The next day the cast and crew met inside the auditorium after school.
"I'm so excited to start rehearsing," Ben said.
Mog nodded. "Me too."
Mr. Freaky hurried onstage, wringing his hands. "Before you begin rehearsals, I just want to say that everyone must behave for Ms. Lafang. I want this to be the best show Monster Academy has ever produced!"
"Mr. Freaky looks nervous," Winnie whispered. "I wonder if he knows this play is cursed."
"I doubt it," Ben said.
"This play is cursed," Mr. Freaky said.
Ozzy pumped his fist. "Yes!"
"Things must not get out of control!" Mr. Freaky said.
"Thank you, Mr. Freaky," Victoria said. "Monsters, we have a short time to get ready. We must work hard. From this moment forward, we are a family. Now let's begin! Who's my stage manager?"
"I am." Jen hurried toward her.
"Wonderful! We'll begin with Lady Macdeath's monologue. Ready, Gaby?"
"Yes." Gaby smiled. "I already have my lines memorized."
"Ugh," Ben thought. "I haven't even started trying to learn mine yet. It's going to take me forever."
While Gaby began rehearsing, Ben floated over to Winnie. She and a few other stage crew monsters were discussing costumes and props.
"Hey, Winnie, can you help me memorize my lines?" Ben asked.
"Sorry, Ben. We're trying to figure out a design for the witches' cauldron. Victoria wants it to be really special."
Ben spotted Jen rushing by. "Hey, Jen! Can you—"
"Sorry, Ben," Jen said. "Ms. Lafang needs me to get something for her."
Ben found Mog backstage, swinging his sword.
"Can you help me memorize my lines?" Ben asked.
"Sure," Mog said. "I already memorized mine."
"You did?" Ben said.
Mog shrugged. "I only have three lines."
Ben heard Gaby going through her lines in a loud voice. "'Out, out darned spot!'" She stomped her foot, causing the stage to shake.
"Nice work, Gaby!" Victoria called. "But as I said yesterday, remember to keep your emotions in check. Let's run through the witches' scene now. Where's our temporary cauldron?"
"Here, Ms. Lafang." Winnie hurried over with a large flowerpot.
"Um, Ms. Lafang?" Mog called out. "When do I get to fight Macdeath?"
"Shh!" Victoria Lafang swung around to Mog. "Didn't I tell you—never say that name in the theater! You'll give us all bad luck."
"Oh sorry, I forgot," Mog mumbled.
"Now go straight outside, spin in a circle three times, spit three times, then knock on the door and ask to be allowed back in."
Mog's face lit up. "Did you just tell me to spit?"
"Yes, three times!" Victoria repeated. "Everyone else, take your places for the witches' scene."
"Acting is awesome!" Mog said.
After Mog left, the three witches gathered around the cauldron. Victoria gave them a few tips, and then they began. "'Double, double toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron—'"
A loud pounding came from the doors. "Can I come in?" Mog shouted.
"Hold up!" Victoria shouted. "Jen, please open the door for Mog. Witches, let's take it from . . ." She lowered her voice and whispered, "You-know-who's entrance."
"Got it!" Jen came backstage. She stopped and looked at Ben. "She means you, Ben. She's just not saying your character's name because of the superstition."
"Oh!" Ben chuckled and then floated toward the stage. Two zombies were playing his guards. They followed him. One zombie slipped. She stumbled into the other zombie. The two of them slammed into Ben, knocking him to the floor.
"What happened?" Victoria shouted.
"Everything's fine!" Ben brushed himself off.
But it wasn't. His script was completely covered in zombie drool. "Ugh," he murmured.
"Ben, come out here and take it from your first line," Victoria said.
Ben grabbed his wet script and floated toward the witches.
"'So foul and fair . . .'" He glanced down at his script to see what came next, but the words were all smudged. Then Ben floated right into a stage curtain.
"What are you doing?" Jade glared at him.
"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." Ben tried to float out the other side of the curtain, but he couldn't move.
"Look!" Lucy laughed and pointed. "Ben's stuck!"
The other two witches laughed too.
"That's enough, girls," Victoria said sharply. Then she sighed. "I think we're done for today, monsters. We'll continue on Saturday morning. Everyone, go home and study those scripts!"
Ben hung his head, too embarrassed to move until everyone else had left the stage.
"That was so weird," he thought. He hadn't gotten stuck like this in a long time. Why was it happening now?
Then it struck him—it could be the curse of Macdeath!
"No way," Ben said aloud. "It's just my own rotten luck."