"I'm going to look for a job tomorrow.".....

I was a little excited at my choice this year. The people I had talked to had said that being a nanny was a job for the strong willed and those with a lot of patience since kids were a handful.

"What kind? I hope it's something exciting like the one you did two years back." Said Ruina. We had went to a restaurant not far from the cafè. Ruina only had thirty minutes of her time to spare thus the nearest restaurant. And it was only the time apart from the movie night,that they could all be available.

I had a thing that I had made a turned in an annual habit. If that's what you would call it. Every year ever since my fourth year in med school, on the last month off the year I would go and look for a job. Something I was not used to. On my first time I got a his at as a secretary. It didn't work out so good. I got fired after a week. The following years I put it to the extreme but only a little. I worked in a sex club,a strip club,but choose to work as a waitress. They did offer that I worked as a striped and I refused. Like the strip club the sex club that I worked at offered that I work with actual clients,as in sleep with them and I refused. I was a good waitress though. I also worked at a cafè, a cleaner at a high school,a librarian. That was the best job ever. I always had a thing for books. And this year I was gonna be a nanny. For three weeks.

"So what are you going to do?" Asked Juliet putting a mouthful of grilled fish in her mouth. "Yeah out with it." Agreed Ana. I took a bite of my own dish,wh8ch was fish and chewed it slowly. After i swallowed I said,"I am gonna be nanny or babysitter. What ever you choose to call it." I said shrugging my shoulders. They choked on they meal. "Water please." I yelled to a waiter. "No,no we're fine." They waved him away as he came rushing with a jar filled with water.

"A what? Are you out of your mind?" Yelled Ana,coughing a few times. "No,I'm not. Think of this as a practice run for when I get my own." The worry and pure horror of their faces cleared as they smirked. "What? Am I missing something here?" I asked in confusion. "Who's the lucky guy? You didn't say anything about starting a family when we talked. Spill it." Squilling Ana as the girls leaned in. I pushed my back to the chair in shock. "I am not planning a family. God no. What are you thinking? And I'm not pregnant if that what your thinking. God!" I downed the glass of juice and gave them one last look of horror. This girls were the death of me.

But come to think of it,the possibility of me being pregnant were there. MY period was late and I had been filling a little nauseous the past two days but that did not mean I was pregnant. It could have been due to anything I may have eaten in the past three to four weeks.

After that we went our separate ways. Ruina had to go back to the café. Juliet and Anastasia had to go back to the hospital and I had had to go to the agency.

-------

"Do you have any experience in the job?" Asked the lady behind the big mahogany table that sat between us. She had that look on her face that gave little kids nightmares and possible me. She was way too serious.

"Well yes. I babysat my little sister and the neighbors children..." I said with a faint smile,playing with my fingers under the table. "...I also basically raised my cousins and little sister. You can ask my mother if you want." She looked at me with a bored look on her face. Maybe she didn't want to be here as much as I was.

"How do you propose I get shold of her?" She asked. Her eyes scrutinizing me,making me feel small form where I was seating. I did actually half lie to her. I didn't babysit the neighbors children. This a kid would make anyone want to pull all their hair out. They were those kind of kids that made you hate babysitting. As for my cousins and baby sister,it was half true. I did help raise them when I was on a school holiday. And now she wanted to call mother. "I would really love to help,but she is in another country and currently in reach." I said leaning in a little. The nervousness inside was killing me and it looked like she knew I was lieing to her. The sweet laughed she let out as I gave her a sincere smile told me that. She would make a really good high school principal. She looked like that kind of lady that did not take shit form anyone.

My smile crew small and pathetic. I was doing it to obviously ask for her messy and it seemed to work. I did a little victory dance in my head as she looked at a number of files on her desk. "There is a job. It's not permanent and you look like you weren't looking for it as well." I shook my head slightly. "The family is looking for a temporary nanny to look after their boy for three weeks or so." A smile grew across my face. I was actually going to babysit. "Would you please wait in that room. I will attend to you in a while." He said pointing to the door and I couldn't have been more happier. I quickly got up and went out. She called me back I after a while. "It seems you have a job Miss Wilde. You will be looking after a ten year old boy and this is the address to the house." She handed me a piece of paper with a written stress on it. I took it and looked at the areas and neatly and carefully placed it in my bag and went home.

"So this is were you'll be for Christmas and New year?" She said with a uneasy look on her. "Yeah and why the face? I'll ask the lady if the house if you could come and visit." I skilled at her reassuringly as I placed the last item in my bag. "Well Merry Christmas on that note." She gave me a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Merry Christmas to you too. Bye." I waved and walked to my car.

It was only a week and two days before the Christmas of the year 2030 and five weeks to my birthday the following year. And here I was driving to a strangers house to babysit their kid.

I called mom. "Hey mom! How are you guys doing back There? I've missed you." I said as she took the call. I didn't even wait for the woman to say 'hi' back. "We are doing just fine although missing you terribly. Your sister cried when we came back from the airport." She said with a laugh and I broke into mine. "She What? I didn't know she loved me that much." I teased. "Wait let me put you on speaker." It stayed quiet for a a total on two seconds. "You can talk now." I chuckled to myself. "Sofia!How are you kiddo? I hope you are a merrier than we were last year." I scolded through the phone. I had connected it to the car. She laughed. " You have no idea."

