chapter 25: Find Billy

“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.”

They moved ahead slowly. No one wanted to make any sudden or loud noises. They thought they knew where Billy was now. They had no desire to spook him into running.

Finally, Scooby held up his paw.

Everybody stopped.

Shaggy quietly moved up to friend. Through the bushes he could see Billy sitting in the clearing. “You or me buddy?”

“I will.” The dog answered.

“Alright. We’ll wait here.”

Scooby moved out slowly.

Billy did not react much at the noise. Then again her was in a forest. Animals making noise were common here.

Scooby now made a little more noise that he would. He had no intention of scaring the child.

Billy spun around. He readied himself to make a dash. He did not know where yet. He was looking for peace in nature. Almost to commune with it in a spiritual sense. Strange noises were no part of his plans for tonight.

Scooby moved slowly.

Billy turned and saw him. “Scooby? Why are you out here?”

Scooby just gave him a look.

Billy sighed. “Let me guess. They panicked again.”

Scooby still stood quietly.

“Is it so wrong?”

He gave a quiet bark. It was not an answer to Billy.

It was a call.

Shaggy and the group came out slowly. They were careful to make no sudden moves.

Billy looked at the group. “Were all of you out looking for me?”

“Yes.” Lori told him.

Shaggy looked at the recently relocated child. “Not just us.”

“Pretty much the entire camp.” Ashley said. “Again.”

Daphne looked over at the child. Billy appeared somewhere between eight and ten years old. His outfit was practically pristine. It looked like more like had been taking an evening stroll. Not wandering the forest at night. He was dressed comfortably for a walk. He even had a walking stick and a pouch. “Billy, is it?”

“Yes. I recognize the others. Who are you?”

“I’m Daphne.”

“You must be new here.”

“You could say that. Mind if I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Billy sounded confused.

“Why do you do this? From what I heard, this is not your first time running.”

He turned and gave her a look. “Running? They tell you I was running away?”

“Well, yes.” Shaggy answered

“Well I’m not.”

It was comforting to daphne that kids were kids even on a hippie commune. “Relax. Let me.”

Cautiously, they did.

“Well, Billy, did you tell them you were going out?”

“Well, no.”

“And your parents do care, right? Even if they could show it better at times, right?”

“I suppose so.”

“Put yourself in their shoes. What would you do?”

“Probably have the entire commune out looking.”

“Right.” Daphne indicated the others. “Can you really be disappointed they found you? Shouldn’t you be happy they cared enough to help?”

Billy took the time to consider her points. “Makes sense.”

“Based on this, what should we do next?”

“Return to the camp. Maybe I can try to explain to my parents… again.”

She looked at the three of them. “Leads us to the question of which one?”

“Mine’s near the kitchens. Likely to be the area they would use for rallying people and resupplying them.” Shaggy announced.

Lori looked at Billy. “Mine is closer to the area his parents live.”

Billy nodded at that. “Yeah. They moved to a cabin in the family area once I was born.”

“Makes sense.” Ashley said. “We need you to have some idea who you are and what you want to be. Then when you have unrestricted access to the commune you want not lose yourself.”

“Mine is not convenient for either of those. But it is closer to where we are now.”

Daphne nodded. “And we still need to go to one of those places anyway. Remember?”

The other girls did remember. They also remembered Billy was still too young for a blunt description of why they were traveling to one of the cabins.

Daphne turned to Billy. “Okay. You choose.”

“Well Shaggy’s cabin is out. I don’t want to deal with the lectures in front of everybody.”

“So is it Ashley’s or Lori’s cabin we go to?”

Billy chooses Ashley’s cabin, go to chapter 37

Billy chooses Lori’s cabin, go to chapter 38