“It must have been a mistake,” Venus responded as Miss Flapper jumped out of her seat and glided up to the stage.
“Excuse me, excuse me. But I simply must say something. I can no longer hold my tongue,” Miss Flapper said in her usual soft manner.
“Of course,” Dracula responded politely, and then motioned for her to take the microphone.
“While this new information about ASOME momentarily left me puzzled, it has not changed my mind. Wouldn’t you rather deal with a ruling class of educated monsters that maintains an ordered society than live like prisoners under normie rule? I know I would.”
The Vampitheater instantly erupted in shrieks and cries as the ghouls and boys of Monster High began debating the issue. Rochelle, Cy, and Venus looked around them as their peers’ voices grew louder and louder. Meanwhile, shell-shocked Robecca stood up and slowly walked to the stage.
“This isn’t the bee’s knees. This is the whole bee’s body! My dad was a part of your group? He helped start Monster High?” Robecca babbled to Dracula, Mr. and Mrs. Wolf, Mr. De Nile, Mrs. Yelps, Mr. Stein, and Mrs. Gorgon.
“Your father was a normie who understood monsters. He was a great man, and we all hope to see him again one day,” Dracula responded.
“Do you have any clue where he might be? What might have happened to him?”
“Unfortunately, young lady, we do not have any information as to your father’s current whereabouts,” Mr. De Nile replied coldly.
“But that doesn’t mean we won’t see him again,” Mrs. Gorgon said kindly, adjusting her large black sunglasses.
“Do you know what he was doing when he disappeared in the catacombs?” Robecca asked as she felt a heavy hand land on her shoulder.
“Chérie, are you okay?” Rochelle asked as she, Venus, and Cy surrounded their blue-haired friend.
“Yes, I am,” Robecca replied with a smile. “I’m more than okay—I’m the cat’s pajamas! Turns out, my dad is even more amazing than I thought!”
“That he is,” Dracula responded. “And to answer your question, he was supposed to meet Ramses in the catacombs, but he never showed up.”
“At first I was very offended. Standing up royalty is hardly appropriate. But then I realized something must be very wrong. And indeed it was,” Ramses de Nile responded.
“Mr. De Nile, do you mind if I ask you a question?” Venus interjected.
“Of course not, I know how interested ghouls are in the monarchy,” Ramses de Nile responded.
“Maybe other ghouls, but not me,” Venus explained, much to the mummy’s displeasure. “My question is about your stance on ASOME. You’re against it, right?”
“What a thing to ask! I’m a member of the Society of United Monsters!” Ramses de Nile huffed.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that Cleo mentioned something about you being in support of ASOME,” Venus clarified.
“My daughter must have had gauze in her ears. I have only ever told her that I am against ASOME. She probably just got confused, as her aunt Neferia, who is visiting from the Old World, is a bit partial to the antiquated manner in which ASOME approaches life.”
“Well, thanks for clearing that up,” Venus said with a tense smile.
By the time the final bell sounded, Monster High had descended into a mass of arguments over which risk to take—ASOME or the normies.
“ASOME goes against everything that Monster High was founded upon,” Draculaura stated forcefully to a messily clad mummy in the hall.
“Yeah, but I don’t want to live in Salem if the town is a jail! I would rather live by the laws of mummies, vampires, and aristocratic ghosts!” the boy cried.
“Easy for you to say. You’re a mummy,” Lagoona chimed in as she walked up to Draculaura and the boy.
“What do you suggest we do, then?” he muttered.
“That’s the hard part, mate. I don’t know. I just know that ASOME will destroy everything I believe in,” Lagoona replied.
“It seems nothing is easy. We may have slowed the support for ASOME, but now everyone’s arguing,” Robecca said to Rochelle and Venus as they made their way to the dormitory.
“Monster High divided as school decides whose rule they would prefer to live under,” Spectra announced as she floated past the trio in the corridor. “For the latest news, check out my blog!”
“Our classmates might be arguing, but that’s a whole lot better than everyone supporting ASOME,” Venus said to Rochelle and Robecca as they mounted the creaky pink rot-iron stairs to the dormitory.
