1st January 2014
Dear Diary,
It was the annual Gloomsville New Years Ball. And I was determined to make it the best ever! Well, until next time, of course. Invitations were sent out, and on New Years Eve, the Great Hall was decorated with streamers, colored lights, and tables laden with so much food, that they groaned under the weight. A huge ice sculpture of the Creepy Forest, where Yam and Ween first met, loomed over the utterly epic buffet. Glittering cobwebs and spiders dangled from the ceiling on invisible wires, and the dark marble floor, flecked with silver veins, made the dancers look like they were floating over the endless night. Frank and Len had set up a large stereo to play an assortment of music. Then, Frosty the Snowman, after I gave him his carrot nose, of course, was a fantastic singer, and he and Skeletunes jammed together... until Misery melted him by accident by accidentally pouring hot, piping tea onto him. Still, it gave RIP a chance to perform their best song ever. I honestly wasn't sure how we all managed to fit everyone in. Though, I think they mostly gathered outside since most people were around our age. A rides section had been set up at the open area just by the Still Alive tree, the inflatable place complete with a splendid slide, a mini Ferris Wheel, battery-operated motorcycles lined up in a proud, shining fleet by the side, and the grandest prize of all — a pirate ship that swung almost as high as the attic of our manor. Misery, Iris and I raced up the smooth sides of the bouncing castle and slid down like slippery eels before being assaulted by ninjas. We were each given swords and if we tickled a ninja, it will burst out of laughter. If a ninja tickled us however, we would bounce back to where we started. Eventually, we won and turns out, got first prize and a whole can of tuna. Doom's gonna be happy... and hungry. The guys managed to join us as we deliberated over which carriages to select for the train rides. Both Poe and Scaredy gave it a miss unfortunately, since the 'conductor' had a forget-me-not attached to his cap. Yet, they were oblivious to all else except for the oily smoke of muah chee, tea eggs, juicy burgers, bird seeds and roasted mosquitoes. Lured by those food items, they ran off to the nearest stall. Eventually, everyone except me and Doom joined them. She and I sat primly and solemnly on the Ferris Wheel until the countdown started.
In the background, I could hear the other as they began chanting the final ten seconds of the year. Their voices were mostly drowned out by the pounding of my heart in my ears but I could still hear them. I'm sure all of us had mixed feelings about a new year. On one hand, it mark a turning point in our lives, a time to pursue new opportunities and fresh experiences. On the other hand, sometimes, you should go changing if you want to. All I knew was that I was ready to face anything as long as my friends were with me. After all, friends are there for one another, especially in unfamiliar territories like the year 2014!
(Aw, ain't she the sweetest? – Iris Degloom)
2nd January 2014
Back to school again! I love a new school year! New lockers, new back-to-school clothes, new classes, and new friends! It's a first for everything... including first detention of the year for Iris when she accidentally blew up the Chemistry lab by dipping jellybeans into a bottle filled with explosive chemicals.
(IT WAS GOOD AND I DIDN'T REGRET IT! – Iris Degloom)
I even hosted a Welcome-back-to-school party, with a parade featuring dance performers, a marching band, fireworks, and jazz hands. After Doom and I carried the boxes, we hung out and killed time by checking out the other booths. Misery and Scaredy were doing face painting (even though Misery spilt paint all over herself); Skull Boy was teaching everyone how to build sand castles, some of which would have looked pretty good if they hadn't been built next to Skull's sand cathedral with a working bell tower and miniature gargoyles. The best had to be Iris' performance. She flew over the carnival a couple of times to get everyone's attention before flying up into the sky until it sounded like her rocket boots stalled and she descended rapidly like a falling star. A huge gasp was sounded as it looked like she was going to crash. Then, she fired her rockets and executed loop-de-loops, backflips and other stunts!
I think the principal will soon forget about Iris' punishment if she crosses her fingers...!
(Fat chance. One of my rocket boots burnt her dress – A sad Iris Degloom)
5th January 2014
Dear Diary,
Iris and I were supposed to hang out in my room since it was raining, doing homework while the others went to their respective club venues. In the room, Iris flew about. Literally flew in the cyclops' case. Discussions ranged from Doom's bath to Doomsday, her birthday, not the end of the world... at least, Iris hoped because she hasn't won the 'ULTIMATE' prize. Honestly though, I think she has. She has won true friends who will stand by her through difficult times... like washing Squig.
