Chapter Text
Darling Diary, This was the worse day of my unlife!! And yes, obviously it's Cleo's fault. The sickest part is that I blame her and I feel sorry for her at the same time? How in the name of the gods did she manage that??? I am looking for a time-machine on the Dark Web, because today was just that bad. Here's what happened...
Calliope-Cali- DeNile-Gorgon placed her icoffin on the easel. Her beastie Abe 'Captain Ahab' Blue clipped the bat-lights on Cali's bookshelf and monster-size mirror. The monster teens scooted into the designated spot in front of the camera-eyes. Cali's waist-long snake-hair stretched to her icoffin to press 'record'.
Cali and Abe danced in unison as they hummed the song that they would add to their video later.
"Reel it in, I thought we're dancing to 'Never Going Back, Drac'." Abe said as they continued stomping their slippers.
"Dude, we went back to 'Ghosting My Heart'." Cali said as they flipped their heads down. "It's got a bass that we're dipping to."
"Funny how both melodies match the routine we're on." Abe said as he clapped his fins to Cali's bejeweled hands. The ghoul was scaly and she had a lot of vintage bling.
"It is funny. And we're definitely on my choice of song." Cali stated as they twirled each other.
Abe didn't argue with her, it was more fun when Cali thought she was right. His beastie could be stubborn at times, he blamed it on her royal roots.
Shouts from down the hall were also part of Cali's royal roots.
"Oof, Cleo's in a mood. Must have gotten the wrong size shoes." The young gorgon guessed in regard to her mother's screaming.
Abe's homelife was a serene pond of quiet, still waters. His sweet-tempered mother never raised her voice above the lagoon. Lagoona Blue was as gentle as her ancient CDs of soothing whale-songs. Her clothing choices were loose sweat-pants and baggy t-shirts.
Cali's mummy's clothing was tight, customed fitting suits and heavy jewelry. Abe respected both styles. He had a secret tally of how many times he caught Cleo DeNile wearing the same outfit twice; in the fourteen-years of knowing her the tally was three.
The black with gold-trimmed-bandage-suit Cleo wore, as she pushed the bedroom open, was magnificent that day. Abe hadn't seen that one before.
"Mummy! I have asked you to knock! Or at least text a heads-roll-up." Cali said, her snakes-for-hair pressed stop on her icoffin.
"I walk into any room I wish in my house, little princess." Cleo said in her low voice. "My darling, shed that soft skin because there is an evil we must prepare for. My sister is visiting."
Cali scoffed dramatically loud, "So we just let any crazy mummy sandstorm in now, do we?"
"Amma Nefera is real?" Abe asked, totally astonished.
"What, are you new here?" Cali asked her unlife-long friend. "Like we could make up all those cautionary tales."
"Abe, my angelfish, Nefera is indeed a monster of bone and tiny waist. We've kept her away until now, but... she has risen.” Cleo said, clutching her wesekh.
“No.” Cleo’s daughter said putting an end to the conversation.
“Cali, my baby, we must face her head on." Cali’s mother said, her bejeweled hands neatly crossed.
"What kind of mother asks a kid to visit with her kidnapper?" Cali asked, her snakes hissing with anger.
"Say waaah?" Abe's green eyes expanded like a fish on a hook.
"Calm down, princess, she didn't make it out the nursery with you. While that was enough for your grandfather to cut her off from our resources, unfortunately it wasn't enough to kill her immortality." Cleo groaned.
Cali threw her arms in the air, "Cleo, you don't even like her. Why should we let her in the door?"
Cleo sighed, "She is our family. By our honor as a family, we will be grand hosts to your Aunt. If she pokes a single, skinny toe out of line you have my permission to stone her and dump her in the crocodile moat."
The young gorgon was usually punished for using the powers of her eyes. Any allowance in practice she greatly enjoyed, so she carefully asked, "Promise?"
"On my love for you, and my tomb." The mummy swore, crossing the place her heart use to reside. The actual organ was in a jar in her tomb, but the gesture was still sincere.
