Chapter 1: Getting Off the Ground
Hey, baby! It's me! Your cooshel bear!
How's things going in Europe? I bet you're really glad to be back in Germany again. Want to hear something funny? Frankie said she saw Toralei pining after Hoodude right as you guys were boarding. Can you believe it? She's way too catty for me to ever want to be her friend, but if she acted like she does around Hoodude I might be able to stand her. Except I don't think I want my face licked by her.
Anyway, me and the ghouls are working real hard to get something done for our summer project, but we can't do much without Draculaura's help. Then again we're all having trouble finding out what to do to make this project take off.
Speaking of Draculaura, I guess she was acting a bit weird at the scareport after you left. But it's okay. Nothing a few happy pills and a straitjacket won't fix lol.
I miss you already, baby. I can't wait to see what a great witch you'll be when the next school year starts.
Love you,
Clawdeen
The scareport was behind them, and Clawdeen, Cleo, Frankie, Ghoulia and Lagoona were all gathered in Cleo's bedroom. At that particular moment, the ghouls were indulging in the latest gossip.
"Seriously?" Clawdeen asked.
"Dead serious," Frankie replied. "Draculaura saw Toralei sneak behind one of the columns, so she and I decided to see what she was doing. And then she started getting all lovey-dovey with Hoodude, and tells him how much she'll miss her dolly."
"What!?" Clawdeen exclaimed, barely able to contain her laughter.
The room suddenly became an uproar of laughs. Lagoona began floundering in her bean bag. Frankie's bolts wouldn't stop sparking as her stitches began loosening. Cleo's bandages began to unwrap as she slowly slipped out of her seat.
"Oh my Ra! I am never going to let her live this down!" Cleo said.
"Ehh-yehh," Ghoulia moaned.
"Now, Ghoulia. Teasing her is one thing, but that would be cruel. So let's do that instead," Cleo said with a sinister grin as she rewrapped herself.
"Really, ghouls. Can't we leave that kind of thing to Toralei? We should be thinking about what to do with our summer project," Lagoona said.
"Alright. Fine. Let's try to focus on what we need to do to get started," Cleo conceded. "Ghoulia?"
Ghoulia produced a pen and pad.
"First, we need a venue," Lagoona said.
"Done. Monster High will be the ideal spot for our project. We all know that Mistress Bloodgood will need no convincing beyond a simple notice ahead of time, so we're already set for that," Cleo answered.
Ghoulia quickly jotted that down.
"We're going to need something to showcase," Frankie added, as Clawdeen cinched up her last stitch.
"Between us, Draculaura and Abbey, we can easily create enough for our project," Cleo said.
"Ehh," Ghoulia moaned.
"Good idea. The more the merrier. We'll keep open positions for anyone who wants to come aboard," Cleo said.
"And don't forget, we're going to need models," Frankie said.
The ghouls all posed for some imagined audience. After a second, they resumed their normal stance.
"I think we're covered there. After all, I alone would fill a stadium to capacity," Cleo said.
"You? You barely fill your own seat with that skinny butt," Clawdeen joked.
"Ex-CUSE me!? I'll have you know that this derriere has seated the throne of Egyptian royalty over a thousand years ago!" Cleo said, scooching further back into her chair.
"Musta been a small throne," Clawdeen said.
Cleo inhaled sharply, her eyes wide and wild as she gripped the arms of her chair.
"Erm, ghouls? Don't we need to keep on the show?" Lagoona chimed in.
"Yes! That's true!" Cleo said, her face flushed red. "We'll need to put the word out for when the time comes. So, Ghoulia, you'll need to work your social media magic when we have a concrete plan defined and underway."
"Yehh," Ghoulia moaned.
"That leads us to our next problem: what is this project at its core?" Frankie asked.
"A fashion show, obviously. But at its core?" Lagoona pondered. "We need a theme to work off. Something that really speaks to everyone."
"Lifestyles of the rich and the undead, of course. Everyone wants somebody else to look up to. And who better than someone who can show them everything that they're missing out on?" Cleo said.
