You convinced the others that hiding out in the bell tower was far safer than staying in the room, on the off chance any trolls came looking for them. And so Venus, Rochelle, Robecca, and you slipped quietly into the chamber atop the tower and waited.
In between stolen glances out the open windows, you played cards, napped intermittently, and speculated endlessly on what was happening outside. Occasionally the sound of trolls marching in the halls echoed up through the stone tower, but mostly there was a shroud of silence.
Robecca: I really wish we knew what was happening out there. Do you think it’s possible that the power struggle is over and we’re waiting up here for no reason?
Y/N: I doubt it. Miss Sue Nami would send a signal, something to alert us.
Small puffs of steam exited Robecca’s ears.
Robecca: This experience has taught me that I would not do well in jail. I’m just not wired for staying in one place. It feels unnatural.
Rochelle: Unless talking about cat’s pajamas or mouse’s houses suddenly becomes illegal, I cannot imagine what you will ever go to jail for. Venus, on the other hand, I can imagine in jail for a wide variety of well-meaning but reckless reasons.
Venus: And what about you?
Y/N: Gargoyles are too good at following rules to wind up in jail.
Rochelle: Well put, Van Helsing.
Y/N: The Gargoyles who do break the rules are usually deemed too dangerous and are just put on the hunt list.
Rochelle: I'll just stay quiet now.
Suddenly, the faint semblance of calm evaporated as a shrill and deafening ring cut through campus. The quartet exchanged tense expressions and furrowed brows as if to say "Now what"?
Voices carried up from the hall.
Intercom: Emergency meeting! Emergency meeting! Vampitheater now! Vampitheater now!
You all listened to them for a moment.
Y/N: What do you think?
Venus: It could be Miss Sue Nami holding a meeting to announce the end of Miss Flapper’s reign.
Rochelle: Or it could be Miss Flapper herself!
Robecca: I have faith that it’s Miss Sue Nami.
Y/N: Unfortunately, there’s only one way to find out.
------------------
The tower stairwell was dark, damp, and desperately in need of a renovation. Splintered cracks lined the walls, and the sound of dripping water echoed ominously. It was a creepy space, one that they were more than happy to escape, at least until they saw the rampant chaos in the hall. Students were in a literal stampede toward the Vampitheater. And while it was hard to believe that Miss Sue Nami would allow such disorder, the four of you continued to hope against reason that she was still in charge.
The purple-and-gold assembly hall was packed to the gills, just as it had been at the start-of-the-term assembly. This time, however, the room was filled with mounting anxiety and tension instead of excitement and anticipation. Robecca, you, Venus, and Rochelle slipped into the last row and quickly slouched down in your seats, all the while keeping an eye out for trolls.
Bloodgood: Hello, students.
Whaaaaat was she doing here?!
Bloodgood: I’m so happy that you all heard the bell and were able to come.
Venus: She seems pretty normal, so that’s a good sign.
Y/N: Uh, she's supposed to be locked in the basement.
The three looked at you while you watched Bloodgood with wide eyes.
Bloodgood: As many of you know, I have waited years to ring the emergency bell! It’s been one of my lifelong dreams to have an emergency so big that it actually warranted the bell. And I am proud to say that today I do. Now if I could only remember what it was…. Bat flu? Mutant insect invasion? Pumpkin-head mold virus? Or perhaps I just wanted to say hello. Oh yes, that must have been it. Hello, monsters! Thank you all for coming!
As Headmistress Bloodgood waved to the audience, Miss Sue Nami barreled onto the stage, ramming into her boss.
Bloodgood: Miss Sue Nami? Are we wrestling?
Miss Sue Nami: Ma’am, we are most certainly not wrestling!
Miss Sue Nami barked before whispering into the headmistress’s ear.
Bloodgood: Oh yes! What a relief it is to have my thoughts back! Thank you.
Watching Miss Sue Nami remind Headmistress Bloodgood of what to say greatly calmed Venus’s nerves. It reminded her of her first day at Monster High, back when she thought the school seemed like a healthy place for a plant to grow. Although Venus still wasn’t sure exactly what was happening, there was no denying the presence of a highly threatening epidemic.
