“That would be golden,” Cleo replied.
“But it’s not enough for it to be waterproof,” Clawdeen continued. “It has to be positively clawesome too. I do not want poor Frankie stuck in the equivalent of a full-body life vest.”
They both shuddered at the thought.
“What can I do to help?” asked Cleo.
Clawdeen crossed the room, rummaged through one of the cabinets, and returned with a sketchbook and a set of freshly sharpened colored pencils. “Do you want to help me sketch some designs?” she asked. “I’ll have my hands full trying to find the right materials and making the patterns. Plus, your style is totally clawesome. If you bring just a smidgen of that style to Frankie’s suit, she can look voltageous and stay safe at the same time.”
“I’m just the ghoul for the job!” Cleo replied with a smile.
Cleo started sketching while Clawdeen returned to the pile of fabrics. After a while, Clawdeen exclaimed “Yes!” so loud that Cleo jumped.
“I found it!” Clawdeen cried. She held up a bolt of silvery material that shimmered whenever it caught the light.
“It’s golden,” Cleo said approvingly. “But is it waterproof?”
“One hundred percent guaranteed,” Clawdeen said, pointing at the label on the end of the bolt. “But I think we can do even better than that.”
“Let me guess,” Cleo replied. “Double layers?”
“Exactly,” Clawdeen said. “Plus, I was thinking of crossing the two layers of fabric to make them even stronger.”
“It will have to be head to toe,” Cleo reminded her. She pushed the sketchbook across the table to Clawdeen. “What do you think of my design?”
Clawdeen leaned over to study Cleo’s sketch. The sleek suit had a futuristic feel that would fit Frankie’s high-tech personality perfectly. “Ooh, that’s clawesome!” Clawdeen said approvingly when she noticed the small, stiff fins that Cleo had added to the suit’s arms and back.
“If they’re good enough for these ‘sharks’ you speak of, I figured they’ll be good for Frankie’s suit,” Cleo said with a laugh. “And if we coat the thread with wax before we sew the suit, even the thread will be waterproof. That will make the seams even stronger—and make sure that Frankie stays dry.”
“Ghoul, you’re a genius!” Clawdeen exclaimed. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Well, you know, my tomb was accidentally sealed with beeswax for, like, a thousand years,” Cleo said. “I had a lot of time to think about stuff like that.”
“But we don’t have a lot of time before we need to get to Lagoona,” Clawdeen reminded her. “Do you know how to sew?”
Cleo blinked. “Sew?” she repeated. “Like… with a needle and thread?”
“Yeah,” Clawdeen said. “That’s usually how it’s done.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Cleo replied. “My seamstress always did a marvelous job, though. Oh, if she were here we’d be done in no time! Maybe we could make a call . . .”
“Oh. Right,” Clawdeen replied. “Well, I’ll just get to work on the sewing, and—”
“Or maybe I could learn?” Cleo suggested a little shyly.
Clawdeen grinned at her ghoulfriend. “I think you could definitely learn,” she replied. “Let’s do it!”
For the next hour, Clawdeen taught Cleo everything she knew about creating a new fashion design—cutting out a pattern, tracing it onto fabric, pinning the pieces, and finally sewing the pieces together. Then came the fun part—embellishments! Cleo used a smooth, golden disc of beeswax to coat multicolor metallic thread, which the ghouls used to stitch half circles on every inch of the wetsuit. They glimmered and gleamed like fish scales—and provided even more protection from the water.
At last, Clawdeen held up the suit. “Ta-da!” she announced. “What do you think?”
“It’s royal!” Cleo exclaimed. “Frankie is going to love it! Come on, let’s go give it to her. I can’t wait to see her face!”
“Uh-uh,” Clawdeen replied, shaking her head. “It’s not finished yet.”
Cleo looked surprised. “What do you mean?” she asked. “It’s got three layers of waterproofing; it’s got functional and fashionable fins; it’s even got some creepy-cool patterns. What else could we possibly do?”
“A trial run!” Clawdeen announced. She held out the suit to Cleo.
“Me?” Cleo asked in surprise. “You want me to try it on?”
“Not just try it on—swim in it!” Clawdeen told her.
