There was the quiet sizzling sound of cheese melting against the hot skillet.  There was a block of soy cheddar cheese sitting in the fridge and I set a slice or two atop the GF bread and coated the outer sides with butter, listing to it sizzle and pop. 
      I filled a glass with milk and placed the grilled “cheese” on a plate before I turned off the stove and walked down the hall towards Jacob's room and caught sight of him playing with the night light Kelly gave him.  Marv was laying at his feet, snoring lightly. 
      “Here you go.”  I smiled and set the sandwich and glass on his beside table and Jacob smiled up at me.
      “Thanks.”  He said and picked it up, sinking his teeth into the crispy bread and pulling back with a thick string of cheese connecting the two pieces together.  My mouth began to water but I turned and walled back down the hall to wash dishes. 
      “Hey, Kelly.”  I called softly and leaned out from behind a wall of cloudy glass to see Kelly setting down her phone.  “Want a sandwich?  I can also make some eggs.”  I suggested and Kelly nodded with a small smile.
      “Sure.  Eggs sound good.”  She admitted and I nodded, retreating back into the kitchen and opened the fridge, grabbing a couple large eggs and I cracked them in a bowl and mixed in a little milk.  I let the eggs cook on the stove top while I chopped up a tomato and collected spices.  I seasoned the eggs with salt and pepper and sprinkled a pinch of parsley atop them and scrambled the mixture. 
      The moisture dampened my face and the smell of eggs and tomatoes basking with parsley and salt made my stomach gurgle. 
      I set the eggs on two separate plates and dumped the dishes in the sink before I added a fork to the side of the plate and walked back into the living room and handing Kelly a plate of eggs. 
      “Oh wow.”  She marveled and looked up from the plate to meet my inquiring gaze.  “This smells great.”
      I beamed at Kelly's remark and sat down in one of the chairs, looking around the corner a little to see Jacob's light still on.
      “Have you baby sat before?”  Kelly asked as she swallowed a mouthful of hot eggs and tomatoes.  I turned to meet her gaze.  I was too tired for this, so I answered honestly.
      “Uh- once when I was twelve.”  I nodded slowly and her eyes bugged a little.
      “That’s almost four years ago for you.  Right?”  Kelly asked and I nodded.  “Why’d you stop.”  I shrugged and lifted my bag, pulling out a little orange bottle and showed it to her from across the room.
      “I would have kept baby sitting for another year or two at least, but it’s sort of illegal to watch kids and take drugs.”  I shrugged.  Kelly nodded slowly, but she didn’t seem irritated with the bold statement.
      I placed a fork full of the eggs and chewed in silence before adding another bite of the juicy tomatoes and salty eggs to my mouth.  My body relished in the warmth that spread from my chest, but in that moment I was sober.  My abdomen began to throb with pain and I closed my eyes momentarily to battle the urge to grunt or pop another pill.  I’d be fine.
      “I finished.”  I turned to see Jacob standing in the hallway with his empty plate and glass.  I smiled and got off the chair and walked around to Jacob and took his plate from him.
      “Let me put this away for you.”  I said and Kelly stood up with a sigh and I took her empty plate.
      “Alright, come on.  Let’s get you into bed.”  Kelly said and I waved a goodbye to Jacob as she walked him into his room and tucked him in. 
      I walked over to the kitchen, wincing with every step as I approached the sink and turned on the facet, letting the warm water run over the dishes as I took up a sponge and soaked it with Dawn dish soap.  I scrubbed off the plates and cleaned the cutlery and glass.  I set them on the drying rack then washed the pan and dried it with a red rag before sticking it back in the cabinet. 
      For a moment I just stood there, letting my body settle.  My vision was blurring at the edges and I blinked hard to rid myself of the tint.  I felt as though I had been turned upside down on a roller coaster and stuck there.  Gosh, it was hot in here.  I pulled my hair back and used the spare elastic on my wrist to throw it in a bun.
      “Alright, engage my FOMO.”  Kelly mutter from the living room and I listened to her conversation.  It sounded like she was on the phone with someone, or listening to music.  “How’s the party?”  she was asking.
      “It’s amazing!”  a boy’s voice came from the phone.  Probably a boyfriend or something.  My back arched as a joke of pain shot through my body and I fell forward, catching myself on the sink and panting.
      “Wait.  What’s your costume?”  Kelly was asking.  So strange.  It was like drowning and no one could hear me.  I slid down the sink to my knees and I crouched on the floor, bent over my knees and panting. 
      “I am the crown jewel of a nutritious snack… I’m broccoli.”  The boy explained dramatically.  I turned so my back was against the cabinets and I looked over to the kitchen exit and down the hall to Jacob's room.  The door was closed and the light was off.  Hopefully he had found sleep. 
      “Dude, dude! Look who’s here!”  the boy on the phone exclaimed.  “You’ve gotta get over here, Kelly.  Deanna is about to walk that plank.”  Probably a rivalry.  It didn’t make sense how Intune I was with the faint sounds of pop music and people chattering. 
      “Are you broccoli?”  a girl’s voice asked over the noise on the other end. 
      “Uh- yeah, that- that’s me.”  The boy stuttered.
      “I love broccoli.”  There was a small giggle and I relaxed a little bit, the pain ebbing away.  “Do you want to dance?”  the girl asked.
