Short Stories

Grandma's Cookbook 2

"Who are you and why did you summon me?!"
The demon, who apparently is Cricket, is still screaming at me.
"Can you stop screaming! It doesn't help!"
They suddenly stop talking and look at me as if they want to kill me. They open their mouth and whisper: "There was only one person able to summon me. And it was not you."

I am pretty afraid now, but I manage to answer: "I- I don't kn- know what is going on. I- I got this book from my grandma E- Elise just before she d- died."
Cricket looks shocked upon hearing that. "Elise is... dead?"
I nod slightly, still sad about what happened to grandma. I almost start to cry so I say: "Could you... Could you give me a second please?"
I walk out of my destroyed kitchen, not thinking about the fact that there is a demon in my house who destroyed it.

I walk over to the couch and sit on it. The cookbook loose in my hands. I flip back to the last page and notice that a corner is loose. I carefully pull it further only to find out that it covers up a letter. I take the letter out of the book and fold it open.
"Dear Rayden,

One day I will leave this world behind. That is something we cannot change. I will never leave you behind. Before I leave this world, you will get this book. I know you will be smart enough to find out all it's secrets by yourself. I will be by your side through this book. But watch out for Cricket, they are not the nicest thing that this book can bring you.

I will leave a little guide on the back of this letter. Just in case.

Love,

Grandma Elise."

With open mouth I read the letter. Tears rolling down my face, by the thought of my beloved grandma. I turn the letter around and see a little guide.
"The Cricket Guide." It says. I smile. Weird grandma.
I read it out loud to myself.

"Step one. If you summon Cricket, under whatever circumstances, do not do it in the kitchen!"
I chuckle. That is to late.
"Step two. Cricket is a hungry one, so give them food. Preferably the chicken soup.
Step three. Make sure to tell them I am no longer here. Otherwise, they will do anything to find me.
Step four. Introduce yourself as my grandkid. Once Cricket trusts you, they will do anything for you, but you have to gain their trust first.
Do this by ..."

The rest of the page was torn off.

I suddenly remember there is a demon in my kitchen and I jump up to find them sitting in the mess. They look defeated even though nothing happened.
"She is really gone, isn't she?" Cricket says.
I nod and slowly walk towards them. My feeling says I need to comfort them, but the back away once I come to close. I stop moving and think about the thing in the guide.
'Give them food!" I almost hear grandma say it.

I search in the mess for a bowl that has survived and when I find one I walk over to the soup, which had magically survived the rampage. I put it on the floor next to Cricket, as close as I can get.
"Eat something. I will go to the living room now. Come when you are done eating, I will explain everything I know." I say. "I trust you not to destroy my house."
After that I walk out of the kitchen, to the living room.
I flip through the book, trying to find some more clues. I look up when I hear some rustling coming from the kitchen. Probably Cricket eating the soup.
I don't know how I manage to stay this calm while there is a demon in my house. Probably because I trust grandma enough.
Looking through the book, I find some recipes that look like they could summon things too. I find some normal looking ones and a few that are certainly not normal, but I don't know what they are.

I look up when I hear footsteps. Cricket slowly comes around the corner. I chuckle softly. They are certainly a messy eater, because the soup is in their hair. The look on Cricket's face quickly shuts me up.
"I'm sorry." I say ashamed.
"What happened to Elise." Cricket says.
I look to the ground, once again sad.
"She died six months ago. It was a heart attack. Nobody saw it coming, except for herself. In the weeks before the incident, she took me aside and told me: "My love, I won't be around for very long." I thought she would go on a vacation so I didn't pay much attention. She then gave me the book. As something to remember her. I, as her only grandkid, was not surprised of this gift. Grandma always gave me weird gifts. I never thought grandma would have something that involved supernatural things."
Cricket listens without saying a word, so I just continue talking.
"I thought I would make something out of this book today to remember her, but it didn't go as I had planned. She probably knew that, at some point, I would, accidentally or not, summon you. She even gave me a little guide."
I hold the letter out to Cricket and to my surprise they take it.
They read the letter and smile softly, but sad, at the thought of my grandma. They say to me: "So you're Elise's granddaughter, who-"
"Grandkid." I interrupt.
"Grandkid, I'm sorry. So you're Elise's grandkid, who should be her successor or something?"
"Yes I am her grandkid, Rayden. I don't know anything about this summoning stuff or successors. Actually I don't know anything anymore. Why would she give me this book?"
"Well, I am Cricket, as you already found out, and I helped your grandma with... things. I have to say that, even though you are her grandkid, i don't care what happens to you. So, I am going to take my leave and cry somewhere. Thank you."
They turn around and start walking away.

"How can I earn your trust!" I yell.
They turn around. I jump up from the couch and keep talking.
"I know it was not for nothing that grandma gave me this book. I certainly need your help with something she wanted me to do! You know more and you have to tell me!"
"I don't have to tell you anything." They start walking away again. In my last desperate attempt I say: "I'll make you more soup!"
The most stupid thing to say. What demon would help once you say you give them soup.
Still, they stop walking. "Your soup sucks. You most certainly don't have Elise's cooking skills. I can teach you some things. Like cooking and things about the book. In return, I get food and you tell me stories about Elise. Otherwise, I will go back to my place in hell and torment some souls for distraction."
I smile and answer: "I will do it. Anything to unfold this mystery. I'll make you food, you teach me things. Sounds good. Then that's a deal."
"Then that's a deal." Cricket answers. They walk back to me and say: "First and most important, is boost up your cooking skills. To the kitchen!"

"Ehm Cricket."

"What."

"I don't have a kitchen anymore."

***WRITING PROMPT***

The demon stands amid your destroyed kitchen screaming, "How? How were you able to summon me?!" You're standing in the corner flipping through your grandma's cookbook as fast as you can, screaming back, "I don't know!! You were supposed to be chicken soup!"

***AUTHORS NOTE***

I really enjoyed writing this story. If you guys want it to be a full story, let me know in the comments. I have some fun ideas with it. I think that I will change the name of the MC. In short stories I like to use my own name, Rayden, but in full stories I like other names. So suggest some names, if you want it to be a story!!

That's all.

Rayden, over and out!