The Ghost of the Bermuda Triangle

by Laurie S. Sutton

  “It’s following me!” Fred gulps.

  Fred flees blindly through the dark. SLAM! SQUEECH! He slides down the surface of a steel bulkhead like a wet noodle.

  “Oooh, did anyone get the number of the truck that just hit me?” Fred moans with his face on the floor. Stars twinkle in front of his eyes. Slowly, he realizes they aren’t stars. “Hey, lights . . .”

  A string of low-wattage bulbs stretches along the base of the bulkhead. Fred follows the rope lights, but there is no exit.

  “It’s a dead end,” Fred groans.

  Suddenly he hears a weird sound coming from inside the bulkhead. When Fred presses his ear up against the steel wall a secret door opens. Fred falls through the opening and into a room filled with monsters!

  Press here.

  Lightning flashes, but there is no thunder. Velma and Smolder fall! They try to yell, but there is no sound. THUMP! Their feet hit the ship’s deck, but it’s not the cruise ship. Velma and Smolder look around in surprise and awe. Sails billow above their heads. Wooden masts creak and deck planks groan.

  “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Max,” Velma gasps. “We’re on a pirate ship!”

  “Specifically, we’re on the ghost’s pirate ship!” Smolder declares.

  The seaweed specter stands nearby, but here he is a living, flesh-and-blood man. His crewmates pay no attention to him. They all point at Velma and Max!

  “Yaaar! Ghosts!” a crewman yells. “It be the Bermuda Triangle to blame!”

  “Here there be monsters!” another sailor screams. He swings his sword at Velma.

  The saber passes through Velma as if she is mist. The other sailors stab at Smolder. The blades strike air.

  “We’re the ghosts here!” Velma realizes.

  “You’re right! Listen to my ghost energy detector!” Smolder agrees. The little device beeps loudly.

  “We stepped across a bridge in time, or dimensions, or both!” Velma says. “That crewman was a ghost in our world, so we’re phantoms in his!”

  “I wish my camera crew was here!” Smolder groans.

  “Our ghost man brought us here, but why?” Velma wonders.

  A gigantic gurgling growl makes the pirates fall to the deck in fear. A huge shadow crosses over the wooden planks of the sailing ship. Velma and Smolder look up.

  “A kraken!” Velma gasps.

  The sinewy sea beast rises out of the water like a rearing cobra.

  “T-the kraken is a m-myth!” Smolder stammers.

  “Not in the Bermuda Triangle!” Velma shouts over its furious sound. “Now I know why the ghost led us here. He wants us to stop that monster!”

  “How?!” Smolder squeaks.

  The sea monster swipes a tentacle across the ship’s deck. It goes through Velma, but it suckers onto a crewman. He is lifted into the air and then plunged into the sea.

  “I have an idea!” Velma says. “Max, can your ghost detector find the energy of the doorway that brought us here?”

  “Yes, but—” Smolder replies.

  “Then find it and get ready to run!” Velma instructs.

  Press here.

  Shaggy climbs up a pile of crates like a monkey. He pauses at the top to catch his breath. That’s when he realizes that Scooby isn’t with him.

  “Scooby-Doo, where are you?” Shaggy calls out into the vast space.

  His friend doesn’t answer. The cargo hold is as silent as a tomb. Then he feels a tap on his shoulder.

  “Scoobs!” Shaggy says and turns. It’s the sea ghost! “Zoinks! Not Scoobs!”

  Shaggy jumps off the top of the crates and grabs a thick rope hanging from the ceiling. He swings away from the angry ghost.

  “YaaAAAaaa!” Shaggy warbles in a bad imitation of Tarzan.

  Shaggy lands in a tarp covering a pile of cargo nearby. Suddenly the heavy fabric rises up and spreads two flapping arms.

  “Zoinks! Another ghost!” Shaggy shrieks. His hair stands on end!

  “Scooby-Dooby-Doo!” Scooby says as he throws off the tarp.

  “Pal, am I glad to see you!” Shaggy declares. Then he looks down at what Scooby is standing on. “But what is that?”

