Mommy’s Helper

Olivia’s life had settled into simple routines. Packing, moving, staying just long enough to find another babysitter. It had been this way for years—ever since she returned from her high-powered office job one night to find her babies drenched in blood and her husband’s body nearly decapitated. The police informed her she had arrived just in time to save her children from the identical fate. Now, she worked remotely, caring for her children on her own terms. Of course, that meant moving frequently, never staying long enough to invite suspicion. It was safer. And it was far easier this way.

With bright yellow rubber gloves pulled up to her elbows, Olivia stood at the kitchen sink. She was scrubbing out the stains with the last of the rags piled in the corner of the basin. For a moment, she lazily watched blood-red veins of color, blending with the water before swirling down the drain. The routine had become as natural as breathing—methodical. She rinsed the final cloth, giving it a casual shake before tossing it into the heavy, sodden garbage bag. Then, she plopped the rest of them in. The weight felt substantial as she tied it up, a faint smell of old copper lingering in the air. She’d open the windows soon—let the air circulate and clear it out, she thought.

Swinging the bag over her shoulder like Santa’s knapsack, Olivia hauled it outside, the cool night air tickling her skin as she made her way to the covered rubber garbage can by the garage. She opened the lid, dropped the bag in with a silence-shattering thud, and quickly slammed the lid. Before she realized it, her head was on a swivel, checking for any signs of witnesses.

There wasn’t much left of Rachel, her latest Mommy’s Helper, but this was better. Cleaner. Over time, she couldn’t tell if the process was getting easier with practice or if there was simply less to clean up. Either way, she was decidedly becoming more comfortable with it.

Upstairs, her little preschool twins entertained themselves. After they’d finished eating, they were always calm—almost serene. She’d come up with a story later, just in case someone asked about Rachel. Careful and calculated, as always. There was no choice. It had to be done.

Olivia carefully washed her hands, cautiously cleaning around her cuticles, her thoughts already on her next Mommy’s Helper. She had found someone a few days ago: Marcus, a college student in need of extra cash. Polite, dependable, with an easygoing charm that should have made it easy for her to keep her distance. He’d be perfect. He wouldn’t last, of course, but he’d hold off the twins’ hunger for a little while longer. And until she knew whether her victims’ personalities affected her children’s behavior, it was better to be safe than sorry, making the interview a necessary step. Unfortunately for them, only decently respectable people would do. Her face livened with a grin as she recalled a commercial stating, “you are what you eat.”

Walk the fine line, she reminded herself. If she got to know them too well, the situation could get complicated for her—or if she didn’t continue careful plan dissections and became sloppy.

By the time the doorbell rang at 7 p.m., Olivia had composed herself. Marcus stood at the door, well-dressed but not overly formal, displaying a friendly and casual smile—his teeth almost unnaturally white.

“Hi, I’m Marcus. Thanks again for the opportunity to get to know you.” He shrugged, adding, “My schedule is fairly open right now, so you’re in luck.”

Olivia ushered him inside, launching into her usual spiel. “Daniel and Eve are upstairs. They’re quiet, really easy to look after. I work from home, so I’ll be around, but they’ll probably want you to keep them company tonight. I’ve got some important staff meetings and really can’t be bothered. You understand.”

“Of course,” he said, his caramel eyes intensely focusing as he leaned in slightly, his voice lowering. “I couldn’t help but notice your accent. Have you been here long?”

Blushing slightly, Olivia placated him, “Yeah, it’s been a few years, but I’m working on it.”

“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you really ought to keep it,” he said with a devilish smile. “It’s charming and will make people feel more comfortable around you.”

“Oh, um,” she stammered, quickly tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “Thank you so much. I’ll remember that.”

Marcus nodded, following her directions with an almost eager willingness, taking the stairs two at a time. As he disappeared from view, Olivia found herself thinking about what he’d said—how she made others feel comfortable. She returned to the kitchen table, her laptop open, the cursor blinking, but untouched. Her eyes darted to the stairway more than once as she tried to push away thoughts of what might be happening up there. The twins were super cute—everyone loved them. She knew Marcus wouldn’t be any different. It always started this way. They’d talk to him, laugh with him, and soon enough, he’d feel completely at ease. That always happens.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she closed her eyes, forcing herself not to listen too closely. But then she heard it—Marcus’s voice, soft and joyful, floating down the stairs from the open bedroom.

“You know, I used to babysit my twin cousins,” he said. “That was a long time ago, but I watched them all the time. It’s why I took this job. Twins are special.”

Daniel’s voice chimed in, hesitant but curious. “Do you like watching us better than your cousins?”

