I'm a babysitter for the supernatural - The Time I was Hired by a Witch

My name is James Holden, and I?m a babysitter for the supernatural.
No, really, that's my profession. The only difference between me, and that teenage girl down your street, is my clientele. I?ve been in the business for 7 years, and I?ve babysat for almost any paranormal species/family you could think of, and some you?ve never heard of before. Werewolf, Angel, Banshee, Dwarf, Elf, Fairy, Fae, Golem, etc? Each one unique, each one with its own dangers. Don?t get me wrong, I love my job, but that doesn't mean it?s not challenging, or safe.
It all started seven years ago. I was that aforementioned teen living down the street, babysitting to make money on the side. It was a moderate business, I mostly babysat for the same few families, with the occasional stranger who had been pointed in my direction by my regulars. It wasn?t the best income honestly, for the most part my rate sat right on, or slightly below minimum wage. It was a good job for me, it let me earn some spending money, without taking up too much of my time.
You can imagine how excited I was when I got an offer to watch a set of twins overnight, for quite a bit more than my average rate. That kind of money, per hour, for a whole night was a lot of money to me. I didn?t really think about why they offered so much money upfront, I supposed they thought that babysitting overnight would be a hassle. However, in my experience it was actually really easy, the kids would be asleep most of the time, really all I had to do was cook dinner and breakfast.
I wanted to get there before the stated time, so I started out early. Making a good impression by arriving early would increase the chance of them hiring me again. The house was well off the beaten path, and the woods leading up to it seemed heavier and darker then normal. The trees hung over the road, creating a splotchy canopy through which the sky could barely be seen. The woods seemed to absorb the noise of my car, letting nature's voice play through the usual shell of engine noise. After too long driving in these woods, the turn-off to the driveway finally came around the corner. At the end of the long gravel drive stood the house. It was a large manor, and with the exception of a small yard, was surrounded by tall trees. The trees towered over the house, casting it in spotty shadow, making the residence seem darker and solemn.
The garden was tidy, with trimmed grass and a wooden swing set. The house itself sat three stories high. A stone manor, it leered over my car, its multitude of chimneys stretching toward the sky as if to escape the roof. Uncommonly, the window shutters were all latched closed, which gave the house an unnatural shut-off feel. Not welcoming like other houses I?d seen in the style. I checked the car clock, 7:15, I was 15 minutes early. I did a quick check in the mirror; making sure I was presentable before exiting the car. The trees near the house, unlike the drive, seemed unnaturally quiet, and my footsteps against the gravel seemed loud. Each step grated in my ear, echoing in the silent air. As I approached the huge double wide front door, and raised my hand to knock, it swung open suddenly.
I jumped back in shock, the quiet had unsettled me more than I realized. I straightened as I realized it was just the woman who had opened the door for me. Seeing me, she cracked a wide smile.
?Ah, you must be James. You?re early!? She noted, in a soft foreign accent. ?Please come in! My girls are very excited to meet you.?
I followed her into a large entrance hall, depositing my shoes just inside the front door. The house was brightly lit as far as I could see, powerful lights compensating for the shuttered windows. I followed her through a tall archway, into a brightly lit kitchen. Looking around at the dark marble countertops, I noted the fancy kitchen equipment. Sitting at the counters where two 10 year old girls, twins, dressed similarly.
?Hi, I?m Stacy!? The one on the right exclaimed in an excited voice ?And I?m Stephanie, it's really nice to meet you!? The one on the left chimed in.
After I introduced myself, and explained that it was really nice to meet them as well, their mom sent them out, explaining she had to talk with me about the rules of the house.
?Wow, the girls really seemed to like you? she started ?I just realized I never introduced myself, I?m Minerva. I?m so grateful that you agreed to babysit my girls, I?ve missed too many council meetings ?
?I really appreciate the chance, Minerva. Your girls seem lovely. So what kind of council meeting are you off to?? I didn?t usually ask personal questions, but she had brought it up first. It seemed like a good way to improve her opinion of me.