(But Ruby, that doesn't have a trophy or medal or a badge...! – Iris Degloom)
Then I spotted IT. The brochure for Dragon Boating. The moment my eyes landed on the pictures, I knew that we were going to try it out tomorrow. It's an exciting team sport, where dragon boaters work together, rowing in tandem to the beat of the drums, to propel their boats in races against other teams. It'll be a true test of endurance and strength. I think it'll be fun to see how well we coordinate our rowing to ensure that the dragon boat moves quickly and smoothly. Iris was games when I told her this. So, time to gear up!
(WAHOO! – Iris Degloom)
6th January 2014
Dear Diary,
Well, we already had a test for our dragon boating skills that involved saving poor Scaredy.
(And we just passed, like 50/100! Yipes! – Iris Degloom)
When we came back from our first fun lesson, Skull Boy came to a conclusion that he was descended from a long line of bird watchers and created a bird park in less than 30 seconds. And almost everyone in Gloomsville was checking it out. Even tourists were in awe.
The first sight of visitors was a family, pushing their stately grandmother along in a wheelchair, walked slowly along the boardwalk that surrounded the Flamingo Lake, watching the solemn pink flamingoes as they stood on toothpick legs, beaks plunging into their brilliant feathers to primp and preen, or to scour the water to look for food. It was one of the most popular attractions but Frank and Len didn't really like it. The flamingoes probably reminded them of the Waka-Waka bird which they... had problems taking a photo of it. The little boy held on to the old lady's hand, chattering excitedly about the coolly imperious birds and she nodded along, as elegant as any flamingo herself. They moved slowly in order to avoid the masses of people that thronged the boardwalk along with them, pointing excitedly at the flock of flamingos' standing like a pink forest nearly within arm's reach. Soon, other birds caught our attention. The ostriches lolling ridiculously huge in the sand; the penguins shimming through the water as bright as coins, and the vultures glaring balefully high from the treetops. My favorite was the owlery, full of flickering feathers and hushed, cool, landscapes frozen behind glass. Dressed in white plumage with nothing but yellow eyes to distinguish them, they glared from the darkness. I guess that we were intruders to them.
Iris begged me...
(I didn't! I just resorted to the most shameless tactic! – Iris Degloom)
… to catch a bird show and over there, tourists and locals, all carefully positioned within the shade and mist fans, have filled the seats as they waited for it to begin. Much to our surprise, Skull Boy acted as an emcee of sorts,
"HELLO, GLOOMSVILLE!"
And then, geese wobbled onstage and parrots swooped through colorful plastic hoops held by audience members with the long-practiced ease of acrobats in a circus. Falcons and kites whistled through the air to seize thrown bits of meat catapulted upward by Skull Boy in a stunning display of power and agility. We clapped and cheered until our hands ached! I think Skulls finally noticed us in the crowds and waved at us to come over before whispering his idea. Apparently, we were going to be part of the act too! Iris was, of course, the first to try.
She kept a tight grip on the little container of liquid in her hand and a lorikeet landed on her wrist immediately and the bird dipped its curved beak in and began drinking hungrily with a bristly tongue. Other lorikeets began to perch on her shoulders and in her hair as she laughed enthusiastically. I followed her lead and Skulls taught me how to be gentle with the birds that alighted on my hands to sip from the nectar. It was so much fun that I almost didn't feel somebody tugging on my dress.
(Skulls being naughty? Hehe... – Iris Degloom)
It was Scaredy Bat. My tiny bat friend looked around with his large, innocent eyes, his single fang chattering nervously.
(McNuggets. Oh well, maybe next time, it'll be our skeleton. ;D– Iris Degloom)
"Er… Ruby, Skull Boy, may I please know why there are horrifying birds in my room, if you do not mind, that is? I am just... terrified of them!"
"Oh, it's gotta be the fried mosquitoes in your room, Scaredy. I'll clear them out for you. Sorry about that." Skulls snapped his fingers and he blew into his whistle.
And Scaredy shrieked and dove underneath the soil, digging a huge hole until he hit a pipe.
And the situation snowballed.
