Scooby Doo! Meet Ellie Machine

The Creeping Creatures (Part 1)

It was just another rainy day in Crystal Cove. I lounged about with my friends, writing in my notebook different ideas for the next issue of the newspaper. Shaggy and Scooby had just finished off all of Fred's leftovers and were currently in a food coma, while Fred worked on yet another trap at his front door. I was actually just fine as well, but Velma had to go and complain.

"Oh, I am so bored. We haven't had a good mystery in I don't know when!" she exclaimed, leaning on the couch.

"Fred, I think I've read every magazine in your house," Daphne joined in. She spotted something between the couch cushions. "What's that?" Fred looked over, and panic took over him. "No, don't!"

He jumped over the couch and crashed onto the floor in front of her, but it was too late.

"'Traps Illustrated'? Freddy!" Daphne scolded him with a glare.

"I, uh, I read it for the articles. In fact, it's where I got the idea for this little beauty!" Fred went from bashful to proud in about 0.25 seconds flat when he remembered the trap he had at the front door.

"Who do you expect to trap outside your front door?" I asked him, putting down my notepad. As if right on cue, there was a metallic sound and a scream from outside.

"Let's find out," Fred smirked and ran to the door. A delivery man hung upside down from Fred's trap.

"I got a package for, uh, Fred Jones," the delivery man said warily, obviously caught off guard. But I noticed he wasn't yelling, so either this is the biggest shock he's ever had, or he's encountered worse when ringing the doorbell.

"Hey, that's me," Fred exclaimed happily and took the package. He closed the door, and I was about to ask about the delivery man, but he pulled a lever, and the man was free.

"What is it?" Daphne asked as Fred sat in the chair and we all surrounded him. Even Shaggy and Scooby joined us.

"Like, um, I think it's a box," Shaggy joked. I snorted but everyone else just stared at him, unamused.

Velma picked up the box and looked it over. "It's from Mr. E.!"

She picked up a taped note. "'Saved this for a rainy day. Enjoy.'"

"Mr. E. gives me the creeps. Fred, be careful. That could be a bomb," Daphne warned, watching the box warily as he opened it. He pulled out a gator skin purse. "Ooh, strike that. Cute purse."

"Check it out: '100% pure gator, made in Gatorsburg'," Velma read from the bottom part of the purse.

I blinked, confused. "Gatorsburg? But that's impossible. Gatorsburg hasn't manufactured gator products in decades. Not since the gator mines dried up, at least," I stated, crossing my arms.

"Gator mines?" Scooby echoed, confused. Velma proceeded to explain.

"Gatorsburg was founded back in the 1800s when a group of prospectors searching for gold struck something much more valuable-- alligator. Gatorsburg had more alligators than anywhere in the world. Overnight, Gatorsburg became a boomtown. The town became famous for its gator skin products. Then the gator wells ran dry. Gatorsburg became a ghost town."

I clapped sarcastically. "Nice history lesson, Velma," I said with a laugh. She rolled her eyes dryly.

"But, like, Freddy, it says it was made in Gatorsburg," Shaggy stated the obvious.

Scooby sniffed at it. "Ooh, smells new."

"Gang, we have a mystery on our hands," Fred said enthusiastically, standing from the chair.

"Oh, sweet Christmas, finally!" Velma cheered, and we all rushed to the van... Only to get caught in Fred's trap. "Oh, boy," Shaggy sighed. Fred cut us all down, and we got in the van. Gatorsburg was only a ten-minute drive away, so we figured we wouldn't be gone terribly long. However, it was still kind of late, so I sat next to Shaggy and leaned my head on his shoulder with a yawn. I didn't catch the glare that Velma was giving me. But we arrived soon, and we all climbed out of the van.