She gave me a slight, confused smile
?Why, the council of witches of course. I?m second to the high witch. Since the girls, I haven't had the chance to attend a meeting in person.?
?I?m sorry sorry? I started ?Did you say the council of witches??
?Yes, of course. I thought you understood this, I requested your services because I heard you had experience dealing with demonic children. My girls will be much easy then demon spawn?
I expected her to lean in, a sly smile adorning her face, ?Just kidding!? she would exclaim. Or the two girls to pop in, laughing hard at the joke mommy played on the new babysitter. But none of that happened. She just continued looking at me with a slightly concerned expression on her face, as if I was the one playing a joke
?Wait, like you?re part of one of those nature covens?? I asked, hoping it was that simple, that her expression simply betrayed how serious she was about these new-age covens.
?Nooo? she began slowly ?Did you seriously not know this? James, I mean I'm a witch. I sit on the council of witches, and have for the past 100 years?
The disbelief on my face must have convinced her. She didn't look any older than 35. No way was she older than 100. I wasn't na?ve to think that witches had to be wrinkled, covered with warts and green skin. However, if I was going to consider their existence, I wouldn't have guessed 30 something year old moms. She leaned forward, looking directly into my eyes. I found myself unable to look away, or even move. Her eyes seemed larger than normal, and contained an unnatural depth of knowledge and experience. Her eyes shifted color, red to green to blue to brown, as she peered into my very existence. I?d heard of the windows being the eyes to the soul, but I had no idea you could look through them.
She sighed, ?You're telling the truth, unfortunately. It's clear you had no idea I was a witch, nor that witches even existed. This isn't good at all, I was really looking forward to a night out.?
?What do you mean?? I replied curiously
?It would be irresponsible to leave an inexperienced mortal with non-mortal children. I was expecting you to have some knowledge of the mystical and non-mortal. This is very unfortunate. I?m so sorry for wasting your time, I'm happy to pay you for half the night for your troubles?
I glanced at the wall clock, 7:25. The entire introduction had only taken 10 minutes, it had felt much longer. I considered the dilemma before me, after looking into her eyes I had no doubt she truly was a witch. It was weird to accept something so unnatural so easily, but the power behind her eyes was undeniable. I considered my options. The easy way out was taking the money, half-pay was really good considering I hadn't even been there an hour. I could take the money and leave, but that would leave Minerva high and dry, forced to miss her meeting. Minerva had said that her children would be much easier then demon spawn, and I?d dealt with some really naughty children, some regularly. But I had no idea how that compared to supernatural children. Minerva seemed really nice, but knowing what I did about her it could completely be an act, or the cool exterior over the insane mind of a lunatic. She definitely held power, the question was, is all really as it seemed. Her daughters seemed pleasant in the little time I met them, and well behaved, at least while their mom was around.
My other option was to try to take the job. I had no idea how hard the job would be. However, I had my phone on me, and if it went well I might be able to babysit for her again. It definitely seemed like she was in need of a babysitter. Beyond that, if a witch needed mortal babysitters, maybe there was a whole spectrum of creatures that needed a night out, and would pay well for babysitting. Minerva herself had said that mortals were used for such services. This could be my ticket in. It was crazy, a lunatic thought. But my curiosity and possible future well-paid nights drove me forward.
?I?ll do it, if you?ll let me,? I said, trying to sound confident. I really hoped this was the right choice, I had little idea what exactly was getting myself into.
?James, that's very sweet of you but?.? She started, but I could see the indecisiveness in her eyes and made a decision
?Look, one time can?t hurt right? I?ve babysat plenty before, this can?t be too different. I?ll be very vigilant? I interrupted ?Think of it as a trial run, if it goes well, you?ll know I can do it?
?Okay. Let's call this a trial run then. I wouldn?t even consider this if my meeting tonight was any less important.? She agreed, then carried on. ?I really have to get going, but there are some things you need to know. This won?t be like anything you?ve ever done before. Before we begin, I need to know. Can you handle scary? Don?t answer immediately, really consider this. There are things you are completely ignorant of, and you have to be able to keep a level head?.
