When Lagoona finally surfaced, she realized that she’d missed the sunrise entirely: A heavy bank of clouds had blown in on a stiff wind while she was underwater. The waves were already choppier than before, with foamy whitecaps like warning flags. She hoped that the Normies on the beach would notice her signs. Scanning the horizon, Lagoona realized that there weren’t any sailboats or cruise ships as far as she could see. Even the fishing boats knew better than to risk being out in a tropical cyclone, which meant one very important thing to Lagoona: It was time to grab her surfboard!
Lagoona dove back under the waves and swam around the coral reef until she reached the grotto’s entrance, which was almost undetectable unless you knew where to look. Her little sisters, Kelpie and Ebbie, were at the computer. Lagoona’s heart skipped.
“Any news?” she asked. “Did Draculaura respond to my message?”
“No,” Kelpie said. “And g’day to you too.”
Lagoona tried to squelch her disappointment. “Oh. How come you two are hovering around my computer?” she asked.
“We were waiting for you,” Ebbie replied. “You’re always checking for new messages on your computer, so we figured this was the best place to find you.”
Lagoona smiled sheepishly. It was true that she had become a little bit obsessed with checking for new messages on the Monster Web—no, make that a lot obsessed. She couldn’t help herself! After all, Draculaura’s response could come at any moment… though in her heart, Lagoona was starting to worry. Several days had passed, yet there was still no word from Draculaura—or from anyone else at Monster High. How much longer would she have to wait?
Kelpie’s voice interrupted Lagoona’s thoughts. “Everybody else is surfing already. Did you see the sky?” she asked with a mischievous smile.
“Did I ever,” Lagoona replied. “Go on, grab your boards. If this is just a short squall, we don’t want to miss another moment.”
“Dad doesn’t think it’s a squall at all,” Ebbie told her. “He thinks a cyclone’s coming!”
“Fintastic!” Lagoona replied. “That means we can have an even longer surf sesh than usual.”
Lagoona grabbed her board and was about to follow her sisters into the waves when she glanced at her computer again. Won’t hurt to check it once more, she thought to herself. Just approaching the computer made her heart quicken. But when she refreshed, her Monster Web mailbox was still empty. Lagoona hadn’t really expected that a message from Draculaura would’ve arrived in the last thirty seconds… but then again . . .
What if something’s wrong with my Monster Web connection? Lagoona thought suddenly. It was tricky to get a connection this deep underwater, and it wouldn’t be the first time a looming storm had caused the circuits to go haywire. Lagoona decided to adjust her settings and run a systems check to see.
Maybe I’ll send another message to Draculaura, Lagoona thought. She didn’t want to seem super needy, but if something had gone wrong and Draculaura hadn’t received her first message . . .
Lagoona’s fins brushed against the keyboard as she started to type.
G’day, Draculaura! Just a quick hi before I
head out for a surf session with my sibs.
Really excited about Monster High still!
Can’t wait to hear from you! xo Lagoona
“Lagoona!” Ebbie’s voice carried through the water. “Come on! We’re missing all the fun!”
“I’m on my way,” Lagoona called back. The system scan would take a couple of hours, and she didn’t want to disappoint her sisters. It was scary-sweet of them to wait for her before they hit the waves. As Lagoona swam to the surface with her board tucked under her arm, she found that she was even more excited about surfing through the squall.
After all, Lagoona had a feeling that she needed to get in as many surf sessions as she could—before it was time to move to Monster High!
CHAPTER 3
Let’s start by listening to Lagoona’s message again,” Draculaura suggested. Everyone gathered around her iCoffin while she played it.
“Draculaura! Ghoulfriend!” a voice with an accent said. “This is Lagoona from Down Unda! I’m ready to dry off my scales for a while and start a new adventure with some fintastic ghoulfriends! Can you help me get to Monster High? Thanks, mate!”
“Down Unda?” Frankie said. “That could be a nickname for the Great Barrier Reef, near Australia.”
“Clawesome clue!” Clawdeen cheered. “Hey, what about ‘dry off my scales’? Could Lagoona be a sea monster?”
“Maybe,” Draculaura replied. “It doesn’t really matter, though. Monster High welcomes all monsters—no matter how scaly they are!”
