As a babysitter you don’t really know what to expect, between the strangers house you’re thrown in or their kids attitudes. My name is Stella Daniels and as you could have guessed I’m a babysitter. I’ve been watching other people’s children for 5 years now, it’s not the best job but it pays the rent.
In the quiet little town of Fleetwood there’s not much that happens that’s actually exciting except for Halloween night. Of course the job I took was on trick-or-treat night and I get the liberty of taking little Conner around town.
“Make sure you’re good for Stella, Conner. No funny business,” said Conner’s father.
Conner just nodded his head and walked into the kitchen.
“I can’t thank you enough for watching Conner for me tonight. My job doesn’t know when to give me a break lately,” he said thankfully.
“It’s no problem Mr. Dewar. I’ll make sure he won’t eat a lot of sweets and I promise to have him in bed at 9:30 as discussed,” I said reassuringly.
Mr. Dewar left the house closing the door behind him. I locked the door and started towards the kitchen threshold. The single father had the whole house including the front yard decorated for Halloween.
As I walked into the kitchen I saw Conner at the table looking at a comic.
“Hey, Conner. What are you reading?”
“Just some superhero comic,” he replied happily.
“Hey! It’s time for trick-or-treat, go get ready!”
Conner excitedly ran upstairs and got his costume on. He returned in a traditional vampire outfit. We walked around town for about an hour and a half. I decided it was time to go home, Conner had a full bag of candy and a huge smile on his face. As we approached the house I noticed the door was ajar. I figured I didn’t shut it all the way when we left.
“Idiot,” I thought to myself.
Conner and I walked in the house and I closed the door for sure this time and locked it. I walked in the kitchen with Conner and turned the light on. Nothing seemed misplaced, thank god. I couldn’t afford Mr. Dewar’s house being robbed, I could just barely make my rent every two weeks.
“I’m kind of tired,” said Conner with heavy eyes.
“Well let’s put the candy away and get you into pajamas,” I said.
We walked upstairs turning on the light at the top. He walked straight to his room and came back out in his green dinosaur pajamas.
“Dad usually let’s me have a bowl of cereal before bed.”
As I turned around to go back downstairs I saw a shadow glide across the front door. It was coming from the kitchen, I was so tired I figured it was just me and my mind playing with me. Then Conner grabbed my hand and asked me as silently as he could.
“Did you see that?”
I went to look at him and reassure him that I did indeed see it but I was interrupted by the figure showing itself. I gasped as Conner ran off. The figure was completely black with what looked to be a trench coat and a mafia styled hat. The only thing that was colored on him was the shine of a stainless steel knife. I was so scared it was as if time itself was standing still until I finally came to my senses and ran. I ran into Conner’s room and locked the door. I saw Conner on his bed crying as expected.
“Conner look at me, you need to be brave for me okay. I need you to stay calm and quiet. Can you do that for me, Conner?”
All he did was nod his head and tried to stop crying. I reached in my pocket for my phone which of course wasn’t in my pocket.
“Damn,” I whisper to myself.
At this point I didn’t know what to do or expect. I sat on the bed and held Conner. I heard the stairs creak, one by one until they stopped. I could only assume the worst, that thing was outside the door planning his next move. I felt like such a loser not knowing what to do or how to protect Conner let alone myself. I heard the knife slowly drag down the door, then the doorknob started to rattle. That thing was trying to get in the door. All of a sudden it stopped, for a moment there was silence and then three loud bangs burst from the door. Conner bolted into his closet as I sat still and stiff on his bed not knowing what to do. The door finally gave in and there stood the man, the shadow. He walked towards me, his knife gleaming with malice. He brought his mouth to my ear, a tear rolled down my cheek as he whispered.
“I am The Shape, and I’ll make sure you never forget it.”
He stabbed me. I scream out in pain as he vanishes into thin air. I fall over and wake up in the hospital the next morning. The nurse walks into my room with a clipboard in her hand.
“Ma’am, where’s Conner?” I ask her.
She looked at me and smiled. Her smile was somewhat unsettling and dare I say; sadistic. She turned around and walked out the door. I lie there in the hospital bed with so many things rushing through my head, but all I kept coming back to was that voice. That deep angry hatred filled voice ringing in my head like a church bell. Then Conner’s face popped in my head and all I could do was cry. I had no clue what was going on or why it was happening. All of a sudden a loud noise rang from the loud-speaker, for a moment it was white noise then my heart sank. The Shape was speaking over the loud-speaker.
“I told you that I won’t let you forget it.”
The electric shut off instantly, the sunlight just barely pushing through the blinds lit up the front of the room. That’s when I saw it, the gleaming knife and then the dark outline of him; The Shape. He stepped forward and raised the knife slowly and then jumped on me, right before he could plummet his blade into me the electric turned back on and he vanished. I took a sigh of relief and closed my eyes, as I opened them I gasped in horror while I read the words “Never forget.” in blood on the wall. I looked to the left and screamed as loud as I could. There in the chair was Conner’s bloodied and mangled corpse slouched over, I couldn’t stop myself from crying it’s all I felt like I could do. I cried myself to sleep that night, I don’t have an explanation for any of this. All I know for sure is that I won’t forget for as long as I live.