      “Go get ‘em, Tommy.”  Kelly sighed and hung up the phone.  There was a hissing sound and I struggled to get back on my feet. 
      “I’m going to grab Marv.”  I mumbled, and walked into the living room.  “I need to get back.”  I explained and Kelly nodded. 
      “Yeah, of course.  Thanks for helping me.  I’ll tell Mrs. Zellman-"  I held up my hand to cut her off and dug my hand into my pants pocket. 
      “I’m good.”  I smiled, showing her the crisp two hundred dollar bills. 
      There was a sharp crackling sound and I looked up, just as the lamp light went out.  I flinched backwards and Kelly looked startled as well.  There was a muffled sound of protest and I looked down the hall from whence it came.  Jacob?
      There was a tremendous clatter and I started limping down the hall.  Kelly at my side.  “Jacob?”  she called.  I listened as Marv growled loudly.  Crap, he probably knocked something over in his haste to bark at kids passing down the street.
      “Marv?”  I hissed and gripped the handle.  It wouldn’t turn.  “It’s locked or jammed or something.”  I grunted and used my shoulder to press against the door.  I turned the knob until it groaned and the door began to shudder with my weight. 
      “Hang on.”  Kelly said and handed me a small gift card from her pocket and I took it before sliding it down the crease in the door.  There was a pop and the door swung open.  Marv was laying on the floor, eyes closed.  He’d seemed to have fallen off the bed. 
       “Jacob?”  Kelly whispered and I looked at the blanket covered lump on the bed.  There was the fain sound of munching and slurping as we drew closer.  Jacob didn’t have anything to be slurping on.  I’d taken his glass and empty plate.  Something was off.
      “What are you doing?”
      I reached forward, fingers outstretched as I carefully gripped the blue blanket in my hand and pulled it over the shuddering lump. 
      It was about two feet tall with cyan pigmented skin and a wild mane of thorny orange spikes for hair.  It’s eyes were on a lopsided tilt and wide as they looked at me.  I didn’t process what had happened until it opened his gapping jaws and snarled. 
      It lunged for me and I domed to the side, accidentally kicking it to the side and away from Kelly.  I grabbed the dresser and gasped in pain as I pulled myself up.  I looked up as saw movement from the closet.  As I turned to see what was going on, I caught a glimpse of Jacob being stuffed in a large bag by two more of the creatures. 
      “Watch out!”  I shouted and swung my foot forward, kicking the cyan colored creature back with a grunt. 
      “Jacob!  Kelly shouted.  What on earth was going on?! 
      In a desperate attempt to get to Jacob, I left Kelly at the mercy of the creature and I swatted away a small yellow creature like the first.  The yellow creature clamped it’s jaws around my hand and I shouted in surprise as little razor sharp fangs priced my skin.  I shook my hand wildly and sent the little creature flying.  Something grabbed my leg from behind and I turned to see the third creature.  This one was larger than the other two, but I didn’t have time to memorize it’s appearance since it pulled my shoes put from under me as I fell to the floor, knocking my temple against the hardwood with a sickening crack. 
      Dazed, I lay there and looked up, seeing Kelly wavering what used to be a goose lamp around with the cyan creature holding onto the head of it with his teeth.  The bed was overturned and the floor had a gapping hole in the center.  I watched helplessly as the creatures stuffed Jacob down the pit and followed after. 
      “Get away from him!  Hey, stop that!”  Kelly shrieked and the cyan creature fell to the floor, gulping down the plastic head of the goose and jumping into the hole, pressing the circle of floor back in and sealing it shut with a flash of gold light.  I dove for the hole and felt around got a crease, but found none.
      “I have never said a single swear word in my life, but I just might change that.”  I growled and stood up, hands tangled in my hair.  “What was that?!  I know I’m on cloud nine right now, but what the actual freak?!”  I exclaimed before kneeling beside Marv.
      A small red dart was sticking out of his nose and I growled angrily.  First, these weird creatures come out from under the bed and kidnap Jacob, then my attack, and now my dog's been shot with some paralyzing agent. 
      “We should call the police.”  Kelly said and pulled her phone out of her pocket, dialing quickly.  “911, 911…”  she muttered under her breath. 
      I pulled the dart out of Marv's nose and managed to lift him up in my arms.  “We’ve got to get out of the house.”  I said and Kelly nodded as I escorted her down the hall while she frantically spoke with the operator, then we stepped out into the cool night air. 
      “Hi… these… these things just took the kid I was babysitting!”  Kelly exclaimed frantically into the phone.  “I’m pretty sure they’re monsters… Yes, I’m aware it’s Halloween night, but this… this is not a joke!”  Kelly shouted.  “Hello?  Hello?!”  They’d hung up on her.  Crap.
      There was the sound of an engine roaring and I looked down the rode to see a motorcycle speeding towards us in Mrs. Zellman’s driveway.  I pulled Kelly back as the vehicle came to an abrupt stop beside us.  A girl dismounted and ripped the large midnight blue helmet off her head. 
      Her hair was a pale pink and she had a triangular face.  I’d seen her around town before, but I’d never met her. 
      “Who are you?”  I asked in my panicked tone.
      “Liz LeRue.  Babysitter…”