"Mmm…" Frankie hummed to herself. "I don't know. I don't think that's the kind of image that we want to give off."
"Yeah. It seems a little self-indulgent," Clawdeen added.
"This isn't about me. It's about everyone else, and how they wish they had an unlife like mine," Cleo said.
The others all quietly dismissed Cleo's idea, then took another moment to think over the theme of their project.
"How about we try to couch our show with some kind of cause? You know, cleaning up the environment. Inclusiveness. Stopping hate. That sort of thing," Frankie said, her bolts sparking up momentarily.
"Ehhh!" Ghoulia buzzed, giving a firm thumbs down. And the other ghouls emphatically agreed. All but Frankie.
"Why not? We have a venue, an audience, and all these followers on social media. We should make a history altering social change," she said.
"Forget it. People are really turned off whenever they feel like they're bein' preached or lectured at," Clawdeen said.
"Yeah. Imagine what it would be like if all we ever did was promote some activist pet project. It's all we'd ever be able to give anyone," Lagoona added.
"Alright. Guess you have a point there," Frankie conceded, though she didn't quite understand why. She leaned back against Cleo's bed. "There has to be something."
Silence again hushed over the ghouls. The only sounds were Ghoulia tapping her pen against her glasses and the padding of Lagoona idly pedaling her foot on the floor.
Frankie's mismatched eyes began to wander across the room, looking for any kind of inspiration or an idea of what to do next. As she looked over each of her friends, she saw that each of them were as stumped as she was.
Frankie noticed the way that Clawdeen was biting her lip, and how narrow her eyes had become. The same look of serious concentration that she had worn so many other times when she was on the verge of something big. Seeing that, Frankie allowed for a few more seconds to pass, before she asked, "Clawdeen? Do you have an idea?"
A single one of Clawdeen's claws unsheathed as she scratched her chin.
"I think…" she said. Suddenly, she shifted in her seat and said, "I think we should let Draculaura pick, since this is her project."
"Hehh," Ghoulia said, nodding.
"Good on ya. Let's take care of some other stuff while Draculaura comes up with a direction," Lagoona said.
"I still say the rich and undead theme is a winner," Cleo said. "But I suppose for the sake of expediency, we'll move on."
"If worst comes to worst, we'll think of something ourselves. Right now, I think we should at least consult Draculaura about this," Frankie said, typing up a quick text message for Draculaura.
"All I can say is that her idea had better be good, or this whole project is gone to the dogs," Cleo said. "If you'll pardon the expression, Clawdeen."
"I look like a dog to you? This chick's all werewolf," Clawdeen scoffed.
With just that simple exchange, Frankie was reminded of what had happened before she left the scareport.
"Um, hey. Did any of you see a dog at the scareport?" Frankie wondered.
"Thankfully not. I don't need something pawing and slobbering all over my new skirt," Cleo said. "Why are you asking?"
"Draculaura swore up and down that she saw a dog there, but I couldn't see it."
"I didn't see no dog. But I smelled somethin' real bad there," Clawdeen said.
"Eh?" Ghoulia moaned.
"Like rotten eggs, or somethin'. I ain't never smelled somethin' that bad in public before."
"Gross! Why would you smell that?" Lagoona asked.
"Dunno. Musta been comin' from the food court. Remember the airline food we had?" Clawdeen replied.
Frankie, Lagoona and Cleo all groaned in disgust.
"Don't remind me. I'd rather go back to eating sand in the royal crypt," Cleo said.
"Eh-yehhh," Ghoulia moaned.
"Of course you didn't mind it. All your meals revolve around potato chips, cherry soda and fast food," Frankie said.
"Hehhh," Ghoulia retorted.
"We will live a little. A lot longer, long as we give your diet a miss," Lagoona said.
"Questionable eating habits aside, let's begin by consulting Mistress Bloodgood," Cleo said, bringing up her iCoffin to send a message to the school headmistress.
We need a theme for the show. Got any ideas?
Frankie 11:13
At the moment, Draculaura couldn't be bothered to answer the text that had been sent to her as she and Clawd had a more pressing, more difficult decision to make.
