| The Babysitter II | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | R. L. Stine |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Point-Horror Series |
| Genre(s) | Horror novel |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Publication date | July 1991 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 166 pp |
| ISBN | 0-590-44332-1 |
| OCLC Number | 23952937 |
| Preceded by | The Babysitter |
| Followed by | The Babysitter III |
The Babysitter II is a sequel to The Babysitter, a novel by R. L. Stine.
Jenny Jeffers is going through a period of distress and fear, as she has narrowly survived a murder attempt by Mr. Hagen, the crazed father of a babysitting charge, who tried to push her into an abandoned rock quarry. She begins seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Schindler, because of continuing nightmares. In Jenny's nightmares, Mr. Hagen rises from the quarry as a zombie to take revenge on Jenny. A different family has contacted her for her babysitting services, but Jenny is worried about going back to babysitting after her frightening experience, and she isn't sure if she should take the job or not. After discussing it with Dr. Schindler, she decides that she should go ahead and take the offer. As she leaves, Dr. Schindler's receptionist, Miss Gurney, compliments Jenny on her shirt.
When Jenny arrives at the residence, Michael and Rena Wexner issue a strange warning about their ten year-old son, Eli. It seems that he is an egotistical brat with genius intelligence. Jenny is instructed to just try to stay on his good side. After Eli's parents leave, Jenny goes upstairs to Eli's room, where he boasts that he is a genius. He built a computer from a kit, and he even fabricated his own telephone that he's kept secret from his parents. It's hard for Jenny to tell if he's just a boastful brat, or if he's trying to push his limits and see how far he can pester Jenny. Eli enjoys trying to scare Jenny and tricks her into putting her hand into a shoebox with a tarantula inside.
The next morning, Jenny is again babysitting Eli. Before his mother leaves for the day, Jenny explains what happened and they both go to confront Eli. He denies making any practical joke and seems very insulted and mad. He proves this by showing his tarantula cage. All three tarantulas are present. Jenny is still unsure, so Eli throws a crying tantrum. Downstairs a few minutes later, Jenny hears a crashing noise from upstairs. She runs up to Eli's room and finds it in complete disarray. Eli, who is near death, is lying on the carpet motionless, staring up blankly, with a puddle of blood under his head.
The culprit is revealed to be Miss Gurney, Dr. Schlindler's receptionist, who had earlier complimented her on her shirt. Miss Gurney takes Jenny to the rock quarry where she had nearly been killed. Miss Gurney and Jenny fall to the bottom of the quarry, which is filled with water, and tries to drown Jenny. Jenny resists but can't escape. Jenny knows she's going to drown, and she begins to faint. Dr. Schindler arrives just in time with police and her boyfriend, Cal, and Cal saves her. Dr. Schlindler explains that the tapes from Jenny's interview sessions were disappearing, and when he noticed Miss Gurney was gone, he called the police. Miss Gurney was earlier a patient of Schindler's, because of violent jealous outbursts and attacks. Dr. Schlindler coaxes Gurney out of the quarry, and she is apprehended by police on the side of the quarry. Alone, Cal makes a joke about seeing a movie now that everything is over. Jenny says she does not know what is out, and Cal says that a zombie movie is coming out. Jenny says he has a sick sense of humor before kissing him.