Cleo stared at her with a blank look.
“Well, I would, but there’s no way the hood will fit over my hair,” Clawdeen explained, shaking her thick purple-streaked hair away from her face. “And there’s no way we can give it to Frankie if we haven’t tested it yet. That would be way too big a risk. Luckily, Monster High has a pool where we can test it out. Follow me!”
Clawdeen was so excited to see if the wetsuit worked that she didn’t notice that Cleo was strangely quiet on their walk to Monster High’s pool. The aqua-colored water in the pool rippled slightly, casting a flickering reflection on the purple and gray arches that lined the walls.
Clawdeen leaned over and dipped in her pinkie finger. “Ahhh, the water feels great!” she said. “I’m jealous. I’d love to take a dip!”
“Yeah! The pool looks great with all that water and the… uh, water . . .” Cleo echoed. She tried to smile but couldn’t quite manage it.
“The locker room is over there,” Clawdeen said. “Go ahead and get changed. Then you can test out the wetsuit.”
“Maybe we should get Draculaura to test it,” Cleo suggested suddenly. “I get the sense that ghoul really loves fashion! She’d be a great model. I’m just, oh you know, not that… uh… into fashion?” Cleo finished. She raised her eyebrows hopefully, wondering if she’d been convincing.
“Ghoul, you love fashion. You tried to bring five golden trunks of custom-made clothing to Monster High! And this is your design,” Clawdeen replied, raising her own eyebrows. “Plus, Drac’s probably busy with her research. I don’t think we should interrupt her.”
“But—”
“Hurry up and get changed! I can’t wait to see if it works!”
“Okay,” Cleo said slowly. Then she started walking toward the locker room. She moved as if her feet were encased in cement blocks instead of creeperific sandals.
Several minutes later, Cleo finally reappeared, wearing the wetsuit. The light reflecting off the saltwater pool made her look like a rare tropical sea beastie as it flickered off the shimmery threads.
Clawdeen nodded approvingly. “Well, the suit looks ugh-mazing,” she said. “Now let’s see if it really works.”
“So… you just want me to, like, jump in?” Cleo asked doubtfully.
“Sure,” Clawdeen said. “Go ahead! The water feels great!”
Cleo slowly inched closer to the edge of the pool. “Maybe I could just put my foot in?” she suggested. “That will tell us if the fabric really is waterproof.”
But Clawdeen shook her head. “That will only tell us if it’s waterproof on your foot,” she replied. “What about the rest of Frankie’s wetsuit? No, I think you’ve got to go underwater. You need to be completely submerged.”
“Completely?” Cleo gulped.
“From head to toe,” Clawdeen replied.
“Okay,” Cleo said. She took a deep breath and let the tips of her toes hang over the edge of the pool. She lifted her foot, then started to lower it into the water. Slowly… slowly… slowly . . .
“I can’t!” Cleo suddenly cried. She rushed backward from the pool and perched on the edge of a bench, hugging her knees tightly against her chest.
“Ghoul! What’s wrong?” Clawdeen asked as she hurried to Cleo’s side.
“I can’t swim!” Cleo cried. Then she buried her face in her hands.
Clawdeen’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked.
“I—I—I was embarra
ssed,” Cleo replied, her voice muffled. “When everyone was making fun of the life vests earlier, it made me realize how ridiculous it is that I don’t know how to swim.”
“Oh no,” Clawdeen replied. “I’m sorry, Cleo. We didn’t mean to make you feel bad. Honestly, we had no idea that you can’t swim!”
“I’ve lived in the middle of the desert for my entire life,” Cleo told her. “It was all lounging on the pyramid sundeck, being fanned by palm leaves, and gazing at the dunes. Even if I had wanted to learn, there wasn’t the opportunity.”
“Well, there is now,” Clawdeen declared.
There was a pause before Cleo lifted her head. Clawdeen could see her eyes looked shimmery, like they were filled with tears—or hope.
“I’ve already seen how fast you learn things,” Clawdeen continued. “Look how quickly you figured out how to sew! That’s harder than swimming!”
“It is?” Cleo replied.
“I think it is,” Clawdeen said. “And you know what? Monster High is pretty much the place to learn new things. Come on. I’ll teach you how to swim myself.”
