Monster High: Season of the Witch

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

"List the classes of venomous toxins," Beatrix read a flashcard aloud.

"Necrotoxins and cytotoxins, neurotoxins, myotoxins, and haemotoxins," Autumn answered immediately.

"And how do natural and supernatural mammals produce venom?"

"With venom glands attached to their canine teeth, or venomous saliva."

"You're gonna kill your midterm," Beatrix said, handing Autumn the thick pile of flashcards she'd compiled.

"Let's go through them again."

"You got this. Seriously, outside of fearleading, all you do is study."

"Let's do them again," Autumn said, a bit sternly.

"We've been at it all night! It's too late anyway. Class is about to start, strawhead."

Autumn sighed. "Stop calling me strawhead."

"What's your problem?" Beatrix challenged. "You've been acting weird since the bonfire."

The bell rang, depriving Beatrix of an answer.

"See you in an hour," Autumn said flatly. She walked into her Biteology class, stiffly grasping her backpack.

Beatrix was annoyed at Autumn giving her the cold shoulder, but there were more pressing matters on her mind.

Today was Autumn's first midterm, which meant the semester was coming to an end.

Beatrix's trial before the school board would be held early next week. She had an ominous feeling that her days at Monster High were numbered.

Returning to the farm and living out her days in her aunts' coven sounded dreadful, and to make matters worse, her sixteenth birthday was getting closer and closer.

The hallways cleared as classes started, and soon only a few students lingered around the lockers.

"Hey, witch snitch, don't you have slop to serve?" someone mocked.

Beatrix saw a cluster of vampires snickering from across the hall.

They'd been bothering Beatrix ever since she "framed" Bram and Vilhelm at the nightclub.

Amidst the vampires, Bram's girlfriend, Gory, glared at Beatrix with blood red eyes.

Gory's resentment was palpable.

Beatrix took that as her cue to leave. She swiftly headed to the creepateria to start her shift.

The vampires called after her. "Look, Gory, you scared her. The witch snitch is gonna go cry to Bloodgood now."

Beatrix whirled around. "You can't come up with a better insult than 'witch snitch'? Go gargle garlic, fangface."

Although she was proud of her comeback, Beatrix didn't wait to see the look on the vampires' faces. Instead, she dashed through the creepateria doors, praying they wouldn't come after her.

"You're early," Marsha said skeptically, tying her apron with mossy fingers.

Beatrix tied her hair into a braid. "What can I say? I'm excited to make ghoulash for lunch today."

"Change of plans. We're serving haunt dogs and blood sausages. I have to go to the back freezers and grab them. I'll be right back," Marsha said, then narrowed her eyes. "I don't want to have to report you to the headmistress, so no funny magic business while I'm gone. Got it, 'Trix? "

"Yup," Beatrix confirmed, frustrated that Marsha didn't trust her. She wished the lunch ladies didn't know about her spellcasting rule violation. It made creepateria shifts tense.

As Marsha left, Beatrix opened her work locker, grabbed her apron, and rummaged around for haunt dog buns.

Once Beatrix found the buns, a loud bang resounded in the kitchen.

At first, it didn't appear like anything had moved.

Except now Beatrix's locker was shut.

She didn't remember closing it.

Beatrix peered around, unsure if someone else was in the creepateria with her. "Hello?"

Silence.

Beatrix's mind went straight to Gory's blood-red glare.

Now that she was alone, it was the perfect opportunity for Gory to get revenge.

"I have a weapon!" Beatrix shouted, arming herself with a spatula.

Behind her, Beatrix heard the bag of haunt dog buns slide off the counter and fall to the floor.

Beatrix clutched the spatula and braced herself.

Hello again.

Beatrix nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oh my ghoul, you scared me!" Beatrix breathed a sigh of relief. The purple spirit she'd encountered in the screamtorium hovered before her.

You've been jumpy lately, the spirit's voice rang in her head.

Beatrix tried swatting the voice away as if it was a fly buzzing too close to her ear. "What do you want now?"

"Such a hostile greeting. Have I done something to upset you?" the ghost asked aloud, floating through the kitchen counter.

"I'm gonna be fired and kicked off campus because of you!" Beatrix complained.

"Is this your way of telling me that you successfully replicated a monster power?"

"Ya, I sang a hypnosis song, just like a phantom or mermaid," Beatrix said.

The ghost's purple eyes brightened with a glimmer of excitement in the fluorescent lights, then she returned to a hazy look. "What witch spell did you pair the song with?"

"A sleeping elixir, one that I'd never been able to master before."

"You mastered a magical technique in an unconventional way. This sounds like a good thing."

"Tell that to the headmistress. You're the reason I'm in this mess," Beatrix accused.

The ghost was taken aback. "I apologize. I only wanted to help. Since you don't wish to see me anymore, I'll leave you be." She started to fade away, disappearing between the cabinets.

Remorse hit Beatrix. "Wait! Come back. It's my fault. I was the one who practiced magic when I knew I shouldn't."

The spirit reappeared.

"How'd you know pairing a spell with a monster ability would be so effective, anyway?" Beatrix asked.

"You learn things when you roam these halls for so long," the spirit said. "I get the sense something else is bothering you."

Beatrix was reluctant to disclose anything. However, she hated feeling powerless next to the vampires, especially when she had a target on her back. "The vamps around school have been mad-dogging me, like they're waiting for the right moment to strike."

"You're a lamb amidst lions."

"Uh, yeah, exactly," Beatrix replied.

The ghost attempted to stroke Beatrix's cheek with an immaterial hand, but Beatrix didn't feel a thing.

"When you feel as vulnerable as a lamb," the ghost said, "look to the wolves."