We follow Daphne and her new friends, chapter 08

The three of them continued to talk in Mindy’s cabin for a bit. Finally, they were as much at ease with each other as was likely possible.

Daphne yawned. “Sorry. This has not been the best night for me.”

They understood. The two hippies did not have many enemies. But they would not have wished this night on anybody.

Mindy stood. “You can take a nap here.”

“What???” Daphne was shocked.

Shaggy stood up and moved back to the bedroom door.

“That’s right. You can nap on the bed. I’ll sit on the chair and watch in here.”

“And I will watch the front room. I’ll even call Scooby. I know you will not want a man watching you sleep in here after tonight’s events.”

Daphne nodded at that. “Thanks for the offer. But can’t we leave now?”

“Not if we want to escape safely. We’ll both need to be awake for the long drive.”

“Won’t calling Scooby from here give us away?”

Mindy considered the other girl’s question. “Maybe it could. I’m not sure. Perhap’s Scooby knows me too.”

“Like right. Then we’ll take shifts. Tomorrow we will take a back route between the cabin and the parking lot where my van is.”

“Right, I’ll get him.” Mindy left the cabin, walked a distance away and called “Scooby! We need you!”

It took a short time, but the dog appeared. He did so much quieter than most people would think he had a right to. Fortunately Scooby and Shaggy had been exploring this area for years. Peaceful woods with friendly people relaxed the two greatly.

And their lives had been getting more stressful recently.

Mindy bent down to whisper. “Shaggy needs you to help us with a problem.”

Such was the dog’s faith in Shaggy that he did not even ask. He just did a ‘lead on’ gesture with one of his front paws.

The two moved quickly back into the cabin.

“Shaggy?” Scooby sniffed a bit. Ah there he was. With another woman? He sniffed again a little harder. A stranger too. Smelled different than the women here.

“In here pal.”

Scooby went into the back room.

Daphne now saw one of the biggest dogs she had ever looked at. It looked like a great Dane. But the spots were not quite right. Like some sort of mixed breed.

“Shaggy? New friend?”

“Not like that. She has problems and I said we can help.”

Now the redhead knew the dog was a mixed breed. But what possible mixing with a great Dane could produce a talking dog?

Scooby looked between them, then stared at her. It was as if the dog was reading her soul. Then he nodded. “We’ll be glad to.”

“Good. She’s going to sleep in Mindy’s bed. I need you to help me watch out here. Mindy will keep a lookout in her room.”

Their precautions were good but unneeded.

Daphne slept undisturbed. She woke up to breakfast smells. She quickly dressed moved out to the sitting room. Shaggy was working the stove just to the side. “Smells good.”

“Figured you’d want the food. Usually we all eat together. Mindy reminded me it would better to feed us all and head off.”

“Probably right about that.”

They ate.

Daphne was surprised to see Scooby had table manners.

Afterwards Mindy collected the dishes to be washed. “Any ideas which way you three will go?”

“Us three?”

“Yes. You, Scooby and Shaggy. I’m going to go find some of the security on duty this morning and send them out to help you.”

“Daphne finished her breakfast. Why does a hippie commune need security?”

“Well some of the stuff we grow for private use would fetch a pretty penny on the city streets. And free love does not mean anybody can just take somebody here. Both have to want it. Some of the adult visitors have trouble understanding that.”

“Makes sense.”

“How about the lost trail?” Scooby suggested.

“Sounds good. And it is not used that much. It’s mostly gone to seed.”

“Okay.” Mindy nodded. “You three go that way. I’ll tell our friends. If you don’t see them on the trail, I’ll have somebody meet you at your van.”

The four split into their two groups and headed off.

Thirty minutes later Shaggy pushed a couple branches aside. “We’re here. The Lost Trail.”

Daphne looked about. It did not look too overgrown. She could still clearly see the edges. “This is it?”

“Yep. Used to be much clearer, less undergrowth. You ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

The three started down the trail. Some parts were almost pristine. Other parts looked like nobody had been there in at least three years. They could hear the birds singing and the rustle of the occasional animal.

Of course they meet somebody. Who?

Chapter 16: They meet a local

Chapter 17: They meet trouble

Chapter 18: They meet a couple