“That’s what adults call a loaded question,” Marcus replied warmly, his voice filled with fond memories. “Twins are unlike anyone else. They share things without even trying. My cousins were just like little brothers to me. We were really close, and they shared everything.”

Olivia’s breath caught in her throat, an unfamiliar tension creeping through her. This time felt different. The twins were usually indifferent to babysitters, barely engaging unless necessary, speaking as little as possible. But now, they were… drawn to him.

Don’t get attached, she reminded herself, but the thought weighed on her, heavier than before. The words didn’t offer comfort. Instead, they disappeared inside her, fading away, nearly upsetting to accept.

Olivia did her best to tune out the conversation, drawing her attention instead on clearing the last few traces of Rachel, like her flip-flops left by the fireplace. Who in their right mind wears those in October? But the sound of laughter kept pulling her attention back, each chuckle and giggling exchange between Marcus and the twins making it harder to ignore. The voices grew faint, and soon she found herself straining to catch the words.

Time ticked on, and as the hours passed, the house grew unnervingly still. Olivia could feel it—the subtle change in the air, the quiet hunger that always crept in when the twins had gone too long without feeding. They were being patient, for now, but she knew it wouldn’t last. She should have known that teensy Rachel wouldn’t be enough to hold them longer than 24 hours. This time, when the hunger came, it would come with a relentless vengeance.

As Olivia climbed the stairs, each step was painfully deliberate, a strange sense of unease that clung to her. The top step let out a loud squeak, making her pause, as if the sound itself were warning her to stop. But she pressed on. The door to the twins’ room was closed. With a soft, almost apologetic knock, she gently pushed it open and gingerly peered inside.

There was Marcus, sitting cross-legged on the floor with Daniel and Eve, his voice low as he told them stories about his own family. The children sat calmly, their eyes wide and fully engaged, hanging on his every word. For a moment, something familiar stirred inside Olivia—a warmth she hadn’t felt in years. A connection. The kind she had denied herself for so long.

For a fleeting moment, time stood still as she watched the scene, a whimsical vision of what a normal family might look like.

For just a second, the twins glanced past Marcus and their huge eyes found her, pulling her in deeper. And then Marcus turned, but it wasn’t Marcus anymore. It was her husband—before everything had gone so terribly wrong. He looked as happy as he’d ever been, smiling the way he did when their family was together. The memory struck her with such force that she nearly cried out aloud, her heart swelling with the pang of love that had deserted her. But just as quickly, the vision faded, leaving only the empty ache of loss behind.

The air caught in her lungs and for a moment, it was impossible to breathe, trapped in the lingering confusion of the illusion.

“Mommy?”

Olivia blinked and looked down at her daughter, who stared back with wide, begging eyes. “We’re hungry.”

Marcus shifted, rising to his feet with that same comfortable smile. “They’re really great kids, you know? You’re a lucky mom.”

Olivia managed a weak smile, though the weight in the pit of her stomach warned her of what was coming. She’d have to explain things to the twins soon. It wasn’t personal. Marcus was just…necessary.

As she stood in the doorway, Eve’s soft voice broke the quiet. “Mommy, are we having Marcus for dinner?”

“Please!” Daniel chimed in, his eyes wide with excitement. “Can Marcus stay for dinner? Please, Mommy?”

The words were so innocent, and yet they carried the weight of inevitability. Olivia closed her eyes, her thoughts swirling with images of the trash bag she’d thrown out earlier, the rags she’d scrubbed clean, and the story she’d need to spin for Rachel’s disappearance. But Marcus? He wouldn’t need a story. He was old enough for no one to notice or keep close tabs on.

She inhaled deeply, her voice soft, barely audible, “I know, sweetheart. Marcus?” Her brows lifted toward her guest.

Marcus chuckled, completely unaware of the decision that had just been made. “Well, I guess the votes are in, huh? Looks like I’m staying for dinner.”

The twins, always cheering when they got their way, hugged each other and jumped up and down in excited celebration.

Olivia swallowed hard, her throat tightening. No matter how much a part of her wanted to stop it, she couldn’t. They were her children, after all. And they needed to eat. And Marcus was here.

“Okay, go wash up, and I’ll get the table ready.” Before she could blink, they were gone. The sound of water running in the bathroom filled the silence, their voices muffled by the flow. Olivia allowed herself the smallest chuckle as she set out three place settings, already thinking about how she’d explain to Marcus why there wasn’t one for him.

Soon enough, the twins would each take a wrist and bite down on his radial arteries, draining him dry in no time. Of course, she’d feel a little guilty, at first, but that feeling never lasted. It never served her well, anyway. It would be over quickly. Her shoulders had already begun loosening as she gathered the napkins, placing them. Everything was going to be just fine. She could feel it deep down, like a gut feeling.