  The friends stare at a big, black, shiny box. It’s the size of a human corpse.

  “It’s a coffin!” Shaggy shouts.

  The friends try to run in reverse as fast as they can. The top of the coffin is polished as smooth as glass, and their legs just spin in place.

  “There’s no escape, Scoobs!” Shaggy groans.

  Scooby-Doo accidentally trips over his own paws and falls on top of the coffin! All four of his limbs stiffen and stick out like planks. Shaggy stumbles over his friend. SPLAT! Shaggy and Scooby land face-first on the casket.

  “Like, this is not how I want to face my final rest,” Shaggy says.

  Suddenly the coffin starts to shake violently. It rises into the air as if lifted by an invisible hand.

  “Rit’s the rhost!” Scooby yells.

  The friends slide off the coffin. It crashes to the deck and breaks open. Shaggy and Scooby are amazed by what falls out!

  “Rit’s . . . rit’s . . .” Scooby stammers.

  “It’s treasure!” Shaggy gasps. He gazes at the gems and jewelry spread all around his feet. “But what’s it doing in this coffin?”

  The only answer Shaggy gets is a terrible screeching sound. It’s the sea ghost! The phantom races toward the pals with the deadly trident pointed right at them. The gleaming tips swish past Shaggy’s nose. THUNK! The weapon gets stuck in the open coffin lid.

  “Like, let’s make like a dozen eggs and beat it!” Shaggy shouts.

  The friends try to make tracks but their feet slip on the loose gemstones. Diamonds and rubies and emeralds go flying through the air.

  Press here.

  Velma and Smolder stand in front of the locked metal door. They stare at it, trying to think of a way to open it.

  “It’s too bad I’m not a ghost. I’d be able to pass right through it,” Velma jokes.

  Suddenly a pair of pale hands pokes out of the door. They are covered in dripping seaweed. Smolder’s ghost detector device beeps wildly! The hands turn the latches and locks and the door swings open.

  “Be careful what you wish for,” Velma gulps.

  The other side of the doorway is as black as the deepest night. That doesn’t stop Velma or Max Smolder. They step through the portal.

  Press here.

  Shaggy and Scooby sit on top of the dumbwaiter as the sea ghost pulls them up the shaft.

  “We’re doomed,” Shaggy moans.

  But the weight of the two pals is too much for the rope to hold. It breaks!

  “Yaaaa!” they yell as they fall all the way to the bottom. They land with a crash and tumble out of the shaft. At first Shaggy and Scooby see stars, but then they see piles of crates all around them.

  “Like, we’re in the cargo hold,” Shaggy realizes.

  “Rit’s spooky rin here,” Scooby shivers.

  SCREEEEECCH! A horrible sound makes the pals jump. The sea ghost has caught up to them! It crawls out of the dumbwaiter shaft toward Shaggy and Scooby.

  “Run!” Shaggy shouts. They flee in opposite directions.

  If the ghost goes after Scooby, press here.

  If the ghost chases Shaggy, press here.

  “I-it’s a real g-ghost!” Shaggy shudders.

  “Rit’s arive!” Scooby howls.

  Suddenly Velma bursts into the room. Max Smolder is next to her. He holds a device in his hand that beeps loudly.

  “The ghost is in here!” Smolder proclaims. He and Velma stop in their tracks when they see the unmasked “ghost” on the floor.

  “Just another fake,” Velma says, sighing. “It’s the story of my life.”

  “Like, there’s a real ghost!
” Shaggy insists. “He saved us from the bad guys.”

  Shaggy and Scooby both point toward the balcony. It’s empty. There is nothing there but a little wisp of mist.

  THE END

  To follow another path, press here.

  “There’s got to be a way to open this door,” Velma mutters. “I wish Daphne was here with her purse. She always pulls something out of the bag.”

  “Do you have a hairpin? We could use it to pick the locks,” Smolder suggests.

  “No. Sorry,” Velma replies. She pulls a makeup mirror out of her pocket. “But this might shed some light on the subject.”

  “How is that going to—oh,” Smolder stops talking as Velma uses the mirror to reflect a ray of light onto the door. The metal surface in the center wavers like water.

