Unseen

Chapter one

Bianca's day started out like every regular Friday. Most of her days in general consisted of her waking up, getting ready, and then going to work her shift at a diner. Friday was a bit different though. After her shift she would babysit for this couple named Rick and Elise Shapiro. Elise and Bianca's mom Nathalie had been friends in high school so when Elise had her kids, she jumped at the chance to let Bianca babysit.

The kids were a brother and sister named Ryan and Becca. Becca was this enthusiastic, funny, sweet little girl, while Ryan mostly kept to himself. The thing about their parents, however, was that they were basically indifferent with their kid's existence.  Bianca was twenty years old, heading to college, and she had been babysitting Ryan and Becca since she was twelve, so they obviously grew an attachment to her. Bianca had too, which is why she hasn't quit the babysitting job yet, although knowing that she could financially survive without it.

She was basically ready to go, she had already gotten dressed and put her makeup on because of her job at the diner, so all she had to do was pack the "fun bag" for Ryan and Becca. The fun bag was basically what you'd imagine, a backpack with things to keep the kids occupied. She stuffed some toys, childrens books, and coloring pages she had printed out for them in a big brown backpack and headed out the door.

Waiting for Bianca outside was her mom in the driveway. She was in her car, just home from work and offered to give Bianca a ride, which she gladly accepted. You might think that Nathalie is a horrible person for associating with people like Elise and Rick. You'd be right that it wasn't the best thing ever, but she was completely oblivious to the neglect the kids faced. Bianca didn't want to make her mom upset, so she didn't tell her mother about it and just stayed out of it.

After some conversation about each other's day, they finally arrived at Shapiro's house.

"Love you mom." Bianca said as she walked out of the car and onto the porch.

She knocked on the door about three times before getting a response.

After some time, the door opened. It was Becca.

"Hey Bianca!" She said enthusiastically.

"Hi Becca.., Bianca replied.

"Please, please, come in." Mrs. Shapiro yelled from inside.

Bianca sighed, and did exactly as she said. (Though she most certainly didn't feel she needed her permission to do so.)

Mrs. Shapiro was dressed in one of those gowns you'd see a movie star on the red carpet wear; it was red, covered with glitter and sparkles and had slits down the sides. She had a full face of makeup, long curled hair, and extenuated lips from what Bianca presumed to be plastic surgery. Bianca tried not to laugh every Friday. She thought she looked absolutely ridiculous. Bianca also wondered how the Shapiros even had the money for Elise's expensive wardrobe.

"HONEY!!!!" Mrs. Shapiro screamed. "YOU ALMOST READY? I DON'T HAVE ALL FREAKING NIGHT!!"

"GIVE ME A MINUTE'!!." He screamed back.

Bianca tried to distract Becca from the bickering by asking her about her day at school. Becca shared her entire day from start to finish, from everything she learned in math that day, to a book her class read in English, to a craft they did in art, all the way to "drama" at recess. By the time she was done the Shapiro parents were ready to leave.

"Bye, sweethearts!" Mrs. Shapiro said condescendingly, whilst walking out the door, fiddling with her keys. Her husband followed behind, shutting the door.

"Where's Ryan?" Bianca asked.

"He's just in his room relaxing." Becca replied.

Bianca called Ryan to the living room, to which he excitedly got out of his bedroom and ran to her. Somehow Ryan had drowned out all the yelling and didn't even know Bianca had arrived.

"Hey Bianca!" He said.

"So what do you two wanna do first?" Bianca asked. "Guess what I brought!!" She asked, pulling out the brown backpack.

Becca and Ryan rummaged through the bag, deciding what to do first.

Bianca realized they probably hadn't eaten yet so she asked if they had had supper.

"No." They both replied.

"Of course." Bianca thought.

She had no problem seeing what was in their freezer and heating it up for the kids, she was just frustrated that this is how it went every night, where Ryan and Becca's parents would go out to the bar every Friday, whilst not even thinking of their kids and basically relying on the babysitter for everything. It had been like that for eight years. Bianca was basically more of a mother to them than Elise.

"Alright..." Bianca told them. "How about I go make some pizza for you two? You can watch some TV for a bit or colour while I make it, okay?"

Becca and Ryan both nodded, as Bianca went to the kitchen.

While making the pizza, Bianca got a notification on her phone. It was from a number she didn't recognize. Curiously, she opened it. It read: "having fun babysitting?" Bianca knew this text wasn't from the parents, and she didn't have the number saved in her contacts, so she was very confused.

She responded, "Who is this?"

"Huh.." she thought. "Strange.."

She went back to putting the toppings on the naan bread she was using for the pizzas, then heard her phone go off again.

The number responded saying, "You'll know soon enough Bianca."

Bianca either thought this was some crazy stalker or some stupid prank. She preferred the later.

After a minute or so the pizzas were done and she threw them in the oven. Bianca thought that the "you'll know soon enough" message was a bit ridiculous and dramatic so she passed it off as a joke. That was, until, Ryan came up to her, crying.

"Ryan- what's wrong?!" Bianca asked, anxiously.

"I-i- I can't find Becca!" He sobbed, hyperventilating after every word.

Bianca had no idea how to reply. What was happening?

"What do you mean?!"

"She- she's gone!"

"Well where did you last see her?" Bianca asked, hoping she just went to the bathroom or something.

"She- she was next to me, a- and then she wasn't!"

Bianca thought for sure that Ryan was just overreacting now. She wiped his tears with her thumb.

"Well that doesn't make any sense now dose it?" She told Ryan calmly. "Cmon let's go find her."

She and Ryan first checked her bedroom, nothing. Bianca knocked on the bathroom door, nothing.

"See?!" He screamed.

"Don't worry.. uhh maybe she's in the backyard."

Nothing.

Now Bianca was starting to get worried too. She wasn't in the basement, the laundry room or her parents room either. Bianca remembered the message from the stranger. Everything added up. She was kidnapped. Somehow, Someone managed to take Becca without Ryan or Bianca noticing. Sure, it was a bit ridiculous sounding, but that was the only explanation she could think of. Tears started forming down Bianca's face. She let Becca get kidnapped.

"Ryan, d-don't panic..." she said, as she pulled out her phone, calling the police.