“What are you making? Something smells delicious,” Marcus said with a satisfied exhale. Olivia spun around, and in an instant, her world unraveled. He stood there, drenched head to toe in glistening wet crimson, brighter than one could imagine in the kitchen light. His teeth, now stark white against the gruesome red, gleamed even brighter than they had hours before when he’d first smiled at her on the doorstep.

Instantly, the blood in her veins ran cold. “Uh, uh…” was all she could manage, the words stuck in her chest.

Then, Eve stepped out from behind him, her small frame soaked in the same deep red, blood dripping from the ends of her saturated hair and staining her play outfit as it puddled around her bare feet. Small footprints, like the ones Olivia had created in plaster last year, trailed behind her in scarlet across the white porcelain tiles.

“Oh my god,” Eve’s mother gasped, the words yanked from the pit of her stomach, “What have you done?”

“Believe it or not,” Marcus said calmly, taking a subtle step toward her, “Your life just got a whole lot more manageable.”

“Daniel. Where’s Daniel?” Olivia asked, her voice tight as she called for her son without waiting for an answer. “Daniel? Daniel!”

“Daniel’s in my tummy,” Eve said, her voice steady and more self-assured than before with her hands splayed across her midsection. She stood beside Marcus, a quiet and exhilarating confidence radiating from her. “Now I’m stronger and more grown-up. You won’t have to feed me or clean up after me anymore. I can do it all by myself.” Eve’s arms folded across her chest as she impassively nodded her head.

“Every mother’s dream is to see her child grow up to become an independent person, right?” Marcus said, his grin shining brightly as he continued his approach toward her.

“You’re a murderer. Stay away from me,” Olivia demanded, her voice wavering with confusion, alarm, and fear. Her arms instinctively stretched out toward Eve, as if trying to protect her. She turned back to Marcus, threatening him with her eyes. “I mean it, don’t you come near either one of us, Marcus.”

The sincere way his mouth pulled back, showing his teeth in an upturned grin, was nothing compared to the calmness of his eyes. Thick, black lashes cradled his soft champagne-colored irises in a euphoric way.

“Wait a minute,” she exclaimed, circling around to grab her daughter. “You said you babysat your twin cousins. You never had any, did you? You lied.” The words pushed through her clenched teeth, scraping over her dry, cracked lips. Her tongue quickly glided over them for moisture, but the way Marcus’s eyes locked onto her mouth made her wonder if he misread her intentions.

Marcus took an ambling step toward her, shaking his head with deliberation.

“But Mommy, twins are special,” Eve said sweetly, wiping her mouth with the hem of her shirt, leaving a smear of blood behind.

“Actually, I did babysit twins,” Marcus added, his head tilting slightly, one eyebrow arching in amusement. “But before that, I was a twin myself. There’s a rumor about a vampire—how he would put women under his spell while they slept, giving them the most intense experience of their lives… but you probably wouldn’t know anything about that.”

Rummaging through her memory, Olivia recalled an unforgettable night when her husband had woken her in the middle of the night, something he had never done before. Normally, it was always her initiating their lovemaking, but that night, he’d taken charge. She had reveled in it—his unexpected assertiveness, the way he guided her with a strength she’d never seen in him. It had left her wanting more, the experience lingering in her mind for weeks. When she tried to bring it up later, hoping to relive that moment, he’d always change the subject, leaving her to wonder if he was embarrassed or hiding something.

“That’s the time!” Marcus said, as if he were reading her mind. “And when children are born from that union, well… you know.” He stepped closer, just a couple more strides to close the gap, and still, she didn’t move. “But when twins are born, and the stronger one absorbs their sibling’s vitality, their strength and mental prowess double. Doesn’t that totally blow your mind?”

Olivia’s head spun. Before she had time to react, his hand reached for hers, grabbing hold and squeezing. Instinct kicked in—she tried to pull away, to run, to escape. But before she could act, Eve’s leg swept out behind her, tripping her and sending her stumbling to the ground.

“Hi, Mommy!” Eve called sweetly as Olivia’s stunned expression passed by. “Bye, Mommy!” her daughter added cheerfully as she watched her flailing mother tumble to the floor.

The last thing Olivia remembered was Marcus’ sizable arms cradling her, his musky scent overwhelming her senses, leaving her swooning and helpless. He carried her up the stairs to her bedroom, gently placing her down on the soft comforter. “You’re about to experience the most intense love of your life. Are you ready?” Before she could respond, she felt the warmth of his saliva as his tongue traced a slow, deliberate line along the side of her neck, followed by the sharp, exhilarating sting of his bite. A surging sensation flooded over her, so intense it left her reeling. In that moment, as pleasure and pain blurred into one, Olivia knew she would never feel dissatisfied again.