The next day—or night, since time was a vague concept at Grimmoor Academy—I found myself standing outside a classroom labeled “The Art of Scaring.” The door creaked ominously, and I could hear faint giggles and whispers leaking through the cracks. “This should be fun,” I muttered sarcastically to myself.

“Hey, Alex!” Zack popped up beside me, munching on a snack that suspiciously resembled a finger. “Ready for class?”

“What are you eating?” I asked, eyeing his snack warily.

“Just a gummy finger!” he said, grinning widely. “You want one?”

“No, I’m good. I think I’ll pass on the finger food,” I replied, trying not to cringe.

“Well, your loss! They’re delicious!”

“Sure they are. Let’s just get this class over with.”

We pushed the door open, and the room fell silent. A ghost floated in the front, wearing what looked like a tattered cape and a pair of oversized glasses. “Welcome, students, to The Art of Scaring!” it proclaimed dramatically. “I am Professor Spookington, your guide to mastering the fine craft of fright!”

“Is that a real ghost?” I whispered to Zack, who nodded enthusiastically.

“Yup! He’s ancient!”

“Fantastic. Just what I need—an ancient ghost critiquing my fear factor.”

“Fear factors are vital to survival!” Spookington continued, floating above the floor. “If you can’t scare, you can’t survive!”

“Wait, does that mean I should be practicing my scare face?” I asked, raising my hand.

“Exactly!” Spookington said, pointing a ghostly finger at me. “Let me see your best attempt!”

“Uh, okay…” I took a deep breath and contorted my face into what I hoped was a terrifying expression.

“Boo!” I shouted, but it came out more like a confused squawk.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Spookington floated closer, peering at me through its glasses. “I expected more from a newcomer! Try again!”

“Alright, alright! Here goes!” I said, trying to channel my inner monster. I scrunched my face up again, but this time I added a low growl. “Grrr!”

“Not bad, but you’ve got to channel your inner horror!” Spookington critiqued. “Imagine you’re in a dark alley, and there’s something lurking behind you!”

“Okay, okay! Lurking!” I shouted again, this time flailing my arms dramatically. “I’m lurking! Woooo!”

Zack burst out laughing. “You look more like a confused chicken than a lurking monster!”

“Thanks for the support, Zack!” I shot back, trying not to laugh myself.

“Alright, class!” Spookington said, floating back to the front. “Let’s pair up and practice scaring each other!”

“Oh great, I get to be scared by a bunch of supernatural beings. This should be a blast,” I muttered to Zack.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Don’t worry! I’ll be your partner!” Zack said, his eyes gleaming.

“Perfect. Just what I wanted. A friendly zombie as my scare buddy.”

As we paired up with other students, I found myself facing a werewolf with a mischievous grin. “Ready to be scared, human?” it asked, tail wagging.

“Sure, as long as you don’t bite!” I replied, backing away slightly.

“Relax! It’s just a scare!” the werewolf laughed, then suddenly howled, throwing its head back dramatically.

“Whoa! That was impressive!” I said, genuinely surprised. “I didn’t see that coming!”

“Thanks! Your turn!” the werewolf grinned, and I hesitated.

“Okay, here goes nothing!” I shrugged, then pretended to trip over an imaginary rock. “Oh no! I’m falling! Help!”

The werewolf burst out laughing. “That’s your scare?! A clumsy human?!”

“Hey! It was a good strategy!” I protested. “Everyone knows you’re supposed to laugh instead of scream.”

“True, but that was just ridiculous!”

Before I could respond, a ghost floated over, clearly eager to join in. “I want to scare too!” it squealed.

“Fine! Let’s do a combined scare!” I suggested, and the werewolf and ghost exchanged excited glances.

“Okay! Let’s scare together!” they both shouted in unison, and I braced myself.

The ghost floated above and moaned dramatically, while the werewolf circled around me, howling like a banshee. “Aaaah! Help! I’m being haunted by a ghost who can’t stop howling!” I shouted, trying to play along.

The werewolf doubled over, laughing. “That’s not a scare! That’s just silly!”

“Exactly! And it worked!” I laughed back.

“Alright, alright! Who’s next?” Spookington floated over, shaking its head. “That was… interesting, to say the least.”

“Interesting? I thought it was hilarious!” I grinned.

“Humor can be a good scare tactic,” Spookington admitted. “But let’s see some genuine fear!”

The class continued with various attempts at scares, each one more bizarre than the last. “I think I’m starting to get the hang of this!” I said to Zack as we sat down for a break.

“Yeah! You’re definitely an expert in absurdity!” he said, chuckling.

“Absurdity is my specialty!” I replied. “What can I say? It’s a gift.”

“Speaking of gifts, I can’t wait to see your big finish!” Zack said, his eyes twinkling.

“Big finish?” I raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“Your final scare! You have to top everything else!”

“Top everything? That sounds like a lot of pressure!”

“Pressure makes diamonds!” Zack insisted, giving me a thumbs-up.

“Diamonds or a nervous breakdown?” I retorted, shaking my head.

“Both!” Zack laughed.

As the class resumed, I realized I was starting to enjoy myself. The more I practiced, the more comfortable I became with the idea of scaring others. I even tried a few of Spookington’s tips, like adding in some unexpected twists.

“Now, who wants to show off their best scare for the class?” Spookington asked, floating back to the front.

“I’ll go!” a witch raised her hand, and the class went silent.

The witch stood up, glancing at the other students with a sly smile. “Prepare to be frightened!” she declared.

With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a small, glowing orb that floated in the air. “Wooooo! I’m the spirit of a thousand nightmares!” she howled, her voice echoing in the room.

The class gasped, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. “Okay, that’s impressive,” I said to Zack.

“Very impressive!” he agreed, nodding.

“Who’s next?” Spookington asked, and I felt the pressure mounting.

“Okay, I’ll go!” I said, standing up with a newfound sense of determination. “But I need some spooky music!”

“Spooky music?” Spookington echoed, intrigued.

“Yeah! You know, to set the mood!”

Zack quickly pulled out his phone and played a haunting melody. I took a deep breath, trying to channel my inner scare.

“Prepare yourselves!” I said dramatically, my voice echoing through the classroom. “I am the ghost of the sandwich that never got eaten!”

The class erupted in laughter, but I pressed on. “I haunt this school, searching for someone to appreciate my deliciousness!”

“Sandwich ghost!” Zack howled, doubling over with laughter.

“Exactly! You can’t eat me! I’m too tasty!” I shouted, throwing my arms out wide.

Spookington clapped its hands together. “Now that was a creative scare! Well done!”

I couldn’t help but grin, feeling the rush of laughter and excitement.

“See? You’ve got it!” Zack said, slapping me on the back. “Who knew being a ghost could be so tasty?”

“Right?” I said, still basking in the moment. “I think I’m starting to fit in around here.”

“Welcome to the club, my friend!” Zack grinned.

As the class continued, I realized that maybe Grimmoor Academy wasn’t so bad after all. Sure, it was bizarre and a little terrifying, but it was also a place where I could truly be myself—even if that meant being a sandwich-obsessed ghost.