I really had to look in on myself at that point. This was my last chance to just leave. I could take some money, and just go. What things would I see that would have Minerva asking such a question so seriously? Of course I got scared, everyone did. However, compared to my friends, I noticed it took quite a bit to get me. Honestly, back then I think if I knew what I know now I would have taken the money, and walked. I was ignorant, and confident. And I remember what convinced me was the thought, no matter how bad it is, it's only one night. I was pretty stupid back then.
?I can handle myself? was my response, for better or worse.
?Excellent? and she gave me that same striking smile as before. ?I have written up a short letter detailing a few rules that you must follow. Let me reiterate, you must follow these rules. I left my phone number at the bottom of the page, call me if anything goes wrong. If you break a rule, heaven forbid, call me immediately.?
?Got it? I was feeling better now, it just sounded like she had stricter rules than most parents.
After reminding me to read the letter, and to lock up, she went off to her conference, or council or whatever. After locking the door, I took a deep breath, and walked back to the kitchen to read the letter.
Dear James
Thank you so much for watching my girls, I have no doubt you?ll find them to be quite the little Angels (Ha!). Listed below are the rules you need to follow in regards to both the children and the house. This really shouldn?t be too hard of a job. The Girls should go to bed not too long after I leave, and won?t wake up until around 7. I should be back at 9. Most of your job will be housekeeping duties in regards to the upkeep of the house. Call me if anything goes wrong, and call me immediately if a rule gets broken. Many of the rules are time-based, so I suggest you set alarms, or keep an eye on the clock.
1) The girls are very good at taking care of themselves. They have already had dinner, and will go to bed at 8. They may want to play board games or cards until their bedtime
2) Follow them upstairs, and lock them into their rooms for the night. Have no concern, they have en suite bathrooms and anything else they may need overnight. Do not unlock the door until 7.
3) You may hear knocking at the exterior doors and windows, this may or not be accompanied by voices demanding you open the door. Despite whoever they sound like or claim to be, do not open the door until after 9.
4) You will find every door inside the house closed, this is intentional. If you wish to enter a room, knock 3 times, then listen carefully. If you hear any bumbling, or mumbling or any unnatural sounds in the room wait a few minutes then try again. .
5) Once you enter the room turn around and close the door. No matter what you see continue closing the door. YOU MUST, FOR NO REASON, STOP CLOSING THE DOOR.
6)There are a total of 3 mirrors in the house, one in my bedroom, and one for each of my daughters in their bedroom. There are no mirrors anywhere you will be in the house. If you find yourself looking into a mirror, stand up straight and spin around until when you look in the mirror, you see the back of your head. Slowly back out of the room, keeping your gaze locked on your reflection. If your reflection looks at you again, repeat the process and spin around. You do not have to knock on the door if you encounter a mirror, but you do need to close the door. Maintain a sightline of the mirror until the door interrupts your view.
7) If you hear footsteps on the stairs, or hear something walking toward you, find a corner and stand in it, facing the wall. Do not look for the source of the sounds, and do not turn around no matter what you hear or feel. Stay completely still and silent in the corner until you hear the footsteps ascend to the 4th floor.
8) There is no 4th floor. If you see stairs going upwards from the 3rd floor turn around and walk away. Do not run.
9) I recommend avoiding the 3rd floor, but you are welcome to sleep there if you wish. Do not turn on any lights, use only the red flashlight found in the kitchen.
10) Use any bedroom you wish, besides mine and my daughters. Just make sure everything listed below is complete before you turn in.
11) Make sure the fridge is closed, the stove is off etc...
12) Turn on all the TV?s at 8:30 pm, try to turn them on close to the same time. The channel doesn?t matter. There are 4 TV?s to turn on, one in the living room, one in the den, and 1 in each of the 1st story bedrooms
13) There is a brown package on the kitchen counter. Using the red flashlight, take it up to the 3rd floor at 9:00 pm and place it in any of the bedrooms. Remember rules three, four, six, seven, eight, and nine.
14) They should already be closed, but double-check all the shutters are closed.
15) Go to bed at any time, just make sure there is a glass of water on the counter at 9:15 pm. Do not enter the kitchen again until 9:30 pm regardless of what you hear.
