“Come on, Freddie, stop squirming,” Velma said while she tended to Freddie’s nose. “Your nose isn’t broken.”
“But it really hurt.” Freddie flinched when she rubbed alcohol on the bruise.
“Like, no offense, Fred,” Shaggy giggled, “but I think Ihaan scored a ten on that one.” He still held his sign from earlier and tucked it under his arm. “Scoob and I would pay twenty bucks and give up our lunch breaks to see that again.”
“Reah, reah!” Scooby agreed. He sat before Freddie and pretended to stuff popcorn in his mouth.
“Well, Fred,” Daphne said, picking up the glasses on the forest floor, “I think it’s safe to say you went too far with these expensive glasses. So, with that said”—she snapped the glasses in two and stuffed them in her purse—“whoops, they broke.” Daphne stood tall and pointed at Ihaan’s canoe. “Now, be a man, and let’s apologize to Ihaan. No more of this dumb Elvis impression.”
“And just a quick heads-up before we apologize.” Velma closed the First-Aid kit and packed it into her dry bag. She gave Fred a serious look. “Never bring up The Talk to a sixteen-year-old. We were sixteen not so long ago, Fred, so we should know this.”
“I didn’t know he knew what it meant,” Fred argued, blushing.
Velma leaned her dry bag against a log and said, “Remember, Ihaan learned English by people-watching, and he also lives with the land and animals, so I’m sure he knew what you were hinting at.”
Fred’s face reddened by the second. He thought he would be the perfect older brother figure to Ihaan, but apparently not. Fred was used to plans backfiring, but it was rare for him to feel bad when they did. And it was all because he didn’t know enough about Ihaan’s world when he thought he did.
Donating modern but easy-to-use gifts to Ihaan had been Fred’s idea, too. Velma was a little hesitant at first, but the others were all over it; however, they never intended for Ihaan to feel like he had to accept them to become part of the gang. They merely wanted him to know that they cared for him (yes, by hiding the truth about Ro from him).
Without warning, Fred blurted out the words when he and the gang joined Ihaan and Ro behind Ihaan’s canoe: “Ihaan, I’m sorry. We all are.”
“But you should have told us that you didn’t like the clothes,” Daphne sternly stated before smiling. “Although, I guess I went too far into the wardrobe myself.”
“Like, I think we should have just stuck with the birthday cake,” Shaggy said, smiling, too, and he looked at Scooby. “Like, what do you think, Scoob? Extra frosting, maybe?”
Velma chimed in. “What we’re saying, Ihaan, is that you don’t need to wear those clothes or accept our gifts to be part of the gang.”
Ihaan looked up at that sentence and put his hand on Ro’s back.
Daphne nodded. “Yeah, we like you just the way you are. You were so different from our other mysteries when we met you last year—just trying to protect your home. That showed us that sometimes there’s more to mysteries than some creep in a mask.”
“And we’re not leaving any time soon,” Fred added. “We still have a mystery to solve and clues to find on Red Squirrel Lake.”
“And Scoob and I, the expert chickens, want to help show Ro how to fly,” Shaggy said, nudging Scooby. “We have the perfect impression for her.”
That didn’t sound alarming at all, but Shaggy was right when he said the gang wanted to help Ro fly again.
Finally, Daphne kneeled to Ihaan and dangled her arm over her thigh. “And if it will make you feel better, you don’t have to wear those clothes anymore.” She whispered her following line. “Although, if I’m being frank, you have much more style than we do.”
Ihaan chuckled, and even Ro made a sound like one, but then Ihaan’s smile faded, and he glanced at Fred. “Sorry, too, Fred. Is your nose okay?”
“Oh, it’s fine,” he replied, gently touching the bruise. “It’s not the first time I’ve been punished for doing something stupid.” He removed his hand and tapped his fingers. “So, are we good, Ihaan? Do you want to start over?”
He paused for a moment before standing and offering Fred his hand. “We good.”
It looked like he wanted a high-five instead of a handshake, but Fred didn’t correct him and slapped his hand. He and the gang stepped aside and ensured no one was coming while he ducked into the forest and changed back into his old clothes.
Ihaan appeared much more relaxed when he reappeared and handed the clothes to Daphne. It was as if his faith had been restored, and yes, he had way more style than the gang with those three painted stripes on his torso and each arm.
“Sorry, Daphne,” he apologized.
“No, it’s fine,” she said. “Just be yourself, Ihaan. You don’t need to be like us.”
Ihaan seemed to keep those words in mind for the rest of the journey on the portage to the campground and Red Squirrel Lake.
Shaggy and Scooby gulped when they finally reached the end and saw the large body of water. Like Ihaan had said earlier, a blanket of fog covered it, and the sturdy pier that the gang tied their canoes to looked straight out of so-called ghost pictures—like the famous picture of the Loch Ness Monster. The campground and road were directly behind it, so they had a clear view of the lake while setting up camp and preparing dinner.
“Is Red Squirrel Lake always foggy, Ihaan?” Velma asked at the picnic table that night. She was the only one who hadn’t touched her dinner because she hadn’t stopped writing in her notebook since they reached the campsite.
Ihaan peered over his shoulder at the lake. “It sometimes clears up at night or during day, but for most part, yes—Red Squirrel is foggiest lake.”
“Well, it’s the perfect place to solve a spooky mystery,” Daphne said, examining the lake. “I think this one is worth two boxes of Scooby Snacks for Shaggy and Scooby.”
“Like, we’re way ahead of you, Daph.” Shaggy held up two boxes of Scooby Snacks, soon followed by Scooby. “Scoob and I have four.”
