would everyone please take a seat,” Superintendent Petra announced as she and Scariff Fred walked to the podiums positioned at the front of the Crier’s Club.

“In light of our current situation with the normies, we are turning to the community to help us find a possible solution. So with that in mind, I hereby call this town hall meeting in session,” Scariff Fred said into a microphone.

As the crowd of concerned monsters exchanged nervous glances, as if to say “who’s going to go first,” an elderly pumpkin head stood up.

“Is it true that the normies plan to divide Salem into sections based on our age? Because I’m not fond of my peers, so the idea of being locked up with them is pretty awful,” the man grumbled, and then sat back down.

“Unfortunately, sir, we have not been given any information as to their plans after the wall goes up,” Scariff Fred responded.

“That’s because the normies aren’t planning anything,” Robecca whispered to Cy as they lay on the floor of the balcony.

“As of now, all we can tell you is that the normies are planning on erecting the wall very soon. After which, they should return Headmistress Bloodgood and anyone else they might take in the meantime,” Scariff Fred finished.

“I would like to take this moment to point out that I no longer allow any of Monster High’s students to linger outside, so as to decrease their chances of being kidnapped. I also arranged for deputies to escort students during the morning and afternoon school runs,” Superintendent Petra stated with pride and, of course, her usual blank expression.

“Superintendent Petra? While I commend your efforts to keep our cubs safe, I worry that we’ve gotten carried away without taking the time to fact-check our information,” Clawdeen’s father, Mr. Wolf, said as tactfully as possible.

“Fact-check our information? Mr. Wolf, this is an issue of local security, not some term paper on Gillary Clinton!” Superintendent Petra snapped.

“I didn’t mean for it to come out like that,” Mr. Wolf replied calmly. “I only meant that it would be helpful if we knew who your source was; as in, who visited the normie mayor?”

“The source is a trusted member of the monster community with a long-standing relationship with the normie mayor,” Scariff Fred responded cryptically.

“Yes, but what’s his or her name?” Mr. Wolf continued.

“I will not tell you his name, sir. Why should I? So he can be harassed day and night by a bunch of terrified monsters. Absolutely not!” Scariff Fred stated firmly.

“But—” Mr. Wolf started to respond, before being cut off by Superintendent Petra.

“I would encourage you to sit down, Mr. Wolf,” the coldhearted mummy interjected.

Mr. Wolf returned to his seat just as Deuce’s mother, Mrs. Gorgon, stood up.

“Scariff Fred, first I would like to thank you for all that you and your subordinates have been doing to keep us safe,” Mrs. Gorgon said as she pushed one of the snakes slithering across her forehead back. “But I must ask, why did you shut the borders? Why have you stopped us from leaving Salem?”

“Where were you trying to go, Mrs. Gorgon?” Scariff Fred inquired.

“I wanted to speak with a few normies, to confirm that everything we are hearing is accurate,” Mrs. Gorgon answered honestly.

“That is exactly why I closed the border. Who knows what could happen if you said the wrong thing? It’s simply too dangerous to keep the borders open,” Scariff Fred decreed.

“I think we are getting a bit off subject here,” Superintendent Petra remarked. “The point of this meeting is to review our choices, if we have any, that is.…”

“We could all leave! A mass exodus!” a twentysomething vampire shouted from the left side of the hall.

“Let’s find a more monster-friendly territory,” a middle-aged sea creature cried out from the back of the room. “Preferably somewhere near the ocean!”

“Who knows? Maybe living in a walled-in community will be nice. Although no one will ever be able to visit us and we’ll never be able to leave,” a middle-aged dragon said as she began to tear up.

“What about the IMF?” a mummy called out.

“Unfortunately, the International Monster Federation does not have a military arm,” Superintendent Petra explained.

