Sorceress Babysitter

"She'll be fine",said Mrs Maloney,as she sprayed a final puff of "Angel" perfume around her creamy,white throat."She doesn't sleep much,but she has every toy you can imagine, so just let her play and sleep when she's ready,it will probably be about midnight".Fat chance,thought Esmerelda,I haven't come around here for a few measly pounds,to be a playmate.The Maloneys headed off, she ensconced in fur and whinging about her husband not having had the car heater running for the past hour,they bade her goodbye and good luck.Luck,she pondered,I won't need any of that. Just my bag of tricks and she'll be out like a light so that I can settle to my work.Drusilla,the thoroughly spoiled and pandered to offspring,began emtying her toybox,with gay abandon."Shoose",she said,"You Shoose".They all looked the same,bright,primary pieces of plastic and sugary,sweet pink sets of little girl apparell."Ah,but come see my pretties", she whispered in her slow,husky voice, and proceeded to delve into her bag,constucted of of every conceivable shade of purple velvet,The bag,in itself,was enough to enthrall the small child. She stroked it and be bent down closer to look at her reflection in the sequins that Esmerelda had randomly sewn onto it.The tasseled tie swang temptingly to and fro,and with a deft motion,Esmerelda untied the knot and the gathered top fell open.Feathers in abundance,rose from it's base,flying to the ceiling and back to the floor,a cascade of eyed peacock plumes,plummeted from the ceiling and attached their quills firmly into the straps of the small girl's dress,giving her the appearance of majestic fairy. Next,the Swan feathers,as downy as the finest silken plumes,circled themselves into a band and settled on her golden curls."But look deeper in the bag,my pretty",whispered the old woman,softly."You liked the pretty sequins,do you like the ball"?"Bounce ball,throw ball,catch ball" cried the child,excitedly."No,look at the ball,hold the ball,see what's in it,see the Sandman,sprinkling his dust,feel your eyes,they are heavy and tired.See you little bed,so soft,so warm and snuggle down deep and dream your dreams"Mesmerised by the crystal's shine,the child's eyelids closed slowly,opened and closed once again.Esmerelada gently lifted her relaxed body,laid her in her bed and turned out the light.It had been seven and half minutes since her parents left, was she losing her touch? All the other children that she had babysat for had been fast asleep in seven minutes precisely.Oh,well,she thought.Money for old rope really,and set her candles in a circle on the hearth.

(c) Penny Little