I pulled my thick woolen scarf up to my nose so it covered my entire face except my eyes, I couldn’t stand the stinging wind hitting my skin any longer. You may be wondering what reasons drove a 17 year old girl like me to spend that chilling December morning roaming the empty streets of my town instead of being at home curled up in a cozy blanket enjoying my favorite TV show alongside a cup of hot chocolate. Well…it wasn’t exactly my choice.
“Alright, Cindy! I understand it’s the Holidays and you want to relax, but I don’t want you to be glued to the couch and the Internet all day, and besides, you’re only a few months away from becoming a legal adult and it’s time for you to learn to handle responsibilities! That’s why I’ve gotten in contact with a nearby Daycare center and have applied you for a part time job, you’ll be taking care of children ages three to six starting next Monday up until the end of the Holidays every morning excluding weekends!” My mother suddenly announced to me the day after the Holidays began.
And so, there I was, on my way to the Daycare Center I’d be working at for the duration of the Holidays because my mother had said so, delivering the news without warning a mere two days before my job was supposed to begin and stubbornly refusing a “no” for an answer. What she forgot to tell me was that in order to get to the Daycare I had to spend 20 minutes walking under a snowfall that made my teeth chatter and erased the ability to feel anything on my hands and feet, even though I was wearing gloves and boots that were supposedly made to protect me from that kind of weather, it was so cold it almost felt like they weren’t there. My mother could only come to pick me up by car after my shift because she had to go to work in the morning. The thought of having to repeat that grueling process on a daily basis made me wish I’d just freeze on the spot on day one and forget about it.
After somehow managing to survive the initial trek without turning into a human popsicle, I reached my destination in a neighborhood on the other side of town…or at least I did according to the directions my mother had given me. I was standing in front of a rundown, old-looking building unsuspectingly tucked in between two apartment blocks in a back alley, this was supposed to be the Daycare I was going to work at, but it had no signs or any indication whatsoever that conveyed its purpose, in fact, when I approached its windows and peeked inside, it seemed to be completely empty. I phoned my mother and asked her if the address she had given me was correct. Indeed, she assured it was the one she had been provided with by whoever she had reached out to when she applied me for the job.
I felt scammed, powerless and outraged, not at my mother, since I understood that mistake wasn’t her fault, but at the ones that had shared that address with her. Were the managers of that daycare so utterly incompetent as to provide new employees with the wrong directions and accidentally lead them to a random derelict warehouse? Had I wasted an entire morning exposing myself to a blizzard for nothing? I didn’t know the answers to those questions yet, but I knew I was freezing and lost in a neighborhood I had only ever been to once or twice in my entire life, so I decided to find the nearest place I could rest and warm myself up in, which turned out to be a café around the corner which also served as a bed and breakfast for those in urgent need of a place to sleep at for a cheap price.
“So…what’s a youngster like you doing around here with this frigid weather raging outside? I thought I wasn’t going to have any customers today, especially not this early in the morning.” Asked the barista as I slurped on the delicious Cappuccino I had ordered. I was the only one present in that café aside from him, so he was probably looking forward to engage in small talk with me to combat boredom.
“I applied for a job at a daycare center that’s supposed to be around here, but I was given the wrong address and I can’t find it. Is there any chance you happen to know about it?” I replied.
“A daycare? I’m sorry girl, but whoever’s given you this address needs to work on their sense of orientation because there’s no daycare in this neighborhood as far as I know, not anymore. There used to be one many years ago, but it closed around the early 2000s if I’m not mistaken. Apparently there was some kind of shady accident involving a kid and some of the staff, but don’t quote me on that, I’ve only heard rumors that probably exaggerated things for the sake of drama, I wasn’t even working in this neighborhood yet when it all happened. The building’s still standing in that back alley right around the corner, but it’s been abandoned for two decades, I doubt you’ll be able to find anything helpful in there.” the barista explained.
Hearing the barista’s words was like having been woken up by a water bucket in the face, like a revelation that flipped my attitude towards my current situation on its head, from outrage and resentment to curiosity and intrigue. I was positive the abandoned daycare the barista spoke about and the rundown building I had been led to were one and the same, now I was sure this whole thing had to be much more than a simple mistake or coincidence. Did the people that had sent me there know about the abandoned daycare? Did they know there was a daycare in the neighborhood but not that it was abandoned? But that made no sense, if the daycare was no longer operational then I couldn’t have been hired for the job because it meant the business responsible for hiring me simply did not exist anymore.
I needed to get to the bottom of this, and thus, driven by a newfound motivation, I once again headed to that mysterious building in that back alley, the so-called abandoned daycare, climbed up its windows and broke inside, convinced it would lead me to new discoveries that would allow me to piece together the mess I had unwillingly gotten myself into. Plus, my mother was still at work, so if I wanted to return home, I had to go there by foot, and there was no way that was going to happen.
