Easy Bake

Charles Cotton

“Give me cookies! I want cookies!"

"Geez, Eddie, you sound so stupid when you do that cookie monster thing, but there is no way I am baking cookies tonight. That astronomy test is going to kick my butt, and I will be damned if I get another C on my transcript."

 Anne turned back to her star covered book, hunched over her desk, under the bright light of her green-shaded library lamp.

"Anne, seriously, you need a break and what better way to spend your break then making cookies? Really, it will do you good, and me too."

" Eddie you’re full of it, and I don't really want to go back to that haunted kitchen. It gives me the creeps. Just get some Oreos at Beenie-Marts, why don't you?"

“That kitchen can't be that weird, girly, plus I will be there with you; I wouldn't want you making cookies all by yourself. You really should make some of those little chunky chocolate-chip cookie things you know, doesn’t that sound like a good idea?” Eddie started walking over to give Anne a little back massage.

“I would have asked Cindy to do it, but I wouldn't do that for two reasons.”

“What are those?” Anne lifted her head from her book actually paying some attention now.

“Well, first off, we broke up yesterday, and second that girl can't bake nearly as good as you. I don't know if anyone on campus can. That’s why I come to you with all my dessert problems.”

“Ugh, I guess I can make a couple batches to hold you over for a while. I have been staring at this same darn page for like twenty minutes now anyway. I swear Eddie all you ever do is ask me to bake for you. Why don’t you just pay attention so you can learn how to bake for yourself?”

“I don’t know, Anne, you’re good at it and I’m not. It’s like when it is 4th and long in a football game, Coach gives me the ball and says make things happen, Edward, he doesn’t go and tell that new freshman kid to do it. You know why he doesn’t pick the freshe… because the freshe sucks that’s why, and I don’t cook good at all so I got to be freshe when it comes to this baking thing.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but we have to go and grab that cookie sheet from your room quick.”


It was the beginning of the school year and Anne had just moved into a new residence hall. Stafford Hall had been known to be the creepy building on campus, but it was much cheaper than all the others, and few people wanted to live there so it was fairly quiet.

“I still can’t understand why people don’t like living here. I mean it’s old and all, but a good old, ya know.” Eddie began to run his hand along the dusty wall as they walked through Stafford.

“Eddie, what are you talking about?” she replied.

“Well, you know it has an old fashion sort of feel. Kind of the sort of thing I would have thought you girls would like, I mean I wouldn’t want to live here or anything.”

“I don’t know, it isn’t that bad but you know how everyone says it’s haunted, Ed?” Anne stated.

“And last night I couldn't stop dreaming about that darn oven in there. It was kind of weird.”

“Was it really, Anne?” Eddie said sarcastically.

“Remember that time you told me you had a dream about a gang of plastic forks coming to capture you? I don't think this little oven dream even comes close to that one.”

“Yeah, I remember that dream and you were being such a jerk about it when I told you. You wouldn't stop laughing.” Anne replied in frustration.

“Give me a break here. It’s not every day you come up to me and tell me you’re afraid of plastic forks. That caught me off guard a bit, how could you expect me not to laugh?”

As Anne began to twist the cold brass handle to the kitchen, she could hear a slight noise from the other side.

“What the hell was that?” cried Anne

“What? It’s just a couple of dishes on the floor,” Eddie responded.

“You didn't hear that noise? It sounded like it was a dog or something in here running around.”

“Ugh...No dog that I see...What the hell? How does this place have a kitchen this nice?” said Eddie.

“Look at it… it’s probably the sweetest kitchen I have ever been in, almost makes me want to cook something.”


Tall pearl columns surrounded the long kitchen island, which was covered in a copper-like surface, much like the rest of the kitchen. Beautiful pots and pans hung on display proudly throughout the kitchen, exhibiting their honor as if they were country’s flags. The oven was incredible, crisp and cream like in color. It had gold-plated fixtures and appeared to look very old in design.

“I hope this thing works,” said Anne.

“Why wouldn't it? You should be able to make some great stuff in here,” stated Eddie.

“Well last time I came in here I couldn't get the darn thing to turn on for some reason, and after I tried turning the knob the whole damn oven shook like a washing machine or something,” Anne started to turn the knob to the oven.

“That's funny. It must be one of those heavy duty ovens my mom was talking about when I was trying to convince her to buy me a new football, “Eddie said.

“I do not know what it is about this kitchen, but something creeps me out, it’s just too nice you know, Eddie.”

At first, Anne was in awe of this extravagant kitchen, however she was now perplexed with her current situation.

Anne began to think. What is a kitchen like this doing here? I mean it’s great and all, but overwhelming. Last thing I want Eddie to think is I am afraid to make some damn cookies in the place. So I guess I have no choice.

Anne finished mixing the batter together and opened the oven to place the brownish homemade chocolate chunk mixture on the first rack.

“Eddie, I hope you were paying attention this time because I am not doing this again anytime soon.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course I was; you put the eggs and the milk and stuff in that little bowl over there, and the chocolate stuff, and just mixed it all in real good.”

“Oh my gosh Eddie, it is not that simple, and you don’t put milk in chocolate chip cookies. I had to hand slice the chocolate bar so we had the perfect size chunks so they would be just the right shape after pulling the cookies out of the oven.”

“Yeah, I got it. So I will have to chop up some chocolate stuff next time and no milk. Perfect, no worries.”

Anne started to shake her head in dissatisfaction and returned to the oven.

“Something is odd about this oven, Eddie; I have no clue what it is. It is like a green flame or something coming from the burners. I have never seen that before, “Anne warningly said.

“Maybe cuz its old, everything was weird back in the day, look at Mr. Westbook, that is one weird guy. Shoot look at your mom, lord knows something is weird about that lady.”