When he collided against the tube, we heard a huge rumbling sound. Then, a huge spray of water shot out, sending Scaredy to Gloomsville's port as we followed him and Skulls estimated where he would land. Problem was, Scaredy was even more terrified of the water than of birds. And you already saw how afraid he was of the little critters. I spotted a nearby dragon boat and pointed it to Iris and Skull Boy. They nodded and we rushed off just as we heard a splashing sound.
By the fifth time we rowed, our arms were starting to ache so we waited for Scaredy to hopefully resurface. When he bobbed to the surface, he managed to hoist himself onto a small rock sticking out of the water. We tried to row to him but we suddenly remembered...
(That we couldn't row in any other way other than forward – Iris Degloom)
… that we couldn't row in any other way other than forward.
(Jinx! She owes me a soda... not that I like them. How about lemonade? – Iris Degloom)
So, Skull Boy came up with the idea to tie our oars together with Iris' ribbon to make it long enough for Scaredy to reach, if he hadn't fainted that is. Lucky for us, he hadn't and the poor bat clung to the oars like they were life preservers. Then, SKULLS had to row us back. And he didn't ever think that he could be related to a long line of sailors... awkward...!
(Yeah, that was really embarrassing. – Iris Degloom)
At least Scaredy was safe, that's all that matters.
8th January 2014
Dear Diary,
There was a huge competition in the cafeteria today. A huge eating competition between RIP and Gary the Giant. Apparently, Gary claimed that no one could eat as much as him and Frank and Len were self-proclaimed champions of eating so, well, you get the idea, don't you? Point is, if RIP lost, all guitars and memories of ten would have to be destroyed!
When they heard the hunchbacks ringing the bells, Frank and Len swiped one of the styrofoam plates from a nearby bag, and immediately set to work, scooping up approximately ten of everything they saw. Only when their plate looked like it would collapse under the weight did they, apparently, consider it adequate.
Yet, Gary the Giant easily devoured the gigantic bowl of soup, which was as large as a swimming pool. He mopped up the bowl with a loaf of bread, the size of a hot-air balloon. He pierced an enormous chunk of cheese with a super-size fork that looked more like a pitchfork. He spat out the huge rind before letting out a reverbs ring burp that made his windows shake. Finally, he cleaned his teeth using the trunk of a dead tree as a toothpick and chugged down thirteen gallons of water in one gulp.
But I had a trick up my sleeve. Mwahahaha.*
Particularly, one of Misery's dishes with frog gibbets, squid tentacles and termites in them. She claims that it tastes like chicken and it's easy to pack. I vouch for her!
(Wait... Ruby... ate... that?! Wow, she really can't say no to anyone! – Iris Degloom)
The moment he took a minuscule nibble of it, he started looking green about the gills. To cut a long story short, I'm a guitar hero!
*Iris claimed that I could never do an evil laugh so I'm gonna start practicing! It'll be fun pretending to be a villain who is determined to rule the world! I can see my goals clearly!*
(Really, Ruby? Really? That's like getting Skulls to stop finding out who he is. It's impossible! Silly girl! Haha! Be prepared to go on a date with... well, I'll find a decent guy. As long as Skull Boy approves. Other words, you might actually NOT go on the date but I'm the one setting you up, NOT him!– Iris Degloom)
10th January 2014
(Oh, I hate this day. I actually lost the bet. – Iris Degloom)
I WON THE BET!
(Yeah, rub it in, will ya? - Iris Degloom)
Doom's lessons really paid off! I managed to get a coat of infinite darkness, spiked heels and wicked gear. Then, she trained me how to take over the house! Everyone was just as scared as Scaredy was of his own shadow!
Except Poe who simply asked if I wanted to rehearse for my new film, 'Like Doom Kitty dragged in'. He had just walked in and didn't even realize that he had just stopped a villain. I guess I succumbed to my desire and soon, my evil lair was transformed into a stage set. Eventually, everyone forgot about it... except Iris who had to give me...
(WHY?! - YOU KNOW WHO I AM!)
A BRAND NEW JETPACK!
(Sniff)
But there was something strane about Skull Boy. The moment I brandished my cool cape, he froze and for a moment, I swore his stricking emerald eyes became... crimson red. I tried asking him but he looked away, mumbling something about me not knowing would be good. I just wished that I could cheer him up but I understood that he probably would tell me soon. It would just take some time.
(Maybe he wants you to give Iris her jetpack back! – Somebody)