The inside of the building was equally as derelict and gloomy as the outside, its walls were faded and moldy and there were spider webs in nearly every corner. I covered my face with my scarf once more, but this time it wasn’t due to the cold, but because of the possible presence of asbestos.
The building’s layout consisted of various large chambers that were most likely playrooms where the children that once attended the daycare used to play in, judging by the amount of old toys scattered all over the place. Something was off about those toys though, they looked withered and broken, but not in the way you’d expect from toys that have been sitting untouched for twenty years, they looked as if someone had damaged them on purpose. But who could have done such a thing? The children that attended the daycare back in the day? I found it rather unlikely that the daycare’s staff would just let them destroy all the toys and leave them there for no apparent reason.
One of the playrooms led to a small enclosed backyard filled with kiddie attractions such as a slide, a seesaw and a pair of swings, they looked to be in terrible condition, however, overgrown with tall grass. It was kind of melancholic, a place that had most likely brought joy to many young boys and girls now reduced to a depressing empty shell of its former self. It was a shame, because sure, the building was rundown, but it looked like it could easily be restored and repurposed after a cleanup, it made me wonder even more about the cause of its closure and the mysterious accident the barista had told me about.
I spotted a wall filled with various old drawings most likely made by the children who used to frequent the place, the pieces of paper they had been drawn on had grown moldy and acquired a yellowish tone not unlike the wall the hung on, other than that, they seemed to be rather ordinary drawings, until I spotted a certain one that made me pause for a few seconds to double check if what I was seeing was truly real. It was a drawing depicting a pair of teenage girls. I didn’t recognize one of the girls, who was blonde with pale Caucasian skin tone, but the other one was wearing a coat, a bobble hat, a woolen scarf, a pair of gloves and a pair of boots identical to the clothes I was wearing at that exact moment, her skin tone, hair and eye colors were also the same as mine, and to top it all off, the detail that made my skin go pale was a name written right below the two girls in capital letters: “CINDY AND-“. It was apparent the drawing was missing a chunk of paper where the name of the unknown other girl would’ve been written alongside mine.
“Who…Who’s there?” I uttered nervously as I heard what sounded like a high-pitched laughter as I was still trying to process the drawing I had found. I got no answer.
Seconds later, I shrieked in panic as I felt what I can only describe as an invisible figure running right past me, I didn’t see or hear it, but I swear I felt something moving mere inches away from my body.
I decided I had already seen enough and headed straight to the window I had entered the building from, only to find it was somehow locked, despite the fact I was sure I had left it open when I first entered the place.
” c…..ci….n….d…dy…cin…” what sounded like distorted, barely intelligible moans could be heard in the distance, for a second I almost thought I had heard someone uttering or rather struggling to utter something that sounded very similar to my name.
The sight I was met with upon turning to look at whoever had muttered those ominous murmurs left me paralyzed in terror. A couple of shadowy figures were standing at the other end of the hallway that branched out into the various playrooms, one looked to be around the same height as me, while the other was the size of a preschooler, both of their skin looked horribly burned and melted, as if it were made of wax and were falling apart, but could never quite finish the process. Aside from a few thin locks of hair loosely dangling from their heads, they were practically bald and their demarcated faces were almost featureless aside from a couple of small hollow holes I assumed were their eyes, or at least what remained of them.
I was so utterly terrified I couldn’t move or scream or cry or do anything besides standing still and staring at them as I trembled in fear, my body and mind were in so much stress I genuinely thought I was going to pass out at any moment. To this day, I still have no idea how I managed to maintain my composure. I snapped out of my shock once the two figures started moving towards me, their advance was slow and agonizing, they seemed to be in pain every time they took a step forward as they repeated the same moans I had heard earlier. I released all the tension screaming to the top of my lungs and running away in hopes of finding a hiding spot.
I rushed up a staircase that led to the daycare’s upper floor which I hadn’t explored yet, it was much smaller than the ground floor, only consisting of a disgusting bathroom that smelled just as you’d imagine a bathroom that hasn’t been cleaned in twenty years to smell and what looked to be a dining room with a kitchen directly adjacent to it. The dining room was filled with tables and chairs scattered across the floor alongside a broken CRT television and a bunch of old VHS tapes containing several cartoons and kids shows aimed towards a preschooler audience. I hid in the kitchen where various empty shelves and closets could be found, alongside a cockroach or two.
I squeezed myself inside a small closet and hoped for the best. After a few seconds of silence, I heard the two entities roaming the dining room despite the fact I hadn’t heard them climb the stairs which they needed to have climbed in order to get there. They approached the kitchen as I sat in the closet trying not to move a muscle or emit any sound, it seemed they were getting closer, closer to my hiding spot, as if they knew I was there all along.