“Ed, stop it. I can’t believe you would say that.”

“What, we both know she hasn’t been right since the beginning of time. And how come she has all those books around the house, but never reads? That is pretty weird to me.” stated Eddie.


Anne began to look back towards the oven at this green flame trying to find a way to take her mind off her mother.


The oven appeared deep and grabbed Anne's attention, it wasn't until she noticed her face beginning to get hot before she pulled away.

“Give it about a good 15 minutes, then I can start decorating” said Anne.

“Anne I didn’t mean anything by it, she loves you. She is still your mother, I just don’t understand why she keeps you from pursuing your dream you know. You shouldn’t be here right now cooking for me, you should be up at that fancy cooking school making all sorts of delightful pastries, but that women pulled your application, that is weird if not just plain stupid. Why did she even do that?”

“Eddie you know I don’t know the answer to that. Every time I would try and ask her about it, like you told me to, she would just say she was protecting me or something. My dad leaving was hard for her and it was pretty hard for me too.”


“Yeah, well enough about that, time for my depressing stuff.” said Eddie. 


Not long after did Anne and Eddie begin talking and getting caught up in conversation. Eddie was having girl problems, again, and like always Anne was there to provide some advice. Eddie and Anne had known each other their entire lives and had always been like brother and sister. After a while of hopeless consultation, Anne finally threw in the towel on the help Eddie campaign and realized the oven was beginning to smoke.

“Oh my gosh Eddie, look what you made me do.”Anne rushed over to open the oven.

“AHHHH! What the hell was that?” Anne yelled as she quickly shut the oven door and retreated away from the oven with both hands covering her face.

“What was it? Why are you freaking out? Are the cookies burnt that bad?” said Eddie.

“Ed, there was a hand or claw or something in the oven. I swear I saw it. It was reaching for one of the cookies!”

“Come on Anne, here let me take them out.” Eddie started to open the oven door. “Oh, these bad boys are looking pretty good, besides the few that fell off the tray. That must have happened after you slammed the oven door like that... and I thought you took baking seriously,” Eddie said mockingly.

“Eddie, that was like 30 minutes ago, there are no way those cookies should not be all burnt up.” It was some level of suspicion Anne still could not get past.

“Oh, it must not cook that hot or something,” replied Eddie.  “Did you have it turned up that hot?”

“I don’t know. I thought so. Why else would it be smoking Ed?” replied Anne.

“Maybe it was something on the stove or something, cuz clearly these cookies look aaaaammmmaaaazzzing!” stated Eddie as he reached for another cookie off of the hot gray pan.

Gazing into the oven once again, Anne unconvincingly replied, “Yeah, that must be it.”

After finishing up the decoration process it was time to start the taste testing process. Anne had prepared close to 4 dozen cookies that night and Eddie was impatiently ready to devour them all, even though he had already grabbed a few.

“Alright Anne, let's take them back to your room and get to eating,” said Eddie

“Yeah, yeah, alright, come on.”

After watching Eddie blaze through about a dozen cookies, both Anne and Eddie passed out for the evening. During their time of slumber, Anne abruptly woke to whispers.

“Eddie what was that? Did you hear that?”

“What, huh... What are you talking about Anne? Go to sleep.”

Anne attempted to go back to sleep but not only did she not pass out on her un-comfy couch she also continued to hear the whispers. In an effort to not wake Eddie she crept out of the room to follow the sounds.

The noise started to grow louder with every step she took.

Not the kitchen, she thought. No way could this be the place these sounds were coming from. How could this not wake anyone else in the building? Why just me?

Anne began to place her key in the lock to open the kitchen door but it slowly began to open after she placed her hand on the knob.

“Hello... Is somebody in here?”

No response.

“Hello?”

Anne could no longer hear the whispers, but she surveyed the room diligently and noticed the oven click on. As she warily approached the oven, she again heard the whispers, this time sounding like conversation, growing softly from inside the oven itself.

As she began to open the oven she felt a cold breeze flow past her face, followed by a rush of heat. This oven was gazing at Anne as she gazed towards it. Deep and life like, feeling full and wanting.
A small whisper rolled out from the other side of the oven door “You make cookies?”

Anne replied, “Yes, I do.” Hands shaking she could not find it in herself to let go of the slightly opened oven door until she saw him.
Eyes wide and vast pierced through the darkness of the vacant oven, glowing bright and inviting. “Bring me cookies now!” roared the voice from within the oven, now a voice piercing through Anne's insides.

“AHHH....”

“Give me Cookies! Cookies! Cookies!” Two grayish blue paws reached out from the oven and began to pull Anne in.

“I want me more.”

As she looked to her left she saw nothing but what she cannot describe any better than black matter. Nothing to her right, she began looking back at this light, with its bright ambient glow. With much reservation Anne crept towards it. 

With each step, the air grew warmer, hotter, scorching even, toasty warm like an oven, symbolic Anne thought.

The creation of comfort, the creation of comfort foods. Like brownies or wait…

Anne suddenly began to remember. “Cookies, the cookies I baked. No way. Am I? Can I be where I think I am?”

As Anne neared the light, her soft face beginning to cover with gently flowing salt water, due to what she saw. Tears began to fall to the bottom portion of this black matter, which shall not dare be called a floor. What Anne saw was her reflection.

“How could this be, stuck in a god-damn oven? This damn kitchen! If I just wait here I bet Eddie will come looking for me. I know he will.”

Anne, now began to think.

Wait! If that monster pulled me into the oven, where is it now?

She turned around toward the one direction she had overlooked. Gazing deep into a dark tunnel, Anne could hear a whisper ... “Come now, make me cookies. Make me cookies always!”