The Same Old Story: Part Two

     We dumped our luggage onto the floor, and quickly picked our beds. Gloria and Nick, the oldest, chose the larger bunk, even though Batz and I were twice their size. Batz and I reluctantly took the other beds. We examined the room carefully, which was really not unlike the prison cell Batz and I had spent a exhausting night in. Yeah... there was a “misunderstanding” at the grocery store about the two of us stealing a cake.

     The Halloween Lupe, Carly Ann, hopped into the room. “Supper’s in five minutes, slow pokes!” she giggled. Sadly, the miniature Werelupe appeared to be the most normal pet in the family. I hopped over to a mirror and pulled my bright green hair back behind my ears. Gloria was carefully inserting two glittering white pearl earrings into her right ear, and Nick and Batz were busy sharpening their talons and claws. I reminded myself to grab a Lupe morphing potion on the way home so I could have the sharp claws and fangs I always envied on my little bro.

     I was the first to get downstairs to the table, seating myself in front of a delicious feast, much tastier looking and smelling than the monstrosities my owner prepared. She had been escorted to her own room a little while after we were to ours.

     After all my siblings, and Clare’s pets had sat down, and Clare and Katie had gone to their own table, we began the feast. I took a generous helping of Blumaroo steak and mashed potatoes. I poured a bit of soda into my tall glass, before propping a little straw into it. Always the vegetarian, Gloria just took a huge helping of lettuce and tomatoes. I really don’t understand how she does. How can she live without meat? Nick and Batz, like me, just grabbed as much meat and sweet stuff as they could and dropped it onto their plates. I took a scoop of potato salad and plopped it on my plate, then began to eat.

     “Nothing for you?” Gloria asked the Zombie Cybunny, still looking him over nervously.

     “I only eat brains,” he replied simply. Looking around the table, I noticed none of Clare’s pets were eating, just eyeballing us greedily.

     “You guys aren’t hungry?” I asked worriedly.

     “Nah,” growled Carly Ann. She swiped her tongue over her lips, to my discontent. “We’ll just grab something to eat later tonight.” I stared at the pets in fear for a minute, then regained my senses and went back to my meal. I just couldn’t shake the feeling they were watching us, looking for weakness, like hungry wild Lupes waiting to strike.

     I had a fitful sleep that night. Several times, I woke up in a cold sweat, then floated back into a sleep tormented with nightmares. At about three AM, I gave up the process and just lay in my bed, listening to the soft snores of my siblings, ears pricked for an unknown danger.

     ***********************************************

     “Good morning, sleepy head!” My eyes opened slowly, to be met by Batz’s excitable stare. The Lupe was looking down at me, smiling as stupidly as he had been when he ate the tentacle, which felt like it had happened so long ago. I grunted with the effort of heaving him off of me, and we both rolled to the floor, laughing.

     Gloria had dark circles under her eyes, giving me the idea that she hadn’t had much more sleep than I had. She rubbed her eyes and gave out a loud yawn. I had never seen my sister like this; she usually was so fresh looking, without one strand of light brown hair out of place.

     “Good morning, everyone...” she moaned, sounding nothing like herself. She rubbed her eyes again, stretched her wings and pulled a bright blue dress over her head and squirmed to pull it over her large mane of brown fur.

     Gloria opened her mouth in another yawn, revealing sharp, dagger-like fangs. My eyes widened into circles like saucer plates. Gloria was a Xweetok, and a vegetarian faerie Xweetok at that! She didn’t have fangs like that. I quickly cast my gaze away from the light brown Xweetok, and onto Nick and Batz, who were having an arm wrestling contest.

     I quickly tip-toed towards the two snarling neopets. I tapped Nick on the shoulder.

     “Hey... have you guys noticed anything weird about...” my voice turned to a low whisper, “Gloria?”

     “Gloria? Yeah, I have,” muttered Nick. “Like... she looks like a zombie. And all last night she was moaning and growling in her sleep. Then... she got up out of her bed and... ATE MY BRAIN!!!!”

     I shuddered and glanced over at Gloria. Was my sister really... a zombie? Had that strange zombie Cybunny actually eaten her brain and made her a zombie? I suddenly felt very sick. The room began to spin. I couldn’t breathe.

     “Haha! Oh wow, Oeyg! You actually believed me! Wow, you are so gullible!” laughed Nick.

     Sniveling with fear and anger, I raised my eyes to face my brothers, who were rolling on the floor, laughing at their “hilarious” joke. I muttered under my breath and growled. I turned away from them and stalked downstairs. I didn’t know why, but I wanted to get away from them all. I didn’t know if it was because of Gloria’s strange behavior, or my brothers' cruel jokes, or if I simply was fed up with the lot of them. I just needed to get away.

     “Oh! Good morning, Oeyg!” exclaimed the zombie Cybunny. I looked up. I must have not seen him coming. He looked more like a regular neopet than I figured possible. His eyes glowed like the morning sun, and his expression was a gleeful smile.

     “Good morning... uhh...” I realized I didn’t know the strange pet's name. My cheeks went red, as they always do when I’m embarrassed.

     “Jess. I know, kinda stupid, right?” He laughed. I suddenly felt extremely guilty. How could I suspect anything of this kind Cybunny? It was rather obvious his strange behavior yesterday was just for fun, a joke to scare me and my siblings.

     “Well, I’ve gotta go help Clare start dinner,” he muttered, and hopped away. I stared after him. It was all a joke. A joke. I hoped.

     I hopped back to my room, snickering at the foolishness of myself for falling for his trick. My brain cleared of the clouding anger, I carefully pushed open the door to my room, but instantly wished I had stayed outside with Jess. Gloria still had the sharp fangs, the dark circles. She may even had looked a little worse, as her hair was a terrible mess and her nails were sharp and uncared for. But what I saw next stunned me. I glanced at her right ear. Her two trademark earrings. They were missing!

     I shuddered fearfully. No matter how tired she was, no matter how frightened or nightmare tormented, she would never forget her earrings. I glanced over at Batz. Even if he had been a jerk earlier, and joined Nick’s attempt to scare me, he was my best friend in the whole world. I could share everything with him. But would he understand my fear and distrust of our eldest and very responsible sister?

     I trotted over to him, praying to Fyora that he’d understand. “Batz?” I asked shyly.

     “Whatup?” he asked, breaking away from his book. Despite his wild and careless personality, he’s a complete bookworm!

     “Well, about Gloria. I think something’s wrong with her. She doesn’t look like herself. I’m a little... well... scared,” I replied, nervously pushing back my hair.

     “Oeyg... I dunno...” he muttered. “Yeah, she is a little... off today, but you’re actually scared?” I gasped and nodded. I knew he wouldn’t understand. Much to my surprise, he added- “I’m scared too. I just don’t think this is normal for her, even if she is tired.”

     “And... what should we do?” I asked.

     “We can’t make wild accusations right now...” he growled, sounding unusually sensible. “But we need to keep an eye on Clare’s crew. And...” he added with a pause, “Gloria.” We both agreed to this plan and trotted off on our daily duties.

     At breakfast, I noticed that all of Clare’s pets looked a lot healthier and livelier. My eyes darted from pet to pet. The Halloween Blumaroo’s cape was gone, replaced by a neat little suit and pants. Little glasses were propped up on her head neatly and in a rather cute fashion. Jess was the same way he was this morning. Carly Ann, the Halloween Lupe and the Halloween Ixi were both just as (or even more) lively than they were yesterday, both still wearing pajamas.

To be continued...