The Babysitter (Haunted) (The Watty Awards 2012)

The Babysitter and other scary stories (The Watty Awards 2012)

“Oh and what did you say?”

“I said that I like you” said Rose smiling and Mia smiled back. Her heart was racing, it seemed to her that Rose had been having a conversation with a real person. As they watched the cartoons Mia’s eyes wandered to the pictures on the side tables.

There was one of Mr. and Mrs. Foster’s wedding, then one from when Rose was born and one from when George was born. There was a picture of an old lady carrying Rose in her arms. Mia realized that Rose had a striking similarity to the lady.

She had the same merry eyes as the lady and even the same smile. It didn’t take a genius to guess that the two of them were related. She was probably Rose’s grandmother. The time passed by and Mia managed to complete her homework as the kids were busy watching TV. 

George came and sat by her side and watched her write. Mia gave him a paper and pencil to scribble on while Rose didn’t leave her place. Soon it was time for their dinner. Mia had a hard time convincing the kids to get up for dinner.

George climbed on her back and was clinging to her like a chimp while Rose giggled. As soon as she switched off the TV Mia heard the kitchen door open. Puzzled she approached the kitchen cautiously when she saw a hand resting on the doorknob.

She retreated immediately, her heart thudding in her chest. When she peeked again there was no one there. She shook her head and scolded herself for being silly. She went to the kitchen Rose trailing behind her and George still clinging to her. When she entered the kitchen she saw it was empty, she smiled at her silliness and went about heating the food for the kids.

Soon the children had eaten and had a bath and were being put to bed. Mia left their room door open and the light in the hallway on as instructed by Mrs. Foster. She went to the living room and switched on the TV. She was watching an old re run. Suddenly a figure stepped in the room and Mia screamed.

“Shhh” said the stranger. 

It was a woman dressed in summer dress and a cardigan. As she came close Mia saw that it was the same woman who held Rose in the pictures. Mia relaxed immediately.

“I am sorry if I startled you my dear” said the woman.

“How did you get in?”

“Oh Nina always leaves a key under the mat, bless her” she said smiling. Mia nodded in response her heart was still beating really fast.

“Well Mrs. Foster didn’t tell me that they were expecting you errrr what is your name?”

“I am sorry, my name is Roseanne” she smiled.

“I am Mia”

“Well Mia where are the children?”

Mia gesture towards their room and said, “sleeping”

Roseanne’s eyes narrowed and all the pleasantness from her face was gone.

“You left them alone?” her voice was barely a whisper.

“Well yes, I have left the door open just in case they wake up”

Roseanne glared at Mia and started making her way to the kids’ room. Mia followed her silently.She saw that the old lady had got a lot of dirt on her shoes. She looked up to see Roseanne bending down to caress Rose’s forehead and bending down to kiss her. Mia made her way back to the living room quietly.

After a minute or two Roseanne followed and went to the kitchen without saying a word to her.

Mia wasn’t sure whether she liked her. After a minute or two Roseanne called out to her.

“Mia can you give me a hand with this pot? Its heavy”

“Sure” said Mia and started walking when her cell phone rang. She realized that Rose had taken it with her when she went to bed. She made a quick detour and answered the phone. It was Mrs. Foster, she was checking in to see if everything was alright.

“Everything is fine” said Mia softly she didn’t want to wake the children, “the children are asleep and Mrs. Foster your mother is here. She said that she was paying you a surprise visit.”

There was absolute silence on the other end, Mia thought that the line must’ve got disconnected when she heard Mrs. Fosters voice again.

“Mia” she said urgently, “Mia!” yelled Roseanne.

“Mia listen to me” said Mrs. Foster, “take the kids and run to the neighbors, don’t stop for anything!”

“What’s wrong?” asked Mia in a shaky voice.

“Mia just go right now! We’re on our way back!”

Her panic was contagious and Mia was shaking as she picked George up and shook Rose. The sleepy kids stumbled and they ran out of the house while Roseanne still shouted for Mia growing more agitated.

She knocked on the neighbor’s door, the neighbor was shocked to see the sleepy kids and a shivering Mia. George had begun to whimper and Rose looked terrified. Mia quickly related to the neighbor what Mrs. 

Foster had said. The neighbor took them in and tried to calm Mia down but she just sat there shivering. When Mr. and Mrs. Foster arrived they asked Mia who had come in. When Mia related the entire incident Mrs. Foster turned from pale to white.

“Mia my mother passed away last year!”

“What? But-but th-that is not possible. I saw er Mrs. Foster I swear 

I did!” said Mia clutching her hair.

“Mia I know you did”

“What do you mean?”

“My mother loved Rose the most. Towards the end she had become deranged. She was even violent at times and had to be restrained. She even tried to hit me when she thought I wasn’t paying attention to Rose”

Mia stared at them horrified. Mr. Foster spoke up, “Rose had been telling us that her grandmother comes to meet her but we thought it was her way of dealing with her grandmother’s loss”

“She is the imaginary friend we were talking about”

Mia felt sick, all those times that she thought Rose was talking to herself, a ghost had been there watching over them. All those times when she had heard Rose talking she had been talking to a dead person. Mia felt horrified at the thought.

Completely shaken the Fosters and Mia went inside their home leaving the kids with a scared a neighbor. They saw a trail of fresh dirt and followed it cautiously with Mr. Foster in the lead. They followed the trail into the kitchen as they entered Mia looked at the counter and gasped.

The reason why Roseanne had been calling out so urgently to Mia was now evident. There was a huge butcher knife sitting on the counter which Roseanne had intended to use on Mia for leaving her precious grandchild alone!

A/N: Soooo what do you guys think of this? I gave myself goosebumps while writing it. What do you guys think? Comment and vote! Also all of you who enjoyed reading this and have asked me for more check these out-> http://www.wattpad.com/story/950861-paranormal-investigators-case-files and http://www.wattpad.com/story/1116443-it-happened-one-night Thank u so much for your support!