“Excuse me, excuse me?” Miss Flapper called out as she stood up and looked around at the crowd. “Hello, everyone. As most of you know, I haven’t been in Salem long. But in the short time that I’ve lived here I’ve come to consider it home, even more so than Bitealy, where I used to teach. So I can’t bear to see us lose our way of life, our town, our freedom.…”

“But what can we do?” a woman’s voice shrieked from behind Miss Flapper.

“Back in the Old World, there were rumors of a powerful group of monsters, a secret society,” Miss Flapper said slowly as a hush swept across the crowd. “And though I’ve never dealt with them personally, I heard from an old colleague that their mission is to protect monsters, our traditions, our core beliefs… at any cost.”

“When I lived in Transylvania, I heard similar rumblings about this group too. But how do you know they’d be willing to travel to the Boo World to help us?” a well-dressed mummy inquired.

“I’ve been told that ASOME, as they are called, is more than willing to come to the Boo World and help us,” Miss Flapper answered.

“Excuse me! Excuse me!” Dracula hollered as he stormed to the front of the Crier’s Club. “With all due respect to Miss Flapper, we don’t know a thing about this ASOME group. They could be dangerous! Trust me; I’m from the Old World. The way they do things there is not necessarily how we should do things here!”

“Mr. Dracula, do you care for your daughter Draculaura?” Miss Flapper questioned the dapperly dressed vampire.

“What kind of question is that? Of course I do,” he huffed in response.

“Then why are you standing in the way of the only thing that could possibly save her future?” Miss Flapper asked solemnly.

“I don’t think getting in with a group that we’ve only heard rumors about is very smart. There must be another way. And I suggest we find it! Now who is with me?” Dracula called out to the crowd.

First to stand up were the Wolfs; then Mrs. Gorgon; then Ghoulia’s mother, Mrs. Yelps; and finally Frankie’s father, Mr. Stein.

“It’s all the monsters from the list we found in the attic! Well, except for Hexiciah Steam and Headmistress Bloodgood, that is,” Venus whispered excitedly to Rochelle.

“Shh!” Rochelle instructed Venus while putting a finger up to her lips.

One by one, Dracula, Mr. Stein, Mrs. Yelps, Mrs. Gorgon, and the Wolfs turned and stared at Ramses de Nile. But the mummy was so engaged in conversation with his sister Neferia that he did not react. It was not until his sibling, who was visiting from the Old World, nudged her brother that he noticed. But once he did, he quickly stood up in solidarity with the others.

“Jeepers, look at Mr. De Nile’s sister. She looks about as nice as an ice pick in my gear box,” Robecca mumbled.

“Is it just me or does Cleo’s dad look annoyed about joining the others?” Venus whispered to Cy, Robecca, and Rochelle.

“While I agree that he does not look happy, I feel it is important to point out that he always looks like that. Smiling is not a high priority in the De Nile clan,” Rochelle quietly responded.

“That’s it? No one else is going to stand up against calling in ASOME?” Cy asked, and then sighed. “This is not a good sign.”

Early the next morning, Rochelle and Venus woke as they often did to the sound of Robecca falling out of bed, absolutely sure that she was late.

“Cranking cogs! What time is it? What time is it? I’m late! I can feel it! I’m late!” Robecca babbled frantically as she pulled herself off the floor.

“Relax, Becs,” Venus said from beneath her straw eye mask. “You’re not late. At least not right now. So go back to bed and we’ll wake you when it’s time to get up.”

“You have no idea how stressful it is to never know the time. I would do anything to see my father again, and not just because I love and miss him, but so he could fix my broken internal clock.”

“You will see him again… someday… somewhere,” Rochelle responded softly, clearly still asleep. “And after you do, maybe then we’ll all be able to sleep through the night without interruption.”

It was not until lunchtime that day that news of the town hall meeting fully spread through Monster High, piquing the students’ interest in ASOME. Understandably, news of a mysterious yet all-powerful group that could stop the wall garnered much attention.