But, for you, it was a sight of horror.
Y/N: We need to go.
The ghouls looked at you confused.
Bloodgood: My young monsters, as you know, I absolutely love my job. It is most definitely the best job in the whole world. And perhaps even the most important one. Here at Monster High, we are shaping the future generation through education and preparation.
Rochelle: Is she talking about the SATs?
Bloodgood: I have led you well, or at least I think I have. I can’t quite remember at this exact moment. But if for some reason I haven’t led you well, please keep that information to yourself. Women of my age are no longer interested in constructive criticism. What’s the point? We’re too old. And to that end, I feel that I am now too old to lead you in the manner you require. You need a leader who can help you take your rightful place in the world as the dominant species. No longer fourth on the list after normies, canines, and ferrets. And so I now pass the reins of headmistress to the Flap, effective immediately.
Surrounded by trolls dressed in navy-and-red military uniforms, Miss Flapper strode up the steps to the stage. It was a shocking display of power and confidence. Gone was any semblance of the softness Miss Flapper had previously displayed. In its place was a hardness that bordered on arrogance. Dressed in a severe black dress with a high neckline, a flurry of buttons, and shoulder tassels, the outfit had a distinct military feel to it. Completing the meticulous look of power was a harsh coiffure, her red hair knotted in a tight bun atop her head.
Y/N: This just took the worse possible turn and we need to book it. Now!
You all got up to leave, but Trolls were patrolling the area. You all had to duck down to avoid being seen.
A stern-faced Miss Flapper slowly approached the podium, dramatically drawing out each step.
Miss Flipper: Today we start again. Today we begin to build the new empire. And with that in mind, I hereby abolish all frivolous studies and irrelevant activities like Roller Maze and Fearleading. For as we prepare to take our rightful place in the world, we have no time for distractions or dissension. Anyone who isn’t with us is against us. There is no in-between, not anymore. We are now warriors; no longer will we be marginalized by the normies!
Miss Flapper began snapping her wings open for emphasis.
Robecca: What in the name of the Finnish finger did she just say?
Y/N: I don’t want to scare you, but this isn’t good.
Venus: No, this isn’t even bad. This is horrible.
Miss Flapper then waved to the crowd as a chorus of uniformed pumpkin heads joined her onstage to sing the Monster Advancement Anthem.
Miss Flapper: If we put monsters first, the world will no longer be cursed….
You stopped your crawling and slowly looked at the stage.
Y/N: She turned them into Nazis. Monster Nazis. Seriously?!
You saw an opening and immediately got up and made a break for it. The others followed and you were suddenly back in the halls of the school.
But soon you spied the rather ungenerous drawings of their faces that adorned posters with the message WANTED FOR QUESTIONING—PLEASE REPORT ANY AND ALL SIGHTINGS TO THE NEAREST TROLL.
Y/N: Keep your heads down and follow me.
You lead the others while doing your best to avoid eye contact with anyone in the hall.
Robecca: Dear, oh, dear. I’m steaming! I’m steaming! I’m steaming!
Rochelle: Shh. Take off your sweater and wrap it around your head like a scarf. That should block at least part of it.
You watched Robecca closely as she wrapped her polka-dot sweater over her ears and continued down the corridor after Rochelle and Venus. You couldn’t explain why he felt so protective of her, but you did. Ever since the first time you laid his eye on the metallic young lady, you felt a sense of familiarity towards her. Like she was an old friend you knew long ago.
After ducking into the maze, Robecca performed an aerial sweep to find the most deserted spot in which to take refuge. Hidden amid a cluster of unkempt hedges, wayward-growing trees, and rusted old contraptions, the quartet began to absorb the severity of the situation.
Rochelle: Je ne comprends pas! Why is Miss Flapper after us? What did we do?
Robecca: Those posters are straight out of the Wild West.
Venus: I just don’t get it. Why us? Are we the only ones not under her spell? Or is it something else?
Rochelle: We’re the only four people on campus who didn’t join MALL. It’s that simple. We’re literally the last ones standing. And Y/N is the only Normie here.
Rochelle soon had a glum expression reminiscent of Mr. D’eath’s.
