The Babysitter

My Child...

*This very short story is in the perspective of a mother, NOT ME. Just wanted to clarify. ^^ Enjoy!*

I needed a break from my baby Anthony. He is my son and the sole light in my life, especially after his father stepping out, but I needed a break! Anthony had been acting very aggressive, as in he'd chewed on his stuffies and tear them up and even break my plates, the ones my mother sent me for Christmas... So I called Jack.

Jack was a friend of Anthony's father who, as it turned out, became a close friend of mine. He'd visit me and Anthony after he was born, almost like he himself was the father. He was a very kind yet awkward looking man, much too skinny; I sometimes called him Jack Skellington, like from The Nightmare Before Christmas. He never minded, he would call me Winnie which never made any sense to me.

Anyway, when I called him asking if he was busy, he'd said no. So I asked if he could watch Anthony after explaining how on edge he was making me. "No need to explain any further," Jack had told me while chuckling, "My sister's kids had the same issue with teething." After saying that he'd accepted the job much to my pleasure. Jack, what a good friend...

About 7 o'clock he'd arrived to the duplex, ironically while I was trying to get Anthony away from a chewed up toy solider. I called Jack in while I attempted to lock little Anthony into his high chair, him yelling and crying the whole time. I was glad when Jack didn't turn on his heels and out the door; again I felt I was in dire need of a break and at that moment Jack was my knight in shining armour! Once Anthony was settled and suckling from his sippy cup, Jack asked where I'd be going. "I decided I needed a new hair-do." Was by reply. Jack didn't argue, but he certainly looked nervously at Anthony. "If you like I can call a nanny."

Jack looked at me with those reassuring green eyes of his and told me he could handle my boy. He still had a vibe about him that I brushed off at the time as nervousness; I mean, I would be too if I were watching someone else's kid who'd chew on anything that lay before him. I finally told him I'b be back in a half hour or more and I wouldn't be gone all night, and he nodded reassuringly to me. The last thing I saw from behind the door was Jack flailing one of little Anthony's wrists to me like he was waving good bye which I couldn't help but smile at, he looked so innocent...

I entered Sally's Salon, a nice little hole-in-the-wall where my friends and I congregated on a break from our children. When i told the girls that Jack was watching over little Anthony while I was gone, some gasped in fake fear, others pretending to cry. I wasn't the only one Jack was friends with, even when Anthony's father was still around Jack was popular with my 'pack'- as Anthony's father called us, I never understood. They kidded around a little more about poor ol' Jack until we were finally called in for our appointments.

I spent about 2 hours at Sally's Salon- or at least I planned on telling Jack that, honestly I wasn't ready to go back after only a half hour so me and the girls went to the coffee shop across the way. I felt bad on the drive back though remembering Jack's nervous look to little Anthony, so I brought a coffee with me, I'd just tell him they were making some in the salon. By the time I pulled onto my street I had my excuse strong and was prepared to make a little white lie for my benefit, but I didn't get my chance to use it.

I slowly pulled up to the red and blue flashing lights ahead and I thought maybe the lady next door finally had that killing heart attack everyone expected from her, but I noticed the police entering my home... I was frantic- stepping on the gas to speed up to the police cars and ended in a skid- and flung out of my car like a frightened chicken screaming little Anthony's name. A police woman stopped me and I let my tears flow.

"Where's my baby?!" I cried to the police officer who's I.D. said Theresa. She told me she didn't know. "Jack!" I shouted in horror and hate at the man who took my baby. "His name is Jack! He's skinny and pale and he drives-"

"A small blue Volkeswagon. We towed it since he won't be needing it anymore. You don't understand the situation, your friend Jack is inside." I asked curious why he wouldn't need his car if he was inside, but then I caught a glimpse from over Officer Theresa's shoulder. It was Jack, but why were the cops having him down on the floor? I thought maybe they'd arrested him as a suspect to my missing little Anthony, but the man blocking complete view stepped out of the way. Where was Jack's throat?! There was nothing but a pink twig connecting his fear filled face to his shoulders, and his eyes- his once reassuring green eyes- they were gone...

"Your neighbors heard screaming." Officer Theresa said stepping to the side so I could see the others in my home cover poor ol' Jack with a white blanket, "At first they thought it was the baby, but it got quiet after a while before someone busted your window." As they wheeled Jack's body past me toward an ambulance pulling up, I stopped them and asked to see my dear friend Jack once more and lifted up the blanket...It was chilling looking inside the empty sockets in his skull. The officer continued on. "The door was locked, so we assume whoever took your baby escaped through there. They must've had an animal with them, " She pointed to the base of where the neck use to be before patting my back, "It's not uncommon that they'd slip it through the window before they entered..." After that, she left my side, going to gather information from her fellows.

I was looking at where Jack's neck was realizing the stick was in fact the spinal cord and I wanted to hurl, but a thought was growing inside me. Little Anthony was chewing on everything from his stuffies down to my dinner plates. After watching Discovery channel and hearing what Officer Theresa said, I was certain something was gnawing on him, and it was hungry. As I looked over poor ol' Jack's body, I stopped dead and- fighting every nerve in my body- picked out a small baby tooth from inside the red mush where Jack's throat use to be...