Black-Eyed Kids

SIX

Britney took the cell phone from her pocket, debating whether to call Rachael. It was around ten; she would put Tyler to bed first and then call her for reassurance. When she turned to walk out of the bedroom, she jumped when she saw someone standing in the doorway. "Tyler, you scared me."

"Why?" he asked, still standing there, like one of the strange kids.

"It's time for bed, Tyler," she said, shoving the phone back into her pocket. "Did you brush your teeth?"

He shrugged, and then said, "Nope."

She guided him back to the bathroom. "Brush your teeth and get ready for bed."

When she heard the water turn on, she walked into the living room, avoiding the window by the door, covered only with a sheer panel. She walked to the main front windows and looked out. The fear inside her was subsiding until she saw the three strange kids standing on the sidewalk in front of Joyce's house. She covered her mouth to keep from screaming. They were back.

I have to call Joyce, she thought, but she did not know her phone number. She went to the refrigerator and looked at the notes that Tina always had stuck to the door with round, black magnets. She saw Tina and Robert's individual cell numbers, their parents' numbers, and the pizza parlor's number, not Joyce's number. She thought of looking it up on the Internet, but she did not know Joyce's last name. Then she thought she could look it up by address, but she did not know that, either.

Then Tyler came out of the bathroom. "What are you looking for?"

"No one," she said, walking toward him. "Bedtime, let's go."

After she had Tyler tucked in, before she turned his light off, she said, pointing toward the window, "Do not open your window or your curtains, and I mean it."

"Why?" he asked, pulling the blanket under his chin.

"Because I said so," she said, turning off his light. She stopped in the doorway and added a little extra punch to her statement, "If you do, I'm telling your mom and dad."

"Okay," Tyler said, turning on his side to face the window.

She paused and looked at him a moment. She would have to keep a close eye on him; whoever he was talking to earlier may come back.

Britney took the phone out of her pocket and walked back to the front window. When she peeked out, she noticed the three kids were gone. Where did they go? Since they were no longer in front of Joyce's house, she no longer worried about finding the neighbor's phone number. They must have worked their way further down their side of the cul-de-sac where houses and trees kept her from seeing them.

Rain began to pelt the windows as she dialed Rachael.

"Brit, how are things?"

"I saw those kids, but they're gone," she said, still looking behind the curtain toward the street.

"Do you want me come over?"

Britney wanted Rachael to come over but did not want her to leave the party. "I'm fine, just feeling a little uneasy." She lowered her voice and walked into the kitchen so that Tyler could not hear her. "I heard Tyler talking to someone in his room; they must've been standing outside his window. He denied it and I haven't heard anything more."

"Nick is here, do you want me to send him over?"

Inside she was saying, yes. "No, the Pecks don't want any guys here while I'm babysitting."

"How about if I have him just drive by and make sure those kids aren't around?"

"That would be great, I feel better already."