Y/N: She’s right. Miss Flapper clearly knows who’s in and who’s out.
Robecca: Maybe we should go into town and try to talk to the sheriff.
Y/N: And say what? That the new headmistress is brainwashing everyone? I somehow doubt he’ll believe us. But even if he does, and he comes here, we run the risk that the sheriff will fall under her spell too. That could prove catastrophic for Salem.
Rochelle: I wish we were in Scaris! Then I would know exactly what to do. Call the gargoyle support line, report the problem, and finally wait for the committee to arrive and advise on the issue.
Robecca: We may not have an advice committee, but we have one another. That’s got to count for something.
Y/N: I think we should begin by reviewing what we do know about Miss Flapper. She transferred here from a monster academy in Bitealy, and she got a bunch of elderly trolls as a parting gift.
Venus nodded.
Venus: We need to talk to people at her old school, find out why she left, find out everything they know about her.
Y/N: Then we need to break into the main office and find Miss Flapper’s personnel file.
Robecca: Y/N, I never knew you were such a rebel.
Robecca was clearly impressed by the willingness to break the rules.
Rochelle: As you know, I do not believe in or condone breaking and entering. I do, however, see that in this case it is necessary, for the greater good.
Venus: You don’t have to come with us if it makes you uncomfortable. The three of us can handle it.
Rochelle: I will be there. As Robecca said, we’re in this together, and that’s got to count for something.
Y/N: Is that part of the Gargoyle Code?
Rochelle shook her head.
Rochelle: It’s part of the Rochelle Goyle code.
--------------------
With your faces plastered all over the school, getting to the main office without detection was nearly impossible. And so it was decided that you would wait until nightfall before leaving the maze.
That night, under the sound of swooping bats, Robecca, Rochelle, Venus, and you crept slowly down the main corridor, your eyes peeled for trolls. Much had changed during the Flap’s short time in power. Memos with new rules were e-mailed hourly, covering everything from the complete suppression of free speech to the trolls’ revised dress code. According to the latest mandate, trolls were to wear navy-and-red suits, comb their hair into ponytails, and march in military formation whenever patrolling the halls.
Venus: What does it say about trolls that it took all this to get them to shower?
Your group hid in a dark doorway and waited for the last troop of trolls to retire for the night.
Y/N: It means exactly what we already knew: that they’re a species that does not hold personal hygiene in high regard. It is for this reason that the Monster Hunter’s Guide warns against accepting invitations from trolls.
With the coast clear, you led the others past the Creepchen and the Absolutely Deranged Scientist Laboratory and finally to the large metal door of the main office.
Robecca: It’s locked. Venus, I’m guessing you know how to pick a lock with your vines.
Venus: What does that mean?
Rochelle: Please, move out of the way. For once my hard little claws might be of some use.
Rochelle sanded down the lock’s mechanism until the door simply popped open. Once inside the crowded and messy office, you all split up, desperate to locate Miss Flapper’s personnel file and return to the maze.
Seated on an office chair scanning papers, a thoroughly focused Rochelle didn’t notice the creaking sound coming from beneath her. The chair was, in fact, calling for help, desperately pleading for someone to save it.
It was a rather common occurrence for furniture to literally beg for its life while beneath the slender yet weighty creature. But alas, she was far too preoccupied searching for information on Miss Flapper to notice the chair’s distress. Why, it was only upon crashing to the floor, atop a mass of broken wood, that Rochelle realized there was a problem.
???: Rochelle?
Rochelle: Deuce? Is that you?
Deuce: Are you okay? That looked like quite a fall.
The boy began to approach her, wearing his trademark sunglasses.
Rochelle: Yes, I’m fine. Sadly, breaking chairs is not new for me.
Rochelle began wondering whether Deuce might have miraculously escaped Miss Flapper’s spell.
Deuce: Well, I’m glad you’re all right.
The boy then noticeably tensed up, as if he had just remembered that he was talking to one of the school’s most wanted monsters.
Deuce: Rochelle, what exactly are you doing in the office?
Rochelle: I was recently appointed midnight office clerk by the Flap.
Rochelle fibbed uncomfortably while covertly motioning for the others to stay hidden. It wasn't in a Gargoyle's blood to lie.
