WARNING: Coarse Language. Violence. Yes, there is more violence. As I have mentioned before, if it makes you uncomfortable, please click out of the page or scroll past. You have been warned.

Without further ado, here is the next chapter.


Beautiful Nightmares
Chapter Sixteen

The investigation had gone on for a couple days. Grace Bloodgood had fixed Draculaura's best furry friend, Count Fabulous, with a small camera. Some would call it a 'nanny-cam' of sorts. He had a spiffy-looking top hat, which held the camera as he prepared himself to follow Dakota Scarrington around the school for the remainder of it. Or he would have… if Dakota had shown up to school. It made Grace worry immediately but she received a phone call stating that she would be late and arrive to school just before lunch.

"Alright Count Fabulous," She pet the bat lightly while fastening the small straps from the top hat under his chin, backing up when she completed the task. "you know what to do dear. Please. Get as close as you can without being seen."

The bat nodded and flew out of her office and down the halls of Monster High. She only hoped that this would be the day where something happened. She felt deep in her heart that Toralei had spoken the truth. All they needed was the proof to back it up. She needed this to be the day of evidence.


"Dakota!" Heath, Twyla and Invisibilly had been waiting for their good friend to get out of the vehicle as lunch began.

"Those are your friends?" William asked Catty as she opened the passenger door. "They seem… nice."

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't judge them Will, each of them are brilliant."

He raised an eyebrow. "Brilliant as in… musically inclined?"

Catty's cheeks blushed. "See the one right there?" She pointed discreetly. He nodded. "She has a stellar voice but she only sings when she thinks no one will hear her. And Heath is… fiercely protective. He went to the dance with Abbey – I'll fill you in completely later. Alright?"

He nodded. "Yes, I'm keeping you from your friends. Go, have a good afternoon."

"You too, Will!" She shut the door quickly and rushed over to her friends. "Hey guys!" She noticed a formally dressed bat whom nestled in the tree near-by though she didn't think anything of it.

"You had an appointment, is everything alright?" Invisibilly asked, immediately cursing himself after doing so. He hadn't meant to seem nosy.

Catty nodded. "Oh yeah, everything is cool. How are you guys?"

Twyla softly smiled. "I'm alright. Heath here has stayed out of trouble so I think we're okay."

Heath scoffed playfully. "More like I'm keeping these two out of trouble. It's a full-time job with shit pay lemme tell ya."

Catty laughed and shook her head. "Oh Heath..." her phone vibrated suddenly and she could feel her heart beat quicken. She prayed it would be anyone other than whom she thought…

NOW. - Persian

Catty flipped her phone shut and paled almost instantly. "Oh… Dakota… do you want to hang out with us for the remainder of lunch?" Billy asked her as he took a step forward, Catty took one back.

"I-I can't. I have to go." She turned quickly on her heel and headed towards the parking lot. Her friends were confused and left behind. Although Count Fab was right on her trail. Catty kept looking around to see if she was being followed. Not once did she detect the bat, even though she had spotted him earlier he hadn't blown the cover yet.

Catty walked until she was grabbed and pulled down to the cement. "WHAT THE-"

The bat flew in close, one vehicle over from where they were. Luckily for Count Fabulous the vehicle's window was opened enough and he flew in to record.

"Persian! What the hell?" Catty looked around cautiously. "This is a bit out in the open, don't you think?"

He pinned her against his car and he headed right for the button on her denim jeans. "Remember what I told you last time?"

She shut her eyes tight. "No talking-"

For violating the rule, even though she was just answering his question, she earned herself a slap to the face and a tight grip around her throat. "You don't get it..." he pulled her jeans out from under her buttocks. The sharp gravel under her was merciless. "if you don't move and go with it, it'll get easier." He bit her neck and growled as he did so.

Catty wanted this over with so she could see her friends again… she shifted under his weight. "Sor-" she didn't complete her apology before he bit down on her neck hard. "OW!" She yelped, earning a hard thrust from her attacker in return. "F-fuck." She cursed. Catty never used obscenities…

Luckily for her, it didn't take him long to finish what he started. After he was done he pulled her forward only to shove the back of her head into the door of his car. "Clean yourself up. You look pitiful." He didn't refrain spitting on her, it was something he usually did in fact.

