Chapter Text
Outside of an old decrepit looking mansion somewhere in the Southwestern United States, a black hooded figure stands in the shadows; the figure looks around and has a somewhat relieved look on his face, after which he walks up to the door of the mansion and opens it; the man then walks through the house thinking, or possibly looking for something, he then makes his way through the mansion and heads downstairs towards the basement of the house, he opens the large wooden door and walks into the dark dusty cobweb filled room.
He next makes his way towards a large safe at the back of the room, next he enters the combination and unlocks the safe; the figure then reaches into the steel container and pulls out a sinister looking red and gray box with a stone lid, he then places the box on a stone pedestal in the middle of the room and rubs his hands together in the way that someone would if they were looking forward to something; the figure then sets up a few miscellaneous items around the room and then departs the basement.
He then smiles and chuckles to himself as he leaves the basement, next he walks upstairs and heads through the house, afterwards the figure then walks through the door leaving it unlocked and gets in a small black automobile, he starts it up and drives away, as the figure drives away he turns on the radio and relaxes; the large mansion is calm at the present but soon four children and two bloodhounds will enter the house and become involved in one of the biggest mysteries of their lives.
Inside the garage of a small suburban house which doubles as the unofficial clubhouse and headquarters of the group of teenage detectives known as the Clue Club; Larry one of the male members of the group and the unofficial leader of the agency looks over the shoulder of Dottie, one of the female members of the agency and the youngest of the four human members of the group as she works on a small gadget with a screwdriver.
"So Dottie, what are you up to?" Larry asked.
"Oh not much, just fiddling with one of the wrist communicators" Dottie responded.
"Why?" Pepper asked looking confused.
"Well, I've figured out a way to improve the reception of the communicators in buildings and other structures" Dottie replied.
"Wow, so they'll work better when we're investigating indoors just as well as they do outdoors?" D.D. asked.
"Sure will" Dottie responded.
"Cool, it'll sure help us when we have to solve another mystery" Larry replied.
The ringing of a nearby telephone interrupts the Clue Club's conversation however; Larry walks over to the ringing phone and answers it.
"Clue Club, Larry speaking how can we help you?" he answered.
"Larry?" asked a voice over the phone.
"Yes this is he" Larry replied.
"This is Sheriff Bagley" the voice answered.
"Oh hi sheriff, what's up?" Larry asked.
"Well Larry I may have a case for you and the rest of you Clue Clubbers" Sheriff Bagley replied.
"Like what?" Larry wondered.
"Well it's kind of unusual" Sheriff Bagley replied.
"Whatever it is sheriff I'm sure we can handle it; by the way would it be alright if I put you on speakerphone so the rest of the gang can hear you?" Larry asked.
"Go right ahead Larry" Sheriff Bagley replied.
Larry walked over to the phone and flipped a small switch on the phone to the on position.
"OK Sheriff you're on speakerphone now so go ahead" Larry remarked.
"Well as I said before the case is an unusual one in this regard, I'm sure you Clue Clubbers remember the old mansion on the outskirts of town" Sheriff Bagley commented.
"Sure I remember it" Dottie commented.
"To be exact it's the old Primrose estate and no one has lived there for over fifteen years" Sheriff Bagley explained.
"Hmm, if no one's lived there for fifteen years than why would there be a mystery there?" D.D. wondered aloud.
"Good question D.D. and I can tell you exactly what's been going on there; for the past six months there has been some strange things happening in that area, also for the last few days we've had reports of break-ins at the mansion" Sheriff Bagley continued.
"But what's strange about a break-in?" Larry asked.
"The strange part is the reports said that nothing was taken from the place and that apparently someone was in the house moving something around or looking for something" Sheriff Bagley remarked.
"That is pretty strange" Pepper remarked.
"Yeah why would anybody break into a house and not steal anything" Dottie added.
"Beats me gang but I think we do have a mystery on our hands, Sheriff Bagley we'll gladly take the case" Larry commented.
"Terrific, how long do you think it will take you to get out there?" Sheriff Bagley asked.
"About 10 minutes, by the way are you at the mansion currently sheriff?" Larry asked.
"Sure am, I'll be looking forward to seeing all of you" Sheriff Bagley said.
"Right Sheriff, we'll be there before you can say Mystery Solved" Larry replied; with that the brown haired teen sleuth hung up the telephone as he and the rest of the gang discussed their newest mystery and how they were going to go about solving it.
