XXVIII

08:34 P.M.

The first class for Clawdeen today is Chemistry. Not her forte. Luckily she has her beast scientific ghoulfriend Ghoulia with her as study partner. Honestly she isn't even paying attention to the class, seriously, not even trying. All she can do is think of her date tonight with Keith. She stares fixedly at the clock on the wall wishing for time to go faster. For the fair to start so she can sneak out of it, of course she has to tell her friends about it first, to explain them why is she leaving all the work to them, then again they can't get mad at her, is a fair! How much work can they have in a fair? All they got to do is make sure people won't do anything stupid and daring that can bring forth terrible law sues against the school, because there is always an idiot who wants to litigate just anyone and crap on everyone's pie.

Keith on the other hand has Advanced Calculus with Frankie and Devon, or as they call it here AdvancedClawculus. And whereas he can ace this class as well as any other, truth is he doesn't have the brain for it today, or better said,he just doesn't care about playing with numbers, he prefers to focus on problems that truly affect people, those afflicted by… the sameflaws as him. Sure, this is a place where flaws are accepted and even celebrated instead of judged, but he doesn't see it that way. As far as he is concerned there are flaws that are not to be accepted, only corrected. But then again, he always thought of nanotechnology as a viable way to solve those issues, and he is pretty sure he will need to learn some very advanced math for it. Some things you can't just magic them away.

Or can you?

No,you can't!

"Dude, I can't recall the last time I saw you without a hood on your head," Devi says from behind, surprised to see him wearing a different style today with white pants, and a black turtle neck with a large skull emblazoned on the chest. No jacket nor vest and incredibly no hood to hide his head. "I had forgotten what a big ass head you got," he laughs. "And you combed your hair twice in a week. Those pills are really doing a number on you."

"They sure are, Dee-Dee." Says lackadaisically

"Well, somebody's in a mood."Frankie says leaning to his right trying to copy his answers.

Keith closes his black notebook abruptly. "Yes,I am." He stares fixedly at the blackboard, then passes his note to Frankie so she can copy his answers.

"Thanks. I really can't get a hold of any of this, I should but I think my dad didn't put this much brain inside me — as I say that out loud I realizeI shouldn't have."

"Just copy the answers."

Grabbing the notebook, she sees it has written on front the words MATH NOTE in white, big,unbeautiful letters, not his usual beautiful cursive handwriting, this was the opposite, yet it was quite legible.

Funny. Does he dothat with all his notebooks? She wonders as she begins to copy. And with a swift look at the inside of his manpurse, which rests open in the space between them, she realizesall his notebooks are black. Hmmm, I supposethat's what you do when all your notebooks look the same.

9:33 A.M.

Lunchtime comes, and almost everyone's topic is tonight's fair. The ghouls — our favorite ghouls of course — sit and discuss the plans fortoday. Everything seems to be ready and if things go as planned, they'll wrap it up with a movie that shows that humans and monsters can be friends, not because it is a lame corny story about friendship, but because of the actors themselves (some are even married couples!); of course, there is always that unpredictable factor that ruins everything, whether is one of the ghouls going through a mystical portal dragging along others with her, or some giant beast going berserker and blowing things up, or even a mystery that unravels some great ancient… whatever you like. Truth is they can never know with themselves, it is always something new.

"So maybe we should put a sign that says 'Come at your own peril!'Can't say it doesn't fall right into they spirit of Halloween,"Lagoona says jocularly."But they will probably think is all part of the fun."She points out.

Almost all the ghouls at the table laugh.

Frankie sighs deeply. "I hope the fair works."

"You ghouls are being so paranoid, what's the worst that can happen?" Rochelle asks."That it starts raining and everyone has to leave early? So, they can just come back tomorrow for the party."

"I can think of at least fourteen very bad scenarios worse than rain," Ghoulia mumbles. "But maybe I shouldn't bring them up, wouldn't want to jinx it."

"As if rain were ever a problem." Abbey puts in. "Unless that rain turns to ice pellets the size of a yeti's fist there is no reason to find cover."

"What do you think, Clawdeen?" Lala asks.

"Whatever," says Clawdeen playing with her meat.