Catty shakily got to her feet, the tears streamed down her face in a higher volume after she noticed blood trickling down one leg. She pulled up her jeans and fastened them. Fortunately they were dark so the blood wouldn't be noticed. The starting of the car startled her out of her thoughts.

The window rolled down. "So tell me, Catty Noir the superstar… how's this double-life thing treating you?"

"Fuck you, Persian..." She spat in the driver's window at him.

He angrily rolled the window up and burned rubber leaving the parking lot. Catty sunk back down to the cement and did the only thing she could do after their encounter… cry her aching heart out.


William Tabby's heart dropped to his stomach when he received a phone call from the Headmistress of Monster High. She asked that he meet her, with Dakota for some very important reason. It made him nervous. He couldn't even remember what he was supposed to be to her. Guardian? Did he lead on that he was her father? Oh boy. The possibilities were whirling around in his mind and it gave him slight vertigo. He knocked on the door and it opened quickly. He walked in and it closed behind him. "Have a seat, Mr. Tabby, was it?"

His eyes widened. "Uh… yes." He knew better than to carry on a lie when the jig was already up. His eyes fell upon Catty sitting in an arm chair, one leg crossed over the other and her nails drumming along her knee. He sat in another chair beside hers.

"I have some concerns and I need information, correct information." Grace addressed the both of them. "You are Catty Noir, correct?"

Catty's eyes shifted to the floor. "Yes, ma'am. That's right."

"And you are her… chauffeur, William Tabby?" Grace asked, now looking at William.

"Correct, ma'am." He shared a momentary gaze with Catty.

"Neither one of you are in trouble, well… from me." She sighed and folded her arms over her chest. "Catty… a student came to me with a recording that heightened her fear to the point it made her physically sick. It made me start an investigation… on you."

"Catty..." William spoke, but then decided it wasn't his place.

"Will, I-" her eyes widened in fear. "oh… I think I know what this is about."

"Please, let me finish." Grace wanted them to know the entire situation. "I had a nanny-cam follow you for a couple school days… you kept disappearing during lunch hours." She drummed her fingers on the desk. "Mr. Tabby… what I'm about to say is going to be very hard to listen to. Let me know if you need me to allow for a break."

William gave a slight nod to acknowledge her words.

"Miss Noir… there was a recording of someone… much older than you, forcing himself on you..."

William could feel his stomach begin to churn. If he jumped to the right conclusion… it would explain a lot of Catty's behaviors in the last few weeks.

"O-oh… shit." Catty went to reach forward but she cursed under her breath. Her nether region still hurt. "Why are you telling us this?"

Grace thought it might have been quite obvious, but she had to remember that Catty had been through a lot in such a short time span. "I'm telling you this because I have a feeling that you wouldn't want to… admit anything about this unknown-"

"Oh, I know him." She wiggled her foot restlessly. "His name is Persian… he's… well, he's my agent. Catty Noir's dirty, ignorant… scumbag, agent." She cradled her face in her hands in defeat. She moved them and it was apparent that she smudged the once-perfectly done mascara under her eyes. "He's been doing this for… a long time. I just didn't have the power to challenge him."

"Catty..." William whispered gently. He did his best to subside his nausea for the moment. He wanted to claw him apart… forcing himself on a ghoul whom was young enough to be his own offspring… he was appalling. "You can't let this go on any further. My goodness, are you okay?"

She gave a nod, "I'm fine."

"You're not." He told her sternly. "You've woken up screaming… I'm not stupid. I knew something was going on, I just didn't know it was this." He shook his head. "I should've been there to protect you."

Catty reached out and touched his arm. "You couldn't have known when I never told you when he started contacting me again." She heaved a sigh. "The instructions were… I had to go out to him, whenever he text me, and just… y'know, go along with it and be done. Then he'd contact me again… sometimes I could go the whole week without hearing from him. Other times… it was every day of the week."

Grace's heart physically ached as she listened to this information. "With the recorded proof we have… Catty, it can send him away for a long time. It'll get a bit stickier legally but it will keep him from hurting you… and anyone else ever again. And after… eventual release, there are other legal measures you can take." She bit down on her lip for a moment. "You are a brave ghoul, Catty. Now, there's one more issue I have at hand."

Catty was still trying to decide what she wanted to do with Persian, nevermind anything else. "Yes?"

"You need to come out and reveal your hidden identity…" For Catty's safety, she wanted her persona to be known, especially if she planned on staying at Monster High.

