Grimoire Manor School for Orphaned Girls
Class: English
Essay Prompt: Describe a recent hobby you have picked up and why you are passionate about it.
Name: Nevine Turner
Without you knowing it, my dear teacher Ms. Höss, from time to time, while I sleep, I escape from Grimoire Manor in my dreams to travel to Prague in the year 1888. There, I have picked up the most unusual hobby: the hunting of ghouls and ghosts. Yes, I know it sounds unbelievable that I should escape Grimoire Manor in such a way. Perhaps you need better locks on the doors and windows.
There I have studied under the famous physicist Dr. Xanthe Halruaa (or she would be famous had she not been a woman). Dr. Halruaa is an expert and has taught me so much. She has forgotten more science than our own teacher, Ms. Speer, ever learned. Grimoire Manor should hire her on, but Dr. Halruaa is long dead in our current year. Perhaps she could lecture via séance?
In addition to the basics of physics and chemistry, Dr. Halruaa has taught me about how to be a good ghost-hunter (good = not die). Yes, that’s right, ghost-hunting. It might sound unbelievable were it not for our school’s own haunted attics and halls which you might have noticed.
While Ms. Speer has us heating unidentifiable goo in glass tubes with Bunsen burners, with Dr. Halruaa I have learned the finer points of the design of an early flamethrower. Such tools are essential in the fighting of ghouls and zombies and other physical undead who might be unimpressed with knives and guns.
Now you might say it’s irresponsible that a scientist such as Dr. Halruaa would allow a teen girl such as myself near such a dangerous implement. And, well, if I’m being honest, you’re probably right. To be fair to Dr. Halruaa she has not yet let me wield it myself, though I beg and plead. I’ll wear her down. And do keep in mind, in 1888 it was common to send kids my age to the factories or down chimneys to sweep. So, I suppose it’s okay if a scientist teaches me about dangerous devices so long as they are used for a good reason. And fighting ghosts is a good reason!
I suppose you won’t believe me about all this. Maybe I should have written about ribbons and bows, or how my new passion is reading the books you assign, but actually they’re quite boring. Instead, I thought I would tell the truth. My new hobby is science, particularly the kind that involves fire and things that blow up! So long as it’s for doing good.
So, that’s me and what I am up to. I hope you will be entertained by this essay and give it an A.
Grade: D-
(paper crumpled up)
Find Author Christopher J. Ferguson at the below links…
Webpage: http://www.ChristopherJFerguson.com
Substack: https://grimoiremanor.substack.com/
Twitter: CJFerguson1111
Bluesky: @cjferguson1111.bsky.social
Author Alicia Dean 