The Odd Family's Book of Bedtime Stories

The Call

Beth eased back onto the couch as slowly as she could, listening. She didn't mind babysitting them, Jackson and Gigi were good kids. But they were also sneaky when they wanted to be and good at it. It helped that their parents paid well and furnished Beth in free snacks, Netflix, and Wi-Fi. A creak at the top of the stairs drew her attention for a moment before she dismissed it as nothing and relaxed, pulling up Netflix to browse for a movie. Jackson and Gigi's parents would be out until late, and she wanted to find something to watch while she waited. A quick glance at her phone showed she had a notification from her friend Emily on Snapchat. Grinning, Beth picked it up to check it. Emily had taken a close-up picture of her small dog, Biscuit.

Where are you?

Beth smiled and took a quick selfie before returning the Snap.

Babysitting for the Johnsons.

Finding something to watch, Beth settled into the soft cushions and zoned out. It wasn't long before she got another notification.

Who's that with you?

Beth frowned, looking around the massive living room before replying.

No one is with me?

Emily responded immediately.

Oh. It looked like someone was in the dark behind you.

Beth turned quickly, expecting to see Jackson or Gigi, but found the room empty. She scanned the room again to make sure she was alone and shook her head. Feeling foolish and suspicious, she leaned forward to pause the movie and laid the remote on the coffee table. The house was silent except for another soft creak near the top of the stairs. It was an old house though, and prone to strange noises.

Quietly, Beth headed across the living room. It was easy to stay silent with just socks on as she crept up the stairs to check on Jackson and Gigi. Jackson's room was first with gray walls and dinosaurs. Beth slowly pushed open the door. He was definitely asleep, his small legs already tangled in his bed sheets with his head tossed back at an awkward angle. A small trail of drool slipped down his cheek from his lips. Shaking her head, Beth turned and eased into Gigi's room. It was a classic girl room done in pink and littered with stuffed animals and dolls. A cute white canopy bed sat in the center. Gigi was asleep as well, her wild hair splayed out across the bed as she snored softly. However, her bedroom window was open, a cool breeze coming in. Beth closed the window before heading back downstairs, satisfied. Again, her phone pinged from beside the couch, letting her know she had another Snapchat notification. One was from Emily and the other from a user Beth didn't recognize or remember adding. Emily looked worried in her message, frowning at the screen.

Where did you go?

Beth shook her head, took a quick photo of the television and replied,

I had to check on the kids. I think Gigi was up.

Then she went to check the other notification. It was a strange picture, an out of focus fake eye like something a stuffed animal might have. The message was weird as well.

You really should have a lock on your phone.

Beth scowled at it and shook her head, deciding to ignore the message. Switching over to her chat with Emily, she typed another, asking if Emily knew who they might be. She said she didn't. As they typed, trying to figure out who he might be, another message came in. This one was an image of a pair of dirty shoes, the mud on them long dried. A flash made the image slightly distorted and ugly.

Don't ignore me.

Beth took a quick screenshot to send to Emily before taking a photo of her own shoes beside her and replying to him with a quick message.

Who is this???

Then she replied to Emily, including the screenshot.

They're sending me weird messages. Do you think maybe it's Mike playing a prank?

Mike was one of Beth and Emily's mischief loving friends. He was always pulling pranks. She thought maybe he had added himself to mess with her. Sometimes Mike could take it too far. Emily replied quickly.

Where would Mike get children's shoes at?

It was a good question. Frowning, Beth flipped back to the screenshot she had taken as another message from the mystery man came in. The muddy shoes appeared to be children's shoes when she looked again. There was even one of those light up strips on the heel, partially hidden in the mud.

Mike was an only child, and though he acted like one, didn't really have any around him. She frowned, confused, and went to check the next message. This time the image was the paused movie before her. There were no clues where the picture was taken, but Beth spun around anyway, scanning the massive living room around her. Shaken and frightened, she took another screenshot before replying.

You're not funny. Who is this?

Then she sent the screenshot to Emily with another message.

This is getting creepy. This is what I'm watching right now.

Beth couldn't help but check the room again. Shifting her weight around, she pulled her legs beneath her. She tried to convince herself she was being ridiculous.

The next image was a partial image of a face, hidden by a deep black ski mask. His eyes were cold and black, empty. It seemed like there was a children's room behind him. This definitely was not Mike playing a prank, it wasn't Mike at all. Mike's eyes were blue. He'd only written one word in the text box across the image, a name.

Billy.

Beth studied the image closely, barely breathing. The next notification from Emily made Beth jump, her heart racing as she clutched her phone and looked around the room. There was another creak at the top of the stairs, nearly causing her to cry out. In this image, Emily looked worried again. Biscuit was watching over her shoulder.

Check his location. Does he have it on?

Hands trembling, Beth pulled up the location for the stranger and found that he had it on. According to his Snapchat location, he was already in the house.