"Larry, do you really think we can solve this mystery? I mean it sure sounds like a pretty difficult case to me" Pepper asked.
"Of course we can Pepper, besides we've handled tougher cases then this one" Larry replied.
"Yeah Pepper; you know, I actually don't think this case sounds all that difficult, it sounds like a simple investigation of a break in to me" D.D. commented.
But unbeknownst to D.D., he would be quite wrong as the Clue Club was about to embark on the first step of undoubtedly the most difficult and possibly most dangerous case of their careers.
So after being told the details of their newest case, Larry, Pepper, D.D., Dottie, Woofer and Wimper all piled into the Clue Car and headed for the Primrose Mansion at the outskirts of town.
After driving for some time the Clue Club arrived outside of the gothic looking house; as they arrived Larry could see that Sheriff Bagley's police car was still parked outside.
The gang exited their vehicle and walked over to meet the Sheriff, who unlike the previous times they had seen each other, was actually quite happy to see the teenage sleuths and their canines.
"Hi Sheriff Bagley" Larry said greeting their friend.
"Oh, hi Larry" Sheriff Bagley replied.
"So this is where the break-ins happened?" Larry asked.
"Yep, this is the place" Sheriff Bagley replied.
"So what do we do now?" D.D. asked.
"What else, get inside the mansion and look for clues" Larry replied.
"Good idea Larry, come on let's get going" Sheriff Bagley commented.
With that Larry, Pepper, D.D., Dottie, Woofer and Wimper, along with Sheriff Bagley started towards the front entrance to the immense mansion; however as the mansion came into view, one of the sleuths, specifically the bespectacled member of the group became quite nervous.
The Primrose Mansion consisted of two floors, with large stone statues which looked to be gargoyles atop the roof and a series of columns attached to the roof of the house; overall the mansion looked like the typical kind of place that you would find in stories or films about ghosts or other supernatural beings or creatures, at first glance it would also seem to be similar to a house that belonged in Victorian England or Transylvania and not in the Southwest United States.
As the group of teenage sleuths and their canines walked up to the door it became apparent that one of the members of the group did not want to enter the estate at all and it was also apparent that this person didn't want anything to do with the mansion whatsoever.
"That's the mansion?" D.D. asked.
"Yep, that's the place" Sheriff Bagley commented.
"It certainly is a big place" Pepper replied.
"Yeah, big and creepy, not to mention it reminds me of one of Count Dracula's summer houses; do we really have to go in there?" D.D. asked.
"Yes we do, you chicken" Pepper replied scolding him.
"Right, come in gang, let's go inside" Larry explained.
With that Larry rang the doorbell of the mysterious mansion, which sounded like the sounds of several ghosts moaning; while this was going on D.D. quickly scrambled behind Pepper and decided to cower behind the blonde teenager.
"What's the matter Sherlock Chicken?" Pepper asked.
"Th-th-that doorbell! It sounds like something from a nightmare I had once, only worse" D.D. replied nervously.
"You know D.D. there's nothing really to be afraid of, some people have unusual doorbells, some people don't, it's not really anything to be worried about" Larry explained.
"Yeah I know; but the question is, does whoever or whatever's inside that creepy place know that too?" the light brown haired teen replied with a troubled look on his face.
"D.D. I'm sure whoever or whatever's inside probably doesn't care about us, or doesn't care that we're visiting; now let's just get inside and look for clues" Pepper commented.
"She's right, now come on gang let's head inside and start our investigation" Larry explained.
With that Larry, D.D., Pepper, Dottie, Woofer and Wimper entered the living room/foyer of the mysterious gothic looking mansion; the Primrose estate's living room featured a dark brown sofa in a corner of the room, six or seven large armchairs, rocking chairs along with a couple dozen paintings and other pieces of artwork which adorned the hallways and walls of the combination foyer and living room.
The group of teenage sleuths and their canine members, now minus their friend in law enforcement who explained to them that he needed to return to his office were keeping their eyes peeled for anything strange or unusual, of course in a mansion like the one that the Clue Club were currently inside, you never knew when something like that would happen.
After a few moments inside the foyer it became clear to the four youngsters and their bloodhounds that the mansion's size was going to be a problem when it came down to looking for clues to the mystery that had been presented to them, a fact that was confirmed as the blonde female member of the group spoke up.
"Larry, this mansion is so big, how on earth are we ever going to find any clues?" Pepper wondered aloud.
"Simple, we split up; that way we can cover more ground" Larry explained.
