The Witch's Ghost: chapter 3

Ben kept leading them over and showed them the malevolent like place. "Well, here we are..."

"Wow..." Cherry whispered as she went closer, but nearly tripped. "Whup!"

Ben helped her up. "Careful now... You're a little clumsy..."

"Yeah..." Cherry smiled nervously.

'Someone has a crush on Ben Ravencroft.' Atticus thought.

Cherry looked to Atticus. "I know what you're thinking..." she looked annoyed with him.

"I don't know what you're talking about Cherry." Atticus said innocently.

Cherry rolled her eyes. "Please..."

Atticus then began to look around. Ben let them inside to explore.

"Wow, so this is where it all started?" Velma beamed.

"Yes, I wrote all my early novels here," Ben smiled. "Now I spend most of my time in Europe, but I come back once a year to recharge my batteries."

Cherry looked to the 1980's computer at the desk with a smile. Atticus looked at everything that Ben had in his studio. Ben allowed Cherry to sit down at the computer and type away.

"That looks like fun." Velma smiled to the girl.

"You have some cool things here, Ben." Fred smiled.

"I'll say!" Daphne added as she looked at the posters of his books on the wall.

"Yeah," Atticus said as he continued to look around. He then saw a portrait of a young woman, holding a book and she had long raven hair and looked friendly. "Mr. Ravencroft, is this your ancestor?" he asked while pointing to the portrait.

Ben took a look and smiled. "Yes, indeed... I think it was painted by a grateful patient. Of course, she wasn't popular with the town's doctors. Sarah was nontraditional with her approach to medicine, she was a Wiccan."

"Say what?" Fred asked.

"I've read about them," Daphne replied. "Wiccans were people who were in tune with the forces of nature and used them for healing purposes."

"Show-Off..." Cherry grumbled that Ben gave his attention to them instead of her.

"In fact the word witch comes from Wiccan." Atticus said.

"I'm impressed." Ben smiled with what Daphne and Atticus knew.

Velma then put in her own knowledge, seeming to want Ben's attention then too.

"She also knew a woman who helped her sometimes," Ben said. "I believe she was called Mabeline Youngblood."

"Hey, that's my grandma's grandmother!" Cherry spoke up.

"Well, it seems you and I have more in common than we think." Ben smiled to her.

'That's cool that they have something in common.' Atticus thought.

Cherry nudged Atticus again. "Stop that!"

"You know it's funny," Ben smiled. "Doing research on Sarah and the Wiccans led me to read almost everything about the world of superstition. That's how I started writing stories to frighten people."

"Cool." Atticus said.

"I think I'm going to visit the puritan village, they say that Sarah is going to make an appearance, anyone wanna come with?" Ben asked.

"Sure, maybe Shaggy and Scooby will come too." Velma agreed.

"Gosh, visit a ghost?" Cherry clung to Ben to look like an ailing Southern Bell. "My, Ben.... I might get scared..."

Ben chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be fine, little lady." He ruffled up her hair gently, then went to Fred and Daphne for approval.

Cherry looked dizzy. "He touched my hair..." she whispered to herself.

'Someone defiantly has a crush on Ben Ravencroft.' Atticus thought as he saw the expression on Cherry's face.

"I want to find Sarah's journal," Ben stated his business about the book he had been searching for. "That way I can prove to people she was a Wiccan healer and not a witch after she was falsely arrested 400 years ago."

"And I hope she tells you where it is so you can find it to prove everyone that she wasn't an evil witch." Atticus said.

"That would be most good, everyone is meeting tonight to visit her spirit." Ben looked to the boy.

"We'll be there," Fred stated bravely. "We better see Scooby and Shaggy to see if they would be willing to go."

"Good luck with that, we'll go to the diner." Daphne suggested.

Velma looked to Ben. "You coming with us?"

"I better go in advance, I'll meet you all there." Ben said to them.

"I'll go and see if they want to go too." Atticus said, joining them.

"I-I'll go with Mr. Ravencroft..." Cherry volunteered herself, blushing slightly.

"Suit yourself." Fred shrugged, then began to leave with Daphne, Velma, and Atticus.

Velma looked eager to stay with Ben too, but she went with her gang anyway.

"How much food do you think they've eaten already?" Atticus asked them while they were making their way to Scooby and Shaggy.

"Probably the whole diner by now." Fred chuckled.

"Well, let's hope the chef there isn't out of food so he can keep them eating and keep them happy." Atticus chuckled.

Daphne opened the door as a man ran out of the diner, looking disgusted. She then found there friends and laughed a little as Scooby and Shaggy kept eating. "Is there anything left in the kitchen?"

"I'll be right back, boys," Jake, the owner, rushed over with his coat and hat. "I gotta make a run to the market." He ran off out of the diner to buy more food for the two.

"It's getting dark, guys," Fred said to Scooby and Shaggy. "Lets see if that ghost makes an appearance."

"Like, we'd love to, but we haven't had our dessert yet." Shaggy explained.

"Reah, reah!" Scooby agreed.

Atticus's stomach began to growl. "Maybe I could stay with them," he said to Fred and then whispered. "Besides, then maybe me, Shaggy, and Scooby could meet the ghost of Mr. Ravencroft's ancestor, Sarah Ravencroft."

"Only if you want to, Atticus," Velma smiled.

"After you finish, meet us at the puritan village," Daphne told the boys. "Ben and Cherry have already gone ahead."

"Like, if the ghost gets there first, just start screaming without us." Shaggy chuckled as he allowed Atticus to sit with him and Scooby.

"Scooby's about to eat your chicken." Atticus said seeing the dog about the food in Shaggy's hand.

Shaggy pulled his chicken away, slightly glaring at the still hungry dog. He then looked to Atticus. "You want some?"

"Sure, but not too much, watching my weight." Atticus said, joining the two.

"We'll see you later then." Velma waved to the boys, then walked off to meet Fred and Daphne to the village.

Shaggy and Scooby chuckled as they ate with him and decided to get to know him better.