“Pardonnez-moi, Trick, but this is not a police state. I do not have to smile unless I want to,” Rochelle huffed intensely.
“Miss Sue Nami says everyone must smile. No more sad!” the troll declared before waddling off down the hall.
“So now she’s trying to mully the students into being happy?” Venus asked Robecca and Rochelle. “I don’t think she understands that the longer Headmistress Bloodgood is gone, the more the students fear the threat of the wall. I mean, just this morning I heard Blanche and Rose Van Sangre talking about their plan to shave off their fangs and pass themselves off as extremely pale normies.”
“That is absolutely ridiculous,” Rochelle declared loudly.
“I know, right?” Venus agreed with Rochelle.
“Actually, Venus, I was referring to your use of the term mully. How many times must I tell you that it is not a real word? And, chérie, I only say this because you are my friend and I wish you to speak correctly—” Rochelle responded before pausing abruptly. “Regardez, something’s happened to Madame Flapper!”
Miss Flapper was leaning against Jinafire Long as she slowly made her way down the main corridor. With both Jinafire’s green tail and gold arm wrapped around Miss Flapper for support, it appeared as though the teacher was too weak to walk on her own.
“Eek! Look at that poor hem!” Robecca squealed, staring at a large tear along the bottom of Miss Flapper’s billowy coral dress.
“Forget the dress; look at her hair,” Venus chimed in as she inspected the normally fastidiously groomed teacher’s tangled locks.
“Perhaps she fell,” Rochelle theorized. “Or attempted to take food from a troll? They’re notoriously territorial about their ghoulash and pus pastries.”
“There is an old Fanghai proverb: A successful plan of attack requires much research,” Jinafire said to the visibly rattled teacher as they passed by Robecca, Rochelle, and Venus in the hall.
“Jeepers creepers, what happened?” Robecca called out to Miss Flapper and Jinafire.
“Fūrén Flapper was walking along the edge of town when a normie saw her and then attempted to kidnap her,” Jinafire explained.
“I was so scared. He tried to kidnap me just like Headmistress Bloodgood,” Miss Flapper muttered softly.
“So a normie did this to Miss Flapper?” Venus pondered with genuine surprise.
“No. Luckily she was able to dart into a nearby Thornberry bush until the man retreated back across the border,” Jinafire explained. “But, of course, Thornberry bushes are filled with thorns; hence her disheveled appearance.”
“Scariff Fred says the man was a spy sent to gather information on us. But of course he wasn’t expecting anyone to see him, which is why he tried to take me,” Miss Flapper explained, furrowing her brow.
“With all due respect, Madame Flapper, are you sure the normie was trying to kidnap you and not simply have a conversation with you?” Rochelle asked directly.
“I know you’re scared, and I wish with all my heart that I could allay your fears and tell you that the normie just wanted to chat… but I can’t.…” Miss Flapper stated dramatically before wiping away a lone tear.
“Our teacher must rest now,” Jinafire said as she continued down the hall with the tousled woman.
“What a load of garbage,” Venus muttered to Robecca and Rochelle as soon as the two were out of earshot.
“News flash: Miss Flapper escapes normie abduction!” Spectra Vondergeist called out as she came floating down the hall with her iCoffin in hand. “Check out my blog for the latest information!”
As the ghouls continued down the main corridor, they noticed a most unusual pairing passing out flyers in front of the Vampitheater—Cy and Miss Sue Nami.
“What’s this about?” Robecca asked as she took a flyer from Cy.
“Non-adult entities, Operetta will be performing her new song tomorrow, ‘Give Us Back Our Rockin’ Headmistress, Normies.’ I’m really hoping it will help boost morale,” Miss Sue Nami stated matter-of-factly.
“Boost morale? The title of the song sounds like it’s promoting the idea that Headmistress Bloodgood was kidnapped by the normies, and we all know that’s not the case,” Venus confronted Monster High’s acting headmistress.
“Non-adult entity, you are irritatingly right. But as I have learned, there’s no point arguing something unless you have proof. So in the meantime, I’m doing my best to keep the other non-adult entities hopeful.”