"You're not feeling this conversation, eh? Got something else inyour mind?" Rochelle inquiries.

"Yeah, actually I do. The thing is, wellI'm kinda leaving the fair early and I really need you to cover for me."

"What? Why?"Frankie asks surprised that she has such plans.

"You better have a good reason for bailing on your friends,"Cleo says half berating, half playing with her.

"Depends on what you think a good reason is,"says she.

"Okay, pour it out." The mummy orders.

"I might, sorta totally have a date tonight," says looking at her food, feeling all her friends staring at her inshock.

"Sorry, I think I heard you say you got adate?" Frankie says, taken aback.

"A date as in only you and one guy?"Venus says in shock.

"Oh good, so it wasn't just me. You all heard that,"Cleo says.

"Yeah, for a moment there I thought I was high,"Blueretorts then ads quickly."Are you high? You know what a date is, right?"

"Yeah. 'Cause for what I've heard you don't really got many of those." Twyla comments.

"More like any of those,"Spectra says.

Clawdeen glares at them. "Yes,I know what a date is. And I got one or not."

"Idon't." Spectra says with the ghouls nodding in agreement.

"Wow, youghouls felt that?" Lagoona says. "I think the Earth just stopped spinning, maybe we should check outside and see there are no pigs flying."

All the ghouls laugh, except for Clawdeen.

"Ha, ha. Very funny. I got it, I never had a date, and it looked like never will," says bitterly."And now I finally do,big deal."

"It is a big deal, this a miracle of epic proportions. Praised be to Ra," Cleo jokes.

"At last the national nightmare is over! And here I was starting to thinkClawdeen on a date would like an actual sign of the Apocalypse," Blue giggles, getting a scowl from her."Easy ghoul, we're just messing around. Pretty sure the world will spin long enough for you to have at least a second date."

Clawdeen sighs. "I know, I'm sorry, I'm just nervous. Like you have all so cleverly pointed out, I have never had a real date before. At least not one that worked."

"So, who is the Lucky One? Is he someone we know?" Frankie asks.

"Is it Romulus? I think I saw him roaming around the school ground," Draculaura says.

"Okay first of all: ew!" Clawdeen points at her, feeling repulsion for the idea of dating Romulus. "Secondly, never in a lifetime."

"Then who is he?"

"Like you don't know." Rochelle sneers with a knowing look in her pink eyes.

"I think I got a good idea who that is,"Ghoulia says with a sly grin.

"I'm… going out with Keith."

All the ghouls stare at her in shock again, silent for almost a whole minute,exceptforGhouliaandRochellewhohadalreadyguessed. Surprised bolts jump from Frankie's neck.

"Iknewyouwerespendingtoomuchtimewithhim!"Twylasays.

"So he finally asked you out, eh?"Rochelle asks.

"Yes," Clawdeen says a little blushed.

"And naturally you said yes. I should not be surprised, but I am." Surprised, and a little betrayed,that is it."Glad you are finally going out with somebody. Good for you!" Yeah, good for her… I guess…?

"Am sorry, did you say Keith, as in always grumpy and socially awkward Keith?" Lagoona asks.

"Yep."

"The same Keith that jumps out of a window when there is too much people around?"Blue goes one.

"Yep."

"The same one who had an intervention for his almost pyromaniacal tendencies in his magic acts?"

"Yes," she sighs.

"All right,I will ask this again, and please be honest with me, because we can't go through that you high? How did that happen?"

"Well, I was helping him with something about biology yesterday, and we spent a while talking, and then he dropped me at my house yesterday and asked me if I wanted to go out, and I said yes. The problem is I'm still grounded, so we can only do it today."

"Maybe I amhigh." Blue says confused and flabbergasted.

"I don't see what the big surprise it wasn't obvious. She's being infatuated with him ever since she saw him on the podium." Rochelle points out.

Clawdeen sneers. "Yes, I admit I might have thought he was scary cute even then. And now that I know him betterI kinda like him a lot more."

"Okay, now I feel like the earth actually stopped spinning." Lagoona says."I mean Clawdeen, on a date, withKeith Morningstar, of all guysyou're dating the one guy that is known for not liking people. You arehaving dinner with the guyyou happened to call a jerk and who has poor social skills. Pretty sure that's a sign of the Apocalypse."

