As Annie was deep asleep, she felt a cold chill on her skin. It was unusual—how could it be so cold in the house? Her back felt sore, as if she were lying on concrete.

Slowly waking up, Annie looked around in confusion. She found herself in an ancient city.

68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5f4d316c4d5672712d5f46644d773d3d2d313436343336383834342e313765353236663966396435313534303633353337383430353239302e706e67 [https://img.wattpad.com/c3bcc4a12f0691679773f82b3e1c4334626889c6/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5f4d316c4d5672712d5f46644d773d3d2d313436343336383834342e313765353236663966396435313534303633353337383430353239302e706e67]

Was she dreaming, or was her head just tired? Annie noticed she was lying on concrete. As she tried to get her bearings, she tripped over a rock and nearly fell into a river. Just as she was about to fall, she felt very cold human hands grab her.

Why was it so cold? Was she at risk of hypothermia? Pushing these thoughts aside, Annie was grateful for the rescue. She regained her footing, still shivering from the shock. She looked around to find that no one was in sight.

Annie gasped, wondering if she was losing her mind. She walked around the area and heard children laughing and playing. She tried to follow the sounds but found no one. Was she going insane? Annie spotted a worn-out sign and picked it up. The sign read, "Kota Hantu." What did that mean? She noticed a stone with writing on it that read, "Vaara."

Confused by the unfamiliar language, Annie heard taunting voices of children.

???: "Hey, over here, bleh!" ???: "Look at me!!" ???: "Hehehe!"

The voices were definitely not cute; in fact, they were eerie and unsettling. Annie suddenly remembered the doll she had stuffed in her jacket. She tried to get it out and call Bell, but as soon as she dropped the doll, it began floating in mid-air.

???: "This doll is nice!" ???: "Ew, it's creepy!"

The children's voices seemed to argue over the doll. Annie's spine tingled with fear. She grabbed the doll, but a few ghostly children tried to pull it away.

???: "This is ours now!" ???: "Give it back!"

The children's voices were angry and annoyed. Annie was terrified but managed to hold onto the doll.

Annie: "Bell, come here and deal with these little pests!"

A huge golden explosion erupted between Annie and the ghost children. Bell appeared, floating between them. She looked larger and more imposing than usual.

Bell: "Oh my gosh..."

Bell muttered as she helped Annie back to her feet. The ghost children recoiled at Bell's presence, and the boy among them brandished a stick.

68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3267466266654f32363671484d413d3d2d313436343336383834342e313765353237306338313136383534303531383439343331353534342e706e67 [https://img.wattpad.com/eea2a79c1e47de8c811c644b36724a2a6062b2aa/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3267466266654f32363671484d413d3d2d313436343336383834342e313765353237306338313136383534303531383439343331353534342e706e67]

(GHOST KIDS)

Bell: "I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"

Bell spoke gently to the children.

Bell: "Can you tell me where my friend and I are?"

The boy dropped the stick. "Um... you're in our home..." he said as furniture materialized in the abandoned building. Annie was sure the furniture hadn't been there before.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

The house appeared quite old. Suddenly, Annie blacked out. When she woke up, she found herself back on the sofa. What had just happened?

Annie's mind raced: "Hey Bell! What was that all about?"

Bell explained, "Well, you passed out, and a strange portal sucked us in."

Annie looked outside and realized it was late at night. Her stomach grumbled—she was really hungry. Then someone knocked at the door. Annie wondered who could be knocking at this hour. Hopefully, it wasn't a ghost.

Peeking through the window, Annie saw a small boy with a cart of food. Was this a dream or a strange coincidence? The boy didn't look threatening.

Bell: "Yep, that guy is 100 percent safe."

Annie's mind questioned, "How do you know that?"

Bell: "As your guardian, I can sense danger, and I sense that he's completely innocent. Besides, I'm hungry too, so you better open the door!"

Annie opened the door, and the kid greeted her with a smile.

Kid: "Hello, miss! Do you want to buy from my mini convenience store?"

68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3064384e52414a4b634c6e476b673d3d2d313436343336383834342e3137653532373162316333333131386633343034343933333332342e706e67 [https://img.wattpad.com/5978c8a129d139f8a08f1a4f76977237ce9626f1/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3064384e52414a4b634c6e476b673d3d2d313436343336383834342e3137653532373162316333333131386633343034343933333332342e706e67]

Annie was puzzled. What did he mean by a convenience store? All she saw was a cart.

Annie: "Um, sure, why not..."

The kid smiled and pushed his cart away from Annie. To her amazement, as he moved the cart, a mini convenience store appeared.

68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f764437486a472d305f57335a46413d3d2d313436343336383834342e313765353237333765623937666435323435373433393838383036392e706e67 [https://img.wattpad.com/06128d89204be8e137bdfaea72e832d37744c6e0/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f764437486a472d305f57335a46413d3d2d313436343336383834342e313765353237333765623937666435323435373433393838383036392e706e67]

Annie was astonished. Inside the store was a full-fledged food market, not just a small shop. Her eyes sparkled as she saw all the food. With $200 in her pocket, she dashed through the store, buying ingredients for her Karjalan Paisti. Annie quickly paid the kid and left with her groceries.

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(Annies stuff she bought)

Beef (stew meat or chuck, about 1 lb) - $8

Pork (shoulder or butt, about 1 lb) - $6

Vegetables:

Carrots (3 large) - $2

Potatoes (4 medium) - $3

Onions (2 large) - $2

Garlic (1 bulb) - $1

Broth and Seasonings:

Beef broth (1 quart, or 4 cups) - $2

Bay leaves (1 small pack) - $1

Whole black peppercorns (1 small pack) - $2

Salt (to taste) - $1

Miscellaneous:

Butter or oil (small amount for browning meat) - $2

Fresh parsley (optional, for garnish) - $2

Kid: "Thank you so much for shopping!"

The kid waved as Annie exited the store. As soon as she stepped outside, the convenience store transformed back into a cart.

Annie went back to the house, feeling delighted. She eagerly began preparing the ingredients for her Karjalan Paisti.

(Annie, how to make Karjalan Paisti)

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter or oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add the beef and pork cubes, browning them on all sides. This step adds flavor to the stew. Remove the browned meat and set aside.

Sauté Vegetables:

In the same pot, add a little more butter or oil if needed.

Sauté the chopped onions and minced garlic until they are soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Combine Ingredients:

Return the browned meat to the pot with the onions and garlic.

Add the sliced carrots and cubed potatoes.

Add Broth and Seasonings:

Pour in the beef broth.

Add bay leaves, whole black peppercorns (or ground pepper), and salt to taste.

Cook the Stew:

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.

Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender and the vegetables are cooked through. Stir occasionally and check the seasoning, adjusting as needed.

Final Touches:

Once the stew is cooked, remove the bay leaves.

If desired, garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

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(follow recipe at your own risk)

Annie gobble it up and finally slept.