“But what do you have to do with Operetta’s gig?” Robecca asked Cy.
“Nothing. He just happened to be walking by when I realized I needed another pair of hands,” Miss Sue Nami barked. “The concert will take place tomorrow at lunchtime in the Creepateria. I expect to see all three of you ghouls there.”
“The chef’s preparing barbecue critters to give the concert a true Southern vibe,” Cy added.
“No running in the hall!” Miss Sue Nami hollered at a nearby werewolf, and then stomped off.
“She isn’t much for good-byes, is she?” Venus commented.
“Anyone up for a snack? Hanging out with Miss Sue Nami really builds up my appetite,” Cy asked the ghouls.
“Absolutely. Plus, we have a lot to fill you in on,” Robecca replied.
While walking into town, the trio told Cy about what Mr. Mummy had said about the secret society, and of course about Miss Flapper’s supposed kidnapping attempt by a normie.
“It’s not just Monster High that’s buying into the normie propaganda,” Robecca said as she paused in front of the entrance to the Die-ner.
Displayed just to the left of the door was a large poster with the following message:
SALEM SHOPPERS:
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A
WELL-STOCKED MAUL INSIDE OF A
PRISON WALL. JOIN THE VOLUNTEER
BORDER PATROL TODAY AND
HELP STOP THE NORMIES!
“The situation is clearly escalating. Just look around,” Cy said as he pointed out skittish, mistrustful, and frightened-looking men, women, and children walking around downtown Salem.
“Jeez Louise, what are we going to do? We can’t just stand by and let our school and our town fall to pieces!” Robecca screeched once seated with Rochelle, Venus, and Cy in a tufted pink booth inside the Die-ner.
“You must calm down, chérie. Grinding your gears will not help the situation,” Rochelle advised Robecca.
“Maybe we should check out the Crybrary to see if there’s anything in there on this society,” Cy suggested after taking a sip of his Croak-a-Cola.
“The what?” Robecca asked as she pushed a long and golden Crunch Cry into her mouth.
“Don’t you remember the Crybrary? Where we found the information on how to break the Whisper?” Venus reminded Robecca.
“Oh yes, of course,” Robecca replied. “The secret Libury hidden behind the Absolutely Deranged Scientist Laboratory.”
“I think that is a very good idea, Cy,” Rochelle said as she used a fork and knife to eat a Crunch Cry.
“Well, as they say, there’s no time like the present,” Venus stated as she stood up from the booth.
“As who says?” Rochelle inquired seriously.
“As monsters say,” Venus replied.
“Which monsters?”
“Just monsters!” Venus huffed as the group made its way to the Die-ner’s door.
After walking through the test tube and Bunsen burner–filled Absolutely Deranged Scientist Laboratory, the quartet entered the utility closet at the back of the room. The small and utilitarian space contained a sink, broom stand, water main, and little else. In fact, if they hadn’t already known what to look for, the Crybrary would have been virtually impossible to find.
“Who wants to do the honors?” Venus asked Cy, Robecca, and Rochelle.
“I would, if you don’t mind,” Rochelle said before forcefully lobbing her stone foot against the doorjamb.
Almost immediately the sound of metal gri
nding against metal filled the room as a thick ladder descended from the ceiling.
“I would be très contente to climb the ladder, but as we all know, granite is not always kind to items such as these,” Rochelle stated honestly.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got this one,” Venus said as she carefully secured her vines and then started climbing up the ladder.
Upon reaching the ceiling, the green-skinned ghoul crawled a few feet across and then lowered herself into a minuscule and highly claustrophobic room. The walls of the three-feet-by-three-feet space were lined from floor to ceiling with thick leather-bound books.
“Here’s hoping this doesn’t take longer than photosynthesis in the dark,” Venus mumbled to herself as she began scanning the spines of the books, stopping when she came across the title The Secrets of Secret Societies.
