CHAPTER 15

HOORAY FOR HAUNTLYWOOD!

A bus roared down Mull-Horror Drive in Hauntlywood. The ghouls peered out of the window. Sure, there were clues to find—but there were also sights to see!

“Hauntlywood, get ready to meet Monster High!” announced Clawdeen with a howl.

“C’mon! Let’s find that star that leads to the queen of the silver scream,” said Draculaura.

“And… action!” Honey Swamp was going to film the whole trip.

First stop was the ocean. The ghouls linked hands and started singing together. “Frights, frights, frights, Hauntlywood is in our sights! Frights, frights, frights, Hauntlywood is in our sights! Where my ghouls at? Hey! Hey! Hey!”

They were so caught up in the excitement that they didn’t see Ygor following them—and falling off the pier into the water!

Next they visited the famous Hauntlywood sign on the hill. The ghouls were still singing! “Freaky fangtastic, looks we got ’em. So skulltastic, feeling claw-some! So much fun, the ghoulest fashions, here we come… Frights, camera, action!”

Ygor caught up with them just in time to see them snapping and posting a photo for their friends. Ducking out of the way, he crashed off a letter into the hillside.

At Groaning’s Theater, the ghouls pretended to put their own stars in the cement. Then it was time to visit a boo-vie studio—and see if they could find Veronica von Vamp.

A large security gargoyle, so enormous his tight uniform barely covered his bloated body, was sitting by the security gate.

“Hello,” said Clawdeen, who was always friendly with strangers. “We’re looking for Veronica von Vamp.”

“Name?” asked the gargoyle.

Hoodude shook his head. He didn’t think he could wait another minute to see his favorite boo-vie star. “We just told you. Veronica von—”

“No, ya big pincushion, your name.”

“Oh!” Hoodude chuckled. “Hoodude Voodoo.”

The gargoyle looked down at his clipboard. “Nope, not on the list. Thanks for stoppin’ by. Buh-bye.”

The ghouls were crushed—all except for Cleo. “Ha! I got this,” she said with a wink. She marched right up to the security gargoyle.

“Name?” he asked.

Cleo stared at him. “No,” she said regally. “You give me your name, because I am Cleo de Nile!”

The gargoyle leaped to attention.

“That’s de Nile as in the de Niles,” continued Cleo haughtily. “One call to my father and I’ll have you transferred to the night shift in Frightberia for the next one hundred years… if you don’t open that gate this instant!”

“Um, y-yes, ma’am, I mean… uh… Miss de Nile!” stuttered the gargoyle. “Right away… here you go!”

Honey Swamp nodded. “I am impressed.”

“Yeah, being a diva is, like, Cleo’s superpower,” whispered Draculaura.

The movie studio was bustling with showbiz star power. Actors hurried past with scripts in their hands. Crews were carrying scenery and costumes. Directors were shouting orders.

“Okay, ghouls, it’s a big lot,” said Clawdia. “Let’s try to find Veronica fast before—”

“Anybody realizes we don’t belong here?” finished Honey Swamp.

“Exactly,” said Clawdia.

It was as if they could sense Ygor lurking just behind the gate, frantically putting in a call to Lord Stoker on his brand-new iCoffin.

Lord Stoker’s voice was loud and furious. “Hauntlywood? Why would the Heart be in that den of mediocrity? No decent vampire would dare take it to such a place.”

As usual, Ygor was out of breath. “I heard...the...Vampire Majesty movie...is claw-some! I would really like to see my first boo-vie if you would—”

“I will fly out immediately,” came the answer on the other end of the phone. “Then we will bring Draculaura back to be my puppet queen, and I shall remain in charge forever.”

Meanwhile, the ghouls were starstruck. The famous director Scare-antino was hurrying down an alley, framing shots with his fingers. He was wearing an old-fashioned black suit with a bow tie. Out of his back stuck a mechanical wind-up key.

“O-M-Ghoul!” shrieked Clawdia.

Just then, Viperine Gorgon, her snake hair flying backward as she ran in the other direction, collided with Scare-antino.

“Watch out!” yelled Draculaura, a moment too late.

Viperine’s makeup kit went flying and Scare-antino’s wind-up key skipped a gear and popped out. With a twitch, he started winding down. He moaned dramatically as he collapsed.

“Oh, Mr. Scare-antino! I wasn’t looking,” apologized Viperine. She grabbed the wind-up key and stuck it back into place.

“Gear me, I’m fading to black,” he said with his last breath.

“Let me wind that for you.” With a few quick twists from Viperine, Scare-antino was recharged and on the go again at top speed.

“Opening shot! Zombies to the left! Zombies to the right! Cue the music! Enter the hero! But who? Hmmm, gotta dig up some old star and resurrect his career! Note to self, pack a shovel!” He disappeared, talking a mile a minute.

Viperine began collecting her brushes and bottles from the sidewalk. “Oh no, I can’t be late again.” She sighed. “I’ll get fired from the boo-vie for sure!”

All at once, helping hands and paws surrounded her.

“I got your scare-spray right here,” said Honey. The other ghouls collected lipsticks and mascara wands.

“Thank you so much! I am Viperine. I owe you guys big-time!”

Viperine hugged Draculaura and hurried off with her makeup kit. The ghouls all had the same thought—maybe she could help them find Veronica von Vamp!