The sole legible photo taken in the attic was an untitled document with a list of names on it: Cleo’s father, Mr. De Nile; Ghoulia’s mother, Mrs. Yelps; Clawdeen’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wolf; Monster High’s headmistress, Ms. Bloodgood; Deuce Gorgon’s mom, Mrs. Gorgon; Robecca’s father, Mr. Steam; and Draculaura’s father, Dracula. However, only two names were marked up: Mr. Steam and Ms. Bloodgood.
“The two names that are circled also happen to be the two people who are missing,” Rochelle thought aloud.
“Yes, but my father has been missing for over a hundred years.…” Robecca trailed off as she remembered the last time she saw him.
In the weeks leading up to his disappearance, Hexiciah had been keeping odd hours, often leaving the house in the middle of the night without explanation. Robecca assumed it had something to do with his research, extending normie life spans through the use of mechanical parts. But, alas, before she had the chance to ask him, he vanished into thin air. And though Robecca hadn’t a single bit of proof, she firmly believed that her normie father was somehow still alive.
After getting Robecca to her feet, everyone decided it best that she head straight back to the Chamber of Gore and Lore for some much-needed rest. However, just before they started up the creaky pink staircase to the dormitory, a familiar Mosstrailian accent captured their attention.
“Hey, mates! Where are you swimming off to? We’ve got a Frightingales meeting, or haven’t you heard?” Lagoona Blue, dressed in pink board shorts and a white tank top, informed Robecca, Rochelle, and Venus.
“A meeting?” Rochelle repeated. “But I don’t have anything on my calendar.”
“It’s an emergency meeting. In light of everything that has happened, Draculaura and Frankie think it’s important we get together,” Lagoona explained as she flipped her long, curly blond hair over her shoulder.
“In that case”—Venus turned toward Robecca and Rochelle—“we better head over to the Arts and Bats room.”
The Arts and Bats room, located off the main corridor, was looking even messier than usual. Ribbons, half-used tubes of paints, scissors, colored paper, glitter, and countless other items were strewn about the room. Hanging just above the doorway was a cluster of bats, which dropped bits of food atop Draculaura’s and Frankie Stein’s heads as they greeted members. And as usual the copresidents of the school’s most exclusive all-ghouls club were clothed impeccably—Frankie in plaid capri pants and a matching sweater-vest, and Draculaura in a pink-and-black babydoll dress.
“Welcome, ghouls,” Frankie said somberly as Draculaura nodded hello.
“Deary me! Fainting is an awfully tiring affair,” Robecca remarked after taking a seat next to Rochelle and Venus. “Not that I should complain, since you two haven’t slept at all, which means it’s only a matter of time before Venus starts snapping worse than Chewy.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Venus asked indignantly.
“Do not get upset with Robecca. After all, it has been scientifically proven that plants become unpleasant and grumpy without adequate sleep or sunshine,” Rochelle explained in her normal matter-of-fact manner.
“You know what? You might be right. I think this lack of sleep is getting to me. I think it’s even causing me to hallucinate.…” Venus trailed off while staring dumbfounded at the door.
And Venus was hardly alone. The whole room was staring at the door, utterly shocked by what stood before them.
“Quelle surprise,” Rochelle said slowly as Robecca turned to see what all the commotion was about.
“Watch your claws; this is a hundred percent silk gauze, in case you didn’t know,” mocha-colored mummy Cleo de Nile snapped at Toralei Stripe as the two walked into the room with their arms linked together.
“No problem. But would you mind putting on some more perfume? Decomposition is seriously stinky,” the orange-maned werecat shot back venomously while waving her free hand in front of her nose.
“For the last time, you lowly alley cat, I am not decomposing. Just posing. And do you know why? Because all the world’s my stage,” Cleo said as she flipped back her long black and brown locks of hair.
“Big deal, mummy. All the world’s my catwalk,” Toralei countered.
“Toralei? Cleo?” Draculaura interrupted. “Why are you ghouls holding hands?”