“You—you will?” Cleo asked.
“Of course! Like I told Draculaura when we went to the Great Barrier Reef, I’ve been dog-paddling since I was a pup,” Clawdeen said. She reached out and took hold of Cleo’s hand, then pulled Cleo to her feet.
“Don’t go anywhere,” Clawdeen continued. “I’m going to get my swimsuit, and then we’ll both take the plunge. You’ll be swimming before you know it!”
CHAPTER 7
The four ghouls worked on their projects late into the night. The next morning, they were up bright and early—and ready for adventure!
“But first, a good breakfast,” Dracula told the ghouls as he served them stacks of waffles with boo-berries and syrup. “I don’t want you Mapaloguing all over the world on an empty stomach.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Draculaura said as she took a big bite.
“Are you sure you’re all ready for your trip today?” Dracula asked with an edge of anxiety in his voice. “Is there anything else you need?”
“Don’t worry about us, Mr. D.,” Clawdeen replied confidently. “We aren’t just prepared. We’re monstrously prepared!” It was true. All the ghouls had packed waterproof bags with their canteens, snacks, and anything else they thought they might need on the trip.
But that wasn’t all. Draculaura’s eyes twinkled as she unzipped her bag. “Ready for a little show-and-tell?” she asked. “First up, Frankie!”
The bolts in Frankie’s neck lit up as she showed everyone the scu-boo gear she’d built. “These masks are specially designed for deep waters. We might be under pressure, but we sure won’t feel it!” she said. “And check out these oxygen tanks. They’re filled with a super-condensed form of oxygen I pressurized in the lab. They barely weigh anything—but we’ll be able to breathe for at least twenty hours underwater!”
“Ghoul, that is clawesome!” Clawdeen cheered. “Cleo and I were busy yesterday too. Check it out!”
With a big flourish, Clawdeen and Cleo presented Frankie with her new wetsuit. The look on Frankie’s face shifted from confusion to astonishment to joy. “Is this what I think it is?” she squealed.
“Head to toe, fully waterproofed, and with reinforced waterproof seams!” Cleo announced. “Now you can come on the trip without worrying about short-circuiting!”
“This is so voltageous!” Frankie exclaimed. “How can I thank you?”
Clawdeen waved her hand in the air like it was no big deal. “No thanks necessary,” she said. “It’s just what ghoulfriends do for each other.”
Cleo turned to Clawdeen. “Like teach them how to sew and swim, all in one day,” she said. “Ghoul, you are totally golden. I mean it.”
A knowing smile crossed Clawdeen’s face. “I have something for you too,” she said. “I made this late last night. Hope you like it!”
Then Clawdeen surprised Cleo with a custom life vest—complete with gold scarab details that perfectly matched Cleo’s outfit.
“You’re a great swimmer for someone who has had only one day of lessons,” Clawdeen continued. “But when you’re going to swim in deep waters, well, you can’t be too careful. What do you think?”
“I think . . .” Cleo began as a huge smile spread across her face, “I think I love it!”
“Ghoulfriend, you are so brave,” Draculaura exclaimed. “One day of swimming lessons and you’re ready to dive into the deep waters of the Great Barrier Reef. That is truly fangtastic!”
Cleo shrugged off the compliment, but everyone could tell she was pleased. “What is there to be afraid of, when my best ghoulfriends have my back?” she asked. “Nothing!”
“Not even giant sharks?” teased Frankie.
“Just remember, they attack only when they feel anxious or scared. So if we see one, we’ll just, uh, um—”
“Sing it a lullaby?” Clawdeen joked, making everyone laugh. “Teach it how to meditate?”
“If that’s what it takes, then yes!” Draculaura continued.
“I’m going to put on my wetsuit,” Frankie announced. “Be right back.”
While they waited for Frankie, Clawdeen helped Cleo try on her new life vest, which fit perfectly. Then the other ghouls put on the scu-boo gear that Frankie had invented.
“This suit is spooktacular,” Frankie announced when she rejoined the group. “Thank you so much!”
