Monster High:

Night of the Storm

I

The school glitters eerily by the water running down its rock walls, reflecting the lightning pondering the clouds, running wild on the night sky, the crash of thunder booming, echoing through every hallway of the castle, the heavy rain reaching every inch of the coffin-shaped campus, flooding the forest and the swamp, the wind bashing savagely every tree.

Lightning and thunder have always been a prelude for disaster. In literature class Clawdeen learned that poets like Shakesfear used it to foreshadow a great tragedy, as a harbinger of death, coming before the fall of a king. Well, it wasn't really something she learned from that class, but rather from her sister Clawdia who wouldn't stop talking about it every time it rained, but it still surprised her friends when she got that answer right. Yet, another reason why she hated rain.

Knowing rain and thunder only bring ill omen, she can't help but feel she should have seen this coming. But she didn't have the luxury of such theatrics, that was her sister's gig, not hers. Maybe Draculaura could have foreseen it, she was good at that too — but poor, she didn't. And is not like the weather was the only sign, no. There were many other warnings but she ignored them all, and now all of her classmates and all her closest friends, they're all dead, even those who were undead or living dead, are dead again, truly dead! Now all she can do is cry, luckily her tears are lost in the rain, because she didn't want him to see her this way. It was already bad enough she was kneed before him, helpless, alone…

"Alone again, darling? As long as I am around, you are never alone," he whispers lovingly into her left ear, while holding a gun into her right ear and a blade on her neck…

Her beautiful golden eyes that once shone with life and hope, open widely in fear — even more fear.

Despite the mighty cold rain plummeting upon them, the stench of death still hangs heavy in the air. The smell of her friends' blood reeking from his blade mixed with the smell of gun powder was even stronger, striking her nose as a hammer.

She could never forget it even if she wanted.

9 months ago.

1 September.

Everything started that day as any other first day of class with a rather warm Autumn morning after a particularly rainy night. Students walked carefully avoiding the mud and puddles. The voice of the principal Bloodgood boomed through the halls of the school, echoing from the speakers into the ears of every single student in Monster High, calling for their presence in the Screamatorium for the welcoming of the new students, and the reveal of a particular surprise this year has come with.

Like all her friends, Clawdeen was rather curious for this new surprise, and even a tad elated. This was their last year at Monster High, and they wanted it to be special. Who knew? Maybe the headmistress had planned something special for the senior students this year, Frankie shares this thought.

"You're being way too enthusiastic," Cleo claims. "Do you really think she will do something special for us? I mean, like why? She's not that type. I've learned not to expect anything good from that woman."

"Why not?" Clawdeen counters, willing to go against her just to piss he off.

"Well, she hasn't done anything special for any of the senior class before us," Cleo started, "why start now?"

"Cleo has a point," Draculaura notes. "Wait, Cleo is right!?"

"Ahem, don't act so surprised, darling. Like if I'd been wrong before."

"Yeah, I mean is not like there is a mile-long list of things you've been wrong about in the past. Oh wait!" Clawdeen gasps.

"You want me to help you with that? Because I think you just got burned," Abbey jokes.

An hour of waiting in the Screamatorium became quite an annoyance in a very short time and the girls would often get up and wander around the hallways at least four times, always coming back after a short while, careful not to run late. With only twenty minutes before nine, they all decided to just stay on their seats and wait for the principal to appear.

"Well, look who we got here," Toralei purred from behind Cleo's seat. "You girls heard about the new students?"

"What about them?" Frankie asks

"Don't mind me, this is just a rumor, but word has it that two of the new students are, ready for this… normies."

Cleo wipes her head and gives her a look saying "…You know, you're right, we shouldn't pay attention to you."

"What makes you think that?" Clawdeen inquires. "In all the history of Monster High, the only normie that ever studied here was Frankie's grandfather. And is not like he had a great time here either. All the others students would always mock him for being an orphan and… a normie."

"Well, the school has always been open to all types of creatures, humans included, so there is always a possibility," points Draculaura. "And let's not forget Jackson is also a human. Um, well, kinda."

"Yeah, but what normie would actually want to come to this school, or send their children here?" Clawdeen goes on. "Don't get me wrong, I got nothing against them… mostly, and it'd be nice if we could get along with them and all, but I just don't think having a full flesh human student here at Monster High would actually happen."