Cali agreed to her mother’s terms, but that didn’t end the complaining. Abe listened to her tell the story of her Sebou. Sebou was an Egyptian baby-party. Cali’s parents had invited everymonster they’d ever met to a night of food, dancing, screaming and fireworks. Cali was only seven-days-hatched when she met the entirety of her extended families. The Olympian Greek side cheered and feasted for beautiful baby’s smooth scales and shinning eyes (behind protective sunglasses). The Regal Mummies were reservedly intrigued by the first new blood created in eons. The Alumni from Monster High were elated to see another future student join in their band of forever-friends.
Only one monster was unhappy that night. Jealous of the newborn’s praise, her immature Aunt Nefera tried to steal the infant from the spotlight. She hadn’t made it outside the house since Cleo’s friends suspected he from the start. They stopped her cold (thank you, Abbey the Yeti).
“And despite everyone agreeing we were better off without her, my mother is letting that psycho into what I thought was my safe-space. Maybe I’ll move in with Yai-Yai Medusa, I know she likes me.” Cali said as she and Abe sat in the kitchen.
“Dude, you’re not leaving me alone with the dysfunctional dynasty tonight.” Deuce Gorgon said as he put together a decorative plate of caviar by tweezers.
“Okay, you see it too, Dad. Why are you making dinner a zillion-dollar dinner that consists of ten calories?” Cali asked the older gorgon.
Waving his spatula, Deuce explained, “Your Mummy’s plan is to feed Nefera an ideal meal, have the first nice conversation in their immortal lives, and no matter how obnoxious she acts, your mother will come out as the top Queen and have that to hold against the rest of her family.”
“Dad. That all sounds insane.” Cali said slowly.
“That’s because it is insane.” Deuce said, his snakes nodding over her head, “But this tattoo on my finger is a vow, so if my wife wants to play mind-games I will play right beside her.”
“Aww.” Abe said as he looked at the inked ring on Deuce’s burned hand.
“Take back that ‘aww’, I can’t be alone in clear thinking.” Cali said as she held her face in her palms.
That night, the DeNile-Gorgon family waited in their living room, everyone watching the clock. Cali purposedly put her icoffin in front of her glasses; 1) to avoid eye-contact with the traitors, 2) to trade text-messages with Abe. The fish-boy was too polite and kept his phone at his side.Cleo and Deuce held glasses of imported Nain Rouge wine, a bottle each behind them.
“Again, how do I look?” Cleo whispered to her husband.
“Stone-cold fire, babe.” The gorgon whispered; he knew she kept re-changing her whole appearance since Nefera messaged.
“You said that about the other dress.” Cleo said, affectionately chiding.
He pressed a hand on her lower back and whispered, “She will be okay.”
A wailing screech alerted a servant to open the front door. Cali’s snakes coiled and hissed. Her parents walked behind the teens on the couch.
“Presenting, her royal highness, the first born princess, Nefera DeNile.” The stork-faced servant announced.
“I am only Nefera now. Get that right, bird-man.” Nefera DeNile said in a whispy voice.
Cleo spat out her wine. Her sister wore a stained, red jump-suit and zero makeup. Nefera’s teal hair was braided down to her knees and her eyes were hazy over a soft smile. Somehow Nefera got more beautiful with age, her wrinkled skin glowed.
“Holy halibut.” Abe said, his gills fluttering at the smell of sweat and grass.
“Did you check her for a prewritten ransom note?” Cali asked the servant.
The stork-man bowed, “Yes, ma’am. She conceals nothing but a small bag of herbs.”
“Grown in my own garden, for my sensitive nerves.” Nefera said, swiping the bag and placing it back in her pocket. "My sister. You’re eating well I see.”
Cleo blushed, unable to come up with a comeback. Partly because she was in shock of her sister’s confidence in shabby appearance. Cali was in shock; no one besides herself ever insulted her mother to her face.
The Gorgon put a hand on her back and said, "Being happily married does that."
“Hello Deuce. I see you stayed, unlike your hair.”
Cali did chuckle at that; she was only monster.
The male gorgon regretted touching his green-snakes at her words, then shook them off. “Old ghoul, lost everything but your personality. Dammit.”