Venus’s eyes widened with excitement as she attempted to pull the book from the shelf. Only she couldn’t, because it was chained to the wall. It was, of course, the only means of stopping monsters from removing the important tomes and possibly forgetting to return them. Venus immediately started flipping through the pages, looking for any mention of an Old World society that believed in a hierarchy of monsters.
Minutes turned into an hour, and then another hour, as the green ghoul scoured the pages of the antique leather book. Annoyed and frustrated, she twice put the book down, but quickly picked it up after thinking of Headmistress Bloodgood. However, upon finishing the last page of the book, the ghoul’s heart sank with disappointment. There was nothing in there even remotely similar to what Mr. Mummy had described. Perhaps it really was just a rumor.
Why had she wasted hours investigating something that didn’t exist? Venus wondered to herself. Visibly annoyed, she forcefully flipped the last page and prepared to slam the book shut. But at the last second she caught sight of some faint scribbling on the back flap of the book.
ASOME—The only way to keep them at bay is to educate the next generation. Teach them that all monsters are created equal.
“It’s not much, but it’s something,” Venus muttered to herself as she pulled out her iCoffin to snap a photo of the message.
“ASOME? What an odd name for a society,” Rochelle stated the following day as the trio munched on barbecue critters and waited for Operetta to arrive for her performance in the Creepateria.
“Maybe it’s an Old World name?” Venus suggested.
“Or the founder’s name?” Robecca pondered as everyone around them buzzed with anxiety over Miss Flapper’s “near kidnapping by a normie” the day before.
“I heard the normie was so taken with her beauty that he couldn’t remember what he was doing. That’s how she was able to escape,” Clawdeen babbled nervously to Lagoona.
“I’m not sure about that, mate,” Lagoona replied. “Because I heard that Miss Flapper was forced to use a Thornberry branch to defend herself.”
“I heard the same thing,” Frankie chimed in.
“That’s because you’re the one who told me,” Lagoona responded with a laugh.
“Oh, of course,” Frankie said with a sigh. “Sorry. I was so worried I barely slept last night. I can’t help but wonder who they’ll try to take next.”
Just then a hush fell over the Creepateria as Headmistress Bloodgood’s horse Nightmare pranced through the doorway. Tall and regal with a shiny blue coat of fur and a bright purple mane and tail, the horse instantly grabbed the whole room’s attention. And though the animal was normally a nervous Nelly, today she exuded unwavering confidence. Even the erratic jerking of her lead by the two trolls guiding her into the Creepateria failed to startle Nightmare. The surprising change in behavior was the sole silver lining in Headmistress Bloodgood’s disappearance. So preoccupied was the horse with aiding in her master’s return that she simply didn’t have time to think about her own problems.
“This is the first time Nightmare’s ever let anyone other than Headmistress Bloodgood ride her,” Robecca mumbled as she stared up at a young ghoul atop the creature’s back.
Operetta, daughter of the Phantom of the Opera, appeared very much at ease on the horse. Dressed in jeans and a sparkly checkered shirt, the ghoul had a distinctive retro flair, especially where her hair was concerned. Styled in 1950s victory curls with short straight bangs, her cherry-colored locks were hard to miss. So was the heart-shaped rhinestone-encrusted music note around her eye.
“Hey y’all, I’m here today to share a song I wrote about Headmistress Bloodgood—the heart and soul of Monster High,” Operetta called out to the Creepateria.
As students and staff members murmured quietly to each other, Operetta slid gracefully off Nightmare’s blue back, removed her red guitar from the saddlebag, and flung it over her shoulder.
“Paragraph 58.5 of the Gargoyle Code of Ethics states that it is imprudent to have livestock or horses in the same room as food,” Rochelle whispered to Venus and Robecca. “I don’t want anyone to get sick, so I ought to say something to Madame Sue Nami, n’est-ce pas?”
“Only if you don’t mind everyone getting mad at you for ruining the concert,” Robecca replied, nudging Venus to say something.
“I think you should keep the information to yourself,” Venus instructed Rochelle. “After all, the horse does belong to Headmistress Bloodgood. And you know how much everyone here misses her.”