Just follow these instructions and everything will be a breeze! Take good care of my girls for me!
Minerva
After reading the letter I was wishing she had let me read it before leaving. This was crazy! What did some of these even mean? Why did there have to be a glass of water on the counter at exactly 9:15? And what sounds was I gonna hear? What exactly do the mirrors in this house do? I was wishing I had been smart enough to take half pay and just leave, but I wasn?t, and here I was. I wasn?t about to call Minerva back, not after I said I?d do it, and especially not after she already left.
Damn, I wish I?d been confident enough to call her back home.
The girls were very well behaved, just as the letter said. We started a game of monopoly, but had to stop for their bedtime. It was a new experience for me, I had never before babysat kids who were so responsible about getting to bed exactly on time. Now it was just me, and the house. It seemed unnaturally quiet. There would?ve been sunlight outside still, but the house had many shutters and the only light came from the numerous lamps and ceiling lights. I glanced at my watch. 8:25. It was a nice watch, with the ability to set multiple alarms. I went ahead and set alarms for 8:30 pm, 9:00 pm, 9:15 pm, 9:30 pm, and 9:00 pm, which seemed like a lot to me.
I went back to the kitchen and had a look around. It was a big modern kitchen, a kitchen island in the middle, a wall of counters to the side, and of course the quintessential stove and fridge. Nothing out of the ordinary. I went ahead and found the red flashlight and placed it next to the brown package. I didn?t know if I could leave the cup of water out now and could just stay out of the kitchen, or if I had to fill it at the set time. Figuring it was safer to fill it later, I went out in hunt of the T.V?s.
The hallway was almost blindingly bright, several ceiling lights and lamps contributing to this effect. She hadn?t left me a map or anything, all I knew was that I had to find 4 T.Vs. I already saw the one in the living room, and figured I could just search all the rooms on the first floor till I found the other three. In my head, I had reassured myself that it all must be a joke on the new babysitter. Sure, Minerva had looked sincere, but any actor could look sincere. My reasoning at that point was that I would follow any trackable rule. Moving a package, she?d know; turning on T.Vs would also be an obvious tell; the glass of water would be a visible sign if I had followed the rules. However, she would have no idea if I looked into a mirror, or if I opened a door correctly. Actually, she might be able to know through sensors or something. I had no idea how complex this was.
I made up my mind. At the first door I would follow all the rules to a tee, the perfect babysitter. Then I would check the door and see if I could find any sign of equipment. If not, I could just drop the excess rules. I?d met some eccentric parents with weird requests before. I figured Minerva was just one of these, albeit a bit more eccentric. I wish I had known just how wrong I was.
I found a door, and checking the rules knocked thrice. Hearing nothing on the other side, I entered. Turning around inside, I closed the door firmly. I found myself in a medium-sized bedroom, with a T.V hanging on the wall. Examining the door with all the scrutiny I could manage, no trace of sensor equipment was found. Figuring this was all the reason I needed to ignore the rules, I turned on the T.V and returned to the hallway. Two down, two to go. A bedroom and a den according to the letter. I returned to the hallway and sought the next room
Coming up to the second door, I barged in like I owned the place. And froze. The scene before me was a gory massacre. It looked like a dungeon out of a horror film, filled with malicious instruments of pain. Sitting at a tool bench facing away from me was what looked like a wiry man. He seemed indifferent to the scene, and indeed some of the filth appeared to be soaking into his loafers. It looked like he was tinkering with something in front of him, and the quiet clinking of metal could be heard. It was a ludicrous comparison, this man sitting at a bench, and the room he sat in. Above his head hung a T.V, similarly out of place. He didn?t seem to notice that I had opened the door, so I slowly eased it shut, cringing at the soft click of the latch.
