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The Child Minder

Copyright J Pentetgast
Copyright J Pentetgast

Deep down Jimmy felt comfortable being a diver, but today Jennifer and Carol had unsettled him with their taunts of tin man and monster man. How were they to know that that was what the kids at school had called him, he could not help walking with a limp. He decided to become the monster from the deep and donned his grandfathers old diving helmet. So of course they hid from him. He was a monster, and he knew it, Mrs Brown should not have asked him to look after her kids. His next game, well it would involve undressing.

Footnote. A child has no choice but to make judgements, but the hidden back story here is not to judge until all the facts are known. Jimmys next activity with the children is diving practice.

This Post Has 42 Comments
      1. I think the ending you chose works perfectly. As someone else mentioned, you start by making us feel for him and then you reveal his darker side.

    1. Liz I was sorry to bring a potential dark side to this photo prompt. The story started out kinda happy then seemed to turn bad. But Jimmy may not be bad, for the next sentence in the story, could involve a trip to a swimming pool, to practice using scuba diving equipment. Mike

  1. He’s not minding my children! I, too, loved how you went from making us feel for Jimmy at first to wanting him locked up.

  2. I’m glad you stuck with this ending as disturbing as it was. If someone is called a monster for long enough they can start to believe it. Jimmy needs someone to see him in a different light.

  3. Poor Jimmy and poor girls. This boy needs help, fast. I’m sure that will be his first and last babysitting job, and probably any kind of job for some time. He was right. Mrs. Brown should certainly not have asked him to mind her daughters. Well written, Michael. —- Suzanne

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