"I guess that's a good idea" D.D. replied.
"OK, Dottie, Woofer, Wimper and I will search the upstairs and Pepper, you and D.D. search the downstairs and the grounds, and make sure to check everything, got it?" Larry explained.
"S-sure come on Pepper" D.D. said with a trembling sound to his voice.
With that the trembling, cowering bespectacled investigator followed his female companion down a nearby hallway and out of sight of the rest of the Clue Club as Larry, Dottie and the two bloodhounds prepared to search the upstairs portion of the estate.
"Well short stuff, I guess we better get started" Larry remarked.
"Yeah, you're right, come on Woofer and Wimper" Dottie replied as she motioned for the two canines of the group to follow behind her and Larry.
The two young investigators along with their bloodhounds walked towards a large winding staircase which was to the left of the group as they surveyed the room; after a few seconds the four sleuths, both human and canine began walking up the staircase, however even for the youngest member of the group in Dottie, walking up this staircase felt like running a marathon as she, Larry, Woofer and Whimper counted the steps in their minds, which at the moment might have well numbered hundreds or thousands.
"Larry?" Dottie asked while attempting to catch her breath.
"What Dottie?" Larry replied.
"I think, I think whoever built this house must have been a big exercise freak, because it feels like we've walked across the equivalent of from Seattle, Washington to New York" Dottie explained, feeling somewhat winded.
"I hate to say it Dottie, but I think you're right" Larry replied feeling equally winded.
"I'm with them Woofer, my paws are on fire right now" Wimper commented.
"Oh don't be such a cry baby; it's not that bad; besides you don't hear me complaining do you?" Woofer asked.
"No, I guess not" Whimper commented.
"See, that's what separates us: you're always complaining and I am built like an athlete, I never get tired and I never complain" Woofer replied.
"Yeah, sure you don't" Wimper commented.
"Oh, never mind!" Woofer said somewhat impatiently.
After walking for what seemed like several years Dottie, Larry, Woofer and Whimper discovered that they had found their way up the stairs and had arrived in a hallway on the second floor of the mansion.
"Phew, am I glad we made it" Dottie commented.
"Yeah me too, now we can start really looking for clues as to why there have been so many break ins at this house" Larry replied.
With that the two adolescent investigators began walking down the main hall of the upstairs portion of the estate with the group's two bloodhounds in tow and close behind; however after a few minutes the group noticed a black haired man wearing a dark grey shirt, brown slacks and black shoes coming out of a room on the right side of the hallway; Larry, the unofficial leader of the group happened to notice the man coming out of the room and despite the fact that along with Dottie, Woofer and Wimper had just walked up a large staircase a few minutes ago and was still a little winded, decided to do what any red blooded American teenager would do in a situation like this.
"Hey there's somebody in there, come on gang after him!" Larry remarked.
The Clue Club then went sprinting towards the figure and attempted to capture him; the teenage sleuths ended up following him into a small room at the end of the hall, after that Larry went right at the man and ending up tackling the figure to the ground.
"Hey, what's going on here?" the figure asked with a grumble.
"We were just about to ask you the same question" Larry remarked.
"Well first I wouldn't mind knowing who tackled me to the ground" the man asked.
"Oh sorry about that, my name's Larry, this is Dottie and these are our bloodhounds: Woofer and Wimper, the other two members of our group D.D. and Pepper are around here somewhere" Larry explained.
"Group?" the man asked.
"Yes, we're a detective agency, we solve mysteries for a living" Larry explained.
"How interesting; you know you kids just may be able to help me out" the man replied.
"Oh, how so and exactly who are you?" Larry asked.
"Let me introduce myself, my name is Stephen Brown, maybe you've heard of me; I'm an expert in the supernatural and the occult, I study ghosts, ghouls, specters, vampires, witches, monsters and anything else that's involved with the paranormal or supernatural" the man explained.
"Of course I've heard of you, you're one of the world's most foremost experts in your field" Dottie replied.
"Why thank you young lady, it's good to know I have fans that are of a younger age" Mr. Brown remarked
"Mr. Brown exactly what are you doing here inside this mansion?" Larry asked curiously.
"Yes, Sheriff Bagley mentioned that there have been numerous break-ins reported here and that no one has lived here for almost fifteen years" Dottie remarked.
"Oh yes, that; well you see I live in a refurbished castle about fifty miles from here which was imported stone by stone from Europe, that is where I do most of my work involving the supernatural and the occult, for the past few months now I have been monitoring my spectral locating equipment and I have noticed that there is a large amount of spectral activity coming from this very area" Mr. Brown explained.