I sunk to the floor in sheer shock at what I had seen. Why exactly did Minerva have such a room? Was I in danger? I had so many thoughts whirling through my head. I wanted to run, I wanted to hide, I wanted to stay still. It?s hard to put in writing, but that room was scary, the scariest thing I had ever seen in my young life. Scarier by far than any horror movie. The simple reality of that room horrified me In ways I had never felt before. I took deep breaths and reigned in my wild thoughts, tightening my resolve. I had to know if the rules were the real thing. I wasn?t confident enough to enter that room and talk to the man inside. That quick glance at him had been enough to keep me from even thinking of trying to converse with him. I was however, ready to try knocking on the door, with the stupid confidence many teens hold.
I re-read the rules to be certain, then precisely and quietly knocked three times. I listened carefully, standing stock still. Nothing. I could hear nothing. I, as slowly and quietly as I could, turned the knob and peered into the room with one eye. It looked like a regular bedroom now. I really wanted to stop and question my sanity at that point, but this sight had fueled my determination to follow the rules, silly or not. I entered the room, turned around and closed the door. Standing there, I took a second to collect my thoughts. When Minerva had told me this wouldn?t be a usual babysitting job, I had believed her. She looked so earnest, and honest. Once she left I had come to the conclusion that the rules must be fake, or in jest. I didn?t want to accept that the supernatural existed, or that somebody could be a witch. Well now I found myself having to accept this reality, if only to preserve my sanity by devoting myself to what I had to now accept as fact. The rules were real, and had to be followed. This house obviously had the potential to be a house of horror. This was clear enough seeing as I was standing in a bedroom that was but a minute ago a dungeon.
I checked my watch, 8:35. I had 10 minutes until I had to take the package upstairs. I turned the T.V on, then took a deep breath and exited the room. The hallways seemed more sinister to me now. The once reassuringly bright lights seemed harsher then before. I found the den, staying as quiet as I could. After knocking, I heard soft whimpering inside. Not stupid enough to break the rules again, I waited 3 minutes before trying once more. This time the den was silent, so I turned the T.V on and returned to the kitchen. Having to wait for the door had thrown off my time, and I grabbed the package along with the flashlight. Heading upstairs I considered my situation. I figured everything would be fine as long as I followed the rules, they had to be clung to with a desire for life. Leaving the house was out of question, the rules forbid it until 9 in the morning. Luckily, for me, I only had one task after this. Then I could try and sleep the night away. I stopped on the landing. This wasn?t right, the rules said the 3rd floor would be dark, unlike the rest of the house. The hallway before me was just as bright as the first-floor. I felt a sinking feeling in my gut. This was the 4rth floor. I had gone up too far.
The hallway before me looked exactly like the first floor hallway, but there was no end in sight. Just a hallway full of doors and lamps stretching on into the distance. I considered what to do. Going back down the stairs sounded like the obvious option, but that might be the very thing that sets my fate. Maybe I had to go forward, or even enter a certain room. While I stood there, building up the courage to call Minerva and tell of my colossal screwup, I heard a sound on the stairs below me.
Step. Drip. Drip. Step. Drip. Step.
The sounds were coming up the stairs, and I wasn?t about to meet the owner of those ominous steps. It was too fast, they were coming too fast. No time to think, no time to plan, no time to knock. I hurried into the first room on the right as the steps reached the stairs. Clutching the brown package to my chest, I could hear it in the hallway
Step. Drip. Step. Drip. Step. Step.
I stopped breathing, listening closely to the sound. Now it was definitely on the fourth floor with me. I stood as still as I could as I heard it pass the door. Then breathed a quiet sight as it continued down the hallway. I took a second to look around, to make sure I really was safe. It looked like a bedroom, identical to the first two except for the dark red color of the paint. Those steps had convinced me that I had to call Minerva, embarrassed by my mistakes or not. How ironic I found myself in this situation by breaking the rules, while considering the importance of following the rules I?d been given. I almost wanted to cry, this wasn't-, well I guess it was what I signed up for. But still, it was crazy. I pulled out my phone, and was reassured when I noticed there were full bars. I hadn?t even considered I might not be able to call, but it was reassuring to see that it was possible.
?Hello??
?Hi, uhm, Minerva. We may have a small problem.?
?What?s wrong James??
