I'm just babysitting

What started as a simple day, turned into more than Josie had agreed to.

  "5 more minutes...please just 5 more" Mark said as Josie tried to quiet the alarm. She felt as though she had just went to bed and that the alarm was going off way too early. Then again it could be the late night romp that really seemed to tire her out. "One of the drawbacks to being a girl is that I will always have to be the first one up, because it's always going to take me longer to get ready", Josie thought to herself as she hit the snoze button again and went to get her shower in. Today was going to be a long and busy day, since his mother, Linda had offered that they watch her twin nieces so that she and her sister could spend the day shopping and catching up. Linda had called her right after work yesterday said, "Josie, I think that it will do you and Mark some good to be around kids. I mean who knows? You two could be expecting one of your own by this time next year." Josie wanted to remind her that she hadn't been with Mark long enough to be thinking about kids, let alone getting married. They had only been together for a year, and she knew that settling down was the last thing on Mark's mind. Of course Josie knew that Linda was anxious for her youngest to get married and start his own family, so she just told her that they would love to spend their day off together babysitting. Suddenly there was a knock on the bathroom door. "Josie, are you finished yet or are you trying to make sure that there's no hot water for me?"  * * *

 

  So Mark and Josie drove to his mother's house to pick up the girls. They were 5 and identical, except for the color of their dresses. Sarah was in a pink dress and Katie was in an identical dress, only her's was light blue. They seemed like well behaved little girls, and that's what Josie was really hoping for. Mark and Josie took the girls to the park in the hopes that they would tire themselves out, and that they could get to spend some time together. The girls quickly went to the swings, so they found a bench under the tree that was just across from the swings. Josie can tell that Mark has something that he really wants to say as his warm hand takes hold of hers. He starts, "So you know that I'm crazy about you right? I mean, I love when we're both off and you get to stay with me. I wake up, and there you are". Josie smiles, but it curious as to what he's getting at. He clears his throat and continues, "Well the truth is, even though you sometimes move my things around when your there and it takes me an hour to find them again...I would rather be driven nuts trying to find things than not waking up to your face beside mine. So what I'm really getting at here is, would you like to move in with me"? She was shocked, since she had been so sure that he wasn't ready for anything more serious than they already were. "I'd love to live with you, but what will your mother think"? He gave her hand a squeeze and said, "Mom will deal with it, because it means that we could end up getting married, and in case you haven't noticed she's really hoping for that". She then leaned over to give him a simple kiss when she felt something cold on her finger. "It's just a promise ring because I didn't think we were ready for an engagement, but I wanted you to know that I love you and I hope that I'm always a part of your life". She gave him a hug and wispered in his ear, "I really hope so too".

 

   Just then the girls came running up crying. "Katie, calm down and tell me what's wrong"? After a few more sobs Katie finally lets out a "there's a strange woman by the tree that told me and Sarah that we were going to be punished for our parent's sins and to hope that it's not too late". Mark sat Sarah on the bench beside Josie and went to find this woman who upset the girls. He searched all around the park, but there was no woman to be found. At this point, there was no one in the park other than them and a few stray cats. "Mark, maybe we should get the girls out of here and get them something to eat? Girls, do chicken sanwhiches sound ok with you?" * * *

 

  After a nice lunch, the girls seemed to be feeling much better and were giggling and telling cute little jokes, but Josie couldn't shake this feeling like she was being watched. She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Michelle, a friend from her last job. They talked for a little, while Mark took the girls up to the counter to get an ice cream cone. Michelle talked about how different things were now that Josie wasn't working there anymore, and how her son just had a birthday. Then Michelle said something that seemed too coincidental, "I've gotta run, but keep an eye on those girls while you're out today...there have been some weirdos at the store today. Bye" Josie felft a chill run up her spine, weirdos today? Maybe they should take the girls home. She went to run the idea by Mark, but he already had an idea. "I saw a toystore down at the end of this stip and the girls and I think that we'll all be happier if we go and see the newest toys. What do you think?" The girls were on both sides of her with the biggest smiles they could make, how could she say no? Maybe Mark is right, looking at dolls and games could be fun.