"And all of that activity has been coming from this mansion correct?" Dottie asked.
"Yes young lady, you are correct" Mr. Brown replied.
"I figured as much" Dottie remarked.
"Mr. Brown, I'm a bit skeptical when it comes to ghosts and the supernatural; now I'm not saying I believe all of this but if I did, what kind of activity are we talking about?" Larry asked.
"I'm not entirely sure myself Larry, but I believe that someone or something has been moving around in the mansion and I also believe that someone or something is looking for the Chest of Demons" Mr. Brown explained.
"Chest of Demons? that sounds kinda creepy" Wimper remarked.
"What's so scary about an old chest?" Woofer said asking his fellow bloodhound.
"Well, anything with a name like that seems scary to me" Wimper replied.
"Oh it's just your imagination Wimp old buddy" Woofer remarked.
"Mr. Brown, what exactly is this Chest of Demons?" Larry asked.
"Well you see the story of the chest is a bit of an old one which began many years ago; the owners and most recent inhabitants of this mansion were Jonathan and Laura Primrose, they were married for fifty years and spent most of their lives traveling the world; I guess you could call them modern day adventurers and one of their last ones which took place when they were in their seventies was traveling the globe to track down and capture the thirteen foulest ghosts, specters and phantoms in the world; once they finished their travels they locked the thirteen ghosts in the Chest of Demons and brought the chest here to this house, then they hid the chest somewhere in this house where it would stay for all eternity" Mr. Brown explained.
"Interesting, what happened after that?" Larry asked.
"However soon after that the ghosts from the chest placed a curse on Mr. And Mrs. Primrose and this mansion, for the next few months the Primroses were scared out of their wits as all manner of ghosts, demons, monsters and phantoms began haunting the estate; Mr. And Mrs. Primrose were quite perplexed by this and had no idea what to do to stop the hauntings, however they were unable to do so; for you see one night the couple stood at the top of the stairs and prepared to walk down into the kitchen to have a late snack but they did not get there, because two strange black shadowy figures appeared; the couple gasped at them and slowly walked backwards, but as they did so they tumbled down the stairs and after falling down the stairs they both became unconscious; the pair remained there for some time before the local authorities found them, as you might imagine the two of them were pronounced dead, if I recall correctly the couple's injuries is what killed them, mainly because their bones were broken and they suffered major brain injuries, which would have made them brain dead had they survived" Mr. Brown continued.
"Oh, how horrible" Dottie remarked with a gasp, considering she was only fourteen what Mr. Brown just told her and the rest of the Clue Club might just have been the most gruesome or frightening thing she had ever heard, although considering what she and her friends were in the midst of doing, more frightening things were to come in the future.
"Yes, as you might imagine it was quite a sensational story and was reported in various TV and radio newscasts around the country and the world as well as various newspapers for several weeks after it happened" Mr. Brown explained.
"Why would someone be looking for this chest, Mr. Brown?" Larry asked.
"Simple, whoever or whatever has been looking for the Chest of Demons knows that if it ever fell into the wrong hands those ghosts that were locked in the chest would be free to wreak havoc and destruction all over the world" Mr. Brown replied.
"Ah I get it, so that's why you came here: to make sure the chest is protected and to make sure that someone or something doesn't open the box, thereby setting the ghosts free" Dottie remarked.
"Yes that's correct, now while I understand that you kids don't believe in the supernatural and things of that nature I was hoping that you would help me make sure that the chest doesn't fall into the wrong hands" Mr. Brown remarked.
"Did you hear that Whimp old buddy, a famous expert in the supernatural needs our help" Woofer whispered to his fellow bloodhound.
"Do we have to?" Wimper asked.
"Why of course we have to, besides think of what could happen if we succeed; we'll be heroes old buddy, people will remember us for years to come, so what do you say Whimper let's help the guy" Woofer explained.
"I guess you're right, I would sure like being a hero" Whimper replied.
"See I told you so" Woofer commented.
"Mr. Brown, supernatural type mysteries aren't really our forte; you know there's a famous group of teenage detectives we know that could help you out" Larry commented.
"I know who you're talking about Larry, however I think it would be better if the Clue Club assisted me" Mr. Brown replied.
"We'll certainly think about it Mr. Brown" Larry remarked.
