"If you need anything, anything at all, you can call us at this number, okay?"
Victoria smiled, accepting the card from the tall, older woman. "I understand, Mrs. Birch. Go on, you and Mr. Birch have fun tonight. Tyler and I will be right here playing board games. Isn't that right, Tyler?"
The small blonde boy's eager nodding seemed to satisfy his mother and soon she was out the door. Victoria put the card in her pocket and led Tyler to the living room, sitting on the floor beside him.
"Okay, so we have Candyland, Monopoly, Guess Who and Connect Four. Which should we play first?"
--
After a couple rounds of Candyland, Victoria had retired to the couch with some left over pizza while Tyler colored in his coloring books, the two of them watching Lilo & Stitch. Victoria's phone rang and she answered it, smiling while she did so.
"Hello?"
"Hey, bitch. What are you doing?"
Victoria laughed. "Nice to hear from you too, Stacey. I'm babysitting for Mrs. Birch, I told you that."
Stacey sounded unimpressed. "Oh, right. I'm going to a bonfire tonight up at the beach. You should come after the kid's asleep. You need some excitement in your life."
Victoria smiled while Tyler handed her a page from his coloring book, her name written on it in bulky letters, and she thanked him before speaking. "I'm fine where I'm at. I think I'll sit this one out, Stacey."
Her friend let out a sigh. "Suit yourself. I'll let Kyle know you said hi."
"Thanks." Victoria laughed; Kyle was in their chemistry class and he had taken her on a few dates. They weren't officially an item yet, but she did like him.
Victoria set her phone aside, mentally shaming herself for forgetting her charger. Her phone was at 42% and she hoped that would tide her over until about midnight, which is when Mrs. Birch had said they would be back.
When she noticed Tyler was yawning and rubbing his eyes, she announced that it was bedtime and carried him upstairs. He was getting big now but she didn't mind babying him every now and then.
She tucked him in and read him a bedtime story, making sure to leave his nightlight on and the door slightly cracked in case he needed her before she went back downstairs. She sat herself down on the couch, glancing at the time. It was a little after nine; only three more hours to go.
She loved babysitting Tyler, he was an angel compared to some of the other kids in that neighborhood, but it was a Friday night and she would've rather been at the beach with Stacey and Kyle. She needed the money though, and Mrs. Birch was offering a generous amount of it, so here she was instead.
After looking through the tv channels, she realized nothing very good was on, so she just picked one of the movie channels and went with it. She fiddled with her phone here and there but she didn't want to waste the battery so she shoved it under one of the throw pillows and settled in with a Coke and a bowl of popcorn.
Victoria ended up nodding off after a while, leaning back against the cushions, and that's when the man, who had been consistently watching her since her arrival to the home, made his move.
He had been lurking in the shadows, watching her from the bushes by the window closest to the living room. He had seen her before in that neighborhood, babysitting for other families, and he knew he had to make a move.
Quietly, he opened the window; Mrs. Birch routinely left the windows open in the morning and she had forgotten to lock this one back up. He pushed his frame through, carefully shutting the window behind him, before he stood up to his full size.
He stood at about 6'2 and, in the all black outfit he wore, looked more imposing than ever. He walked silently over to her, watching the rise and fall of her chest.
