Mom left us with a monster to babysit

Mom left us with a monster to babysit I’ve never seen my mom so stressed with only two hours left until her shift starts. Usually she’s quieter than this at the last minute, but the look on her face said *not today*. The fact that her car blew up right in front of us wasn’t helping, either. “Alright, so I’m on shift at 5 o’clock”, she said, eyes fixed on her open car door. “Did Callum bring the monster again?” “He-” “Don’t answer her!” Callum shouted, dashing into view before my mom could answer. He was pulling a rope with my brother clinging to the other end of it. “Mom! Callum’s bringing his *monster*!” my sister and I shouted simultaneously, before tearing up the driveway towards my mom. “No! No! *No*!” she shouted, arms up. “Mom”, Callum started, “I have to! I’m taking care of him. I’m not going to leave him behind.” “How did you even bring him here?” my mom asked. “Walked.” “He’s in *there*”, he said, nodding to my brother before looking to my mom. “Please mom.” My mom took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright, Callum, you can keep it in the garden. And if it does anything wrong, just call my phone.” “What?” my sister and I said, together, in unison. “Oh! My! Gosh!” Mom shouted. “It’s 4:57! I’m going to be late! I’ll hold a brief council with you all before I’m off. Follow me.” “What’s a council?” Callum asked. “Just like a normal meeting, but a little more serious. Just go with it.” We all trailed Mom back into the house. “I-”, my sister started. “‐gonna go get the monster!”, my brother shouted clinging to the rope as Callum pulled him towards the garden. We were both speechless. I shook my head in disgust. “*He’s talking!* “Kids, please”, our mom said. “Calm down and listen. I don’t have time to explain this council, but we’re going to treat this like a normal meeting. Don’t yell at each other, and be nice to one another. *Please*.” My mom shot me a look that said, *do not get too annoyed.* We waited in silence until we heard the back door close, and my mom nodded to continue. “*What the fuck is Callum doing taking care of a gremlin?*” I groaned. “*I know right? What the hell*?” Mom shot me a look, and I quieted. “Well”, Callum said. “It’s simple, really.” “*Simple? Ha! You’re in charge of a gremlin. You’re the only one I know who’s taking care of one*.” “*Shut up!*”, Callum shouted, stamping his foot. “*Mom!*”, he shouted. “I don’t know why I’m here”, my brother said. “I don’t like this.” “Me either”, my sister said. “*Shut up!*”, Callum shouted. “*This isn’t about you!*” I raised my voice above his. “*Do you know what kind of gremlin you’re taking care of? There’s the *shapeshifter, which is all green and blue. And the blue and purple ones, which are more animalistic. And we can’t forget the *moonlight gremlins*, which are the only ones not coloured in the spectrum of blue*.” “*Wait, do gremlins actually exist?*”, my sister asked. “*Of course they do!*”, Callum said. “*And I’m in charge of it!*” “*”We’re in charge, Callum*”, my mom said, before glancing at me. “And your sister has a point. Which gremlin are you in charge of?” “*I’m in charge of a *forest gremlin*.” “ Callum, do you know what colour forest gremlins are?” “*Green. And red*.” “*The moon one’s are green and red. What colour are they, really*?” Callum looked at his feet. “*They’re green and yellow*.” My mom shot me a look, and I knew what she was thinking. *We need to get it before anything happens.* “Alright Callum, I understand that you’re trying to make sure he’s safe.” “*He*”, Callum said. “*His name is Jimmy*.” “Alright Callum, I understand that you’re trying to make sure Jimmy is safe.” “*He’s like Callum!”, Callum said. “*And he’s my friend!*” “Jimmy’s your friend Callum. Alright. I understand. But we need to make sure Jimmy doesn’t do anything to hurt us Callum, and to make sure that we’re safe, we need to get rid of him.” “*NO*!” Callum shouted. Callum threw the rope down and ran to his room with Mom pulling him back into the hallway. “*I’m not getting rid of Jimmy!*”, Callum shouted. “*He’s like me!*” “Callum! *What do you mean he’s like you!*”, my mom shouted. Callum opened his mouth to answer, but the sound of the back door slamming shut cut him off. My mom turned to me. “We’re leaving.” “*What?*”, Callum shouted. “*No!*” As we turned to Callum, my Mom clinging to my arm, he stamped his foot and shouted. “*My friend!*”, he shouted. “*My friend! You have to treat me nice!*” We ran back the way we came, as Callum stomped his foot again. The last thing we heard was: “*You have to treat me nice!*” I looked back at the family home. The back door was somewhere on the ground. I was about to ask mom about Callum, but she was already off. “I’m going to see Mr. Jenkins. He’s my boss. He lets me have a car for work.” “You won’t be late?” “I can’t let that thing hurt your siblings!”, she shouted. “We’re going to have to sell the house! Pack everything! *Oh shit!*” “Mom what’s going on?” “What’s going on?! *We need to get it before it kills us!*” That was the only thing I heard before she ran up to Mr. Jenkin’s house. I sighed in relief as she ran back with a key and a steering wheel remote. “Alright Let’s go”, she said. “I’m going to get your brother and sister and Callum ready to evacuate. Just go and have a little wander.” “Mom! I don’t know if that’s a good idea!” “I need some time! *Go!*”, she shouted. “I’m going to go try to calm Callum down! *Go!*” I sighed. “Alright.” I started walking in the opposite direction. I had a feeling things were going to take a while. I walked down the street, watching the houses. The lights were on in most of the houses. I smiled, thinking that things like Callum and his gremlin were just things that happened in fantasy. I stopped dead as I saw it. A little girl of about my age, in a bright yellow dress with bright yellow hair. She was about 50 feet away, walking into a garden. I waited. And waited. Yet the little girl didn’t come out. *Did she get lost?* I wondered.

Mom left us with a monster to babysit

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