Nefera scrunched her nose but kept calm. She then took a quick look of Cali. “Hello, niece. You’re… taller.”
“You smell like hot death, Amma.” Cali stated, every serpent on her head hissed at her aunt.
Abe saw his beastie and the old mummy’s eyes were locked on one another with intensity.
He cleared his gills, “I food want.”
Cleo patted his curly blond head, then leaned over her daughter. “To the table, sister.”
Cali heard the ‘let’s get this over with’ in her mummy’s tone.
"On Our Farm we grow avocados and chai seeds. My family is made of formerly miserable, filthy rich creatures and normies who have chosen enlightenment over material goods. My words ease their guilt and shame, so we may live modestly in our private community." Nefera said, her light, airy voice.
Abe's gils went green. The low-sodium sea-creature typed on his iCoffin under the table.
Cali's icoffin was on silent-as-a-graveyard, though she knew when the text entered her screen. She peaked down and read, 'Ur Aunt was in that docku!'
"Wowie, Aunt Nefera. Is it true you're famous on the silver-scream too?" Cali tested.
"Niece of mine, you must be referring to when Our Farm was part of that educational boovie. Perhaps the last time I wore foundation." Nefera said with a soft chuckle.
"And yet your skin is Ra’s sun, isn't that a kick in the sarcophagus." Cleo said with a sip as bitter as her wine.
Nefera cut small portions of her almas caviar, “I thank clean eating and the escape from material attachments. Oh, but your house is… nice, Cleo.”
“We should visit your yurt sometime, Nefera. I’m sure it’s…. cute.” Cleo said with a dazzling, phony grin.
Deuce opened another bottle of wine. This time pouring two glasses for the kids, he felt he owed them that.
Abe took the tiniest sip and coughed. A purplish-black snake rested its head on the glass rim as Cali watched Nefera.
“Cleo, I was so sad to hear you departed from the toy store. Didn’t you work there for at least fifteen-years.”
“You’re referring to the multination company I owned for fifteen years.” Cleo corrected as her nails clicked the table, “And father agreed that a coup was proof of my outstanding talents.”
“Oh, I am so sorry for the embarrassment that must have caused, for your whole family, when your arrest was all over social.” Nefera said in phony woe.
“That video was fake as the aliens building the pyramids.” Cali said, a bit shrill, in defense of her mummy. “We all know they only passed by.”
“And what do you know of our ancient history, niece? You were not there.” Nefera stated, her cool crackling to heat.
“I’ve been schooled on our history while preparing for my mummification. So I probably know mor-“
“Your What!” Nefera shrieked, rising from her seat. Cali’s cold blood went colder from the rage in her aunt’s violent violet eyes.
“You’re letting this mutant into our sacred ceremony! Your sentimentally has robbed your senses!” Nefera yelled across to her sister.
Deuce said something but his words were lost when Cleo shot up, her chair slammed to the floor. “My daughter has more worth than all of your years combined! Her initiation will be the first great honor since Ma’at’s feather!”
“You’re not even her actual mother! That brain-dead zombie should’ve never-“
Nefera’s screamed were silenced as her flesh turned to granite. Deuce returned his sunglasses over his eyes and went to his wife’s side. Cleo trembled, though the furious grind of her teeth stayed in place. The gorgon pulled Cleo to his embrace and caressed her bandages.
Cali was also trembling and no one hugged her. Abe would have but he was rocking in his chair, trying to ease his extreme discomfort.
The gorgon with Egyptian scareitage gave a weak laugh, “We shouldn’t get so upset over the crazy things that ugly dolma says. It’s just crazy talk.”
Deuce’s green snakes gave his daughter a look that said there was more on his mind. Cleo grumbled at her husband’s tattooed neck, too low for the teens to hear.
The gorgon sighed, “She has a right to know, Cleo.”
The mummy turned her head away from her child.
“Cleo?” Cali asked, beginning to fear what the unknown held. “Mom, what is this?”
Abe rarely heard his friend call her parents ‘mom and dad’; something wrong was happening.