Larry walked over to where Dottie was standing and was joined by Woofer and Whimper; the two sleuths and the two canines began discussing their present situation.
"Well Larry, what do you think?" Dottie remarked with a whisper.
"Hmm, well part of me has always wanted to follow in the footsteps of Scooby Doo and his friends, after all if it weren't for all of them we might not be here right now; plus it'll be a new challenge for all of us" Larry commented.
"And now that I'm old enough to join you guys, I can go along with all of you to solve mysteries" Dottie replied.
"True, I think we should help Mr. Brown out; what do you think Dottie?" Larry asked.
"Sure, it sounds like fun to me" Dottie responded.
"What about you Woofer and Whimper?" Larry asked.
"Ruff, Ruff" barked the two bloodhounds in agreement.
"OK then it's all settled, we'll assist Mr. Brown in tracking down the Chest of Demons" Larry commented.
Larry and Dottie along with Woofer and Whimper walked back over to where their friend was standing.
"Mr. Brown we've thought it over and we would be more than happy to help you recover the chest" Larry explained.
"I just want to thank you kids and your dogs for offering to assist me; I assure you all your participation is greatly appreciated" Mr. Brown commented.
"You're welcome Mr. Brown and don't worry, with us on the job those so-called ghosts won't be bothering anyone" Larry remarked.
At this moment the combination wrist watch/communicator that Larry was wearing began beeping.
"Looks like somebody wants to talk to us" Larry said.
The teenage investigator then pushed a button and the small screen on the watch lit up, on it was none other than Sheriff Bagley.
"Hello sheriff, what's up?" Larry asked.
"Hi Larry; listen I'm back at the police station now, did you kids find out who's responsible for the break-ins?" Sheriff Bagley asked.
"Sure did, I'll even let you talk to him" Larry remarked.
"Hmm, alright put him on" Sheriff Bagley replied.
"Mr. Brown, our friend Sheriff Bagley wants to speak with you" Larry said.
"Very well" Mr. Brown replied.
"Hello, is this the person who was responsible for the break-ins?" Sheriff Bagley asked.
"Yes, my name is Stephen Brown and I was explaining to the Clue Club I broke into the mansion to make sure that no one stole the Chest of Demons" Mr. Brown replied.
"What is this Chest of Demons and why did you break in to stop some one from stealing it?" Sheriff Bagley asked.
"Very simple, I came here to make sure that it did not fall into the wrong hands; because if it does the entire world will be in significant danger" Mr. Brown explained.
"Hmm, from your description I would say that this chest is quite important" Sheriff Bagley commented.
"It is sheriff, and I have hired the Clue Club to protect it and make sure that no one opens it" Mr. Brown replied.
"That's good, all of them are very good at solving mysteries and I know that they will do a great job with this one" Sheriff Bagley remarked.
"Thank You Sheriff, I greatly appreciate your assistance" Mr. Brown replied.
"Now Mr. Brown, even though what you did was breaking and entering, technically I cannot arrest you because you didn't steal anything; also I looked up your information on the computer here at the station and this is your first offense, so no harm done and no hard feelings sir" Sheriff Bagley commented.
"You're quite welcome Sheriff" Mr. Brown responded.
"Larry, hopefully you and your friends will be successful in your case and I hope that you will let me know of your exploits, OK?" Sheriff Bagley asked.
"Sure will Sheriff and thanks" Larry replied.
Larry switched off his wristwatch and prepared to speak with their newfound friend once more.
"I have plenty of electronic devices that I use for tracking the supernatural, but I have never seen something like that before, what is it?" Mr. Brown asked curious.
"Oh that, it's a special wristwatch communicator that I developed; we all have them plus they come quite in handy" Dottie explained.
"That is quite remarkable, I'm very impressed; tell me something young lady, did you really invent those?" Mr. Brown asked addressing Dottie.
"Sure did; I also helped build the radio equipment in the clubhouse, the computer screen in the Clue Car as well as a few other devices" Dottie explained.
"Wow that's quite impressive, and to think all that talent came from a young girl" Mr. Brown remarked.
"Hey I am fourteen after all" Dottie replied.
"That's true, and you've been a great help to all of us in the past and you will be in the future too" Larry said.
"Aw, thanks Larry" Dottie responded, as her cheeks began to turn a bright shade of crimson.
"Well since all that's settled, I think we better get started in finding the Chest of Demons" Larry remarked.
"Right, except for one thing" Mr. Brown replied.
"What's that?" Dottie wondered.