“I doubt she sees it that way,” Robecca mumbled to her ghoulfriends as she spotted Miss Flapper at the top of the staircase.
“Is madame crying?” Rochelle asked the others as Miss Flapper looked at the trio and then turned around and headed back down the dormitory hall.
“What was that about?” Venus wondered as she bounded up the staircase after the graceful European dragon.
Leaning against the wall and quietly sniffling, Miss Flapper did not even look up when Robecca, Rochelle, and Venus approached.
“Madame Flapper, we are most sorry to see that you are so upset. Is everything all right?” Rochelle asked while offering the woman a pale pink Scaremès scarf.
“Is everything all right? No! Everything is not all right!” Miss Flapper answered, and then took the scarf and dabbed her tears. “I just heard from Scariff Fred and Superintendent Petra that Cleo and Toralei were abducted by normies while walking home from school this afternoon.”
je ne comprends pas. I don’t understand. I thought the scariff’s deputies were escorting students between school and their homes,” Rochelle questioned Miss Flapper.
“Apparently Cleo and Toralei wandered off and then…” Miss Flapper said, before gasping and shaking her head.
“And then what?” Venus persisted.
“And then they were grabbed by normies,” Miss Flapper muttered.
“Who told you this? Is there someone who can confirm that Cleo and Toralei were abducted by normies?” Venus pushed back.
“Cleo’s Aunt Neferia. She was in town doing some shopping when she saw three menacing normies grab the ghouls. She tried to stop them, but she was too far away,” Miss Flapper explained. “I feel terrible. If only Scariff Fred had listened to me and contacted ASOME earlier today. Then maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” Venus replied flatly.
“The only silver lining in any of this is that now Ramses de Nile is supporting reaching out to ASOME. He has seen the light. He realizes that without their help, he might never see his daughter again,” Miss Flapper said dramatically. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to see Scariff Fred. I must talk some sense into the man. There isn’t much time left.”
Seated on the floor of their dorm room with their pets, the trio processed the information that Miss Flapper had presented to them.
“Cleo’s Aunt Neferia saw them being abducted?” Venus repeated back to the others.
“From what I remember of Neferia de Nile from the Crier’s Club, she wears pretty thick glasses. So maybe she thought the abductors were normies, but they were actually just other monsters,” Robecca hypothesized.
“Or maybe she’s working with ASOME. Ramses said that his sister was partial to some of ASOME’s ideas,” Venus remembered.
“Boo-la-la! Just when we stopped the school from seeing ASOME as the only answer, this happens,” Rochelle lamented.
“I doubt it’s an accident. Think about it: Fear of more abductions will drive monsters back to supporting ASOME,” Venus replied.
“If only the normie mayor could come to Salem and reassure everyone,” Robecca blathered. “But of course with our borders closed, that’s pretty much impossible.”
“Is it? There has to be some way for us to at least get a video of him saying that they aren’t planning on walling us in,” Venus said as she bit her lip and pondered the situation.
“I feel
it is my duty to point out that while the normies are not dangerous, they are not necessarily friendly either,” Rochelle explained.
“I know that the normies aren’t crazy about us monsters, but I bet if we told the mayor our situation he would make a video. If only just to avoid any future complications,” Venus supposed.
“So that just leaves the border,” Robecca offered, before breaking into a smirk. “We could dig a tunnel!”
“C’est ridicule. That is ridiculous!” Rochelle chimed in as Robecca started to giggle.
“What if we dress up like trolls? No one cares where they go.”
“Boo-la-la, Robecca. That is even more absurd!”
“She’s joking, Rochelle,” Venus said as she shook her head.
“Wait, I have an idea, a serious one!” Robecca yelped. “What if I jetted us across?”
“Surprisingly, that might actually work,” Venus piped up with excitement.
“C’est vrai. It’s true that could work. But it is also possible that one of the scariff’s deputies could try and bring Robecca down with a bow and arrow.”
“I would like to officially withdraw my suggestion now,” Robecca responded.
“What was your first idea again, Robecca?” Rochelle asked while rubbing her chin.