I went ahead and told her all that happened. There was no reason to hold anything back seeing as I?d already called and interrupted her meeting.
?So, you are on the fourth floor, with the brown package, and something dripping went past you??
?The sounds about right.?
?Okay, listen to me very carefully, three questions will decide exactly how bad this situation is.? she sounded tense, worried. ?Exactly what room are you in? Did you knock before entering the room? Finally, did you go to a corner when you heard the footsteps??
I felt sick hearing the second question, and even worse on the third. I had completely forgotten the rule about finding a corner after hearing the footsteps.
?I?m in a bedroom, the first door on the right. I, I uhm. I didn?t knock before entering. I didn?t find a corner either. I?m so sorry, I was just so scared, it happened so fast I couldn?t even think? I meant to sound strong, but I found myself stammering and almost blubbering by the end of my confession.
?Oh thank God!'' She sounded relieved. ? No James, it's really good you didn?t knock, or find a corner. Really, really good. The fourth floor is completely different, it doesn?t even exist. It?s very complicated, but basically the rules are different there. If you had knocked, or entered a corner, this would be a lot worse. Much, much worse.?
?Okay, well that's reassuring.? I tried to not let just how glad I was to hear that creep into my voice. ?So, what do I need to do??
?You still have the package. In one motion, as fast as you can open the door, throw the package away from the stairs, then run straight to the ground floor. Count the flights. DO NOT go one too many and end up in the basement. That would be much worse then the fourth floor? She instructed calmly
?Okay, I got it. But what about leaving the package on the third floor? Do you have another one??
?No, but it will be okay for one night. I?ll do two packages tomorrow night.?
I wondered exactly what the nature and purpose of the packages were.
?Sorry about all of this, I should have just followed the rules from the beginning.?
?Yes, yes you should have. In all honesty, this is the best case scenario for having broken the rules. Not that it makes this any better, it just could have been better.?
With that I hung up and prepared to save myself. The whole conversation felt very surreal, but then again this whole situation was weird. I put my hand on the door knob and readied the package from throwing. Pulling swiftly, I saw a glance of a dark shape across the hall before I threw the package with all my might and dashed down the stairs. Counting carefully, I stopped only when I reached the ground floor, breathing heavily. I checked my watch, 2 minutes to 9. Once again, it felt like I had been upstairs much longer than that. It was probably a good thing, any longer and I wouldn?t have time to do the water. I ran to the kitchen, and filled the glass to place on the counter. Exiting back into the living room, I collapsed onto a couch. I felt exhausted, mentally and physically. It?d only been a few hours, but in that time I?d seen a torture chamber, ended up on the fourth floor, almost ran into a dripping figure, and broke like 4 rules.
The next morning came quick, lucky for me. I had slept in one of the bedrooms upstairs. There hadn?t been any footsteps, nobody knocked on the windows, and I hadn?t yet encountered a mirror. I was feeling much better compared to last night. I waited until 7, then unlocked the girls. We were making pancakes in the kitchen when the knock came.
?Hello in there! It?s Minerva, I?m back!? A muffled voice that sounded a lot like Minerva came from the front door. Both the girls had frozen. I caught the eye of Stacy, and she slowly shook her head. I remembered the rules, she would be back at 9. I wasn?t to open the door until 9, despite who was at the door. I considered calling out, but judging by the reaction of the girls, silence was the best course of action.
?Hello?? the voice came again, starting to sound annoyed. ?Will you please let me in? I forgot my house key last night.?
We all stayed still
?Come on!? The voice was angry now. ?It?s Minerva! You have let me in, I want to see my girls!?
Still, we waited. Finally we heard the thing, person, whatever it was moving away from the house. The girls relaxed, and the pancake making recommenced. I didn?t want to ask the girls, but I was curious as to what would be impersonating.
That?s more or less the end of the story of my first time as a supernatural babysitter. I could bore you and describe how Minerva finally came home, and explained that she would refer me to other such families, and how I accepted. But I won?t, mostly because despite my efforts, I didn?t really learn anything important from Minerva at this time. One day Minerva would explain much to me, but that?s a story for another time.


Source.