“I don’t know what happened at that meeting last night, but my parents were totally freaking out when they came home. It was crazy, even their fur looked stressed out,” Clawdeen recalled to Frankie, Deuce, Robecca, Rochelle, and Venus over quiche gorelaine in the Creepateria. “So I asked them what happened and they were like, ‘Nothing, nothing at all,’ which means something definitely happened.”

“Oh yeah, something definitely happened,” Frankie stated unequivocally. “I heard my dad talking about how Miss Flapper brought up some clandestine organization from the Old World called ASOME. Apparently Miss Flapper claims they can help us fight the normies, but my dad says they are bad news.”

“My mom thinks the same. She was so stressed out when she got back home last night that she turned three possums and a cat to stone. Those poor critters, they’ll be like that for at least a week,” Deuce lamented from behind his black sunglasses.

“Well, Rochelle, Venus, and I live in the dorm, so we didn’t hear anything. Not a single thing. We literally don’t have the faintest idea what happened at that meeting,” Robecca added unnecessarily in a poor attempt to cover up the fact that the ghouls had attended the meeting.

“Becs, can you pass the salt?” Venus asked while attempting to convey a very important message with her eyes—stop talking!

“Regardez! It’s Cleo and Toralei, what a wonderful surprise,” Rochelle proclaimed, eager to focus the table’s attention on something new.

“Deuce, you’re my boyfriend, right?” Cleo drawled, and then pursed her perfectly glossed lips together.

“Last time I checked,” Deuce said with a chuckle.

“Then why didn’t you wait for me to start lunch? Remember, I’m not just your ghoulfriend, I’m royalty. And everyone waits for royalty.”

“Clearly, not everyone,” Toralei muttered.

“Babe, I’m sorry to say this, but until you and Toralei work out your issues, I think it’s best I keep my distance when food is involved,” Deuce explained.

“What is that supposed to mean, snakebrain?” Toralei snapped.

“I don’t mean any disrespect to either of you, it’s just that last time you two threw ghoulash at each other, it landed on my head. And, well, ghoulash and snakes do not mix. These poor guys were sick for hours,” Deuce said as he pointed to his Mohawk of snakes.

“Whatever. I’ll be rid of you all soon enough,” Toralei purred under her breath, and then twitched her ears.

“Why, are you going somewhere? I hear Sifearia is lovely this time of year,” Venus chimed in.

“No, I just meant that once ASOME handles the normies, I won’t have to be attached to this decomposing diva who always insists on dragging me over to see you lot.”

“It’s true, my dad and Aunty Neferia told me that ASOME is going to save us,” Cleo seconded. “And for the last time, you fur ball, I am not a decomposing diva, just a posing diva.”

“Fur ball? Is that the best you’ve got?”

“Of course not! Why would I give you the best that I’ve got?” Cleo retorted.

“Come on, you two, what do you say we head to the Libury and let these monsters eat in peace,” Deuce said as he stood up from the table and smiled at Clawdeen, Frankie, Robecca, Rochelle, and Venus. “See you ghouls at Career Day.”

“Madame Sue Nami? S’il ghoul plaît, we must speak with you!” Rochelle called out after the puddle-prone woman as she stormed down Monster High’s main hall, taking out anyone who got in her way.

“If you want to speak with me, then walk faster! I’m on a schedule here!” Miss Sue Nami roared at the trio.

“A schedule?” Robecca repeated to herself. “I sure do hope that one day I can follow a schedule.…”

“Career Day is back on?” Venus questioned the acting headmistress after finally catching up with her.

“Your information is accurate, non-adult entity.”

“But why the sudden change? As of yesterday you said that holding Career Day at such an uncertain time was a form of mental torture,” Venus pressed on.

“Madame Sue Nami, might it have something to do with this ASOME group everyone is talking about?” Rochelle asked.

“As a matter of fact, yes, it does. After learning about ASOME, I realized that the future might be a bit brighter than we previously thought.”

