I start to rifle through the old musty smelling box of books that had been left on my porch, when I notice a little children’s book. I see the symbol of the Golden Children’s Books printed on it, then a little sticker on the binding indicating that it belongs to the library catches my Eye. Examining it closer, the pages are bent back and discolored, but the book is still in suitable condition. My nails peel at the tape as I fidget and try to figure out what to do next.  

Taking a deep breath, I open the cover to discover that there is a single name on the inside. Nelli Stillson. Looking over the name and tracing it with my fingers I wonder how the book found it’s way into this box.  

“Should I return it to the library or to the little girl? Most likely the library has wrote it off a while ago as missing and bought a new one. So perhaps I will find the little girls family and return it to her. Besides, I have been looking for an adventure.”

Wiping my dirt caked hands on my skirt a cloud of dust surrounds me and makes me cough dryly. I catch a glimpse of my image in the mirror and shriek. “Good grief! What a mess. I really have to clean up. No wonder why poor John ran for it. I look like a ghost.”  

After laying out a new outfit and taking a shower I stare at myself in the bathroom mirror and notice that I need a hair cut and maybe some sun too. My eyes seem to have sunken in a bit from not eating, but I still look good. Two green eyes peer back at me as I brush my long red hair and wish that my mom was still here to talk to.  

Just three weeks earlier she had passed away quite quickly. No one had expected her to be in the prime of her life and then in one move have it all swept away as the semi slammed into her and stole her vitality away. “I had just talked to her.” That was the only thing I could keep thinking as everyone lead me into the funeral home viewing.   

Getting dressed and checking on the internet for the address I see that they only live about an hour away, so I decide to just knock on their door and surprise the little girl with the book. Scanning the skies for the weather, the clouds start to fill in and the warmth of the sun starts to disappear. A storm is coming and I have to hurry if I am going to beat it to the Stillson’s house.  

As I walk out the door the wind starts to pick up and I smell a hint of rain and ozone in the air. Picking up my pace, I get to the car just before the rain hits. I make sure the water didn’t touch the little child’s book as I put it down and then double check the address on the map. Putting the car in reverse, I look in the review mirror and see John run across the street just before I hit him. I slam on my brakes.

Sitting there for a few minutes with my heart racing, I take deep breaths trying to calm down. I try to imagine the little girl’s face smiling from ear to ear when she see’s her book back in her hands. After a few more minutes I manage to contain myself and make my way to the Stillson House.  

On the way I glance from side to side at the scenery. The houses all tend to merge into one another as the scape becomes more metropolitan. Now that the clouds and the storm have subsided it seems to be shaping up into quite a nice day. The sun is beating down and the birds are singing from the trees. There is a gentle breeze in the air and everything seems to be falling into place.  

“I guess I shouldn’t have worn a light sweater today after all. Boy it’s getting hot and humid out.”  

My phone notifies me I have arrived and the next turn is the Stillson’s driveway. As I slow down I begin to notice just how massive a place they have. It is not a home, it’s more akin to a mansion on hundreds of acres of property. I see a huge English Garden and an expansive driveway that stretches about a half mile back to the house.  

As I pull up to the gate I see a button and get out to push it. I hear a deep gentleman’s voice on the other end. “Name please?”  

“Emily Dreasden.” Hesitantly I walk to my car just before I hear the voice again.

“Please come in.”

I get in quickly and as I start my car the gate opens. For fear they will realize I don’t belong here I rush in and head right for the front doors. Admittedly, I did not expect what came next. I arrive at the enormous green metal doors that look like yet another gate and watch as two thirty something year old very well dressed males stand there waiting for me in full tuxedos.  

The first one greets me at the car and opens the door for me as my mouth surely must be hanging open. He gives me a brief smile, “Ms. Dreasden. It is so nice to see you. I am really glad you could make it in light of the given situation. We are more then pleased that you have decided to take the position and as I am very sure you know how important keeping Nelli happy is we won’t keep her waiting.”

“Sir, I think you must have the wrong person. Honestly, I have just come to drop off a children’s book that I found. May I give it to Nelli and then I will be on my way?”

“No, I am assured that you are indeed the person we are looking for. Didn’t you’re dear mother just pass away three weeks ago and now you are seeking a job?”  

“Yes, but how do you know? I didn’t even know before today that I was coming here. I just found this book on my front porch this very morning. Are you sure you are talking about me?”  