I right and kept on driving in a straight line. Off road.

"How far can this house be?" I groaned to myself.

"Hello? Sister are you still there?" Said a voice coming the speakers. "-oh sorry. I had something to do. Merry Christmas and a happy New year to you. Tell father and Amandla I said hi. I have to go now. Talk later." I disconnect the call.

I swear if I don't spot the house in the next thirty minutes,I'm gonna kill myself.

I was just about feed up. I had been driving for God knows how long and still no sign of any house and to talk about that part of the forest being creepy. I got that 'off' feeling at the pit of my stomach. I pushed it aside and continued to drive.

You are gonna do no such thing.

Scolded that small voice in my head and it sounded way too much like Nick. Like he was the one scolding me like a kid. I had not talked to him for three days. Three most dreadful days I had ever had in my life. He was literally the only thing I thought about. The one I went to sleep thinking about and woke up thinking about. And now I was starting to hear his voice in my head. That made me think of I was going crazy or not.

You are not going crazy. Scarlett you are not going to kill yourself. I need you way too much to loose you.

Ok...that was weird. I could have sworn he was in my head. I could hear him talking to me. Talking me out of killing myself. I was not stupid. I would never try to kill or actuallykill myself. I had way too much to live for to just up and kill myself. What about the people I would live behind? They would be devastated,torn and shattered beyond words. I could not do that to them.

I was not actually gonna do it. For something that's a part of me,you are really stupid.

I was calling myself stupid now. Farm this forest.

I took a short turn to my left and drove forward for a good five minutes. I was getting a bit too close to a small mountain. A saw what looked like peeks of those things on the tip of a fifteenth century castle appear. At first I saw one of those,then two then a total of four.

I continued to drive and then I saw it. The castle. It had no writing infront of it. I went through the gates and parked outside what looked to have been the parking space. I wasn't sure. I took out the piece of paper that lady gave me the day before and it seemed like the tight address. The numbers were the same as the ones I saw at the two very castle like doors. Maybe it was a museum that I didn't know about but why did she sent me to a museum? As far as I knew kids did not live inside museums.

I walked to the door and rang the door bell. A middle aged lady opened the doors and let me in. "Excuse me, I was sent here to look after a kid. A ten year old but I don't think I have the right address as this is the museum. Could you please direct me in the right directions. And may I also ask you something?" I said taking slow steps inside. I took out my phone to record her when she gave me the directions. I was not very good with directions. Actual I was horrible. I could get directions even if my life depended on it.

She released a humour filled laugh. It was neither loud nor low. It was at the right tone. My brows furrowed in confusion. " I'm sorry. My name is Scarlett and I am looking for this address. Would you please show me we're it is?" I said speaking a little bit louder incase she had ear problems. She smiled at me.

I think she has a few screws loose in there.

I said to myself.

She walked me further in the museum. I was expecting to see dinosaur fossils and big statues of cavemen but what I saw was far from that. It was furniture. Real furniture. Very modern furniture. It was not a museum but a home but who in their right mind would buy a castle? And weren't they supposed to be long collapsed by now?

I let my eyes wonder around the house but not in an obvious way that should make me look like a creep. I finally understood why the lady looked at me like I had lost my marbles and why she laughed at me. This was a home,A bug home.

"So I'm at the right house...I mean castle?" I asked as she lead me to the guest lounge. She nodded her head and excused herself with a promise to cone back. She did return but not alone. Another woman was walk ing behind her. She looked to be at her early thirties or had not yet reached it but was close. She was shorter that the one that had received me. Her shoulder were lean. Her hair was brown and curled back and tied into a style I could not place. But it looked royal. Was I in a royal palace?

The dress she wore was a little below her knee and royal blue in colour.her skin was fair and eyes blue. An oceanic blue that looked way too familiar to the eye. It reminded me of Nick. Her face looked young but her eyes held wisdom. They were gentle blue,wisdom filled eyes.

She smiled sweetly at me and attended her hand. "Hello there. You must be Scarlett? We got a call you would arrive. I am Autumn and this over here is Maria and that over there is Sean. My youngest son. His brother is not around along with his sister. He's the little boy you will be looking after and he's a handful so be careful with him. I'll let Maria show you were you will be staying." She stepped to the side and gestured for Maria to take my bags. The little boy she was talking about was running in our direction and with speed. He was the only kid around. He went crashing into his mother and his hands went around her waist to cushion his impact. I watched as she ruffled the boy's hair and he scowled at her.

"Not infront of the pretty lady mother. You are making me look bad." He said fixing his hair. I smiled at his comment and internally laughed. He was a sharper that one. He stood straight and extended his hand. I extended mine expecting a hand shake not a kiss because that is what I got. A kiss on my knuckles. "By name I go by Sean but I would prepare if a beautiful lady such as yourself called me by my second name. I was told that it sound more stronger than it is. It's Xavier." He said with a smirk. It was the most cutters thing I had ever heard.