Cleo slowly looked at Cali, her mascary ran down her chin. “My darling. We have kept a secret about this family because…. Knowing would hurt you.”
“Not knowing hurts me. So…” Cali said, she got up from the table and walked to the monster adults.
Cali looked at her mummy. Even when she was falling apart, Cleo was radiant. Cali felt a deep, foreign compassion for her mother’s sobs. Cali grabbed Cleo’s hand, and with the back of her own, wiped her mother’s tears. Cleo’s blue eyes looked through her daughter’s sunglasses to see the brave ghoul; she feared the secret but needed to know anyhow.
The gorgon made bowls of chocolate-drizzled eye-scream for each family member. Abe counted because Deuce watched the guppy grow legs and walk.
Cleo went to the bathroom to clean her face. She returned in a robe with bandages falling down her legs. No one touched the eye-scream. Abe took Cali’s hand and gave a little squeeze.
“Well? Why did the mad things Nefera said bother you so much?” Cali asked, seeing her mummy was drained. That took a lot to appear on an immortal.
Cleo gave a long sigh, and she took Deuce’s hand.
“Calliope, your amma’s word hurt me because they took us back to a bad time in our unlives.” Cleo said, handling each word carefully. “A time when there was an exchange I did not wish to pay.”
“You have everything, Cleo. Were you missing?” Cali asked, impatient but gentle as she could manage.
“I had to trade one love of my life for another.” Cleo said sadly, “It was the first time I ever felt regret.”
“I don’t understand.” Cali stated.
Deuce wasn’t thrilled to speak about this topic, but he spoke anyhow, “We’re going to take you back to the very beginning. You know your moms and I dated in high school.”
“Yeah, and then you broke up for different colleges, met again in Scaris and then found me in a basket on the river.” Cali repeated the drippy story her nannies told her at bedtime.
“We left out someone very precious in that story.” Cleo said, tears at her eyes, “Our Ghoulia.”
Abe had to speak or get sucked into the whirlpool of abyss. “And Ghoulia was…?”
“My very dearest friend, and then dormmate. Of course, in time we fell in love.” Cleo said with a flourish of times long ago, “We were together on that trip to Scaris when we re-met your father. It was a cosmic event. Our throuple was the envy of the world.”
Abe shivered, “Gross. Not that I have problems with multi-partners but thinking of you guys in the olden days..”
“Why is everyone stabbing me tonight, Deuce?” Cleo asked as she rubbed her temples.
Deuce patted her shoulder, “We were all young and stupid in love. It was a blast, but things changed when we got bit by the baby-bug. Babe, remember what you said after we looked at a hundred of the same baby photos?”
“’We could do better than that.’” Cleo nodded, “My hair, your father’s chin and Ghoulia’s cute little nose; we knew we had to make that brilliant, gorgeous baby or re-die trying. Calliope Dedyet, you are the moonlight of our lives, and we are genetically your parents. However, your descent into this world was… not traditional.”
“Oooooh.” Cali said, sniffing out the pieces her parents purposely didn’t speak, “Okay, I see where this is going. I’m a Kymeria.”
Cleo squinted, “I know two undead languages and three dead languages, yet this word eludes me.”
“She means clone, Aunt Cleo. That’s what their generation called them. Err, you.” Abe said, bridging the gap.
“Why do you two know about these things?” Cleo asked in an affronted voice.
Cali scoffed, “Dude, it’s basic mad science these days. It’s not a scandal to anyone now.”
“Okay, sure, but back then it was all experimental. And devastating because to make the kid-omelet we had to watch a lot of eggs…” Deuce began but couldn’t finish. He swallowed hard and tried to resign the ache coming back into his mind. “It was a lot to go through.”
Cleo took his hand in hers. “We started out wide-eye and thrilled to turn our happiness into a cute little monster, but the actual road to get there was painful. It brought out the worse in us all. Ghoulia was the biggest brain on the planet and yet even she had missteps in engineering our miracle.”
Abe’s fins flashed before the family, “Wait a wishing fish. Ghoulia, like Ghoulia Yelps?? The super genius of the millennium Dr. Yelps?”