Catty thought about it. "May I please have some more time, Miss Bloodgood? Please? I promise, I'll come out soon."

Grace didn't want to shatter this ghoul's entire world all in one day. "Alright, I suppose. But please, come up with a plan shortly." She was reluctant but she knew it was best to have Catty Noir reveal herself on her own.


It was everyone's favorite night of the week, Friday! They couldn't wait to be done classes, although there was one ghoul in particular whom dreaded it… Catty Noir. This was the precise time that she was about to reveal herself to the entire student body. In the several weeks she spent at Monster High she made friends, connections, had experiences… she was doing well in her classes too. This was where all of that ended. She had no idea where things would go after this. Without Persian in the picture, she could perhaps find herself properly.

"Welcome one and all to our emergency assembly!" There were cheers and hollers from the excited students in the auditorium. They were down for anything that got them out of doing school work. "This is a very special one and I please ask that you remain seated for the entire duration. Please… listen."

Headmistress Bloodgood waved over the seemingly shy adolescent. She had done multiple shows, performed in front of millions and it didn't faze her… but this… this reveal made her nervous. "Hi everyone," she approached the stand and took the microphone from it. It felt good to be behind one of these again. There were hoots and hollers, chants of 'Dakota' through the crowd. Boy, did she have a surprise for them. "I have a story to tell you."

She took a deep breath and walked over to the left. Even the way she walked commanded the stage alone. "Before I begin… I just want to tell you that I have enjoyed every moment of the last few weeks I've attended Monster High. I've made friends, I've had experiences… I've… never had the pleasure of having before. I understand what I was missing. I found it here." She took another breath. "The reason I've never had these… moments, it wasn't because I was home-schooled. I… I'm not Dakota Scarrington. That was the alias I created in order to register at Monster High. I'm… actually… Catty Noir." The audience was silent. But then the sound of 'booing' could be heard.

"We don't believe you!" Amongst many other things were shouted at her.

'Shit… what do I do… wait… of course! Sing! Sing for them, that'll prove it!' She cleared her throat over the microphone and the majority of the noise ceased. Without one beat of music, she sang acapella. "Was a long dark road… and then there's light. What once was lost… now's in my sight." Her voice was shaky at first, she hadn't sang in quite awhile. Though it didn't take her long to find her footing… vocally speaking of course. "Only right that I leave behind, the limitations made my mind. It's in the past I'm satisfied… I think I've finally found it." Her eyes shifted and she saw an array of lights from the crowd. It made the audience look so beautiful. "Have you seen what I'm trying to find, I've been lookin' far and wide. High and low, low and high. In the dark – can't find the light. I guess I've been looking in the wrong place the entire time. Realized… that maybe I… should search inside." She trailed off the finishing lyric beautifully, leaving the entire student body speechless for only a moment before the crowd erupted into applause.

One ghoul in particular got up and ran towards the auditorium door and bolted out as fast as she could.

Soon the applause died down and she regained her breath, she gave a nod of appreciation. "Thank you… so… how did I end up here, with a new look?" She sighed and paced over to the right side of the stage. "The industry is hard… it's cutthroat and if you're not willing to do exactly what they tell you to do, you're not hot anymore. You're not sought out. I was approached to sing a song about 'booty'." She shook her head in disgust. "I don't wanna do that! Music is my passion… it's in my soul and I only sing about genuine things, situations, experiences… the last thing I wanted to do was add to a society that forces us to do things we don't want to do… I am Catty Noir and I march to the beat of my own drum. I don't care if you're no longer a fan because I won't sing about my butt. I am going to sing what I want to sing and that's it. And I… I ran. I ran away from everything just to find myself." Catty played with her necklace as she habitually did. "I ended up here at Monster High. I'm very sorry that I lied… but I knew that I wouldn't be able to experience un-life here as a normal student if I didn't hide my identity..."

"WE LOVE YOU ANYWAY, CATTY!" Someone screamed from the audience.

She giggled and blushed. "I love you too, I mean it. I would be more than happy to stay at Monster High… if you'll all have me."

They cheered and as a sign of appreciation, Catty was ready to demo a new song, just for them. It was the only thing she could think of that could remotely pay the debt she owed to the students here at Monster High. Now… she could begin the road of successfully finding herself.