"We don't have any idea where the chest is" Larry commented.
"Well, there are a lot of rooms up here; let's start searching each of them" Mr. Brown explained.
"Good idea Mr. Brown; Woofer, you and Whimper search half the rooms while Dottie, Mr. Brown and myself will check the other half" Larry explained.
"Arf Arf" Woofer and Whimper said barking in agreement.
With that the two pairs of sleuths began walking in different directions to start their respective searches.
Meanwhile down in the basement of the old mansion Pepper and D.D. were searching around and weren't having much luck finding any clues.
"Pepper" D.D. remarked.
"What is it D.D.?" Pepper asked.
"What exactly are we looking for" D.D. replied.
"I'm not really sure, I would guess that we're looking for any kind of clue that would help us figure out what's going on around here" Pepper remarked.
"There's just one thing, if we find anything how will we know if it's a clue or not?" D.D. wondered.
"If we do find anything and it is a clue I'll let you know" Pepper replied.
The two detectives continued their search on opposite sides of the basement; Pepper was looking through an old trunk in the corner of the room when she called out to D.D.
"Hey D.D. come on over here I think I found something" Pepper remarked.
"Coming" D.D. replied.
Unseen to both of them a strange white luminous figure materialized behind Pepper.
"What did you find Pepper?" D.D. asked.
"I think it's some kind of family history or something similar" Pepper said leafing through the book.
"Looks like it to me, there's pictures of the family and a bunch of other stuff; according to this, the name of the family that used to live here was Primrose, although I guess that's why the mansion is called Primrose Mansion" D.D. replied.
"What a weird name for a family" Pepper commented.
"Why's that?" D.D. asked.
"I don't know, it just sounds creepy to me" Pepper replied.
"Doesn't sound creepy to me, and believe me I know creepy" D.D. commented.
"Just because you've watched a lot of old horror movies, that doesn't mean you know what's scary and what's not scary" Pepper replied.
"That's not it at all" D.D. remarked.
"OK, then what is it?" Pepper asked.
"Well, ok maybe it was what you said" D.D. commented.
"I thought so, now come on let's look for some more clues" Pepper remarked.
While D.D. and Pepper continued to look through the basement the strange figure remained behind them, however the two sleuths were still unaware that another presence was in the room with them; the figure slowly approached Pepper and stood in silence.
D.D. was searching for clues on one side of the room when he looked over to where Pepper was and gasped as he saw the figure standing behind her.
"P-Pepper!" D.D. said nervously.
"What is it D.D., can't you see I'm looking for clues" Pepper replied.
"L-look behind you!" D.D. commented.
"Look at what?" Pepper asked.
D.D. didn't answer, he just pointed at the spot where she was standing; Pepper looked behind her and gasped at ghostly figure that was staring her right in the face.
"Wh-who are you?" Pepper asked.
The figure did not answer, it simply continued to stand in front of Pepper; the strange transparent creature started to glow a pale shade of white and even though the room was for the most part dark the dreary basement was instantly illuminated by the figure's radiance.
"Pepper, I don't think it heard you" D.D. remarked.
"I know it heard me but just in case it didn't" Pepper replied.
"Let's get out of here!" D.D. exclaimed.
"Right!" Pepper replied.
The two of them ran out of the room just as fast as their feet could carry them; unfortunately the figure went through the door and followed right behind them.
"Jeez Louise, doesn't that creep believe in using doors?" Pepper remarked trying to catch her breath.
"Pepper, as some one once said: ours is not to reason why, ours is just to say goodbye!" D.D. exclaimed.
"I couldn't have said it any better myself, now let's get going" Pepper replied.
The two of them then continued running down the hallway trying to escape the strange luminous figure that was still following them; the pair of detectives made their way through the hallway running in and out of various doors with the strange creature nipping at their heels.
"That creep is still following us Pepper" D.D. remarked still trying to catch his breath.
"I'm aware of that D.D., we just have to figure out a plan to outwit that creep once and for all" Pepper replied.
"Like what?" D.D. asked.
"I don't know, but first we've got to find a safe place to hide" Pepper replied.
"Good idea" D.D. responded.
The two of them tried to find a place where they could discuss a plan without being scared out of their wits; after running for a few more minutes D.D. and Pepper found a door at the end of the hallway and quickly went inside.
Pepper made sure that she and D.D. were inside the room before closing the door shut, hopefully locking the ghostly figure outside.
"Phew am I glad we're finally safe" Pepper remarked.