Suddenly, Draculaura’s iCoffin beeped to alert her to a new message. “It’s from Lagoona!” she exclaimed. Then she read the message aloud. “G’day, Draculaura! Just a quick hi before I head out for a surf session with my sibs. Really excited about Monster High still! Can’t wait to hear from you! xo Lagoona.”
Draculaura could tell how excited Lagoona was to come to Monster High. Draculaura couldn’t wait to bring her to the school, and she typed out a quick response to let Lagoona know that the ghouls were on their way! But as she hit SEND, something occurred to her.
“We didn’t make plans for surfing at Monster High,” Draculaura said. She sounded a little worried. “Do you think Lagoona will be upset about that? What if it’s her favorite hobby?”
“Well, even if it is her favorite hobby—” started Clawdeen.
“All we have is a pool and the lake, but it sounds like she might be a saltwater ghoul,” Draculaura thought aloud. “Maybe we should look into digging a new body of water and making it salty so Lagoona will feel right at home!” Draculaura said excitedly. She grinned, showcasing her impressive fangs. “Or maybe Frankie can build a wave machine so that Lagoona can still surf. Oh, we can draw up the plans right now! If we just take this acre over here—”
“I heard that, and we will absolutely not be building a mini-ocean in the backyard!” called Dracula from down the hall.
“Ha-ha, well, maybe not a whole ocean . . .” Draculaura said to her friends, blushing. “I just want to make sure Lagoona loves it here!”
“Ghoul, she is going to love Monster High,” Clawdeen said firmly. “Don’t start worrying about stuff you can’t control. Besides, she’ll probably pick up a bunch of new hobbies here.”
“Or join some clubs!” Frankie suggested. Then she paused. “Wait a second. Do we even have clubs?”
“Not yet, but I’m sure we’ll have a ton of extracurricular activities,” Draculaura replied. “We could have Casketball or fearleading—”
Cleo drummed her fingers impatiently on the table. “Focus, ghouls,” she ordered. “Like I said before, Lagoona is dying to get here. So—how are we gonna make it happen?”
“So here’s a crazy idea,” Frankie spoke up.
All the ghouls turned to her.
“What if we just… go?” she asked.
“Fang on a minute! Wasn’t doing our research the whole point of coming back? That, and to get some Mummy Mocha refills,” Clawdeen said as she took a big gulp of her drink.
“You’re right,” Frankie explained. “But this is more like a quick trip as part of our research.”
“I get it!” Draculaura exclaimed. “It wouldn’t be a full-fledged rescue mission. Not yet, anyway. I think it’s a great idea!”
“And the rest of us can stay here to start some research. I’d go, but I’m a little worried about the water,” Frankie explained. “Sometimes I get a little—sparky—if I’m not careful. And I do not feel like short-circuiting today. So, does anyone want to volunteer?”
“Me!” Draculaura and Clawdeen exclaimed at the same time.
“I’m just fine here!” quipped Cleo.
“Voltageous!” Frankie cheered. “There’s safety in numbers, after all.”
Just then, Dracula appeared in the doorway. “Did someone say, ‘safety�
�?” he asked.
Here we go, Draculaura thought. “Dad, were you eavesdropping again?” she asked, pretending to scold him.
“Of course not!” Dracula replied. “But I do have to ask—what are you ghouls up to?”
“We’re working on a plan to bring Monster High’s next student to campus,” Draculaura explained. “Her name is Lagoona Blue. Clawdeen and I are going to use the Monster Mapalogue to learn a little more about where she lives. All we know so far is that it’s pretty watery.”
“Watery!” Dracula exclaimed. “Sit tight. I know just what you need!”
“Uh-oh,” Draculaura whispered to her ghoulfriends. “I feel like I should apologize in advance for whatever embarrassing thing my dad is about to do.”
“Aw, he’s just being a dad,” Frankie said. “Don’t be embarrassed!”
“Life vests!” Dracula’s voice rang through the Creepeteria.
“Err, never mind,” whispered Frankie. “That’s definitely embarrassing!”
Draculaura cringed at the sight of the bright-orange vests, which gleamed with stripes of shiny reflective tape. “Dad! Those are totes gross!” She groaned. “Why would Lagoona want to come to Monster High with a pair of floating pumpkins?”