"That's unfair." Clawdeen drawls.

"Yeah… not really, you did call him a jerk, several times, for quite some time,"Spectra says.

"So? Cleo is a jerk, and yet we're friends,"says the werewolf girl, the girls around her giggle in agreement.

And while all the ghouls find this to be both confusing and amusing, Robecca looks quite worried.

"Alright, what's in your mind?" Clawdeen points at her with her fork.

"Nothing, I am glad you finally got a date…" says getting a peeved look from her."Well… Are you sure is a good idea?"

"Is just a date, what's the worst that could happen?"

Steam mulls for a moment, then says"Have you heard the rumors there are about him?"

Spectra, Clawdeen, Lala, Rochelle and Twyla roll their eyes.

"Didn't we have this argument before?I don't do that anymore, and you shouldn't either."Clawdeen snaps quickly.

"If you're talking about the chair thing again —" Frankie begins, but she interrupts her before she finishes her sentence.

"No, that's old news. I mean the otherthings." Says with an ominous voice.

Clawdeentakesherclawtoherhead."Oksince it seems like you are bent into taking Spectra's old place as our appointed gossip ghoul whenever we talk about Keith…" she gets a hurt look form her."I'llbite,whatdotheysay now?"

"Well, some started since he moved in. Most of them are very bad things. InfactIhaven'theardgoodthingsaboutKeith at 'dbeenanotoriousthugathislastschoolandthatheleaveseverynighttohandlehisbusiness,thatbeingthereasonwhyhegoesAWOLsooften."

Clawdeen stares at her fixedly with madness lurking behind her bright yellow eyes, as a wolf ready to pounce at her. "And they say they got of the guys say he has a lot of scars on his body, that they saw them when he waslate in the shower and thought nobody was looking."

"That's their proof? A lot of students got scars on their bodies, doesn't make them evil." Clawdeen reasons fiercely.

"Notjustanyscars,bulletsshotsandstabwounds."

Herearsdeceiveher!Thatisquiteanoutrageousrumor,andevenmoreoutrageousisthatherfriendseemstobelievethem!

Naturally, she hasn't been through the same as they have.

"That is stupid! Besides, you believe the word of whoever violated his privacy?!" She snarls at her, fangs bared."How veritable is the word of someone who says looks at a guy in the shower when he clearly wants privacy?"

"Yeah, he takes a shower late so nobody can see himnaked for whatever his reasons are, and they decide to spy on him? That's the last kind of people you shouldn't trust!" Frankie says sparking bolts.

Clawdeen tries to process this, then beginsin a calm voice, as calm as she can."Listen, he might make an occasional chocolate shoplifting, get pulled by a DUI, or take advantage of people who are just too dumb to walk around with anything too valuable in their pockets, but he is not a seasoned criminal. He could not kill… an innocent…"saysrememberingthe night he killed Richard, and for the look on Draculaura, Frankie and Rochelle's faces,so do they."Those rumors are stupid and I suggest you don't listen to them."

Clawdeen stabs her steak with anger. There is a brief moment of awkward silence. She chows and swallows her food, trying to forget the last three minutes of conversation.

"Well, looks like you really like this guy if you defend him like this," Cleo points out.

"I don't think we should pay attention to those rumors, I mean we all learned that those are a very bad thing," Rochelle isunable to believe she herself is defending him, and she can already see his mocking smile as he says Aw, you love me, ina most arrogant tone if he finds out.

"Yeah, I mean I have heard rumors about Toralei being in some 'amateur' porn videos, fully knowing what she was doing, but that doesn't mean she is really capable of such thing, right?" Twyla says.

The ghouls stare at her as in a mix of disbelief and awe."Okay…"

That is indeed quite a rumor, but she is right, there is always a stupid rumor about anyone, doesn't mean they're real. They have all learned that rumors are evil and not always come from any believable source, if not never. For all they know, this was made by someone who came to grudge him for… well, he is Keith, to know him is to grudge him.

"True, maybeI shouldn't listen to them." Robecca says abashedly.

