Scooby Doo! Meet Ellie Machine

Web of the Dreamweaver! (Part 2)

And sure enough, as soon as Fred turned on the news the next morning, there was a new problem that had us rushing around getting the gang to head to the sheriff's station.

"Lying about there being corn in your cornbread stuffin'," Sheriff Stone was saying to Francilee Jackson, who was now behind bars and sobbing. "That's what we in the sheriffing world call fraud! I think."

"Oh, Bronson, how can you do this to little ol' me?" Mrs. Jackson pleased. "We've known each other since we was chillun!"

"What?! I've never seen your face before in my life!" Sheriff Stone exclaimed. "But it's on the box in your hand," I told him blandly. He quickly hid the box of cornbread behind his back, looking guilty. "What box? What hand?" he asked defensively. "I- I have to go now to destroy this very tasty evidence," he muttered and shuffled off. "Uh, we'll help!" Scooby exclaimed, and he and Shaggy followed the sheriff out of the room.

"Mrs. Jackson, tell us what happened," Daphne told the poor woman. "It's a mystery," she told us. "Took me a nap this afternoon, and I had this frightful dream! When I woke up, I was on the TV, and everyone knew my recipe! I loved that secret stuffin' recipe more than my own chillun, and now it's ruined!"

She started sobbing into her hands, and practically fell to the floor. "Did your dream by any chance involve a labyrinth, spells, a purple orb, and a mysterious inhuman mage?" Velma asked her.

"Yes, exactly!" she exclaimed. "Did the pointy-eared freakwad say anything?" Fred added.

"Yes, he said, 'twenty-sided dice.' First Horbert, now me? I don't know who all's doing this, but I know who'll will be next: Melvin Keisterbaum," she told us gravely. "Melvin Keisterbaum?!" Daphne exclaimed. Without another word, she dashed out of the office. "Thanks for your help!" I called to Francilee, and we all ran after her. By the time we all got to the van, she had already started it up and looked ready to go. We hopped in just as she sped from the station.

"Mr. Keisterbaum lives in the big house next-door to my parents. We have to warn him!" she told us as she turned around the corner. No one said anything until we pulled up to a huge, fancy mansion across the street from the Blakes. "We're here," Daphne announced, and we all hopped out and ran up to the front door. Daphne knocked frantically.

"Mr. Keisterbaum? Hello?" she called. But there wasn't any answer. We all walked back to the van as I said, "Guess he's not home."

Suddenly, the loudest explosion I've ever heard erupted from behind us. Heat flooded my back, and the force of it pushed us all forward. My ears were ringing, and I was dizzier than the worst drunken stupor I'd gotten myself into.

I felt arms wrap around me and pull me to my feet. I blinked, confused, and slowly my vision cleared as my ears stopped ringing. I looked up to see Shaggy holding me in place. "Like, you okay Ellie?" he asked. I nodded and threw him a small smile. "All good," I told him and, with what seemed with hesitation, he pulled away from me.

"My mansion! My beautiful mansion!" I heard a man cry, and we all looked as a man in a disheveled suit, probably Mr. Keisterbaum, ran to us and collapsed to his knees. "I loved that mansion more than my own children... If I had any."

"Mr. Keisterbaum, what happened?" Daphne asked. "Who knows? One moment I'm asleep on the couch, the next I'm standing in the garden with an empty canister of napalm," he told us, holding up the canister. "Did you have any dreams?" Daphne asked.

"Yes! I was in a labyrinth, and there were spells, a strange glowing orb, and a terrible monster! He was saying one word over and over- 'Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver!'"

"Level 99, twenty-sided dice, Dreamweaver. What's the connection?" Velma asked. "Like, what are you asking me for? Do I look like the kind of nerd that plays Crypts and Creatures?!" Shaggy suddenly exclaimed. "Crypts and Creatures? Isn't that the nerdy fantasy role-playing game that nerdy nerds play?" Fred asked. "Oh, Shaggy, no," I sighed.