Kids Aren't Harmless

I shouldn't have left him at home. I shouldn't have hired her. I should have just taken him with me. Maybe if I'd-

No. I can't think that way. What's done is done. There is no going back. Plus, nothing will go wrong.

Probably.

Glancing around, I quickly scooped out my phone from my handbag, typing the password in furiously to bring up the surveillance video.

After... what happened, I had installed cameras all throughout the house, making sure that no corner was left out. Nanny cams and spy cams covered every inch of space, every nook and cranny. That way, I could be aware if... something were to happen again.

The screen showed my living room, a familiar sight, though not from the particular angle. A couch was located in the center of the room, facing a flat screen TV on the far wall.

He was on the couch.

Static crackled through the television, though I couldn't hear it from the video. My cameras didn't have audio. He stared at it blankly, his eyes wide and unseeing.

My heart beat in my ears.

After a few moments of watching him, I went to turn it off, but then she walked in the room.

I couldn't hear what she was saying, but I knew she was probably offering him dinner. When she noticed the TV, she laughed a little and rolled her eyes. She picked up the remote and switched it to some violent cartoon.

She left for the kitchen without glancing back.

His focus on the television never wavered as a cartoon cat started to chase around a little mouse. The cat scooped up the mouse and put the rodent on a cutting board, swinging a large cleaver down at its head, as if winding up. The cat's arm would stop just before cutting off the poor mouse's head, each time getting faster and stronger.

I watched in horror as he repeated the gesture.

Slowly up... slash down... stop just before the kill.

He lowered his hands and the TV flickered back to static.

I turned off the camera quickly, my breathing hard and rushed. I couldn't watch anymore, couldn't be responsible if something happened.

I looked around me, taking in the cubicles and phones ringing. People conversing and coworkers helping one another. There was so much sound, yet all I could hear was my own pulse.

They'd made me come in today. It was suppose to be my day off and I was suppose to be at home. He didn't have school today and we were suppose to spend the day together.

I was suppose to watch him.

Instead, I called a babysitter. Instead, I went to work. Instead, I made a mistake.

I tried to busy my mind with work but my thoughts wouldn't stay on any particular subject. I pushed it all out of my mind and tried to do my job, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking and I couldn't type a single word.

I flicked the cameras back on.

He was exactly where I'd last seen him, sitting on the couch in front of static. Nothing happened, yet I couldn't tear my eyes away.

The babysitter walked back into the room, trying to call him for dinner, but he didn't respond. She walked over and put her hand on his shoulder.

He turned and looked at her.

A sob ripped through my throat, tears making my vision blurry. Moving quickly, I practically sprinted from the office, running down to the street and towards home. I hailed a cab and jumped in, screaming at the man to hurry.

I pulled out the video again.

He was leading her to the door, pulling her and tugging on her arm. She laughed and went along with it like he was acting adorable or something.

She opened the front door for them and he pulled her out to the yard.

I switched quickly to my garden camera, over looking the driveway. Not wanting to see what happened though, I shut it off and waited for the cab to reach my home.

When we pulled in from around the corner, I saw him, opening the door to the babysitter's car and gently maneuvering her inside. She was still going along with it, not realizing that he hadn't spoken a single word.

The car door clicked like a gunshot.

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, pushing myself to reach them. I watched in dull horror as he pointed towards the road and uttered a simple word.

"Go."

Frustrated now, the girl tried to get out of her car, but he stood in her way. He just kept pointing and repeating the word.

"Go."

The girl was now frantic, pounding on the door, begging to be let out. But he only had one response.

"Go."

I finally made it to them, shoving him behind me as I faced the girl's car. I began to pound on the glass right back, screaming with all my might, "Please! You have to leave! Go! Please!"

Leaning so close to the glass that I could no longer make out the girl's face, I whispered, "He'll kill you."

Pain shot through my lower back, making the world go dim and started to fade around the edges. My last thought was one of fear.

Then there was nothing but black.

...beep...

....beep... beep...

...beep beep beep beep...

I woke with a start, a strange beeping sound came from my right. I was uncomfortable, too much pain to be dead.

Maybe I'm in hell.

Yet, it didn't look like what hell was suppose to look like. In fact, my surroundings looked more like a hospital room than anything else.

I was lying on a hospital bed, in my own room. Glancing to my right, I saw a heart monitor, keeping a steady tempo with my pulse.

A new sound came to my ears, a soft... singing voice. It was beautiful, yet the words...

"One. Two.

I'm coming for you.

Three. Four.

Lock the door.

Five. Six.

Get a crucifix.

Seven. Eight.

It's too late."

He sat there on my left, his eyes trained on me as he sung his haunting song. His mouth stretched out in a wicked smile, eyes glinting with blood thirst.

"I'm so glad you're okay, mommy."

...beep...beep...

...beep...

...beeeeeeeep...

...