“Cin…dy…” Both of them uttered, this time I was sure I had heard them pronounce my name. Despite all my efforts to hold the closet door shut, it swung open as tears started running down my face. The two figures stood in front of me, aggressively lunging themselves towards me and grabbing my arms and legs. I felt a wave of stinging pain across my whole body the second I came into physical contact with them, as if I was being electrocuted. It was unbearably painful, but it only lasted an instant, as I faded into unconsciousness immediately afterwards.
I woke up inside the same closet I had been caught in, the relief I felt upon confirming I was still alive and in one piece was followed by intrigue as I realized the two entities were nowhere to be found. My confusion would only increase from there, as it didn’t take long before I discovered both the kitchen and the dining room didn’t look like how they used to before I had fainted, like…at all.
I didn’t know how long had I been unconscious for, but the previously dirty and rundown chamber was suddenly in pristine condition, everything was clean without any cockroaches or spider webs to speak of, the chairs and tables were no longer broken and on the floor, but had been meticulously arranged as if someone was supposed to eat there soon, the Television and the VHS tapes as well, even the lights were suddenly working now! Was this some sort of dream? For a moment, I wondered if I had been put in a coma because I couldn’t find any logical explanation, I pinched myself to check if I was awake or not, and I felt the pinch, meaning this was happening for real.
I descended the staircase utterly baffled, only to find the ground floor also suddenly looked like it had been inexplicably refurbished in an instant! The walls were now painted with bright colors and adorned with posters, stickers and murals, the previously broken toys in the playrooms were now neatly placed in shelves and almost looked as if they had just arrived straight from the assembly line. To say my mind was blown would be a severe understatement, what the hell was going on?
Upon hearing a collection of high-pitched voices coming from the playrooms, my heartrate started to rise once again as I thought the two entities had reappeared, and if that had been the case, I probably wouldn’t have been as shocked as I was when I found out the sources of those voices…were children, regular children, just a bunch of little boys and girls having fun in several different ways, there seemed to be nothing paranormal about them in the slightest.
Some were playing indoors with toys and with each other, others tinkered with arts and crafts and others played in the backyard, which just like the rest of the building, had inexplicably been ridden of all traces of decay and was now a beautiful sight that almost invited you to go outside an go wild, it was cold and there was snow, but the children playing in the backyard were well bundled up and weren’t letting the low temperatures ruin their fun. Some children began to silently stare at me believing I didn’t notice and would turn their backs and giggle playfully once they realized I knew they were watching.
“Hey, you! What do you think you’re doing here? How did you get in? Don’t you know this is a daycare for little kids? You’d better explain yourself now or else you’ll have to explain yourself to the cops!” yelled a young woman carrying an old school flip phone identical to those that were all the rage back in the 2000s.
“I’m…I’m sorry ma’am! I…um…the place looked empty when I first arrived so I…I decided to enter through a window and then…things happened and…anyway, that’s not the point…The thing is, my name’s Cindy and I’ve come here because I’ve applied for a job, I’m supposed to help in taking care of the children.” I nervously replied, improvising a response for a question I was not prepared for.
“Oh…Now that you mention it, I do remember being told about a new employee that would be joining us soon. Please forgive me for my reaction, my name’s Rebecca, pleased to meet you! I didn’t expect you to come today, they didn’t tell me the exact date of your arrival, it’s probably a mistake on someone’s part. Anyhow, welcome to our humble daycare! You can take your winter gear off, this building is equipped with a heating system to keep everyone warm and cozy!” Rebecca explained.
“Thank you, Rebecca, but I think I’ll leave my winter clothes on, because you’re right, this has been a mistake! So how about we call it a day and…we’ll see about tomorrow, okay?” I answered before starting to walk at a fast pace, making a b line towards the front door and exiting that building at long last.
I tried calling my mother on the phone to ask her to come there and take me back home with her car but it was no use, every time I tried I just received a voicemail telling me the number I was calling did not exist. Not knowing what to do , I decided to head back to the café from earlier.
“Hi, what can I do for you?” asked the barista, except…that wasn’t the same person I had met earlier, the middle aged man was nowhere to be seen and in his place was a woman who looked to be around the same age as Rebecca.
“Hello…I’ve just come here to rest for a bit, it’s been a really intense morning.” I replied.
“Uh…sure, make yourself at home! By the way, is everything alright?” she asked upon noticing my concerned looks.
“It’s nothing, it’s just that I wasn’t expecting to find you in here. I visited this establishment a couple hours ago and there was a different barista. He must be a coworker of yours, right?” I explained.
“What are you talking about? I’m the only barista working here. I’ve spent the entire morning in this café and haven’t seen you before. Are you sure the café you visited a couple hours ago wasn’t a different one?” The barista answered in confusion.
Yes, I was absolutely certain it was the exact same café. First the daycare and now this! Seriously, it was as if the universe had decided that morning was the ideal time to make me go insane! But before I had time to question my sanity, I spotted a calendar right beside the café’s counter that left me speechless.
The date displayed on it was December 2001.