The Perfect Nanny

Chapter 5

August 13th
I wake up to find Carl packing his things. He sees me and gives me a gentle smile. "Good morning, sweetie!" he coos. "Good morning," I mumble.
He quickly gives me a hug and Jack a kiss and rushes out of the house. Kevin is waiting for him on the porch, and they both drive away.
I have a pretty basic day at home. I start work in a week, and Jack starts school soon too. Nancy and I made cinnamon buns today. The house is filled with a sweet, spicy aroma. In the evening, I offered Paula a walk with Bruno. After dinner, Nancy got back to the outhouse, and I got ready to stay the first night without Carl at home. I lock all the doors and check everything twice.
I lay Jack, who's asleep, on the bed and go into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Just then, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. A text from Carl. I see the time on my phone screen. It's 10:12 p.m. The text says, "Hey Honey! We are done with the meeting. Kevin and I started back. It didn't feel right to leave you guys alone. I'll see you in a couple of hours. Btw, my battery's low."
I had an odd feeling reading that text. I place my phone on the counter, get a glass of water, and head back to the room.
I wake up to the loud thunder and pitter-patter of the raindrops on the windows and the whooshing sound of the heavy winds. I check the time on the clock, and it's almost 1 AM.
I hear a faint knock on my bedroom door. I almost didn't hear it because of the storm outside. I hear it again, this time a bit firmer. I jump out of bed to go open the door, but I stop for a quick second, thinking that Carl would just call out my name whenever he's knocking. But it's dead silent across the door.
I panic for a hot second and then summon up the courage to ask, "Who is it?" No response. "WHO IS IT?" I press again.
"It's me, Jenny." A small cry comes across the door. "Nancy??" I confirm.
"Yes dear. It's me. Please open the door. Power's out. It's raining heavily outside. I'm very scared." She mumbles with a shiver in her voice.
I feel relieved, thinking it's just Nancy, and I move closer to the door to open it. Then, I don't know what came over me, but I realized she didn't have the key to enter the house. How did she get inside from the outhouse? I panicked.
"How did you get inside, Nancy?" I question her. "From the back door. You must have left it open. Please open; I'll explain." She states it softly.
I didn't leave any doors unlocked. I have checked every entry to the house twice. I hear multiple whispers coming across the door.
I froze at that moment and couldn't think straight. I search for my phone mindlessly across the room. It was nowhere to be found. Oh my god! I left it on the kitchen counter. Carl and Kevin are on their way. They must be stuck somewhere because of the storm. They better be here quickly. I pray to God.
"Jenny! Please! Open the door. Why aren't you opening?" I hear Nancy's words. I go near the door and shout, "Who's with you, Nancy?" afraid of what she might say.
There's a deafening silence suddenly. It stopped raining. I hear a huge pounding on the door. "Listen up, lady. We know you are alone in the room. You'd better open the door and let us into the safe before anyone gets hurt." A man warns from the other side. The safe!!!!! Carl recently brought home his business contract documents and cash as well. She must've seen me put them in the safe.
At this point, I'm almost crying. Jack is still asleep, thankfully. I need to contact Carl. But my phone isn't with me. I quickly put all the pieces together. This was pre-planned. Nancy must've gotten her hands on the keys somehow, and she let them in. I knew she was too good to be true.
She chose today out of all days because she knew Carl wasn't home. I go near the door, and I say with as much confidence as possible, "You know, Carl and Kevin are on their way back. They'll be here at any moment. You better run."
I heard a bunch of whispers, but I couldn't understand any of them. So, I go closer to the door, and then BAM! A sharp crowbar is inserted straight into the centre of the door, inches away from my stomach. "If you don't open it soon, things are going to go really bad for you." I hear.
I look down at my stomach and I lose all my senses. If I had been any closer to the door, I would've been stabbed straight in the gut. The door starts shaking a bit. They are twisting the bar and trying to push the door down.
I start pacing like a mindless person around the room. No phone, no power, and no Wi-Fi. How do I contact Paula? Oh Yes!!!! This is a 1960s house. I remember Carl telling me the other day that back then, there were no phones to call each other. So, they installed a switch in each house that rang the doorbell of the other house. I quickly move the safe aside and search for the switch.
Like a miracle, I found it, and I hope to God that this switch has old power lines that weren't affected by the storm. I started buzzing it on and off continuously. Yes!! Yes!! I see a flashlight coming from Paula's house. I heard my phone ring from the kitchen, and it was immediately turned off by one of them. But I didn't stop with the buzzing of the doorbell. I can hear Bruno's shouting so clearly. I think Paula didn't have any idea what was happening
here or why I wouldn't pick up the phone.
Then something crazy happened, which saved my life. She too starts pressing the switch continuously, and I hear our house doorbell ring loudly.
I hear the anxious footsteps and whispers outside the bedroom door. I pray and pray to God, hoping they might leave soon. Jack woke up to the doorbell's sound and started crying.
"What did you do, lady? How did you contact them?" A coarse voice came through the door.
I hear quick steps across the door. Thank God, it's working. They think someone is coming. Then I hear Bruno outside the main door barking loudly, and I hear loud banging on the door, too. It must've been Paula. I gather from the noise outside my room that they are leaving in a hurry.
I waited patiently in my room for a few minutes, waiting for them to leave and comforting Jack. I hope they leave through the back door and do not try to attack Paula. They wouldn't. Bruno is hella scary, I assured myself.
After a minute or two, I hear a loud knock again on my bedroom door. I jump out of bed thinking, "They didn't leave?" But I hear a concerning voice along with the knock. "Jenny? It's me, love," calls Carl. Oh my God, they're back. Boy, was I relieved.
Carl springs into the room after I open it and rushes to me and Jack, giving us the tightest hug. "Oh my God, Jenny! What even happened? When we pulled into the driveway, I saw Paula and Bruno at the main door, and I was freaked." He utters. "Paula told me that you were ringing her doorbell continuously and not answering your phone, either." Added Kevin.
"It's Nancy!" I sat all of them down and explained everything exhaustively. "That bloody woman!!! How dare she?" shouts Carl furiously. Kevin immediately runs to the outhouse to see if she's there. But she's nowhere to be found. Kevin and Paula stayed for a bit, calmed me down, and assured me that it wouldn't happen again. I thank Paula tremendously, and she kisses me goodnight, and they leave with Bruno to their home.
It was hard to fall asleep again after a frightening night, but I eventually did.