“Digging a tunnel? I think that would take a really long time. Plus, without the help of contractors, our tunnel could collapse, and it doesn’t take a gargoyle to know how dangerous that would be,” Robecca replied.
“Jamais! Never would I allow us to build a tunnel! Well, at least not without the proper plans and professionals on hand,” Rochelle huffed. “However, I think there might already be a tunnel in place that we could use.”
“What are you talking about? And how come you never mentioned this before?” Venus blustered.
“I am not certain that I am correct. But as I was thinking about Robecca’s father—” Rochelle began to explain.
“My father?”
“Yes, about how he was last seen in the catacombs. And from there I started thinking about how the catacombs predate both Salem and Monster High, and that’s when it occurred to me, there might be a tunnel that leads into the normie town,” Rochelle finished.
“How can we find out for sure?” Venus asked.
“When it comes to the catacombs, no one knows more than Monsieur Mummy.”
“Don’t let your son or daughter be next! Support ASOME today!” Ramses de Nile proclaimed while marching back and forth with Toralei’s guardian, Tab Bee, in front of Monster High’s main entrance.
“I need ASOME! You need ASOME! We all need ASOME!” Tab Bee chanted.
“Wow,” Venus remarked to Robecca and Rochelle. “A two-person picket line.”
“And now here comes their fearleader,” Rochelle mumbled as she watched Miss Flapper gracefully walk out the front door and up to the two men.
“Bravo! We must show everyone that without ASOME, we have no chance for a future,” Miss Flapper commended the two men.
“And now for the fearleader’s fearleaders,” Robecca added as Jinafire and Skelita trailed after Miss Flapper.
“Come on, ghouls, let’s head to the Creepateria. They’re about to stop serving breakfast,” Venus said, before turning and walking into Monster High’s main hall.
A few hours later, as the trio approached the gilded elevator to the catacombs, Rochelle heard a familiar voice. One that used to send chills of excitement up her cold granite spine.
“Rochelle! Hey!” Deuce’s voice carried down the hall.
“Ah, Deuce, chérie, how are you holding up?” Rochelle offered kindly as the sunglasses-clad boy approached.
“I really miss Cleo. But you know what’s crazy? I’ve gotten so used to Toralei that I even miss her a little too,” Deuce replied.
“As you know, Cleo and I didn’t always see eye to eye, while Toralei and I barely spoke the same language,” Venus stated candidly. “But all the same, I was really sorry to hear what happened to them.”
“Me too. Luckily, I’m pretty confident that they will be returned shortly,” Deuce explained. “Dealing with Toralei and Cleo is not easy. Actually, sometimes it can be downright tortuous. Whoever took them will figure that out soon enough.”
“And what about ASOME? Do you think we should reach out to them?” Robecca questioned Deuce.
“I just don’t know. My mom says they will destroy us, but Mr. De Nile says that they are the only ones who can help bring Cleo back.”
“What time is it?” Robecca suddenly blurted out. “Where’s Penny?”
“For once Robecca’s outburst about the time is actually spot on. It is, in fact, time we head down for Catacombing, as we have something to discuss with Monsieur Mummy before class,” said Rochelle.
“But what about Penny? Did I leave her in the buffet line in the Creepateria again? You know how she dislikes buffets. Oh dear, she’s probably pelting the cook with food by now!” Robecca squeaked as her face contorted with concern.
“Not to worry, I’ve got Penny,” Cy interjected as he walked up behind the group, the grumpy penguin in his arms.
“Ah! Thank you! And look, Penny isn’t scowling as much as usual! Why, that’s almost like a smile for her!” Robecca proclaimed.
After riding down in the ornate gold elevator, the group made their way into the classroom where Mr. Mummy unpacked his valise.
Deuce quickly found himself in deep conversation with Hoodude, who was petrified that Frankie might be the next normie target. Cy, Robecca, and Venus huddled in the corner and watched as Rochelle approached their teacher.
“Monsieur Mummy, might I have a word with you before class starts?” Rochelle inquired of her dapperly dressed teacher.