Deuce: Rochelle, that’s a lie.
Rochelle: Please, don’t say anything. We’re just trying to get the school back to normal.
Deuce: The Flap will want to speak with you. I have no choice but to take you to her right now.
Rochelle: Please, Deuce, just let me go.
Deuce flinched, then he spoke slowly.
Deuce: I can't do that....
Rochelle: Sure you can. It’s just me, Rochelle, the one ghoul who’s looked into those kind eyes of yours.
Deuce: You’re betraying your own kind, and that is not right. I’m getting the trolls.
Y/N: Are you sure you want to do that?
Deuce turned around, only to be met with your bat to the face, breaking his glasses and knocking him out cold. The girls all looked at you, but you just shrugged.
Y/N: It worked, didn't it?
Venus: Uh, I guess?
Rochelle: We should go.
In a testament to Headmistress Bloodgood’s poor organizational skills, you had discovered the file beneath a potted plant.
Y/N: It’s the Accademia de Mostro in northern Bitaly. I’m going to need to sneak into a classroom. I need a phone with international dialing.
Robwcca: Shouldn’t we all go with you?
Y/N: The larger the group, the more likely we are to be noticed.
Venus: I agree. But do you speak Bitealian?
Y/N: I’m hoping someone at the school speaks English. If they don't, I've been in the area once or twice. I might need to brush off my skills.
Rochelle: I would try the Libury first. It’s pretty close, plus I’ve seen Dr. Clamdestine use the phone in there many times.
Rochelle pressed a thin gold hatpin into your hand and whispered.
Rochelle: Bon chance.
You all then looked at Deuce as he scored. He was definitely gonna have a headache when he woke up.
-------------
It was nearly half past four in the morning when you slipped out of the maze and passed the dungeon and graveyard before coming upon the Libury door. You pulled out Rochelle’s sharp and stylish hatpin and began fiddling with the lock. And although you never would have admitted it to anyone, you were quite enjoying your new life as a criminal. While unintended, the recent bout of recklessness had given you a greatly needed confidence boost.
After successfully picking the lock, you crept into the dusty room. On a desk in the corner, you found a well-worn black phone. After dialing a seemingly endless series of numbers, you listened to the foreign ringtone and waited.
Man: Buongiorno!
Y/N: Uh, bonjeerno.
Man: Who is this?
Y/N: My name is Y/N.....
You stopped yourself. You couldn't give him your real name. It might scare him away. You closed your eyes and suddenly found a name popping in your mind.
Y/N: Ozmandias. Y/N Ozmandias, and I am a student at Monster High in Salem, Oregon, in the United States. I was wondering if I might speak to the headmistress or headmaster.
Signore: That is me, Signore Vitriola.
Y/N: A former teacher of yours recently arrived at our school. Perhaps you remember her. Miss Flapper?
The man seemed to hesitate. This didn't go unnoticed.
Seniore: Yes…
Y/N: Well, she seems to have put the school under some sort of spell, a monster whisper….
Seniore: Oh no! It’s spreading! Please leave me alone. Never call this number again!
His voice was panicked. Like he was recalling a horrific memory.
Y/N: But, sir, this is destroying our school!
Seniore: I cannot help you. I closed the Accademia a year ago! I had no choice! I couldn’t stop it.
Y/N: You mean Miss Flapper?
Seniore: Please, I don’t want to discuss this. Perhaps you will have better luck with the book than I did.
Y/N: What book?
Seniore: You must find your school’s Crybrary….
Y/N: Its what?
Seniore: All monster academies have a secret room known as a Crybrary, where highly classified books are kept. The room is only to be accessed by someone with a master’s degree in Beastly Sciences. But I suppose in your case, an exception must be made.
That was definitely better suited for your uncle. But, seeing as he wouldn't have any signal until next week, that was out of the question.
Y/N: How do I find the Crybrary?
Signore: It’s different for every school.
Of course it wouldn't be that easy. You would need to find it on your own. For your friends.
Y/N: Thank you, Signore Vitriola.
Signore: I hope, for your sake, it is not too late.
The old man whispered something before the line abruptly went dead.