sonderling || mystery incorporated

005 THE SONG OF MYSTERY

"I just can't understand what got into Arthur last night." Lydia leaned her head on the back of the front seat as Daphne spoke about her latest, and strangest, babysitting gig, "One second he's as sweet as can be and the next, he's trying to kill me!" It was something about the kid she babysat going totally crazy on her with fangs and crazy hair. "Maybe he had too much sugar." Fred offered, making the redhead shake her head, "Sugar doesn't make you grow fangs."

Shaggy laughed from the back of the Mystery Machine - Lydia felt it was more crowded since Velma has been sitting back there more often - "Good! 'Cause if there's one thing I love, it's sugar!" He grinned, holding a box of donuts as he ate one, Scooby leaning over to take one from the box, "Me too!" They ate their donuts happily, "Delicious!" Scooby smiled as his best friend took another out of the box, "Like, you said it, Scoob. Delicious!"

"Shaggy, I thought we talked about your use of the word 'like'." Lydia's eyes moved to watch Velma talk, frowning a bit, "It makes you sound ignorant." Shaggy's smile dropped a bit before he nodded, "Oh, right. Like, um, I forgot." He mumbled, earning a look back from Velma, he thought it over before realizing he said like again, "Oh, sorry." Lydia thought it gave him character, or something.

Daphne lightly tapped Fred on the arm, turning to him, "We're only a few blocks from Arthur's house, can we stop by and see how he's doing?" Fred nodded, glancing at his wrist - even though he didn't have a watch on - with a small smile, "Sure! We aren't going to miss anything at school..." Then he gasped, "Oh, wait. I forgot about civics class, I'm flunking out!" He complained, "Coach says if I don't pass, I'm off the team!" He sighed.

"Well, Daph's great at civics, she helps me study. Maybe she could tutor you?" Lydia piped up, meeting Daphne's eyes, she seemed excited at the idea. "I could come over and... you know, help you study. Just... you and me... alone!" Lydia made a bit of a face at Daphne's choice of tone, turning her attention to grab a donut from the box, Shaggy was happy to share.

"Gee Daph, thanks, but my dad already hired a tutor. I'm supposed to meet her in the library during lunch." Fred shook his head, glancing at Daphne when she huffed, "Her?" And he nodded, "Yeah, a senior, dad said she's brilliant." He missed her annoyed tone as she leaned away from him.

They pulled up to the block Daphne had babysat on, a long strip of police tape blocking anyone from entering. Lydia sat up better, leaning on the seat as Velma moved to join her, to look at the scene. "Woah, look at this!" Fred gasped, and parked the van so they could get out to investigate further. Families - parents, specifically - were packing up their vehicles to leave, all looking sad or panicked as they shoved things into the cars. "Like, where's everyone going?" Shaggy asked before Velma wordlessly punched his arm, making him wince and rub the spot, mumbling a sorry.

Lydia ducked under the police line after Daphne, following her over to a house as she shouted at two adults getting in their car to wait, "Mr. and Mrs. Baywoosenthal, what's going on? How's Arthur?" She asked as Lydia looked at the house they were leaving, staring at something moving in the window before it slammed open, a kid with white hair, gross skin and fangs growling before pulling it shut.

"Any other questions?" Arthur's father asked, sad over leaving their son. "Jinkies! The whole blocks leaving!" Velma gasped, "And a good thing too, who knows what these kids are capable of?" Lydia jumped a bit as Mayor Jones walked over to them with Sheriff Stone, "Kids, plural? You mean-" "Yup! 'Fraid so." The sheriff cut Lydia off, nodding, "Every child on this block has become inexplicably spookified." With that note, he took Lydia's half-eaten donut from her, biting into it as she made a noise of complaint.

"Good-bye, Tiffany!" A woman shouted to her door, her child growling from it before slamming it shut. "Okay... Don't forget to brush!" With that, the woman climbed into the car and the husband drove off. "They can't just leave a whole block parent-less, kids can't make food by themselves." Lydia complained, crossing her arms as the sheriff shook his head, "They'll be fine! We'll airdrop in some freeze-dried camp food, just 'cause they're spookified doesn't mean they can't reconstitute macaroni."