  “It’s a hologram!” Velma proclaims. “The locks around the edges are real, but the middle is an illusion.”

  Press here.

  Before Max Smolder can say a word, Velma walks though the metal door like a ghost! She pokes her head out a moment later and grins at Smolder’s astonished expression.

  “What? You’ve never seen a disappearing act before? It’s all done with mirrors!” Velma exclaims. “Come inside. You’ve got to see this.”

  Smolder steps through the door and into a room crammed with electronic equipment.

  “It’s a TV control room!” Smolder says.

  “Yes, and the Why Files crew is the only TV crew on board the ship,” Velma observes. She gives Smolder a suspicious look.

  “Don’t look at me like that! This stuff doesn’t belong to my show!” Smolder protests.

  Suddenly the sea ghost appears in front of Velma and Smolder and threatens them with its trident!

  Press here.

  The loose gems are like ball bearings under their feet. Shaggy and Scooby slip and slide! Diamonds pelt the sea ghost. THUD! THUD! THUD! The stones make a dull sound as they hit the ghost.

  “Like, that ghost sounds solid,” Shaggy realizes. “Who ever heard of a solid ghost?”

  “Rat’s no rhost,” Scooby agrees. He spins all four feet and sends a barrage of sparkling stones at the ghost. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

  “Ow! Ow! Ow!” The ghost yelps in a human voice. The faceted gems shred his costume. Bonk! A large emerald knocks off his mask!

  “You’re right, Scoobs! That no ghost, that’s just some guy in a gruesome getup!” Shaggy says.

  “I’m not just ‘some guy.’ I’m the world-famous jewelry thief, Mal Le Blanc!” the man announces proudly. “I was using the cruise ship to smuggle stolen gems.”

  Le Blanc pulls the trident from the coffin lid. “But your meddling has exposed my scheme. I can’t let you live to tell the tale!”

  Le Blanc rushes at them with the sharp trident. Suddenly the coffin lifts into the air and crashes in front of the jewel thief. A hideous wail echoes through the cargo hold.

  “Zoinks! It’s the real ghost!” Shaggy shrieks.

  The thief is so frightened that he faints!

  “Like, that’s a twist. Usually Scoobs and I faint!” Shaggy says. “And we solved the mystery all by ourselves!”

  A ghostly voice laughs.

  THE END

  To follow another path, press here.

  The rim of the doorway glows with a rainbow of wavering light. The colors shimmer and sparkle.

  “Ooooh, it’s so pretty!” Daphne sighs.

  “I’m not so sure, Daph. We are in the Bermuda Triangle, after all,” Fred worries.

  Daphne reaches out to touch the glimmering colors. Fred tries to grab her hand, but he’s not fast enough to stop her. They hit the mysterious light together.

  Instantly all the oxygen around them is sucked away. All the light disappears. Fred and Daphne think for a second that they are in outer space—without spacesuits! In the blink of an eye, it is over.

  But then Fred and Daphne realize they are not on the ship!

  Fred and Daphne find themselves standing in the middle of a street. The street is unlike any they have ever seen! Vehicles zoom around them, trying not to hit them. The vehicles have no wheels. They fly through the air!

  “Jeepers! Where are we?” Daphne shouts in alarm.

  She and Fred jump out of the path of a speeding vehicle and onto the sidewalk. But the sidewalk is unfamiliar too—it moves!

  “The doorway transported us!” Fred concludes. “We’re on another world!”

  Fred points to the sky. Daphne looks up and sees two bright suns.

  Press here.

  “Ahhhh! Monsters!” someone shrieks. Fred and Daphne look around. They don’t see any monsters, but they do see the alien natives of this world. A small alien points at Fred and Daphne and shrieks, “Ahhhh! Monsters!”

  “It thinks we’re monsters,” Fred realizes.

  “Jeepers, that’s a switch,” Daphne says.

  “Don’t worry, little guy . . . er, girl . . . er, whatever you are. We won’t hurt you,” Fred says and tries to make a friendly gesture.

  The small alien screams. A larger alien smacks Fred with something that looks sort of like a purse.

