"Here, it is! Merry Christmas!" said Ms. Witch. "And make sure you don't share it...it's for luck, maybe you'll find someone..."

Sabrina hoped with all her heart that it was grilled turkey, with chilli and coriander sprinkled from the fine hands of the best chef.

"Thank you," she said warmly as the light in her room dimmed and the air got cooler.

"Don't mention it," she waved her hand. Sabrina noticed the odd hair of the old woman in front of her, who had it done in streaks of violent purple thunder coupled with the soft orange and brown grasslands. Bits of grey stuck out and her large eyes were pink today.

"Pink?" she asked, gesturing towards them.

"Yes. Actually I was hoping for contacts with red and green to mark today, but the customers didn't have them. Can you believe how mediocre their fashion sense is? If I knew how to make one, I would have done so long ago."

She nodded, surveying the snow outside and how Ms. Witch stood out like the glow from a tall lighthouse, with its head raised high.

Or maybe it's me...

"And what about Pam? Isn't she there?" she asked, her glittery neck shining.

"She went home to spend Christmas with her family," Sabrina said, noting how quiet it was without her.

She saw Ms. Witch almost ask the question, but stopped herself.

She shut the door, her feet bouncing, excitement rippling through her. "Grilled turkey, here I come!"

Her sprits plummeted, as she gaped at it.

The turkey was raw, unattended to.

I have to cook it...

Sabrina groaned, jumping onto the sofa. "Why, Pam, why did you have to leave yesterday?"

She stared at it, the plastic at the side. She knew Ms. Witch loved hunting; it must be one of her hunts.

She had no intention of throwing it away. Ms. Witch was weird alright, but if she was there, luck was around waiting to catch her.

"Okay...I can do this."

She didn't bother searching You Tube. The videos would just confuse her. The last time she saw one, she didn't understand what sauté meant.

She pulled open the topmost cabinets, coughing when the dust came by. Taking out a book, she wiped it. Her grandmother's and her mother's recipes were stored in there, and she knew they'd hoped she'd be able to jot down some new discovery. An ancient unwanted heirloom.

She flipped through the yellow and sepia pages, handling with care.

Roasted and grilled turkey.

"Aha!"

Pam had always loved cooking and Sabrina mostly survived and thrived off her amazing food. So, she crossed her fingers and hoped the vegetables would be there.

Opening the fridge, she took out the chillies. She debated on whether to call her mother.

Only this morning her mother asked her when she'd get married. She shuddered. She didn't want to think about that right now.

Wash the turkey and dry it.

Marinate the turkey.

She squinted. What the hell's marinate?

She took out her phone, dialling Pam and all the while reading the ingredients.

"Uh, Pam? I know I wished you a Merry Christmas and I am so sorry, but...where is the garlic and onion?"

Pam laughed on the other end, shouting something to her family which she vaguely made out as "Yes...cooking...she doesn't know..."

As Pam directed her, Sabrina felt the dubious claws cling at her soul. Could she really do this?

Ms. Witch, though strange as it may seem, got almost everything alright. If she'd mentioned to not share it, it mustn't.

I remember the one time I had broken the rule and gave the chocolates to the passing children...I got pink hair and...a tail.

Later, she imagined she must have hallucinated, because when she'd gotten back to normal and asked Ms. Witch, the quixotic lady dismissed it saying it was a dream.

Holding the oil in one hand, she plucked a few tissues in the other hand.

"Yeah, so that's it. Call me. Deep fry the turkey, with lots of pepper and chilli," she said chirpily hanging up.

She looked at the dead turkey with its wide eyes open. "I can't believe she didn't bother cutting the head, at least."

As she set the pan to the fire, the marinated turkey stood still, surrendering to her will. Fires made her a bit queasy; she had a bad feeling it was going to gobble her.

The smell of gas filled the room as she switched the gas on, trying to light it with the lighter.

"Come on, get on!" she tapped it furiously. The flames erupted and the room lighted up in fire.

Sabrina stood watching it, inhaling the smoke as fear consumed her. "I knew this would be a bad idea!"

She saw her cookbook burning but rushed outside. This is no time to save ancient family cookbooks...I am sure mom will understand.

"Call the fire engine!" she screamed, watching the flames eat her kitchen greedily. Pam was going to kill her.

One of her neighbours, Lance, saw it and rang the station. The crackling flames drowned out his voice and she looked at the home she'd created memories burning away. A part of her soul went up in cinders.

"Move, miss, out of the way!"

The water sprayed from the hose gushed the flames as Sabrina watched the black walls.

"No one's inside, right?"

"No."

"Well, what were you trying to do?" asked one of them, rolling the hose.

"Trying to cook," she muttered sheepishly.

"What?"

"A turkey."

He smirked. "And did you try to deep fry it?"

"Uh...how did you know?"

"Oh, didn't you know? Turkey spirits don't like being deep fried. I am sure you must have heard of how much pain that causes."

"What? But, it's dead!" she spluttered.

Ms Witch came out. "Didn't I tell you not to roast it?"

"No, you did not!" she protested.

"Just go and look at it," said Ms. Witch. When Sabrina went inside, she didn't find the turkey and supposed it must have been barbecued so much that it camouflaged with the black soot.

Ms. Witch came in, picking the cookbook and leafing through the pages. "Here."

There, right in the middle of the page was the turkey. Below, a caption read.

"I hate being roasted."

"Then, what do you do with them?" asked Sabrina, her jaw hanging open. "And how did this get here?"

She knew she was surrounded by bizarre people, but never so much...

"Oh, we just use it as a fortune teller."

Sabrina looked at the page where more words had appeared.

"You're a bad cook and in the process will set a fire bound to hurt the old lady beside you..."

Sabrina and Ms. Witch ran away.