 

  The store looked really dark from the outside and quite dusty for a store that had a grand opening sign hanging over the door. There were some really beautiful dolls linded up on the left side of the door and some cars on shelves to the right. The door chimed as Mark pushed it open for the girls to walk in and the smell of wood and sugar cookies flowed over them. The girls quickly went in different directions, Sarah went straight for the dolls while Katie went with Mark to look at the cars. Josie walked towards the back of the store where there was a case of cookies, fudge, and pastries that looked like they were just made. She couldn't help but find it odd that no one had greeted them when they walked in, and there didn't seem to be anyone around now. Mark came around the corner and told her that he needed to go outside and make a quick call. Josie felt a little on edge and went to see if the girls were ready, but Katie wasn't with the cars and there was a smashed porcelin doll where Sarah had been before. Josie started to feel real uneasy at this point, when it occoured to her that she didn't hear the chime when Mark went outside. She walked up to the front of the store to see if he was outside, when someone grabbed her arm and spun her around. Josie was suprized to find that an old woman with wild white hair in a long solid brown dress had grabbed her. The woman had quite a grip on her arm with a wicked expression on her face and she rasply said, "Where do you think you're going? Your children have been naughty and I need you to come to the back and correct this problem. One stole some cookies and one broke one of my dolls". Josie jerked her arm back,  "I assure you that I will pay for anything that the girls have damaged and their mother will deal with them when she picks them up tonight". The woman seemed to have a confused look for a moment before saying, "We need for you and your husband to come to the back and take care of this problem."

 

  "Mark is my boyfriend, and the girls are his cousins. Like I said before, I will glady pay for the damage that the girls may have done. Now where are they?" The woman grabbed Josie's arm again, and dragged her through the Employee's Only double doors to a room that was lit with candles and smelled like stables. It looked like dressing rooms, dirty wooden dressing rooms. Sarah calmly walked up to Josie and put laid her head on Josie's stomach. She whispered, "I really want to go home now. I promise that I didn't do anything wrong, and my mom's a good woman so I shouldn't be in trouble right?" Josie felt it was time to start asking some questions of her own. "Where is Mark and Katie? Why is Sarah crying? Were you the woman that scared the girls in the park today? Who are you?" Josie stepped in front of Sarah and waited for an answer. The woman folded her hands and said harshly, "We're not sure where your boyfriend is, maybe he's a deadbeat that decided he wanted out. As for the other girl, she really needs help and we're going to make sure that she gets it because I can tell that she isn't going to get it from you"! Josie could feel her heart beating faster, what was with this crazy lady. Katie walked out the back stall in a brown dress with her head down. Josie ran to her side and picked her up and went back to where Sarah was standing and took the other's hand. "Look, I'm really not sure what you're trying to pull here, but these are not my girls. I'm the babysitter and right now I just want to get my boyfriend and take the girls home to their mother. Where is he"?

  The woman grinned and replied, "does he know that you're carrying his child"?

Josie stood there in shock, this woman has gone off the deep end. "I'm not pregnant, and like I told you before, these aren't his kids. Please, where is he? I really just want to get the girls home." The woman just stared at Josie and crossed her arms. She began to get the feeling that something bad was about to happen so she sat Katie down and haned Sarah the car keys. "Sarah, my phone is in the car. Take your sister and run straight to the car and lock yourselves in. Call 911 and Mark and I will be out in a moment. Go, now!" Sarah grabbed Katie's hand and the two ran out the door so quickly that it hardly had time to chime before they were in the parking lot. Josie started backing up, she was concerned that there may be someone else in the store. "You shouldn't have done that. Those girls need help or else they're doomed. It's bad enough that their parents aren't married yet, you do plan to get married to him?" Josie turned to run and felt someone's grab ahold of her legs as she hit the floor. "Mark! Mark, please help me! Where are you Mark? Help, this woman is insane!"

The old woman screamed, "You need to calm down for the sake of your children. Remember that you have one that isn't born yet."

 

  Josie could hear Mark scream from the front of the store, "Don't hurt her or so help me! You're going to pay for this"! Josie broke free from the man that had pulled her to the ground and headed for the front door. She got a hold of the handle and heard the chime when she felt something around her neck. "Mark, Mark please help me!" Josie tried to scream as loud as she could.

 

 And then everything went black...

 

Author's Note

This started out as some really weird dream that I had...and is still arough draft of what I want the story to be...so please give me your comments so that I can make this a better story!