“Eww! We’re not holding hands. We’re merely allowing our arms to touch for security reasons,” Toralei explained defensively.
“And for the record, I am so not enjoying it,” Cleo announced loudly to the room.
“Security reasons?” Frankie questioned Toralei.
“Yeah, apparently her father and my guardian think we’re less likely to be kidnapped if we’re together,” Toralei expounded, and then deftly applied lip gloss with her free hand.
“But why would the normies want to kidnap you two? Or any student, for that matter?” Frankie asked sensibly.
“Um, hello? I’m royalty,” Cleo said as though it were the most obvious answer.
“And I’m the pride of the litter,” Toralei purred proudly.
“Okaaaay, if you two say so,” Frankie responded with an awkward smile. “Why don’t you ghouls take a seat so that we can start?”
After sashaying around the room no less than three times, the two divas finally sat down. However, once seated, the two engaged in a tug-of-war with their arms. When it came to getting along, these ghouls simply hadn’t a clue what they were doing.
“Ghouls, I would like to thank you all for coming on such short notice,” Draculaura addressed the room. “In light of last night’s news regarding Headmistress Bloodgood, we’re suspending our community service program, Project Scare and Care, until further notice.”
“And while we agree with Superintendent Petra that it’s important to continue with normal everyday life, we also think it’s important to honor Headmistress Bloodgood in her absence,” Frankie said with both her blue eye and her green eye glistening with tears.
“Clawdeen, would you please come up here?” Draculaura asked the silky-haired werewolf, who then promptly strutted to the front of the classroom.
After lowering her head and taking a deep breath, Clawdeen looked up at the room full of ghouls.
“When I first heard about Headmistress Blood-good, I literally howled until my fangs hurt. And not just because she’s our headmistress, but because she’s our friend. She believes in us; she supports our talents. I mean, if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t even have applied for the Moanatella Ghostier Fashion Fellowship. Which, by the way, led to my first fashion show in Scaris! Just in case any of you missed Spectra’s blog post about it,” Clawdeen said before pursing her well-lacquered lips. “Anyway, I have decided to use some of my funds from the fellowship to create these shirts.…”
Clawdeen then held up a well-tailored T-shirt covered in studs and rhinestones with “Got Bloodgood?” scrawled across the front.
“I should be done with the first batch of shirts later this week,” Clawdeen announced as she folded up her creation. “And even though I truly believe that Headmistress Bloodgood will be back by Picture Day, if for some reason she’s not, I say we wear these shirts so that when she does return she’ll be able to see how much we missed her.”
As soon as the meeting ended, Robecca, Rochelle, and Venus darted down the hall and up the staircase to their room in the dormitory. Not only were they exhausted and in need of a nap but also wished to talk without worrying about eavesdroppers.
“The longer Headmistress Bloodgood is gone, the further Miss Flapper and Wydowna will get with their plan—whatever it is,” Venus said to Rochelle and Robecca as she climbed onto her bed and dropped her head onto the pillow.
“Jeepers! We need to do something, and fast,” Robecca said as small puffs of steam exited her nose and washed over her face.
“I encourage ghouls to carry un mouchoir, or a handkerchief,” Rochelle said as she pulled one from her pocket. “Would you care to use mine?”
Robecca nodded, and then began dabbing her face, much to her friend’s delight. Seeing her own preparedness at work always left Rochelle with a feeling of satisfaction.
“In regard to uncovering Miss Flapper and Wydowna’s plan, I think it would be wise to start with the list. It must mean something. After all, why else would Wydowna hide it beneath a floorboard?” Rochelle asked.
“When you say start with the list, what exactly do you mean?” Venus inquired as her eyes fluttered with fatigue.
“I think we should speak to the monsters on the list and find out what they know, if anything,” Rochelle explained.
“I’ve always been rather curious about our classmates’ parents,” Robecca mumbled.
“Well, you won’t be for much longer. You’re about to meet them,” Venus replied as she turned over onto her side and closed her eyes.