“On the contrary, she’ll probably be very impressed with how safety conscious you are!” Dracula replied.
“Seriously, Mr. D.—I don’t need it,” Clawdeen said, holding up her hands. “I was born knowing how to doggy-paddle.”
“I don’t doubt that for a minute,” Dracula replied. “Still, if you’re going to be in the water, I must insist. Now, I’ve got four life vests here—one for each of you.”
“That’s okay,” Cleo replied. “Only Clawdeen and Draculaura are going this time.”
“Oh, perfect—then you can each wear two life vests!” Dracula said brightly.
“No, that’s okay,” Draculaura said quickly. “One is enough. More than enough.”
“And, of course, don’t forget the sunscream. I have SPF 1000,” Dracula continued. “Sun safety is just as important as water safety!”
“So—if we slather up and wear these lame vests—sorry, I mean life vests,” Clawdeen began, “you’ll let us go?”
There was a pause before Dracula answered.
“Yes,” he said finally. “I don’t love the thought of you ghouls bobbing around in an ocean far from home, but I know that you will be as careful as you can.”
“Of course they will!” Frankie said. “Here, ghouls, let me help you get ready.”
Cleo’s gold earrings were so big and shiny that Draculaura and Clawdeen used them as mirrors, staring at their reflections as they rubbed the extra-thick sunscream over their skin. Then Dracula inflated the life vests.
“Um, I don’t think it’s possible to make these vests look good,” Clawdeen whispered to Draculaura as the bulky life vests filled with air and got even bigger. “Are there any more fangtastic-looking options available?”
“Ghoul, I wish,” Draculaura whispered back. “My dad has always been like this, but I think it’s gotten a little worse since we started Monster High.”
“Really?” asked Frankie.
Draculaura nodded. “Now it’s not just me he worries about—but everybody else too!”
Dracula was breathless from blowing up the life vests. “I—think—we’re—just—about—done,” he gasped.
Clawdeen raked back her thick hair and held it out of the way while Frankie and Cleo helped her put on the vest. “You know, maybe these life vests aren’t the worst idea,” she joked. “My mane is not easy to tame if it gets tangled up from wind and salt water.”
“I guess we’ll know soon enough,” Draculaura replied as she fastened her buckles. Click. Click. Click. Click.
Clawdeen turned to Draculaura. “What do you think? Do I look ready?”
Draculaura stared at the puffy life vest and the goopy sunscream coating Clawdeen’s cheeks. “Oh yeah,” she said. “We look ready for something. What exactly, I’m not sure, but ready or not—let’s go!”
Together, Draculaura and Clawdeen placed their fingertips on the Skullette. “Next stop, Lagoona’s home—wherever that is,” Draculaura said. “Lagoona. Exsto monstrum!”
Whoosh!
The trip seemed faster than usual; Draculaura barely had a chance to breathe before she realized that she was falling. The plunge was swift and sudden; she felt the wetness of the water before she saw it. Draculaura braced herself, trying to take a deep breath before complete and total submersion. But thanks to the life vest, her head stayed above water, so she could breathe just fine.
“Clawdeen!” Draculaura cried as she bobbed like an apple on the sky-blue waters. “The life vests! They’re keeping us afloat!”
“I could get used to this,” Clawdeen replied as she drifted on the gentle waves.
“It’s so relaxing,” Draculaura agreed. “Too bad Cleo and Frankie didn’t come too. They are definitely missing out!”
“Have you ever seen water this blue and clear?” Clawdeen asked. “It’s fangtastic!”
Draculaura peered over the edge of her life vest. “Wow,” she breathed. “I can see all the way down to the ocean floor. The sand is so white! It looks like pearls!”
“Check out those strands of seaweed—they’re like ribbons,” added Clawdeen.
“Do you think there are any coral reefs near here?” Draculaura asked as she glanced around.
“Maybe,” Clawdeen said. “Actually, we must be pretty far out. I don’t see anything—not the beach, not an island, nothing.”
“The water must be even deeper than it looks,” said Draculaura. “We have to remember all this. It will definitely help us figure out exactly where we are.”