Lagoona stares at her salad, and then suddenly bursts into laughter."Sorry, sorry. But that's the mostridiculousthingI have ever heard. I mean, who would believe he is a — a gangsta with anxiety issues?What's he gonna do with a gun in a shutout? Best situation for him is if he jumps out of the window because there are too many people, am I right?" She laughs. The ghouls laugh along, except for Clawdeen, Draculaura, Frankie and Rochelle who use their best fake laugh, fully knowing of what he is capable with a gun."What gangsta or narc in the world would do magic tricks and have a perfect record of straight A's? And what is Devon, his would-be-crock-cop buddy? I have a hard time picturing them as narcs."Then hervoicetrailsoff,andherblueeyeswiden."Butthen, …?AndI thinkhedoeslivealone,andhe'sawfullysecretive…Clawdeen!Whatifit'strue?"

"Trust me, you don't know him like I do, he is way too smart to waste his brain and time with people like them. And way too arrogant to put up with them — or for them not to shoot him."

"If you know him so well, then where is he right now?" Cleo asks.

"Hey, I'm not his mother. I don't have to know all about him. Besides, I like the mystery."Wolf retorts."But he's probably in his room or eating outside. He likes to eat in the open, and/or away from people."

"And what are your plans for tonight?" Rochelle goes on inquisitively.

"Well, he said he wanted to take me to this new super fancy restaurant at the town's schism."

"Wait, you mean to LaTavoladi Dante!?" Cleo asks in bafflement.

"Yes, you know that place?"

"Yeah! That is like the most expensive restaurant in all the city, if not the whole state! I took Deuce there last week,he insisted that we should go try their food,and I thought I could pay it with my own Golden Card, but turns outI couldn't. Luckily I happened to take my dad's Black Diamond Card 'cuz the dishes are super expensive."

"Sure it didn't have anything to do with all the shopping you did prior to your date?" Clawdeen asks.

"…Maybe… But that doesn't change what I said, that place is way too expensive, and so worth it. Specially the deserts, they're die for!"

"You're already dead." Ghoulia points.

"Well, in our cases, to come back to life and die for again. How is he gonna pay for that?"

"Maybe somebody is a narc." Twyla comments, taking a bite of her sandwich, getting a swift annoyed look from Clawdeen.

"That is…" she began, but then stops to think how on earth is he gonna pay for a place that expensive? "Oh God, my date is a narc," says regretfully.

9:47A.M.

Keith's Room.

"Now there you are," says grabbing his cat Selina. "You know this is whyI think maybe I should put a stupid bell on your neck. Or perhaps some lights. Then again last time I put a laser on your collar you went nuts everywhere," he laughs, staring into those big blue eyes with slanted eyes.

He always found mesmerizing thevertical slanted shape of their pupils.

"I know what you're thinking, or at least what you would think if you were smart enough to fully understand what I'm about to do. But maybe you're smart enough to know it is not something you want to witness, and that's why you're hiding." He sighs deeply. "Lucky for you, or else we would be arguing about it, that this is dangerous and stupid, and I should drop this while I still can," says looking at Richard's spell book, one of many grimores,"to go back to the shore while the water is still on my knees and not my neck and I want to, sweetie, I really do. Yet, I must do it for her and the others… Yes, I have grown quite fond of them too. And also I must do it because why not?! This is the greatest challenge to my capacities in magic. Oh you're so lucky you can't really understand all I say, or else I would really rant and whine on you about how unfair is evolution by granting some species a far greateraffinity to the magic and mystical energies that flow around us and form part of the universe. And what to say about the energies with which they're born, they get to consume all the power there is out there, and we are left with no choice but toscavenge to get any form of magic. Damn homo magi!" Sayswithout hatred but with some bitterness and envy in his voice. At times he really whishes he had been wizard. "But even in that situation, or maybe all because of it, I thrive and achieve more than any other human. For I am Keith Morningstar, and I shall not take anyone as my superior in any way! Specially not when it comes to crafting magic. No sir, mama Morningstar didn't raise a fool and, papa didn't raise me at all! So yes, I shall practice this… Unknown Magic, even here at this school,specially here since all the magic and energies that flow throughand impregnate the walls of this castle are more powerful than anywhere else making it the optimum place for me to perform these rituals. Even that house with all the dark magic flowing in those rooms pales to the power that contains this simple room." Explains with fervor, as though his cat could really understand a single word he says.

