Chapter 26: Find Billy, but Billy found help

“Scooby, you know where we need to search here?”

“Yes. Beyond the babbling brook.”

They looked with all four calling the boy’s name.

Twenty minutes later Scooby perked up.

“You found something pal?”

“Yes. A small child.”

Daphne smiled. “Great.”

“Not so sure about that. There are two others with him.”

“How’s Billy?”

“He does not smell too afraid. But I have felt him happier.”

“Scooby is real good at sensing things.” He told Daphne.

The other girls decided the best idea was to act like they were looking for him rather than act like they already knew he was there. “Billy?” Lori called out.

Ashley added. “Are you there?”

“Over here!” A male voice called out.

“He’s okay.” A female voice reassured them.

Actually, more like tried to reassure them.

Alone of all the searchers, Daphne recognized the voices.

Megan and Brad. Next to the stalkers and possibly Satan the people she least wanted to meet out in the woods.

Daphne surged forward. “Leave him alone!”

The others followed her out.

Megan held her hands out empty.

“That’s easy for you to do. You still have Brad.”

“Step away with Billy.” There was nothing of the free love hippie in Ashley’s voice.

“Billy, come here.” Lori was just as firm.

“What the hell are you two doing with him? Haven’t you two caused enough trouble?? Daphne demanded.

Megan knew she was unhappy with Brad and her. But this was too much. “Really, we going to do this now? With him present?” She indicated the child.

“Amazing. You can be right about something.” Daphne snarked. “Shaggy?”

Shaggy knew what was being asked. “Scooby, take Billy back to his parents.”

Billy looked resisting.

“Now.” The firm tone he used surprised Daphne. He looked like a hippie. That tone belonged to a drill sergeant.

“Scooby had only heard that voice a few times before. Each of those times had been trouble. One of those times he was still trying to forget. “Come on Billy.”

Billy let himself be led away by the dog.

Now left in the clearing were two groups of people.

On one side was Brad and Megan. They stood close to each other. Each looked like they had something to say.

On the other side was Daphne, Lori, Shaggy and Ashley. One looked like she had a lot to say. The others looked ready to support her.

It seemed the conversational version of a Mexican standoff.

Finally Megan spoke. “I need to know. Why are you against this?”

“Why?” Daphne did not know she could be more shocked. “Why?? You want to know why??? Why I object to being fixed up? Did it ever occur to anybody I was happy as I was when they started this??”

The look on her cousin’s face showed it clearly did not. “You can’t possibly be happy like that. going around in a van with a nerd and jock.”

“Why not? We go around seeing new things and helping people in need. We even have fun doing it.”

“Doing it? I bet you do that with them too.” In many interesting places.

Daphne managed not to grin knowingly at that. She knew that would be an interesting confession. “What? Traveling around helping people is not a good thing to do with my life?”

Megan pulled loose from Brad and started to pace.

The others tensed up and kept a close eye on her.

The locals repositioned themselves so they could better protect Daphne.

“Not a good thing? Not a good thing??” The pacing girl repeated. “Of course, it’s not a good thing. It’s completely wrong. You’re a Blake. You are above such things. If we care enough about things, we hire people to do it for us and attend charity auctions to look good supporting them. It’s our job to look good and marry people in the same wealthy class as us.”

“There not too many of those.”

“Finding an appropriate husband is the only hard work a Blake woman is supposed to do.”

Daphne took a deep breath to really let loose. Then stopped. She looked between Brad and Megan and smiled. “Work finding a husband.”

“Right.”

“Easy on the eyes?”

“Correct.”

“And remarkably rich too. We can’t forget that.”

“Yes. You have it at last.” It’s a pity Megan was not paying attention to how Daphne was saying those words.

Because now she sprung the trap. “Great. You are single, so you must be looking. You can marry Brad then. You have been looking at him a lot, so you must think he is easy on the eyes. And he is rich, or you would be trying to set me up with him. Great news. The only work you think you should do is over.”

Megan stared in shock.

“Don’t think we missed you holding his hands earlier. Plenty of secluded areas around here. We can leave you two alone to seal the deal.”

Now Brad’s mouth dropped open in shock.

The locals gathered together at the edge of the glen. Daphne joined them. “Last bit of advice. Lose the two stalkers that hang out with you Brad. They probably expect you to share. Megan is better than that, right?”

The group left Brad and Megan in the glen.

Shaggy turned to Daphne. “That’s two down. We still have the worst two to avoid. We will keep you safe from them too.”

“That will be harder. They will not listen to reason. I doubt they ever met reason.”

Ashley could believe that. We are back to which cabin do we go to?

Daphne considered again.

What did Daphne decide?

Go to Shaggy’s cabin: chapter 39

Go to Ashley cabin: chapter 40

Go to Lori’s cabin: chapter 41