But of course, everything has been taken care of. Mr. and Mrs. Stillson are awaiting your entrance. They are having a party this evening and need everything to be taken care of and Nelli under control before the guests arrive. Please follow me this way.”

I look from one man to another as they share a strange look between the two of them and then glance over at me pointing. Hesitantly, I follow them inside as they unlock the front door bolt and then as soon as I am inside they lock it again. The hairs on the back of my neck start to raise up as this uneasy feeling starts to take over my subconsciousness. The book still in hand I ask where Nelli is and receive no answer. Instead the man turns to me and then points upstairs with a furrowed brow.  

“Ah, there you are Ms. Dreasden. We have been expecting you. What perfect timing you have? My husband will show you around, then you will meet Nelli quickly before everyone else arrives. Where are you’re bags?”

“Hmm? Bags? I was never told that I was supposed to bring my bags. I actually wanted to talk to you. There seems to be a misunderstanding.”

“What my dear?”

“I simply found a book of your daughter’s and I came to give it back to her. I thought it might bring a smile to her little face.”

“Well that indeed it might, however we had other plans for you. See this morning that box was placed on your porch for a reason. It set plans into motion that you now only will find out. My neighbor was a dear friend of your mother’s, she had heard of you needing a job and we just so happen to need a nanny. I believe you would be perfect fit for the job.”

Mr. Stillson steps forward and puts his hand on his wife’s. 

“My dear, it’s getting late. I need to quickly show her everything and then she has to meet Nelli before the party. Hurry now. Make sure everything is ready for the guests.”

I watch as Mrs. Stillson sashays away into another room and Mr. Stillson’s attention rests on me once again. He steps to my side and takes my hand as he leads me through each room. Noticing that as we get to each room he puts in a pass code in a key pad on the wall the hairs raise up yet again on the back of my neck.  

“The code for each room changes every night, but you will always be told in advance of them so you don’t get stuck anywhere.”  

I stop for a brief second. “Can I ask something?”

“Yes, anything?”

“What is up with all the security?”

“Well, we have alot of very valuable things here in this house. Things tend to vanish and then Nelli gets quite upset. We keep it all under lock and key so there aren’t any accidents.” He turns away just before I could see what he is really thinking.

We continue the rest of the tour until we come to the stairs. “Upstairs, is Nelli’s part of the house. She has her own library, a play room, a gaming room, an indoor pool and anything else she needs up here. You will notice that she doesn’t ever come downstairs. It’s just best that way. Now let’s go meet her. I do ask one thing. Don’t ever directly look into her eyes. It tends to upset her. She also might be quite sleepy because it is getting close to her bedtime.”

“Ok. Sure.” I give him this not so happy smile as I am not sure after all this that suddenly I want to meet her. Something is quite off about all of this. By now the hairs are pricking the back of my neck so hard that I could swear I was shocked with an electrical current.  

Suddenly I see a flash run down the stairs and to the front door. I look at Mr. Stillson shockingly as he falls backwards and topples a couple steps downward. “What the.” I stop in mid sentence as I watch a very young girl run back up the stairs with a strange looking doll in her arms. I carefully do not look into her eyes, but make the mistake of acknowledging her before she takes my hand and tries to pull me up the stair case.

I hear a loud boom come from behind me as I see Mr. Stillson yell out after he stomps his foot on the ground in protest. “Nelli, back upstairs right now!”

Startled, Nelli immediately runs up the stairs after releasing my hand and straight through the doors.  

“I am so sorry about that! I don’t know what happened. She is never allowed down here. I am going to have to make sure her doors are locked before the guests arrive. Once again, I am sorry. I didn’t want your first contact with her to be so shocking.”

“Well, it did throw me for a loop.”

“Just make yourself comfortable. I am going to go make sure she is secured and that everything is taken care of before too long. All I really need you for tonight is to stay upstairs with her while the guests are here and then after to make sure she is indeed asleep for the night. We will take care of everything else tomorrow.”  

I make my way back downstairs to find Ms. Stillson rushing back and forth with a very concerned look on her face. She is screaming something about an item is missing and if she doesn’t find it before the guests get there then there will be hell to pay. I find a vacant couch and sit down out of the way, hoping Mr. Stillson will come back soon.

When he doesn’t, the hairs on the back of my neck stand erect. My fingers start to fidget with the velvet upholstery next to me as I sit back and wait. I find myself counting the red tiles on the floor underneath my feet and then I look up to see Mr. and Mrs. Stillson hurriedly go in the next room and start to raise their voices.  