"I'm with you," Cleo says to everyone's surprise. "I mean, I can't even imagine the principal trying to explain how did one of her normie students got eaten by another ghoul. Can you imagine how awkward that conversation with the parents must be?" She leaned towards her.

"Why are you looking at me?" Clawdeen asks frowning at her.

"Yeah, well I hope she's right about that," claims Frankie cheerfully. "I really wish we could be friends with normies. I mean, my family was made by one of them after all, and so was Robecca. I don't understand why can't we be friends?"

"I think it had something to do with horror films and Halloween, but we made a party instead of figuring out why," Spectra comments.

The girls argue in murmurs as to whether there will or even if there should be human students in Monster High this year, or any other year for that matter, until the Headmistress Bloodgood finally arrives at the podium riding her dear companion Nightmare.

After a brief introduction of all the new monster alums, most of them who were exchange students from other monster academies, there were only two students left: a hooded young lad with a listless look, wearing a simple pair of black trousers, a gray and purple double-sleeve shirt and a black leather vest sitting on the last seat next to a much more heal-looking, neatly dressed young man wearing an open-neck shirt with three-piece suit.

"I think these are the normies. They look… normal," Abbey sounds with her thick Russian accent.

"…please join me in welcoming two students I am honored to receive in my school, the first two humans to ever study in Monster High in the last 200 years: Devon Darkholme and Keith Morningstar!"

The revelation is followed by a wall of gasps and murmurs. The shock in the students of Monster High was not just palpable, it was emblazoned on all their faces.

"Were you saying?" Frankie asks wryly at her friend Clawdeen.

"Fine, you got this one, big deal," she rolled her big golden eyes, seeming uninterested in the new guy.

"Yes, it is. This is huge!" she replied. "I think I've fallen in love on first sight with the guy on the right," she sighs wistfully.

"Ew… Frankie, you're weird, everyone else would choose the one on the left." Clawdeen sounds jocularly, yet, without taking her eyes away from him.

"Not true," Cleo says, arm-folded.

"Wait, whose left and whose right? Yours or theirs?" Lagoona. She spoke with her freaky Australian accent.

"What? Uh, forget it," Clawdeen moans.

"For years Monster High has thrived to bring together all species into harmony, spreading our message of, harmony, equality, understanding, partnership and acceptance, and we have done so with a smashing success! Which is why now our priorities have changed from the merging of the different monsters societies, to the merging of human and monster society!" Bloodgood declared with growing elation. "Thus, today we'll be opening our doors to Devon and Keith; they will be part of our senior class this year and be the first human graduates from Monster High ever since Victor Frankenstein. This will be a step closer to bringing both of our communities together once again. Now before we start with our classes, is there anything you'd like to say?" she asks to her new human students.

"Not really." Keith says more to himself than to the headmistress.

"Are you sure there is nothing you'd like to share with your new classmates?"

"Well, I had this lil' speech," he began unfolding a piece of paper he had in his pocket, "but I'm not sure if I should give it after yours. It would pale in comparison." He explained as he approached the microphone with his back curved as though he couldn't with his own weight, and those who were looking at Devon — those were mostly the girls because they found him so good looking even for, or despite being a normie — noticed he had an expression in his face that said he knew that Keith's words are doomed to be stupid.

"When my former principal said he'd send me to this school, he first did it as a threat," he started reading, "to which I replied, a monster's school? Big deal, just another school. All schools suck no matter what. Yet, I was elated as I thought it was a boarding school, I mean, look how big this place is! But now I'm bitterly disappointed to find out is not. I guess what I'm trying to say is: thanks for breaking my heart," he finishes giving a look at the principal, moving back to his seat.

Everyone looks around disconcerted and somewhat amused, as some of them actually felt the same way their first day.

"Devon, please tell me you got something better," the principal begged him vexed.

"Luckily I do…" said approaching the stage.

"Well, that's something we can agree on," Cleo sounds to her friends. "Schools suck no matter what."

"Whatever," Clawdeen sounds still gazing at him. There was something about that guy, she didn't know what it was, but she couldn't stop looking at him. Is not like she found him that attractive, but is not like she didn't find him attractive.