“Reah, reah!” Scooby barked, smacking his lips. He shook a few Scooby Snacks onto his empty dinner plate and tied a napkin around his neck, then picked up his fork and knife. Scooby tossed a Scooby Snack into the air and opened his mouth, but just before he caught it…
Swoosh!
Ro flew in from out of nowhere and snatched the Scooby Snack from the sky, landing on the table.
Scooby gasped, then narrowed his eyes.
It was amazing how quickly that bird swooped in! She chucked the Scooby Snack into the sky and caught it, swallowing.
“Ro!” Ihaan shouted, grabbing her. “You know better!”
“Whoa!” Shaggy said, laughing. “Like, Scoob, it looks like we’ve got some competition now with the Scooby Snacks.” He reached into one of his boxes and offered Scooby a new treat.
“Jinkies!” Velma suddenly yelled. “That’s it!”
Shaggy and Scooby yelped and fell out of their seats, landing on their backs at the picnic table’s feet.
“What? What is it?” Freddie quickly asked. He stood and held out his hands. “I’ve been practicing my Ju-Jitsu!” Fred rapidly searched the area, including the campground and lake.
Velma punched her palm. “That’s how we’ll get Ro to fly again!”
Daphne tilted her head. “With Ju-Jitsu?”
“No.” Velma took one of Shaggy’s boxes of Scooby Snacks and showed it to her friends. “With Scooby Snacks.”
“Oh, hey, that’s not a bad idea. It’s brilliant,” said Fred, facing Scooby. “Sorry, Scoob.” He picked up a Scooby Snack from his plate and held it up to Ro. “Is this what you want, girl?” And just like that, he tossed the treat across the campground, and it landed outside his tent.
Ro chortled to herself and brushed her wing over Freddie’s head. After stealing one last Scooby Snack from Scooby, she jumped down from the table and hopped onto a log, disappearing behind it.
Fred raised an eyebrow and scratched his head. “What did I say?”
“For the love of—!” Velma massaged her temples and adjusted her glasses. “Ro isn’t a dog, Fred. She’s—” She cut off midsentence, and her eyes rolled to Ihaan. “She used to be human,” she continued after a second, “so we need another way to bribe her.”
“Let me try, Velma,” Ihaan said, tapping her shoulder. He collected his own Scooby Snack box and carefully started approaching the log. He jiggled the box, and only a minute later, Ro poked her head out from the log.
The look on her face read, Whatcha doing, boy?
Ihaan picked up on that and stopped, setting the box down. “You must fly, Ro,” he pushed in a friendly voice. “You need to have faith in yourself.”
Ro huffed and disappeared back behind the log, leaving the gang to shrug and consider other options.
“Hold on, gang, I’ve got it,” Velma said. She went to her and Daphne’s tent and unzipped it, disappearing inside. She reappeared with a book in her hand and rejoined the gang and Ihaan at the picnic table.
“Whatcha got there, Velma?” Freddie questioned. Velma showed him the book, and he read the title: “Field Guide to North American Birds.” At first, Fred didn’t understand, but then Velma opened the book and flipped to pictures of birds in flight. She finally stopped at the bald eagle and held the book above her head, opening and shutting it like wings so Ro could see it.
Meanwhile, Daphne shook another box of Scooby Snacks.
It took a moment, but Ro finally stepped out from behind the log and jumped back onto the picnic table. The gang paused and watched as she hovered over Velma, who pointed out the pictures of the flying birds, including the eagle.
Before her, Shaggy and Scooby flapped their arms, and Shaggy said, “Like, just like this, Ro.” By that time, the full moon had risen over the campground, and its light illuminated the gang’s site and Ro’s feathers.
The Lightning Spirit gulped and slowly spread her wings, flapping them. She lifted off the picnic table and landed on a Scooby Snack box.
“There you go, Ro!” Ihaan cheered. “You’re doing it.” He gave her a pensive but hopeful look. “You just have to believe you can. Can you do that for me?”
Even though Ro couldn’t speak, the look on her face told Freddie that she wanted to try. She wanted to rediscover her faith. So, he and the gang did just that.
Ihaan and the Mystery Gang each grabbed a box of Scooby Snacks and stood in a triangle in an open area of the campground, where they had a clear view of the moon, Ro, and each other.
Ihaan, at the triangle’s right point, hit his hand against his Scooby Snack box and nodded at Ro, who was across from him with Shaggy and Scooby at the triangle’s left point.
With her feathers softly flickering, the eagle glided from Shaggy and Scooby to Ihaan and ate a loose Scooby Snack from his hand.
Ihaan clapped and gestured toward Freddie, Velma, and Daphne at the top vertex of the triangle.
Ro inhaled and glided to them next. For a moment, her feathers flickered brighter, then they stopped glowing, and the eagle appeared to smile. She kicked off the forest floor and sailed away from Daphne, Freddie, and Velma back to Scooby and Shaggy. She was almost there; she was nearly flying, and Fred found himself with a goofy grin as he watched her confidence grow. That eagle was practically ready to soar, to tell Ihaan the truth, and answer the mystery’s final questions. Fred knew for sure when Scooby and Ro, their mouths full of Scooby Snacks, chased each other inside the triangle like they were brother and sister.
Down to their last Scooby Snack, both animals tugged on it and fell backward when the treat snapped in half.
Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy hurried to Scooby while Ihaan caught Ro.
“Ro!” he said, squeezing her. “I’m so proud of you, girl! You’re beginning to fly again! So, what do you say?” Ihaan set her down, and the Mystery Gang approached them, grins on their own faces. Ihaan bopped Ro’s bill and bumped foreheads with her. “Tomorrow will be the big day. Tomorrow… we soar.”
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ15yzWDZzE
Prompt: "Faith" - George Michael
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