn’t have to wear those clothes. But you told us you liked them, Ihaan. Why?”
Ihaan covered his face and shook his head. “Because I’m afraid that if I’m not like you guys, you’ll stop being my friend and forget about me!” He kicked a tree branch on the path and hurried to his canoe, ducking behind it and out of sight of the Mystery Gang. They would definitely leave him now, but maybe it was for the best. Ihaan knew the Spirit Animals and the Thunderbird best, so this was his and Ro’s mystery, not the gang’s.
At the same time, though, it would be difficult for Ihaan to solve the mystery on his own; he needed the Mystery Gang, and they needed him. They needed to learn each other’s worlds, but what if—?
A whistle freed Ihaan from his doubts. He turned his head and saw Ro, her feathers ruffled.
She walked around his canoe and stopped beside him. Ro offered Ihaan her head and shut her eyes when he scratched it and her back.
“Is the gang still here, girl?” Ihaan asked her. He didn’t hear them, so either they had put on some stealth shoes, vanished into midair, or were merely waiting. It looked like they were waiting because Ro nodded at Ihaan’s question; however, he wasn’t ready to re-show his face just yet. After that outburst, the gang likely didn’t want to be friends with him anymore, meaning that Ihaan was back where he started last winter—no friends, and now no Spirit Animals to guide him, only Ro.
Was a mystery supposed to hurt this much?
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepoWWZe8vp
Prompt: "Don't Forget about Me" - Simple Minds
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