“But no one knows that much about ASOME. Plus, if our sources are correct, wasn’t it Miss Flapper who suggested it?” Venus inquired.

“Look, I don’t think the normies are up to what everyone says they are, but the fact remains, I don’t know what’s happening here. And if there’s a group of monsters out there that can calm everyone down and help them release their fears, then I’m on board. Bottom line, as of now I’m A-OK with ASOME,” Miss Sue Nami declared loudly.

“Us too,” Jinafire and Skelita piped up as they walked by Miss Sue Nami and the ghouls in the hall.

“You ghouls know about ASOME too?” Robecca wondered aloud.

“Miss Flapper told us that they’re going to stop the wall. We are very gănxiè or grateful that they are willing to help their fellow monster,” Jinafire explained.

“Plus, Senorita Flapper said she thinks they’ll have killer couture clothes,” Skelita squealed.

“I only wish ASOME had a booth at Career Day,” Jinafire said, before continuing on to the event.

The gymnasium was teeming with booths, each dedicated to a different profession. There was the mad scientist, the coffin builder, the furrier, the talon scout, and countless others. And as Robecca and Venus browsed the many booths, Rochelle stopped to ponder something in front of the formaldehyde expert.

“Everything okay back there?” Venus asked Rochelle.

“Je ne crois pas. I don’t think so,” Rochelle said cryptically as she rubbed her cold gray chin. “Something very peculiar happened at lunch.”

“Did you find something in your quiche? That Harold in the Creepchen is always losing his claws in the food. It’s the absolute flea’s sneeze,” Robecca said while shaking her head.

“That is a most disturbing fact regarding Harold, one which I will most definitely address at a later date. However, I was actually referring to what Cleo said. She claimed that her father told her that ASOME was going to save us from the normies. But at the town hall meeting Ramses supported Dracula’s motion to steer clear of the group,” Rochelle explained as she continued to rub her chin. “It simply does not add up.”

“You’re right,” Venus agreed. “Why would he tell her that if he doesn’t actually believe it?”

“Well, speak of the devil! Not that he’s actually the devil! It’s just a saying! Oh, forget it, just look! It’s Dracula!” Robecca said as she pointed toward his Never Fail, Always Pale sunscreen booth.

“Come on, let’s see what information we can get out of him,” Venus suggested as they started toward the booth.

“Boo-jour, Monsieur Dracula. I would like to commend you on your safety-conscious line of sunscreen. Even though I do not personally use sunscreen, as I am crafted out of granite, I am a very big proponent of it. Especially for those with sensitive skin, like Venus,” Rochelle explained to the pale-faced man in a well-tailored black velvet suit.

“It’s true that plants have very delicate skin. And while they need sunlight for photosynthesis, too much of it can cause wilting,” Dracula explained, and then paused, unnerved by the intensity with which Venus, Robecca, and Rochelle were staring at him. “Um, this is one of my smaller companies, but it’s profitable. Was there something else, ghouls? Having a little anxiety about planning your careers?”

“It’s about ASOME,” Rochelle blurted out.

“Must you always be so direct?” Venus muttered to her friend.

“Yes, paragraph 6.9 of the Gargoyle Code of Ethics states that being forthright in times of crises is paramount to escaping said times.”

“Listen here, ghouls, you don’t need to worry your pretty little heads about ASOME. The adults are handling things,” Dracula stated in a less-than-convincing manner.

“While our heads are all very pretty, they most certainly are not little. As for the adults handling things, we both know that is not true. And just in case you have forgotten, our pretty little heads are the ones who stopped Madame Flapper’s Whisper spell,” Rochelle asserted powerfully.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to condescend or discredit what you ghouls have accomplished. I was just trying to calm your nerves. You are kids, after all,” Dracula responded candidly.

“Here’s the thing; it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since Miss Flapper brought up this ASOME idea and already everyone is talking about them like they’re our saviors. So if you want to stop them, you better do something and fast,” Venus replied.