The Babysitter

Chapter 2

 Abby awoke in a strange place. Peering around the darkness, waiting for her eyes to adjust, she tries to recall the previous events. Thinking hard, it finally clicked into place. Abby fell asleep at Edwin's house. She wasn't on the couch anymore. That pervert touched her! Disgusted, she rose from the strangely comfortable bed. The air was cool inside the ancient home. Feeling around in the dark, she stuck her hands out and one on a wall to find a switch. Abby nearly tripped and fell when she realized it. She was upstairs. Tumbling down the stairs on her feet making a lot of noise, she heard footsteps. Frozen, she stood in that awkward position with her hands in front on her tip toes.

"Abigail?", a male voice asked? She presumed it Edwin's. "Y-yes?" she called out in the darkness. Paralyzed in place she took slow and deep breaths. Abby was then blinded by a bright light, the old incandescent light was on. Blinking a few times she turned to see her horrible employer. "Oh, um, hi Mr. Edwin?" It sounded more of a question than an answer. "Hi Abby, you fell asleep on the couch when I got home, so I moved you into the room upstairs." Abby thought of how he could have moved her upstairs so well. "Thank you, sir, I best be going now..." A hand was put out to stop her. "Oh no no no, it's fine I was asleep on the couch when I heard a crash. You can continue to sleep in my bed." Abby tried to hide a slight shiver that ran down her spine. "No it's fine Edwin, I live only a block away and you shouldn't be a guest in your own home." Abby kept trying, but Edwin kept refusing. Eventually, she grew weary and concluded that it was just for the night. She kept insisting on sleeping on the couch, but he was more stubborn than a mule! Eventually, she traveled back upstairs and fell asleep.

The sun rose high and proud, yawning and stretching, she put her feet on the dusty, old rug. It was very shaggy, like the rugs from the seventies. Standing up slowly, she put her toe on the hardwood floor, as if testing for cold water in a pool, or bathtub. Abby got goosebumps as she felt the floor. It felt like dry ice, and she had sprinted across the room, trying to avoid touching the floor for long periods of time. It worked until she had arrived at the stairwell.

Reaching the kitchen, she grabbed her shoes and socks, slipping them on to evade the cool floor. A note hung limply on the smooth, black fridge.

"Dear Abby,

"I left for work early, I left you your pay today and an overtime fee, in the cookie jar ;) Hunter is still asleep last I checked. Have a nice day!"

"~Edwin"

Shaking her head, it was like she had no choice but to stay. Checking in on Hunter, the baby was sound asleep in his white, crib. An angel he was. Too bad his father is a disgusting perv. Abby walked back down the steps, sitting on the couch when she smelled something rancid. Lifting her arm and taking a huge whiff, she realized, it was her! How gross! When was the last time she showered?? Not knowing, she grabbed a towel from the closet and headed to the guest bathroom. Might as well, for being stuck here all day.

Finishing her shower, she ran to check up on Hunter, who was still sound asleep. Going down stairs and peering at the old grandfather clock, it struck twelve. Deciding it was time to wake Hunter up, she quietly headed up to his room. Grabbing the drowsy baby, she began to bounce him slightly, he was placed on her hip as she bent her knees and bounced up and down. "Wakey, wakey sleepyhead!" She whispered. Nothing. The babies head was limp. His skin, cold. A shocked expression spread across her face as she picked up the phone, baby on her hip. Abby then woke up on the couch, in a cold sweat. She checked the clock, it was eleven. Hunter was in his crib, safely asleep, and alive. The note still on the fridge, and her pay in the cookie jar. Abby doesn't remember falling asleep, but she shrugs it off.