I don’t have to strain to listen in on the arguement that they so passionately are in the midst of. Mrs. Stillson is screaming at Mr. Stillson and telling him that Nelli is ruining everything like she always does and why should she have to cancel the party. His voice raises over hers and then suddenly grows quiet, then I hear a little girls giggle upstairs.  

Mr. Stillson runs out with a panicked look on his face and looks at the top of the staircase. Mrs. Stillson comes back into the room and you can tell that she has been crying, her makeup staining her perfectly pale complexion. Outside, I hear the guests start to arrive and then one by one their cars leave again as the two gentleman at the entrance gate tell them the party is off.  

I find myself wondering what could possibly be so bad to take such a drastic turn of events. “Surely one little child couldn’t affect all this could she?”  

I make sure I stay out of the way till everything cools down and then the Stillson’s start fighting again as I sit there on the couch trying to figure out what exactly I should be doing. So out of place here, I don’t have a clue what I should be doing right now. So I just sit here for awhile, then someone arrives. I turn around to see an older gentleman who looks like a doctor walking towards me.  

“Hello, my dear Ms. Dreasden. I am Doctor John Hopkins, Nelli’s psychiatrist. I was told of the events tonight and not to alarm you, but if at any time the lights go out close your eyes and do not open them no matter what you hear. Apparently Nelli is loose and not under control. See Nelli has no soul. She was born with the blackest eyes of any human being I have ever met. If she sees the fear in your eyes she will scratch them out before she kills you.”

I instantly panick and the room starts to spin. I can feel the heat raise to my temples and the sweat starts to bead around my eyes and lips. As I start to panick further, I hear a loud sound upstairs and then a giggle. Suddenly, everything goes quiet and even the Stillson’s stop fighting. My heart starts to leap out of my chest as the room goes completely black. I feel the psychiatrist’s hand wrap around mine as he starts to lead me to the front gated doorway.

“Remember, don’t open your eyes. For God sake, don’t let her out.” I hear a gurgle next to me and then I feel a warm liquid spread down my hand and arm. I feel it dripping onto my leg and then smell the sick acrid smell of fear and blood as it mixes in the pool on the floor by my feet. The pit of my stomach drops out and my knees almost give away before I quickly think of something.  

I raise my voice sternly with all my bravado and yell out. “Nelli! Go to bed right now! You have been very bad. I don’t want to see you downstairs ever again. You have been told it’s you’re bed time and you’re not listening! Get to bed right now!”  

I listen quietly, praying silently that she listens so I can get out of this infernal death trap and find help. Finding myself relieved for a moment, I hear her stomp up the stairs and hear the door close behind her. I listen for her squeeky bed and then when I hear it I immediately bolt for the front gate.  

I stumble around a few steps and then my hands rest on the cold gate in front of me. I pull and it instantly opens. There is something coating the bars that smells remarkeably like blood but I don’t think about that for the moment and slam the gate behind me. I find the bar and jam it shut locking anyone else inside with the demon spawn. Then only then, do I open my eyes and find a cigarette inside my purse.  

As I light it, I have a vision of a burning building and flick it inside the gated entrance. The tapestry ignites instantaneously and the whole wall lights ablaze. I turn as I see something out of the corner of my eye. I look closer at the gate and to this day I wish I didn’t see those eyes. The eyes were deep dark spirals into an abyss that I have never seen before and hope I never see again.  

She starts to scream at the top of her lungs and hiss like a wild thing as her claws grasp onto the metal bars so hard I swear that they were warping the metal. I pull out my phone quickly and call 911. By the time the ambulance and fire trucks got there, all that was left was the wrought iron bars of the gates. I heard in the news the next day that when they combed through the wreckage they found a little girls body still grasping onto the metal bars for dear life.  

Further reports told of 30 some bodies found in the basement and of course the mother and father and several servants. No one knows who all the bodies belonged to but the police surmised that there must have been occult activity and ritual sacrifices. I knew better.  

My husband wakes me up as I scream and claw at the covers surrounding me. “Honey, are you alright?”

“Yes, yes. I am now. Just hold me. It was just a bad dream.”  

I lay back down and close my eyes as my husband’s safe and secure arms surround me in a comforting cocoon. All I know is I am sure glad I made it out of there those twelve years ago. The only thing I wish I never did was open my eyes and see into hers. That mistake I will pay dearly for the rest of my life.  The end