Draculaura looked at her ghoulfriends and marveled at how far they’d all come. Just days ago, they’d been struggling on their very first adventure in the harsh desert of Egypt, Cleo’s homeland. And now they looked ready for anything that could happen on a deep-sea dive!
“So what do you think, ghouls? Are we ready, or are we ready?” Draculaura asked in excitement.
“Ready!” everyone cheered at the same time.
“Wait!” Dracula said.
The ghouls all turned to look at him.
“Don’t forget extra sunscream!” he announced as he passed out four tubes, one for each ghoul.
“How could we ever forget that?” Draculaura said with a grin. She gave her dad a quick hug, then pulled out the Skullette. Her ghoulfriends reached over to place their fingers on it.
Draculaura took a deep breath. “Lagoona… Exsto… monstrum!” she said in a loud, clear voice.
Whoosh!
Draculaura was getting used to the way the Mapalogue transported her to a completely different location—well, almost used to it. Her fingers never left the Skullette; she thought she could feel her ghoulfriends holding on tightly too, and that made her feel a lot less alone—even though she couldn’t see anything until—
Splash!
Splash!
Splash!
Splash!
One by one, the ghouls fell into the crystal-clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
Draculaura shut her eyes by instinct—but just as quickly, she realized that she didn’t need to; Frankie’s scu-boo mask would protect them from the stinging salt water. She opened her eyes just in time to see a million bubbles zipping up to the surface of the water. Draculaura used her hands to part them like a curtain, and, for the very first time, she saw the Great Barrier Reef up close. It was so astonishing that Draculaura could do nothing but stare in amazement.
Underwater, Draculaura could clearly see the exquisite coral structures: some that had ruffled edges, others that were lacy and delicate, and even more that protruded from the ocean floor like turrets on a castle. Thin blades of sea grass swayed back and forth from the ocean currents as thousands of fish in all colors darted through the reef. A large jellyfish, nearly translucent, whooshed through the water, trailing tentacles behind it like ribbons.
Draculaura could’ve stayed there watching the beautiful sea creatures for hours. Then, she remembered to look around for her ghoulfriends. She couldn’t see them anywhere—but she had a feeling they weren’t far away. Kicking her feet, Draculaura propelled herself to the surface
of the water. Unlike her first trip to the Great Barrier Reef, there was no dazzling sun to greet her. The gray clouds made the sky feel heavy, as if it were pressing down on her—but at least it was easier to see without the blinding sparkle of the sun on the water. She spotted Clawdeen, Cleo, and Frankie a few feet away and swam over to join them.
“Ghoul, what took you so long?” Clawdeen teased.
“It’s truly fangtastic down there!” Draculaura exclaimed. “There are so many bright colors and funny little fishies. I’ve never seen anything like it!”
“The Great Barrier Reef is well known for its natural beauty,” Frankie said. “That’s why it’s such a major tourist destination for Normies. We should keep an eye out for them, actually.”
“Definitely,” Clawdeen agreed. “I don’t think we’re quite ready for that.”
“And I don’t think they are, either,” added Draculaura.
“Can you believe this ocean?” Cleo marveled. “I didn’t even know there was this much water in the whole world!”
“It’s so much bigger than I had imagined,” added Frankie. “I mean, I knew it would be massive, but nothing could’ve prepared me.”
“Seriously,” Draculaura agreed. “I read an entire book on the Great Barrier Reef, and I’m still overwhelmed. Where do we even begin?”
The ghouls were quiet for a moment while they thought about it.
“Hey, I hate to bring up bad news,” Frankie began as she pointed at the sky, “but did you ghouls notice that?”
Draculaura stared up. In the distance, the clouds looked darker—menacing, even.
“Those clouds weren’t here yesterday,” said Clawdeen. “We saw a couple of clouds, maybe, but nothing like this.”
“They might not get any closer,” Cleo suggested. “Not that I know anything about ocean storms, obviously. But sometimes in the desert we’d see faraway sandstorms, and they’d never get anywhere near our tomb.”
“Let’s hope that happens for us,” Frankie said. “Because I do not like the look of those clouds. I can feel—”
“What is it?” Draculaura asked when Frankie stopped abruptly.
Monster Rescue: Go Get Lagoona! Page 4