"I second that, but there's one thing that puzzles me" D.D. replied.
"What's that?" Pepper asked.
"Why did that ghost pop up when we were in the basement?" D.D. replied.
"Beats me, I just wish I knew why it was haunting us" Pepper replied.
"I have a theory, but I don't think you'll like it" D.D. remarked.
"Depends on what it is" Pepper replied.
"Well my theory is this: I think that so-called ghost knew that we were going to be in the basement and tried to scare us away from there" D.D. explained.
"But why, and for what reason?" Pepper replied.
"There must be something in that basement that the ghost doesn't want anybody to see" D.D. remarked.
"Like what?" Pepper wondered.
"I don't know, but I do have a plan to figure out what it is" D.D. remarked.
"OK D.D. what's your plan?" Pepper asked.
"Simple, we go back down the hallway, get into the basement and see exactly what that creature was trying to hide" D.D. explained.
"That's actually a good plan D.D., come on let's go" Pepper replied.
D.D. and Pepper opened the door and walked back into the hallway, after a few seconds D.D. noticed that the two investigators had some company.
"D.D.?" Pepper asked.
"Yes?" D.D. replied.
"I know you're here, and you know I'm here right?" Pepper remarked.
"Sure" D.D. replied.
"Well if that's true I think there's an extra person in here; look at the floor, there's another shadow" Pepper replied nervously.
D.D. looked behind them and saw the strange luminous figure standing right behind them.
"Yipes, let's split!" D.D. shrieked.
"Right!" Pepper replied.
D.D. and Pepper ran back down the hallway hoping to avoid the strange creature; they were successful for a while before it started chasing them once again.
After a few minutes they found themselves back in the basement, the two teenage sleuths took a deep breath as they found themselves temporarily safe from harm.
Back upstairs, Woofer and Wimper were in the midst of searching a hallway but were not having much luck in finding the chest.
"Woofer?" Whimper commented.
"What is it Whimp old buddy?" Woofer replied.
"So what exactly are we looking for anyway?" Whimper remarked.
"The Chest of Demons Whimper old boy, the Chest!" Woofer declared.
"Oh yeah, I just wish we were looking for a juicy bone instead of some musty old chest" Whimper replied.
"Yeah, me too; but maybe if we find this chest we'll get rewarded with all the bones we can eat" Woofer said.
"That would sure be nice" Whimper replied.
"Yeah it sure would be, I can just smell them now; wait a minute, that's not bones, you know what I think I smell Pepper and D.D." Woofer said sniffing the floor.
"Maybe we better let Larry know what we found" Whimper replied.
"Good idea boy" Woofer remarked.
The white bloodhound with black spots and red hat began barking up a storm to try and alert his human friends to his position; finally Larry heard this and headed over to where Woofer and Whimper were standing.
"What is it Larry?" Dottie asked.
"I think Woofer may have found something" Larry replied.
"It might just be the Chest of Demons, at least I hope it is" Mr. Brown commented.
"There's only one way to find out; come on, follow the dogs!" Larry exclaimed.
As Larry, Mr. Brown and Dottie followed the two bloodhounds; in the basement D.D. and Pepper were continuing to search for whatever their ghostly pursuer was trying to hide from them.
Finally Pepper made her way into the middle of the dark dreary room and found something large and made of stone, or rather ran into something made of stone.
"Ouch!" Pepper groaned.
"What is it Pepper?" D.D. asked.
"I think I found something" Pepper remarked as she rubbed her now sore leg.
"What is it?" D.D. replied.
"I don't know" Pepper responded.
The two of them looked confused at what they had found and what Pepper had walked into; finally a proverbial light bulb went off above his head.
"I've got it! This is a stone pedestal" D.D. exclaimed.
"Pedestal?" Pepper asked with a confused look on her face.
"Yeah, people usually put important documents or items on them; and by the looks of this one, there's some kind of stone box on top of it" D.D. explained.
"OK genius, how did you know what that thing was anyway?" Pepper said crossing her arms and looking quite impatient.
"Dottie told me about it once" D.D. explained.
"Huh, it figures" Pepper replied.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" D.D. asked.
"Never mind, let's just open the box and find out what's inside" Pepper replied.
"Good idea Pepper" D.D. said as he started to open the lid.
"Do you need help with that?" Pepper asked.
"What makes you think I need help with this?" D.D. remarked.
"Because that looks like its pretty heavy" Pepper replied.