Slowly and unceremoniously, he sits before a bowls which steams with different magical ingredients boiling, waiting for him to read the spell, and asmall pyramid made of crystal encased within a gold and silver frame, the tips fully coveredin metal with no visible way to separate them, and inside the crystal there is a smaller gold pyramid floating still as if held by magnets strong enough to defy gravity.

"These are the most powerful,the mostdangerous magicalincantations known to man! Or perhaps should I say unknown to slightest mistake might mean my doom,or worse yet, that I would end up looking like Dr. Doom — and yet — I must take the chance! For mine is not the only life might that might be at stake one day! And wouldn't it be so fucking awesome if I achieve this?!" He asks with a broad smile. "Good thing todayI got Study Hour after lunch. Now,I need you to leave, 'causeI don't want anything bad to happen to you," says putting away his cat so she would walk out through the window. Now, wouldn't it be so cool if he could use magic to close it from afar? But he doesn't,for starters he needs it open so he can breathe. These smokes aren't really good for your lounges, not on a long term, unless you got an oxygen mask you'll need a good window open, but he left the mask at the shack and heisn't about it to go looking for it now.

Now with dagger in hand and the crystal held tight in the other, in a low, sonorous voice, Keith Morningstar begins the powerful spell…

"In the name ofthe knave Kavaxas… In the name of the all-loving mistress Kurumu… By the powers that dwell in the darkness… Make thy presence known to me, the Morningstar…"

For a moment nothing happens. His face falls heavy into the ground, he is more than disappointed. He really wanted something to happen.

And quickly his sadness turns to anger, and it would appear that angeris the missing ingredient for the spell. Of course! How could he forget!? No dark magic has ever been achieved without hatred or anger in your heart. All those powerful feelings burning with passion — passion that give you strength, give you focus! — boundless now pouring into the crystal, the focuspoint of the spell, and as he holds it tightly, it suddenly glows scarlet with asmall cloud of crimson smoke of unknown origin growing inside,twirlingwildly. Then the crystalpyramid begins to float on his hand as the metal tips open, releasing the smoke, it glowswith more intensity now.

Slowly, in a deep hoarse voice, he beings to laugh "…ha-ha-ha…what fun… Ha-ha-ha-ha! What fun!" Roars wildly in laughter, a deep guttural eerie laughter that could chill the blood of anyone whowould have heard it, even a vampire, assuming they have anywarm blood in their bodies.

"Haveyou summoned us?" Says a voice deep and reverberating —like a dragon starved of meat, a demon hungry for a soul.

This voice is almost amorphous, but he has a feeling it belongs to him.

"Yes. I. HAVE!" Answers without a shade of fear.

"Who comes forward?" This time the voice is that of a woman,cold yet sweet and appealing — enticing andthroaty, just as he likesit, like Ms. Green's.

"Keith… Morningstar."

"With what purpose?" They both ask. His voice feels like a sledgehammer against his left eardrum, while hers feels like the smooth and soft whipsper of a lover gently, and tenderly slithering into his right ear.

"I seek knowledge."

"And do you know what knowledge is?" This time the voices switch sides.

"Knowledge… is power!" He says without hesitation.

"Your are right, son of the Morningstar," says the sweet but cold voce.I'm gonna call her Ice Cream voice, sweet vanilla and strawberry."But only those willing to risk oblivion are worthy to claim it."

"Do you have what it takes to claim such prize?"

This is it, this is the part where he stands at the edge of the abyss andlooks down, and unsurprisingly it looks back. He doesn't blink. Now he can turn back while he still can, just turn around and run away, or he canjump into the abyss. But the thing is he is already sinking into it, he has ever since that night, and all he has left now, is seemingly endless and darkemptiness in which to fall, until he hits the bottom. And he is going to do it — hit the bottom and drag as many of those bastards with him as he can!

"I do!"