“Is this about your proposal to add a first aid room down here? Because I have not been able to speak with Miss Sue Nami yet. As you know, things at Monster High haven’t exactly been going smoothly,” Mr. Mummy said, pursing his lips.
“While I am still very much in support of a first aid room being added to the catacombs, I am actually here on other business today. It’s about the tunnels. Do you know if there is one that extends beneath the normie town?”
“Why are you asking me this, Rochelle?” Mr. Mummy answered with widening eyes.
“The Gargoyle Code of Ethics, paragraph 56.8, states that students should not fib to teachers, and so with that in mind, I shall be truthful with you.”
“Go on,” Mr. Mummy said as he motioned for an approaching student to back away.
“Robecca, Venus, and I do not believe that the normies are a threat to us. We believe that ASOME is behind all of this. That they have fabricated the normie ruse so that we freely place ourselves under their rule.”
“Excuse me?” Mr. Mummy uttered in shock.
“They have long been trying to gain a foothold in the Boo World, and now they are about to get one. And from here, there will be little to stop them from growing their influence.”
“You know, very few people give gargoyles credit for having imagination. But clearly that is not the case, as you are quite the tall-tale teller.”
“Monsieur Mummy, I assure you, I am not.”
“I am not a fan of ASOME. I do not adhere to this idea that a select group of creatures should have all the power. But I do not for a second believe that they crafted this normie story. In case you’ve forgotten, a parent has spoken to the normie mayor, seen plans for the wall, even a Fearbook with circled faces.”
“Then this anonymous parent must be in on it. That is the only viable explanation,” Rochelle responded.
“And the yarn continues.…” Mr. Mummy said with a sigh while shaking his head back and forth.
Across the room, Venus, Robecca, and Cy watched the encounter closely.
“I may not be able to read lips, but I can read body language. Rochelle is bombing this, as in going down in flames,” Venus muttered to the others.
“Jeepers, I think you’re right. Mr. Mummy just rolled his
eyes at her last comment,” Robecca remarked as small steam puffs exited her ears.
“Is it too late to abort the mission?” Cy asked.
“I think we’re in search-and-rescue mode now. As in search for a way out and attempt to rescue our plan,” Venus replied, and then strutted across the room and threw her arm around Rochelle.
“Venus,” Mr. Mummy said with palpable aggravation. “Please don’t tell me that you too believe this nonsense story about ASOME making up the normie threat.”
“What? No way! That is pure fiction! I tell you, Mr. Mummy, Rochelle has become a bit paranoid with all that’s been going on.”
“Pardonnez-moi—?” Rochelle squawked as Venus’s hand landed atop her stone lips to shush her.
“As I was saying, Rochelle has kind of lost her grasp on what’s been happening. She’s even been talking about crawling through one of the catacombs’ tunnels so she can visit the normie town,” Venus continued.
Mr. Mummy shook his head, visibly disturbed by the news.
“Which of course doesn’t even exist, right?” Venus prodded her teacher.
“Well, it exists, but it’s long been boarded up,” Mr. Mummy answered reticently.
“And where is it exactly?” Venus continued.
“Why do you ask?” Mr. Mummy persisted suspiciously.
“In case this crazy little gargoyle sneaks off, at least I will know where to look for her,” Venus explained with a stiff smile.
“Class is about to begin,” Mr. Mummy remarked as he glanced at his watch.
“Please, you know how much my ghoulfriends mean to me. Help me keep this one safe,” Venus pleaded as she motioned toward Rochelle.
“Very well. The southeast corner, just past the portrait of anthropologist Jane Ghoulall,” Mr. Mummy answered as he picked up his roll call sheet.
“Thank you, Mr. Mummy,” Venus said as she pulled Rochelle away, her green hand still firmly placed across the granite ghoul’s mouth.
“Mission accomplished, courtesy of yours truly,” Venus said triumphantly as they walked up to Cy and Robecca.
“I only hope that I do not contract some kind of bacterial infection from having your hand atop my mouth. I couldn’t help but notice that your hand did not smell of soap, which is most definitely not a good sign,” Rochelle explained as she applied antibacterial lip gloss, a Scarisian specialty.
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