“Point taken,” Rochelle said with a nod as Operetta took to a small red stage assembled in the corner of the Creepateria. And though the structure had been built only the night before, there were already silky spider strands billowing from its edges.
“Hey, ghouls and boys, as much as I’d like to sing my new song ‘Give Us Back Our Rockin’ Headmistress, Normies’ live, I can’t,” Operetta said, referring to her voice’s ability to drive listeners into a state of craziness.
The purple-skinned ghoul then pressed Play on a portable boom box on the stage and began strumming her guitar.
“She’s the heart and soul of this school, a stellar lady who is über cool,” Operetta lip-synched to the prerecorded track.
“She sure does have a smooth voice,” Robecca muttered.
“And she’s trés gifted on the guitar,” Rochelle added.
“So give us back our rockin’ headmistress, normies!”
“Look at everyone’s faces; the song is really affecting them,” Venus said as she noted all the misty eyes.
“Thank you, thank you very much!” Operetta called out upon finishing the song. “Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich.”
“I miss Headmistress Bloodgood,” Frankie blubbered as she wiped tears off her mint-green cheeks.
“Me too,” Draculaura mumbled emotionally as she embraced Frankie.
“I feel like my heart was swallowed by a shark,” Lagoona Blue said as she shook her head. “The current better change soon, because we need Headmistress Bloodgood. We need her to stop this walling off nonsense. I mean, don’t the normies understand that sea creatures can’t be landlocked?”
“That song would have been so much better if I had sung it. I’m, like, a super claw-some singer,” Toralei bragged while seated arm in arm with Cleo.
“Claw-some? More like clawful,” the mummy responded cuttingly.
“I won’t let them take you,” Hoodude cried as he flung his arms around Frankie.
“Thanks, Hoodude,” the green ghoul mumbled. “But what will you do when they lock us in?”
“I realize this goes against everything you believe in, Rochelle, but I think we need to head up to the attic even if it means being late for class. We need to find out what’s on those other papers. We need to get to the bottom of whatever Miss Flapper and her cohorts are planning,” Venus said, motioning at their rattled classmates. “Monster High needs us.”
“You are indeed correct; being late to class goes against everything I believe in. But as with the horse in the Creepateria, I feel the extenuating circumstances warrant an exceptio
n,” Rochelle responded solemnly.
“I guess that means we’re heading up to the attic… again,” Robecca mumbled nervously as the trio headed toward the Creepateria door.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, Robecca, Rochelle, and Venus stealthily made their way to the attic stairwell. With the memory of their classmates’ fear fresh in their minds, the ghouls slowly mounted the cold stone steps. Silently each hoped for the same thing—that Wydowna would be out. For if she wasn’t, they hadn’t a clue what their next step would be.
Seconds after Rochelle sliced through the webbing and popped her head into the attic, she returned with a massive grin. Relieved, Venus and Robecca quickly followed Rochelle into the whimsical little room. Once again enchanted by the craftsmanship, the ghouls took a few seconds to marvel at the finely woven items around them.
“Come on,” Venus instructed the others, “we may not have much time.”
The jade-skinned ghoul then carefully tucked her vines into her sleeve, pulled back the carpet, and started feeling around the wooden floor for a loose board.
“Got it,” she exclaimed just seconds later, and lifted a piece of wood in the air.
“I don’t understand,” Robecca sputtered, looking into the secret hiding space.
“Neither do I,” Venus mumbled as she picked up a solitary sheet of paper. “There were at least six or seven pages here last time.”
“Évidemment she’s since moved them or thrown them away,” Rochelle answered as she bent down to inspect the dark little trove. “Boo-la-la, I don’t believe my eyes.”
“Then let us look!” Robecca squealed.
Rochelle then pulled a strip of coral fabric off a splintered piece of the floorboard and presented it to Venus and Robecca.
“Miss Flapper’s torn dress,” Venus muttered. “A normie tried to kidnap her, my foot! She ripped her dress up here and then used the incident to concoct the kidnapping story!”