Depraved

Chapter 1

Rubbish.

Ellie Matthews stares after the departing parents. She smiled and assured them she'd follow the rules and take care of their lovely little boy. The thing is, their lovely little boy Brahms? A doll. Not a child at all, but a doll. One that comes with an extensive list of instructions.

He needed to eat dinner and then be put to bed, the parents had informed her. The rules clearly list that she is not to forget to feed him. If she breaks a rule, there can be dire consequences.

She is not pretending to feed a doll.

Granted, Ellie had taken on some strange nanny jobs in the past, but this one is the strangest she's ever taken. It's also going to be the easiest job she's ever taken as well. At least she might get to finally read that book she downloaded over a month ago.

A cold wind wraps around Ellie and she shivers. The snow is falling in heavy waves and it sends a sliver of concern through her for the older couple. The news is predicting blizzard-like conditions before morning. She'd been afraid she wouldn't make it here because of the snow, but she'd braved the storm for the money they were offering. As it was, it had been almost 10 pm when she arrived.

She closes the door and decides to go change into her fuzzy pajamas and finish putting her things away. She's alone in the house. The staff had been sent home earlier due to the storm. Ellie isn't worried. She'd been shown where the emergency supplies were. Each room has a flashlight. There is plenty of kindling and wood stocked in the rooms with fireplaces. If the power goes out and she loses heat, she won't freeze.

The house itself is gorgeous. Ellie runs a hand along the smooth mahogany railing as she goes upstairs. The antique, original woodwork fascinates Ellie. She is studying to become an architect and this house is a dream for her. She plans on exploring it fully to investigate all the original details from when the house was built. She'd just do it in the light of the day.

As much as she admired the house, it was creepy too. The musty smell that permeates almost every room sparks unease in her. Every light in the house is dim, letting shadows play havoc everywhere. She's reminded of all those old horror books she loved to read as a child about haunted houses. This old gothic mansion certainly fit the bill. She'd gotten a bad vibe from the house the moment she stepped out of her car. A premonition almost. Insane as it sounds, she'd wanted to get back in her car and drive away, but she'd brushed it off and gone in.

The peeling wallpaper and frayed carpets only heightened her sense of growing unease. She'd stepped into the pages of one of those haunted house stories she'd fed herself on as a child. The song playing throughout the house did nothing to quiet her fears down. It reminded her of a cross between an ice cream truck and the music played at carnivals. Brahms' parents were adamant the music was to stay on. Just one more thing to add to the growing pile of weirdness.

Brahms' room is right next to hers. Ellie glances in as she goes past and sees the doll still laying on the bed where they'd left him. His parents said he was patient and would behave as long as he was fed and then tucked into bed. Crazy.

The massive king sized bed in the room beckons Ellie, but she grabs her pj's and her toiletries. Once she's done in the bathroom, she checks her cell. No missed calls, but she'd lost cell reception about six miles ago. It's not like she expected a call. Well, she thought maybe her mother would check on her. She and her fiancé had broken up yesterday and her parents had gone away on a Caribbean cruise this morning. Ellie had expected her parents to be there for her, but her mother and father had rushed off to their vacation, leaving her hurt and bruised. She'd been thrilled to get the call for an emergency nanny. It gave her something to do besides indulge in self-pity. Alas, she's babysitting a doll. Lots of time now for self-pity.