The Cafeteria's Haunted Stove: A Buy-Food Horror

The Cafeteria's Haunted Stove: A Buy-Food Horror

In the heart of the bustling city, there stood a quaint school with a reputation for its wholesome meals and friendly atmosphere. The cafeteria, with its bright red walls and stainless steel counters, was the heart of the school. Students would often gather there during breaks, sharing stories and laughter over their midday meals. But one day, everything changed.

The cafeteria's most beloved feature was its massive, old-fashioned stove. It was a relic from the school's early days, its surface etched with years of use and stories. The students had grown up with it, and it had become a symbol of the school's history. However, one day, it began to demand payment for its services.

At first, the students dismissed it as a joke. The stove would beep, and a voice would emanate from it, demanding payment for the food it cooked. "Your meal is ready, but you must pay before you can take it," the voice would say. The students found it amusing, thinking it was a prank by the school staff.

But the jokes quickly turned into fear as the stove's demands grew more aggressive. It began to increase the prices, and the voice became more demanding, almost sinister. "You will pay, or I will take your food," it threatened. The students were confused and scared, but they had no idea what to do.

The situation escalated when a group of students decided to confront the principal. They demanded an explanation for the haunted stove, but the principal was as baffled as they were. "It's just a piece of equipment," he said, dismissively. "It must be a glitch."

Undeterred, the students banded together, determined to uncover the truth. They began to investigate, questioning the staff and searching for any signs of tampering. They discovered that the stove had been in the school for decades, and no one had ever reported any issues with it.

One student, Sarah, had a knack for solving mysteries. She was the daughter of a former engineer who had worked on the stove many years ago. She decided to take a closer look at the appliance. As she examined the stove, she noticed a small, hidden compartment behind a loose panel.

Inside the compartment, she found a small, ancient-looking book. The pages were filled with strange symbols and cryptic messages. As she read the book, she realized that the stove was not just haunted; it was cursed. The book spoke of a dark ritual performed by the school's founders to protect the food from contamination. The ritual required payment, and the stove was a vessel for this ancient curse.

Sarah knew that the only way to break the curse was to perform a counter-ritual. But she needed the help of her friends. Together, they worked to decipher the symbols and prepare the necessary ingredients. As the ritual began, the cafeteria was filled with a strange, eerie energy.

The students chanted, and the stove began to react. The symbols on the book glowed, and the stove's voice grew louder, more desperate. But the students pressed on, their determination unwavering. Finally, the symbols aligned, and the stove's voice faded away.

The curse was broken, and the stove returned to its normal function. The students had saved the day, but they had also learned a valuable lesson about the dangers of ancient rituals. The cafeteria returned to its usual hustle and bustle, and the haunted stove became a legendary tale told by the students.

As for Sarah, she had a newfound respect for her father's work and the mysteries of the past. She realized that some things were not meant to be understood, and that sometimes, the best thing to do was to leave them alone.

The Cafeteria's Haunted Stove had been a terrifying experience, but it had also brought the school community closer together. The students had faced a dark force and emerged victorious, their bond strengthened by the shared ordeal. And as for the stove, it continued to cook delicious meals, a silent guardian of the school's history, its dark secret forever sealed away.