“Oh, I know where we are,” Clawdeen joked, leaning back as far as her life vest would let her. “Paradise! I would love to take a scarecation here someday.”
“Maybe Lagoona really is a sea monster and lives out here!” Draculaura said excitedly. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“You know who else can’t wait?” asked Clawdeen. “That school of fish over there. Look how fast they’re swimming!”
“Slow down, little fishies,” Draculaura joked.
“Yeah, what’s the hurry? You should relax, like us,” Clawdeen said. “Right, Drac?”
But Draculaura didn’t answer.
“Right, Drac?” Clawdeen repeated. She reached out and gave Draculaura’s shoulder a little shake. “You okay? You look really pale all of a sudden. Or maybe it’s just the sunscream.”
“It’s not the sunscream,” Draculaura said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Ghoul, look over there. Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
Clawdeen shielded her eyes with her hand as she peered at the horizon. The brilliant sun shone so brightly that the water around them sparkled, which made it hard to see. Clawdeen squinted—strained her eyes—and then she finally realized why Draculaura was so pale.
“Is that a shark fin?” Clawdeen cried.
“I think so,” Draculaura replied. “No wonder those fish were swimming so fast! We’d better get out of here too.”
“Let’s try not to make any sudden motions,” Clawdeen said. “Maybe it won’t see us.”
“Maybe,” Draculaura said. “But I think it noticed us long before we noticed it.”
Clawdeen swallowed hard. “I have a funny feeling about this.”
“Me too,” Drac replied. “Don’t look now—but I think it’s coming this way!”
CHAPTER 4
Lagoona lay down on her board and paddled farther out to sea. The approaching wave was big—bigger than any other wave she’d caught that morning. When it began to crest, she wanted to be ready, in just the right position to ride it all the way home. And she would be. After all, Lagoona had been surfing ever since she’d learned to swim as a baby.
A new sound arose over the steady lapping of the water as the tides formed a tall, white-capped wave. Lagoona pulled herself into a crou
ching position. Then, carefully steadying herself, she started to stand.
“You ready, Ebbie? Kelpie?” Lagoona called to her sisters. “Watch and learn!”
“Go, Lagoona!” her sisters cried. “Hang ten!”
“Three… two… one!” Lagoona screamed as the wave met her board and catapulted her over the churning waters at top speed. The wind blew her hair into a wild tangle, but Lagoona didn’t care. The only thing she felt was a sense of joy that swelled as large as the wave, filling her with exhilaration.
Over the roar of the waves, Lagoona could hear her sisters cheering as she showed off her best moves, peaking when she managed to pull off an aerial without wiping out. She couldn’t stop grinning as she maneuvered over to Ebbie and Kelpie.
“Good on ya, Lagoona!” Kelpie said as they all swam toward home. “Do you think I’ll ever surf as well as you?”
“Do I think it? No,” Lagoona teased. “I know it!”
“But how will I ever learn after you go off to Monster High?” Kelpie replied.
Lagoona gave her sister a hug. “Of course you’ll learn,” she said. “Besides, I’ll come home whenever we have scaremester breaks. You can’t get rid of me that easily!”
“We’re still going to miss you,” Ebbie said with a pout.
“Then I guess I’ll have to call you lots to make up for it,” Lagoona told her sisters as they reached their hidden grotto. When they were all smiles again, she slipped away to check her computer for a message from Draculaura. She hoped the systems check was complete and everything would be up and running again.
But when Lagoona got to her computer, the screen was black. She didn’t even have a weak connection to the Monster Web anymore!
What is it this time? Lagoona wondered. Corroded cables? Waterlogged wires?
“Mum!” Lagoona called. “Help! The Monster Web is dead!”
“Again?” Lagoona’s mother asked as she swam over to her.
“Look at the router—no signal,” Lagoona told her. “This is dreadful! What if Draculaura’s trying to message me right now?”
“Don’t fuss, it will probably just end up in the queue. You’ll get it when we fix the connection,” Mum said. “But that might be a while. Your dad and I saw a pair of Normies in the deep water, bobbing around in those silly inflatable vests they like to wear. They’re gone now, but he wants to keep watch in case they come back. It’s unusual for them to be this far out.”
Monster Rescue: Go Get Lagoona! Page 2