  “Our party costumes aren’t helping.” Daphne decides. “Let’s get out of here!”

  Press here.

  Velma digs into the pockets of her “mad scientist” costume. She rummages around until she pulls out a small makeup mirror.

  “Really? You’re worried about your makeup now?” Smolder says.

  “Watch and learn,” Velma calmly replies.

  Velma twists the mirror so that it catches the light of the sun. The blinding beam hits the eyes of the monster. The kraken drops its victims from its tentacles and tries to scrub the irritating light from its orbs. Then it reaches for the source.

  “Now would be a good time, Max! Where’s the portal?” Velma yells.

  “Coming right up!” Smolder shouts. “I hope!”

  Press here.

  Shaggy feels something poke him in the back. It’s the handle of a walk-in refrigerator. Shaggy pulls open the stainless steel door.

  “In here, Scoobs!” Shaggy shouts to his pal.

  The friends run into the giant refrigerator.

  “Like, this fridge is bigger than my bedroom,” says Shaggy. “And there’s enough food for the whole cruise ship.”

  Shaggy and Scooby are so dazzled by the sight that they almost forget the danger behind them.

  “Shut the door, Scoobs!” Shaggy shouts. They close the giant door just in time. The angry ghost bangs against the outside. Shaggy and Scooby pile crates of vegetables and fruit against the steel door to form a barricade.

  “Rat rought to rop him!” Scooby says confidently.

  Suddenly the door flies open!

  “Ruh-roh!” Scooby gulps.

  Press here.

  “Like, we forgot that the refrigerator door opens outward,” Shaggy realizes. “We’re doomed!”

  Scooby grabs a paw full of tomatoes from one of the vegetable crates. He throws them at the sea ghost. Shaggy tosses some apples and oranges.

  “Here, have a few fruits and veggies with your seaweed salad!” Shaggy shouts.

  The vegetables pile up on the ghost’s head. Soon the stack is a foot high! Now the ghost looks more like a tropical dancer than a fearsome spook. The veggies are so heavy that the phantom cannot keep its balance. It staggers to the left. It staggers to the right.

  Then, its mask falls off!

  “Rit’s a rake!” Scooby realizes.

  “Like, why am I not surprised?” Shaggy sighs.

  “You’ve discovered my secret, but you’ll never live to tell about it!” the fake ghost says. He rushes at Shaggy and Scooby with the trident.

  “Zoinks! He’s going to make a kebab out of us!” Shaggy yelps.

  “Ri know a reat re
cipe!” Scooby says. He pitches pineapples, pears, and plums at the sharp points of the weapon. The prongs fill with fruit, from base to tips. Scooby grins at his creation. “Rummy!”

  “There are other ways to get rid of you meddlers!” the false ghost declares, throwing the useless trident to the floor.

  “This is the end, for sure!” Shaggy moans as he and Scooby hug each other goodbye. They close their eyes and wait for the end.

  BONK! THUD! Shaggy and Scooby yelp at the sounds. Then they realize the noises have nothing to do with them. They pry open their eyes and see . . .

  “Daphne!” Shaggy gasps. She holds a heavy frying pan. The fake ghost lies at her feet.

  “I’ve been looking for you guys,” she says. “And I think I found you just in time.”

  “Ooohhh, you’ve ruined my perfect scheme,” the ghost man moans. “I wanted the Magical Mystery Cruise to fail. The cruise line fired me and I wanted revenge.”

  “Like, you’re getting jail time instead,” Shaggy observes. “And I’m getting a snack!”

  THE END

  To follow another path, press here.

  Fred is ready to run for his life! Then he sees that the monsters aren’t moving.

  “Statues!” Fred realizes. “They’re like the one I found out in the cargo hold. But what are they doing in this secret room? And what’s a secret room doing on the cruise ship?”

  The mystery of the monsters makes Fred very curious. He inspects the room carefully.

  “I recognize these creatures. They’re from my favorite movies, and they were all designed by one man!” Fred says. He sees a portrait hanging on the wall. It portrays a dignified gentleman wearing a white lab coat. “Dr. Donald Von Lamkey!”