"Oh, ok; come on over and help me" D.D. said.
"I would be delighted" Pepper replied.
With that the blonde haired detective went over to the sinister looking box and assisted her mystery-solving friend.
However at that exact moment Larry, Mr. Brown, Dottie, Woofer and Wimper arrived at the door, next they opened it and walked inside the basement; but once he was inside Mr. Brown looked over at D.D. and Pepper and became shocked at what he saw.
"The Chest of Demons! There it is!" Mr. Brown exclaimed.
"You mean that's the Chest of Demons?" Dottie asked.
"Yes!" Mr. Brown exclaimed.
"D.D., Pepper, whatever you do, do not open that box!" Larry remarked.
"What? We can't hear you, what did you say Larry?" D.D. asked.
"Oh, never mind I'll just ask you after Pepper and I open this old chest" he added.
"No, don't!" Mr. Brown yelled.
Larry, Mr. Brown, Dottie, Woofer and Whimper tried calling over to their friends to make sure they wouldn't open the chest but alas, it was to no avail and together D.D. and Pepper opened the Chest of Demons.
With the box opened, the ghosts that were trapped inside escaped then floated up the stairs and out the door into the atmosphere; while they had solved many mysteries over the years, nothing could prepare the Clue Club for what was going on at the present time inside the dark and creepy basement of the old Primrose Mansion.
"Hey what's going on?" D.D. wondered aloud.
"Yeah, something tells me that this box isn't any ordinary box" Pepper added.
"You would be correct my dear, also you two will be happy to learn that you just opened the Chest of Demons and let the thirteen most frightening and terrifying ghosts in the world loose!" Mr. Brown yelled.
"Ghosts? yipes!" D.D. shrieked.
"It can't be, the box didn't look that evil" Pepper replied.
"Well, it did and it was" Mr. Brown explained.
"You're kidding" D.D. remarked with a chuckle.
"For once I'm with D.D., there's no way that the thirteen most evil ghosts on the planet were locked inside that chest" Pepper replied.
"Well they were and this is no laughing matter young man; now those ghosts are going to haunt the Earth until they are all captured and put back in the Chest of Demons and it's all your fault" Mr. Brown remarked pointing to D.D. and Pepper.
"Why is it our fault?" Pepper asked.
"Because you let them all out" Mr. Brown replied.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that" D.D. responded.
"Don't worry about it guys, everybody makes mistakes and you two are no different" Larry remarked.
"Thanks Larry" D.D. replied.
"No problem D.D." Larry responded.
"Well, I guess we better get started on tracking down those thirteen ghosts huh?" D.D. remarked.
"Correct, and you'll need my help in catching them" Mr. Brown replied.
"Cool, this will be so exciting; tracking down real life spirits and making sure they get recaptured" Dottie remarked.
"Yes and you'll need these" Mr. Brown said handing D.D. a Crystal Ball and the Chest of Demons.
"What are these for?" D.D. asked.
"Well, the Crystal Ball is for contacting me when you kids need to talk to me and the Chest of Demons is obvious, it's for trapping those ghosts when you catch them" Mr. Brown explained.
"Cool, and since I'm old enough now I can go along with you guys" Dottie remarked.
"Right sis, plus in this case even if you weren't old enough to join us you would still get to come with us" Pepper replied.
"How come?" Dottie asked.
"Because with the thirteen most horrible ghosts in the world running around, you would be a lot safer with us than at home; after all if you were back at the club house, I would be afraid that one of the ghosts might try and capture you" Pepper explained.
"Thanks, you know you're the best older sister a girl ever had" Dottie replied.
"You're welcome Dottie, and you're the best younger sister a girl ever had" Pepper responded.
"I think we better get going gang" Larry remarked.
"Yeah, we should really get started searching for those spooks" Pepper replied.
"Good luck in tracking down the thirteen ghosts kids and be careful" Mr. Brown commented.
"We will sir and thank you for hiring us" D.D. replied.
With that the mystery solving teenagers and their two bloodhounds walked over to the Clue Car, got in and buckled their seatbelts; Larry started up the vehicle as it drove out of sight and into the horizon as the Clue Club prepared to tackle the biggest mystery of their careers.
Author's Notes: I have to admit that the Mr. Brown character was greatly based on the character Vincent Van Ghoul from the series The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo, basically right down to the being a paranormal/supernatural expert and communicating with the Clue Club via Crystal Ball, he was also based at least a little bit on the horror writer Stephen King as well.