When compared to each other, they seemed so different. One looked like a sheltered prodigy, as a plant in a greenhouse, gardened and nurtured everyday, treated with utmost care, whereas the other had a rather… wild and peculiar outlook, the hair and the pallor, she would dare to say he even looked seedy. There was no questioning on how would Devon get chosen to be part of this social undertaking (as the principals of Monster High and New Salem's High referred to), yet Keith would let you wonder if they truly sent him here just so his old school could get rid of him.

During lunch, Frankie would ask "So what you ghouls think about the new guys?"

"You mean the normies? They're fine I guess," Robecca began. "The other ghouls actually seem to like him, like… a lot," she sounds looking at Devon who against all predictions, seemed to be adjusting very well, making a surprisingly prompt progress in breaking the ice with his classmates. Not like the girls wanted to cut distance between them and him anyway.

"Yeah, not so surprised. That guy is actually… kinda cute. You know, for a normie," Cleo admitted.

"I think they're both cute. But yeah, he's more… dreamy," Frankie sounds wistfully.

"If Frankie is interested in new normie guy, why not break ice and go talk to him?" Abbey adds giggling. "See what I did there? Break ice."

"I think he already has enough people to talk to," she reasons looking at Operetta, Skelita, Sirena and even Gory (who had broken up with Bram last year) sitting around him.

"I bet she's deciding whether to turn him or just bite him," Howleen says, and indeed right now Gory can only think he would make a fine vampire.

"I don't think she'll turn him," Cleo counters. "All she'll do is suck his — "

"Isn't it two of them?" Clawdeen cut her off. "Where is the other guy… Keenan, Kel…"

"Keith?"

"Yeah, that one."

"I think he's sitting there," Lala said pointing at Keith sitting in a corner all by himself. "Poor thing. I don't know why, but I kinda feel bad for him, he looks so… lonely."

"Yeah, it is a bummer. But give him some time and maybe he'll adjust," Robecca reasons. "It's never easy to be the new one."

"You think?" Clawdeen says glaring at Devon.

"It's always different for everybody. But he seems like a nice guy too. A little spooky though, but I feel he'll do fine," Lagoona sounds optimistic.

But the ghouls were not the only ones whose attention was drawn by Devon, for even the guys couldn't stop looking at him. Yet, their feelings fell more among the lines of fear and jealousy, threatened by his mere presence and the attention he received from girls because it was just so scary to see how all of them fancied him!

Except Deuce claims to be confident he had nothing to fear because he knew that his ghoulfriend Cleo was way out of his league, and would never leave him for a guy like him. And "even if he tried to flirt with her," he began telling his friends, "I can always turn him into rock." Gorgon states sitting just two tables away from Devon.

Devon is a young man of only 17 years old, taller than the common human males of his age with neat light brown hair and brown eyes that mirrored a friendly soul. During his first week at Monster High, whenever you see him, he will always dress very neatly and formally if not semi-formal and more often than not, he would complete his outfit with a fedora, unless the situation called for otherwise. In his former school, he was considered one of the most handsome guys, something that doesn't go unnoticed even by his new female classmates at Monster High who quickly fancied him as though he was one of them. Is not like normies and monsters dating is something unheard of, Frankie dated a human guy named Bret before coming to Monster High, and even there she almost dates Jackson, Holt's human side. But it was so weird and somewhat disturbing to see that many ghouls fall for a single normie.

Even Cleo DeNile notices how smooth he is, which makes her boyfriend Deuce Gorgon burst in jealousy. More so when he found out they were going to spend more time together than he'd like since she was paired up with him for an economics project. He didn't like to be away from his ghoulfriend and he liked the idea of Cleo working with Devon even less, he didn't want his ghoulfriend anywhere near that guy. It was already bad to enough to see all the other ghouls going crazy about him despite being a normie and a newcomer, the last thing he needed was his ghoulfriend on the same train, because in truth, he felt threatened by his mere presence, as though danger hid behind that affable face. Maybe it was paranoia or just pure jealousy, but he wasn't up to admit it, at least not as easily.

But after a few days hanging around with Devon, just to make sure he won't try anything with her, he saw why all girls were so mad about him, it wasn't just that he was good-looking — scary good-looking, but also he was so nice, he had a vibe that invited people to like him despite how different they might be.