"Okay. How about 'Robin Blood: Men in Frights?'" Clawd suggested.
"No. I'm not in the mood for anything sophomoric. Let's try to find something more sophisticated," Draculaura said.
"Alright. Umm…" Clawd hummed as he looked for the next title on the marquee. "How about 'A Fistful of Crawlers?"
"A vestern? Please. Those vent out of style years ago," Draculaura scoffed.
"Guess that rules out 'The Ghoul, The Bat, and The Really Ugly," Clawd muttered half to himself. "I hear 'Once Upon a Time in Hauntlywood' is good."
"I don't know. Terrortino's movie's are usually really heady. I vant something you don't have to think too hard about vhen you vatch it," Draculaura said.
"Ain't no pleasin' this ghoul," Clawd said too quietly for Draculaura to hear.
He had been at this for a while now, and showtime for some of the movies was about to begin. After so long, Clawd was beginning to wonder if Draculaura actually wanted to see any movie at all.
"Why don't we go to the bowling alley? We can tear up a few lanes, get some lunch later, then go hang with the others," Clawd suggested.
"The bowling alley? Come on. There's not a single vegetarian option on the menu," Draculaura said.
"They got salads."
"There's no vay in Hades I'm ever having one of their salads. I don't know vhat kind of crazy vitchcraft they do, but they alvays end up vith vay more calories than normal," Draculaura said. "Besides, I'm really in a movie kind of mood."
"Could o' fooled me," Clawd said, not as quietly as he would have hoped.
"Vhat vas that?" Draculaura asked.
"I said let's look at that marquee again," Clawd quickly said. "What about 'Claw-Shank Redemption?'"
"No! That sounds vay too blood…bloo…" Draculaura queasily groaned.
"Okay! It's okay. Take it easy, D," Clawd said, cradling Draculaura in his arms.
Draculaura quickly settled into Clawd's arms. The vast height difference between them allowed her to rest against only the lowest part of his chest.
It suddenly occurred to Clawd that he might have been looking for the wrong kind of movies. What if instead of something that he would have wanted to watch, what about something that Draculaura wanted to watch?
"How about 'Bridget Bones's Die-ary?'" Clawd suggested.
"No. I heard it's not as good as it's hyped up to be," Draculaura said.
"Well, we gotta watch somethin' and we're runnin' out of movies," Clawd said.
"I just don't think any of these sound good," Draculaura replied.
"Then why are you lettin' me pick? Can't you pick anything that you think you'd want on your own?"
There was a sudden silence as a look like surprise from a bad static shock swept over Draculaura's face.
"Vhat…Vhat are you trying to say?" she asked.
"I'm sorry, D. I didn't mean it like that," Clawd quickly apologized.
"Then vhat did you mean?"
"Look–" Clawd began. He took a moment to collect his thoughts, picking next words carefully. "All I'm sayin' is that pickin' a movie shouldn't be this difficult. Like, if you really did want to watch something, I feel like you would have chosen something yourself."
"Maybe I just vanted to let you take charge. I'm alvays the one who picks vhat ve do."
"That's because you turn your nose up to anything I suggest," Clawd rebutted.
"Since vhen do I do that? I alvays try something that you vant," Draculaura said.
"Yeah. Yeah, you do," Clawd said, hugging Draculaura a little tighter. Even so, he didn't smile for a second.
A motorcycle driving past them drew Clawd's attention suddenly, making him look toward the road. At the other end of the crosswalk, he saw something that brought the smile back to his face.
"Check it out. It's Heath and Abbey," Clawd said.
"Vhere?" Draculaura wondered.
"Over there. Hey!" Clawd called to his friends.
Way over at the other side of the crosswalk, Abbey and Heath waved back. Once the way was clear, they hurried over to the other side to greet the others.
"Clawd! What up! Couldn't keep away after we left the scareport, huh?" Heath said, bumping fists with Clawd.
"Not much. Except you didn't give me a goodbye kiss," Clawd replied.
