"I know where the knives are..."

There are a lot of things that young people endure without knowing that they have options.

My parents, not having extra cash, put me into the work force at twelve.  Mostly doing babysitting but by fifteen I was a social security card carrying worker of the productive society. 

I believe that as soon as one gets too busy with school schedules, friends, and real work most kids get out of the babysitting industry pretty quick.  There are those few that are into child development and want this as their future career who might take babysitting more seriously than the rest.  But my friends and I got out of this gig as fast as we could.

I babysat for many types of people.  Some that liked to party too much and stayed out way too late.  That was good money but exhausting.  There were the worriers who called constantly as if calling to check on their kids would somehow keep them safer.  There were the couples that were the main stays as customers and the one time callers.

Once there was a strange couple with a strange house and two strange children.  Their rooms were decorated strangely and the dining room was the epitome of the strange decorations.  It had a large mural of strange pictures on two sides and large mirrors on the other two sides.  I’m not sure if it was because they liked to see the pictures multiply in the mirrors or they liked to see themselves eat.  All I know was that it was strange.

I do not know what kind of games we played or books we read all I remember was as it was getting darker on this hot summer evening I started getting the kids ready for bed.  After taking each one to their strange rooms and tucking them in I went into the kitchen to get a soda. 

The house was strangely lit and the living room's couch seemed strangely far from the TV.  I was trying to watch but not have the sound up too loud so that I wouldn't be bothering the kids' sleep.  About fifteen minutes after the tucking in rituals I heard little footsteps in the kitchen.  I turned to see the strange little girl looking strangely at me.  I asked her what was the problem and she looked at me and said, "I know where the knives are."

Thinking that it was going to be a long night I looked at her and said, "So do I, now go to bed."