There he saw he might have misjudged him, maybe he had nothing to fear from him. Only then he was able to confess to his girlfriend how he felt, and what was her response to this confession? Cleo simply crossed her arms and gave him a stern look, reassuring him her love for him, reminding him she wouldn't leave him for any other guy, especially not a human "no mater how dreamy he is." She made that a promise.

That night he sneaked out of his girlfriend's house with a stiff reminder that she loved him more than anyone except herself, but he would still turn him into stone if he ever looked at Cleo as anything other than a friend.

Of course, right now as he runs through the forest of New Salem's monster side, he can hardly see anything. Deuce can't remember for sure how he got so astray from his way home, but he knew the man behind him had everything to do with it.

Very few times in his life he has been afraid of anything or anyone, and never the way he is now because this hooded figure with five long silver claws protruding from his hands was clearly something to look out for.

Is not even like he gave him a warning before attacking him from behind, at least rattle snakes have the courtesy of warning when they attack, but he just simply stepped out of the shade and mauled him. At first he thought it was a random thug, but when his stoning gaze didn't work on him, he knew there was nothing random about him. This man, whoever or whatever he is, came prepared for him.

That is not saying Deuce went down without a fight, but it was useless, at the end he was knocked out with no effort. If he could describe the fist on his face in his last moments of consciousness, he would say it was like granite.

Hours later he was tied up to a very old operation table, those that haven't been used since the 19 century. Over his head, he could see, though barely, the glimmer of the stars hanging in the night sky as a myriad of distant steady fireflies. Given his situation, he was lucky to get a decent glimpse of this view; if only he had stopped before to gaze at the stars more often. But at least he would have one last beautiful image burned into his brain before his eyes were spooned out of its sockets.

That night Deuce screamed as he has never screamed before. Words couldn't fit the pain he felt as the blunt spoon dug its way into his eye-socket, gouging deeper and deeper, rolling around until his nerves were cut out and the eye was ready to pop.

His screaming filled the room as did the many torture instruments around him, but the worst part is that once his right eye was gone, he waited for nothing to gouge his left eye.

You'll see, that morning everyone at Monster High was agape, in shock, ghouls were in horror for the most hideous thing they've seen in their non-lives, creatures were speechless, and only one person at school couldn't see what it was about. When students found Deuce at the doors of the school with only two black empty holes where his eyes used to be and blood dried on his face as tears, they tried to keep Cleo away from this view, but no force could do so…

Cleo ran to hold the barely breathing body of her loved one while bursting into tears.

Never before her friends saw her this devastated, it was the first time she shows how much she loves someone other than herself, and they felt so bad for her and Deuce, that they didn't know what to say to make her feel better — there were no words that could ever make things better!

Even Clawdeen wanted to comfort her but didn't try as she knew there was no comforting her. The only glimmer of hope was that Deuce would survive with the proper medical care, and being terrifyingly wealthy, Cleo took care of the expenses for the necessary treatment for Deuce. Her father didn't dare to oppose.

Yet, as terrible as this was, the day kept on going and so ghouls had to do the same and start their classes today. Of course, that didn't mean they wouldn't stop talking about the grim event of this morning.

"What a way to start our last year," Clawdeen sighs. "As if last year isn't usually bad enough, now we got an eye-psycho gouging our friends' eyes."

"Now, that's bad," Ghoulia yelped.

"Who could possibly do something so terrible?" Lagoona spoke. It was the first time something like this happened in all the history of Monster High.

"It must be someone who hated him," Ghoulia said in her zombie moaning, as that is the only way zombies can speak. "If you girls saw her. I can't even look at Cleo without crying myself."

"Yeah, I can't bear to see her that way either, but who could hate him as much? Everybody liked him," Lala points out.

"Ghouls, why don't we just leave it to the police?" Frankie suggests in a cry. Truth is she didn't want to speak about this for it was just too horrible for her to bear.

"…to think… he and Clawd were supposed to have a party tonight with all our friends before he goes to college… guess there is none of that anymore," Draculaura moaned so sadly.

Never before they felt so… lifeless.

Then Abbey asks "What is headmistress Bloodgood going to do now?"