"You mean like your sister was do–"
"So, vhat brings you two here to the movies?" Draculaura asked, before Heath could finish saying something stupid.
"Is seeming that, like you, ve have decided to…take in film, I believe is phrase," Abbey explained.
"This is fangtastic! Ve vere just having trouble picking something to vatch!" Draculaura said.
"We?" Clawd wondered to himself.
"Vhat did you two decide on?" Draculaura asked.
"Blightanic," Abbey and Heath chorused.
"It took a little while for us to agree on something. But I really think there's a bit of something for both of us in it," Heath explained. "Abbey's got her romantic girly stuff. There's a bit of suspenseful action for the Heathster. Andthedudedrawinganakedchickonhiscouchsoundsgood."
"Vhat vas that?" Abbey sternly asked.
"I said the dude drawing a naked chick on his couch sounds good," Heath said, seemingly without realizing that he had said it.
Disbelief hit Clawd and Draculaura like it had fallen on them from the top of the building. And it hit harder when they saw Abbey smirking.
"So you think is vould be great in movie?" Abbey said, before kissing Heath's cheek. "Come, darling. Showtime is upon us."
Heath and Abbey walked to the box office to purchase their tickets. Clawd turned to Draculaura and shrugged. Draculaura shrugged back. Taking the initiative, Clawd took Draculaura's hand and led her after their friends.
Draculaura smiled. The unpleasant indecision was behind them now, and they could all enjoy a movie together. As she walked, something on her back didn't feel right, as if someone were pricking her with a warm needle. Suspecting that her top had tucked itself into the waist of her skirt somehow, she reached around her back to fix the problem. In the corner of her eye, she saw something that made her almost completely turn around.
At the other end of the crosswalk where Abbey and Heath were before sat an enormous black dog. One that was as large as the largest breeds she had ever seen. And it was looking directly at her.
"D? What's goin' on?" Clawd asked.
"There! Look!" Draculaura said, turning to get Clawd's attention.
When she turned back to look, the dog was gone with no trace of it ever existing left behind.
"Am I supposed to be seein' somethin'?" Clawd wondered.
"Bu…But-It vas there!"
It had to have been there. Draculaura knew it. It was so clear that time, there was no possible mistake about having seen it. No shadows were playing tricks on her, and there was no confusing the exact shape of it as a black poodle.
Clawd's hand on her shoulder took Draculaura back to reality.
"Come on. Let's just get our tickets. Want any snacks?" Clawd asked.
"Uh, sure. Just some plain popcorn for me," Draculaura said.
She wanted to look back over her shoulder. She wanted to know that she wasn't just seeing things that nobody else could. But at once, she feared to see it again. If she did see it again, perhaps its terrible intent or message would be conveyed. And if it was, Draculaura wondered if she would want to know it.
A/N: Whoa! Draculaura might actually be in some serious trouble this time around!
Hey, everyone. I know I said I planned on posting more chapters later in the new year, but I decided as a New Year's present I'd give you readers another chapter. You can probably expect the next one close to the end of the month.
Back to business, didn't we learn in the first chapter that this whole project was under Clawdeen's direction? Then why the heck is it suddenly Draculaura's project when we read this chapter? Does it have anything to do with the tension between those two? Of course, how qualified can Draculaura even be for the job when she can't even decide what movie to watch?
One thing that you may have noticed about this chapter and the last one is that they both begin with a letter correspondence. This is something that was directly inspired by the novel, Dracula. The entire book's story is told through a series of letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, magazine clippings and documents. To me, it seemed fitting to do that, given the premise of this particular story.
Just in case some of you didn't get the references, the movies that Clawd and Draculaura are looking at are parodies of titles like 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights,' 'A Fistful of Dollars,' 'The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly,' 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,' 'The Shawshank Redemption,' 'Bridget Jones's Diary,' and 'Titanic.' I figure these movies are famous enough that I didn't have to explain that, but there might be a few of you who never saw those. I do recommend them.
Just a heads up: the following chapters might not follow a linear story structure. Hopefully I'll do a good enough job so that you don't get confused by the order of events. You all just have fun reading.