The gorgon and mummy exchanged a look. Deuce shrugged as his wife nodded.
“Oh my gods! No offense, but how did you himbos land a King Kong brain like that?” Cali asked as she slapped a palm to her forehead. She thought of the old Fearleading framed picture in their home’s hallway; a hunched over, blue zombie-nerd stood next to skinny-teen-Cleo.
“We knew each other when we were your ages. The Ghoulia we knew was more than her intelligence. She was sensitive, and witty. A wonderful dancer. My Ghoul Friday.” Cleo said with sweetness. “That sensitive heart took the doom of our struggling progeny the worse. “
“At one point, your mother and I put gave up on having a kid and put focus on our careers. Ghoulia made it her mission in life to get the project right.”
“And then I eventually came to be.” Cali stated, amazed her existence was tried for with such stubborness. “Why is my other mother in the picture?”
Cleo’s husband looked at the coffee table as he spoke, “We don’t really know when it started, but we grew apart. One minute we were all in it together and then there was fighting all the time, and we each got different homes, and our you was shuffling back and forth across the city.”
“Your father and I reconciled at your first birthday. We realized our connection was more than powerful, physical passion-“
“Gross. Gross. Gross. Gross. Gross!” Cali said as he covered her ears and her snakes gagged.
“And we reached out to Ghoulia so many times, but something broke in her. She chose not to answer, and we chose not to keep calling.” Cleo said, sounding like a veteran of war.
Cali looked at both her parents, “More questions: what ratio am I part zombie? Is this why I’m good at math without trying? Is this why I look so much like Cleo? Was that engineered?”
Cleo put up her hands and took her child’s wrists. “Cali, baby ghoul, breathe. You’re only nine point six percent zombie. That was a subject she and I fought over. Ghoulia took the argument that zombie genes were hurting the starters, how should I say, not well.”
“That’s stupid, so many zombies are Kymeria’s these days.” The young gorgon said to her biased mother.
“Yes, and that was discovered from Ghoulia’s efforts. This also touched on an old argument we’d have about her replacing her unnatural body for moderately speedier limbs, but you saw where she went with that.” The mummy said, rolling her eyes.
Abe remembered the article he read about Dr. Yelps that Cleo referenced. Dr. Yelps was only talking, thinking head on a platter. She refused to replace or, as some callously put it ‘improve, any limb or common zombie function as a rebuff statement on monsters’ expectations of certain undead.
“So you never talked about her because…. What did I do wrong?” Cali asked, sucking the tears back into her sockets.
“Baby, absolutely nothing.” Deuce said, reaching across the coffee table to hold his daughter’s hand. “You’re a really great kid and we are unbelievably proud of everything you’ve ever done.”
Cleo made a humming noise in disagreement with the word ‘everything’, and said, “Ghoulia was mistaken for not staying. Believe me, it wasn’t you. It was about her. You are the most perfect ghoul on the planet.”
The mummy took her daughter’s head and kissed the scales of her forehead. “Know that you are cherished by so many better monsters than her.”
Cali looked at Cleo, pretty-crying with eyes full of sincerity. The mummy didn’t reveal the sting of Cali pushing her embrace away.
“I’m going to bed. It’s not you guys, but I don’t want to talk anymore.” Cali said, speed-walking to her bedroom.
She heard them lightly agree on this action as she closed the door. She wiped off her makeup and ripped off the strappy shoes she borrowed from her dragon friend. Cali laid on top of her comforter and didn’t turn on her heating lamp.
Abe did turn on the purple-light-lamp because his best-friend got sick without it. He laid next to her in the bed and put his fins on her arm. He listened to her cry. Her snakes slithered around his head as the teens laid face-up in bed. They absorbed the history they learned and let the ache thrash over their minds.
Cali stayed in unsleep for hours, conscious but drifting on adjusting emotions. She grabbed the night-light-pyramid on her book-nook. By the small, dim light she wrote in her diary. Cali wrote that she didn’t want to meet Ghoulia, the mother/ creator that left, but she wanted revenge.