I nodded my head in agreement to the young gentlemen that was standing be for me. He had honey brown eyes,tan skin,dark hair and boyish facial features. His short hair was raked back.

Maria whispered something to the mother if the boy. Her face fell and she left with a soft,"I'll be back." And she disappeared behind a corner. She came back minutes later to find me seating down. With Sean next to me telling me about what he wanted to do for Christmas.

"I never really got along with Its. She was always so...serious. She never played with me. But you seem different. You are human right? She was a wer-" The mother called. "Sean go and play with the other kids." The boy took off running.

"I'm sorry for that. Please follow Maria she will show you were you will be staying. It's nothing permanent. It's just until the guests leave." I followed Maria up a flight of stairs and we turned to what seemed to be the North wing. To get there we went thro ugh many passages and corners o would need something to show me around for atleast a week,minimum. She opened two big doors that opened up into an open space lounge and a kitchen. There were not that many Windows and the only bright light source came from the lighting above.

We walked past the lounge,that looked to have belonged to a bachelor. A single L shaped black leather couch,a coffee table,A stand and a TV. We turned on a corner that showed a long dark passage. As dark as the whole place was. Two doors stood facing each other and one more at the end of that passage. It was seriously dark there. The only thing that showed that there was a door there being a very small shine that may have been from the lock.

She opened the door on the left. "This is your room. You are not allowed to enter anyrooms other than your own." She said and closed the door behind me. The room had the same light as the rest of that part of the castle-wing. It had a big king size bed with a leather headboard and two night stands. The floors were a white wood. It gave the whole r9om a little softness to it.

I walked to door on the right side of the bed. It led to the bathroom. A bathroom fit for a royal. The toilet seat was covered with a soft fabric. Two vanity sinks and a large rectangular mirror. I walked out and open Ed how small for doors the revealed the closet. It was not that big but it was busy right for my clothes. I unpacked the clothes I had picked out and quickly changed into a dress and a pair of sandals. I walked out the room and sent a glance to the end of the passage and one at the door across mine. I had that small voice that kept shouting at me to open it but I didn't. I walked to the kitchen to whip myself a quick meal and go down stairs to start my day with Sean. The whole place smelled of Nick. From my room down to the pot handles. They smelled of him but on the other side I may had been imagining the smell because I missed him that much.

I make a sandwich. I was severely tempted to open a bottle of canned peaches that Amandla had given me. She had given me six in total and I shared them with Ana. She was a fan for those and it was understandable. Those canned peaches were...

The is are no words worthy of how good they tasted.

I got rid of the temptation and walked out the room. Havin' wondered and got lost in the mang halls and passage ways I called out for help. "Somebody help. I'm lost. Please help." I called out. "Hello? Is there anybody There?" I called out to no answer. I called for a good ten more minutes and that's when I heard it. The sound of heels clicking against the tiles on the floor. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" Asked a girl that seemed to be in my age line. She had tan skin,long brown hair,the body of a model and long slim fingers. They weren't honey. Her eyes were hazel.

"Oh,thanks. I am the nanny,Scarlett is my name and I kind of got lost trying to get down stairs to the lounge." She smiled down at me. She was good feet or so taller than me. "Oh,I've heard of you. You are my Sean's nanny right?" I nodded. "Nice to meet you. I'm his big sister,Diana. You dare human." She said bluntly. I laughed. "Yeah I am. Why does everyone keep saying that?" I said shaking it off. She smiled sincerely and we walked to the lounge,down stairs together. She was friendly to begin with.

"Sorry Xavier. I got lost trying to get to you." I said bending down at his level out of breath. I had run half way down the stairs and to the lounge. "That is ok and that reminds me,I will give you the grand tour of this place. I'm the best tour guard in the world. If you wanna know something ask me. I have all the answers." He said with a sly smile.

"I will try ro remember that." I said with a smile of my own. "You should try exercising. I'll call you tomorrow morning to go for a run." Said Diana coming around a corner. I nodded knowingly. I had taken a break from all the exercise that Nick had made me in the past weeks. An early morning run,squads,pushups,lunges and weight lifts. He said it was to strengthen to arms for when he decided it was time to show me how he actually did things.

Three days break had made me lazy. I couldn't even run down a flight of stairs witg running out of breath. So yeah,I needed to go back to being health. Even through Nick was not breathing down my neck about it.

I am not breathing down your neck abiut exercising. It's purely for your own health and increasing you stamina.

That voice that sounded like Nicks' said in my head.

I ignored it and smiled at Diana. "What do you wanna do for today?" I said walking with Sean out and leaving Diana to type on her phone alone. "I thought maybe we could go for ice cream,but town is a but far from here unless we go in the pack kitchen and ask for some." He said running ahead. "Pack?" I asked a little confused but then again he was just a kid. He could have meant anything by that.

"Yes,a pack but brother refuses that we talk about this to a human. Actually I'd be breaking one of the sacred rules of all...hey We have arrived. What flavour do you like?"