Find Out Why This Babysitter Called The Police While The Kids Were Asleep

We all have seen our shares of chain letters where if you do not pass it on, bad luck will happen to you. These emails usually begin with “Think carefully before deleting this email, or else…”. The threat is enough to make us cringe and a tad afraid, too. But often, we send them directly to the trash bin. Others have joked that perhaps, the reason why none of us had been lucky so far with finding a soulmate or winning in our investments is because of all those broken chain letters years ago. We know they are not true, however. But there are some chain letters that creep us out because they are all too realistic. They can become a possibility for any regular person.

What we are about to share is a story that has been circulating as a chain letter since about 2004. There have been many variations of the tale evoking deep feelings from the readers. As we share the story of a teenage babysitter and her ward, take a look at your own circumstances and reflect on what you could do differently.

The Parents

We do not know much about the parents, except that they are hardworking. In one version, the parents wanted to go on vacation. This is normal. After all, working so hard from 9 to 5 can be exhausting, and going on a road trip and forgetting about bills and mortgages for a while can help with mental and physical health. So one day, the parents decided to take a break, and so they looked for a baby sitter to take care of their two kids. They probably went online to look at various babysitting agencies and hired from there. They could also have gone with recommendations from a friend. We know that they did diligent research to make sure that they found a suitable sitter.

The Babysitter

Let us name her Jane. She is unnamed in the chain letters, but it is good to put a name to such an essential character in the story. Jane was contacted by the parents of the children and was asked for a short-notice duty. She had a date that night with Brandon, so he had to call him and cancel the date. Maybe next time as duty calls, she thought. And besides, she would be paid handsomely, which can go towards paying off her student loans. Jane had been struggling to find a more stable job, but babysitting for friends and even other families have proven to be a profitable job for the young adult. Besides, she cannot be too sensitive about the job she takes in, as long as they are decent and do not harm other people.

Jane Agrees To Babysit

So she agreed to babysit for the parents, but because it was short notice, she asked for a 20% bonus, and she can take care of them for the two days when the parents would be out. “The money is not a problem,” said the father. We will send it to your bank in five minutes. Jane thought it was a good deal as she would easily earn more than $1,100. That is about half the month’s rent for two days of work. She thanked the parents and said she would fill up the gas and then drive straight away to their residence. The parents informed her that they had already gone out, but the keys are under the rug on the front porch.

The Drive To The Residence

After dressing up and preparing her bag of clothes for two days, Jane is ready to drive to the residence. It is not mentioned where the house is, but it is most likely an isolated house at the very end of a long road. It would probably be about at least 11 miles from the nearest police station, jail, grocery store, or restaurant. The babysitter anticipated that there would be no more food for her when she arrives at the house, so she used her credit card to purchase a bag of chips and a cheap meal off of the shelves of 7Eleven. She ate quickly and went on to drive the remaining leg of the journey towards the secluded mansion. Jane has been in the area several times, babysitting for the other families, so there was no hint of concern at all in her mind.

The House

She arrives at the house, steps on the front porch, and instantly finds the key to the house. The parents could have done a better job of hiding the key, though, she thought. The key was barely covered, so it was easy for her to spot it. She opens the front door and then proceeds to the second floor to check the kids and put her things in the guest room. The kids were already asleep. She heard from fellow sitters who had been hired by this household that these two kids, Tammy and Sam, we adorable. “Well, they are asleep. Let me check the kitchen if there is anything to eat,” Jane said. As she suspected, there was nothing already prepared. But the drive burned all the calories she ate earlier, so with a great degree of effort, she cooked some pasta.

Back To The Parents

Some of these details were no longer mentioned in the story, but these could have very well been true. By this time, the parents were already on the first leg of their two-day vacation. They both felt that they deserved some alone time after working so hard continuously for the last three months. They were setting up a moving company, and so the past months had been grueling, traveling from one place to another, and meeting with key people of the business. They felt guilty that they could not take the kids on this vacation, but they promised them that next time – if there were a next time – the whole family would go to Disneyland. But what if something happens to the parents or the kids in the interim?

Watching TV Upstairs

The babysitter decides to watch TV upstairs. She popped open the bag of chips she purchased earlier and then starting eating. It looks like Sleepy Hollow is on tonight. This is not the first time Jane has seen the movie, so the twists and turns and surprise moves are no longer new to her. She looks for another channel and settles for another show on HBO. She decides to call Brandon at home and see how he is doing. Brandon had already eaten dinner and is watching a sports show. Her boyfriend has always loved sports, and she knew better than to disturb him when he is watching a sports channel. To his credit, Brandon has been a very loving boyfriend to Jane.

The Kids

While Jane was enjoying some shows on TV, the kids were fast asleep. Their parents tucked them in early for the night after eating a light meal of meatballs and pizza. The two wanted to drink soda, but the parents were quick to say no, knowing the harmful effects of having too much sugar in the body. The kids understood, but their cravings were unsatisfied. Tammy, the girl, wants to be a lawyer when she grows up. She has always been vocal about this to her parents. Sometimes, Sam would try to annoy her by calling her “Your Honor,” which is for a judge, she clarified. Still, Sam persisted as he wanted to annoy her little sister. Their parents would usually reprimand the older brother and give him time-out by facing the wall.

She Heard a Noise

While watching TV, Jane heard a noise downstairs. It sounded like someone was putting the key into the doorknob. She knows that the house has an excellent home security system, so she was at ease that no one could break in without her knowing and alarming the whole house. But to be sure, she went down to check – there was nothing. She checked to see if anything looked suspicious, and she did not see anything. It was probably because of the horror movies she had been watching. She decided to go back upstairs and check on the kids. The stairs gave a rather freaky creaking sound, which made Jane jump a bit. She thought, “I should not have watched all those shows. Now, look at me, imagining things and hearing sounds that are not there!”.

The Kids Are Fine

When she checked each bedroom, the kids appeared to be okay. They are sleeping soundly. It was just 9 pm, and the night was still young. She felt bored, though. Sam had the latest gadgets, so she thought she could borrow them while he was sound asleep. She spotted an MP3 player on the nightstand, and so she decided to take it and listen to music in the living room downstairs. Jane thought of returning the MP3 in the morning as she wanted to enjoy the device more since she did not have one of these. She felt that it was too extravagant when she could just listen to music on the radio. She also did not want to resort to personal loans to buy any item she deemed as a want.