“My Son Whispered ‘Mommy, I’m Afraid’ — I Rushed Home and Couldn’t Believe What I Found”

I Left My Son at Home with a Babysitter – in the Middle of the Day, He Called Me and Whispered ‘Mommy, I’m Afraid. Come

Lara rushes home after receiving a call from her six-year-old son in the middle of the day, muttering that he is terrified, only to discover their babysitter comatose and her history resurfacing. The day she and Ben discovered his father dead is the one memory Lara has tried to ignore, but as terror grows, she is forced to face it.

At 2:25 PM on a Friday, you don’t expect your world to fall apart. You anticipate emails. Coffee from a vending machine, perhaps. But not your six-year-old son’s voice, which seems to be the only thing keeping him together as he whispers terror into your ear.

I’m Lara, a thirty-year-old single mother juggling a full-time job and full-time turmoil, and I feel like I’m holding a tray of glass that’s constantly about to topple over.

My entire universe revolves on my son, Ben. He’s the type of boy that takes in everyone else’s feelings in addition to his own. The kind of person who brings home worms in his pockets because he didn’t want them to be alone in the rain, he is kind and wide-eyed.

My go-to person was Ruby. Ruby was the first person I would call if there was any work-related issue. I didn’t have any cause to question her.

No caller ID. An unanswered call. Then another.

Something forced me to answer my phone when it lit up again when I was reaching for my coffee.

“Mommy?” Ben’s voice was so quiet that I could hardly hear it.

My entire body froze.

“Ben? “What’s wrong?”

Breathing was present. And another thing. A prolonged period of silence.

Whispering, “I’m afraid,” he said. He sounded as though something had broken inside of him.

“Baby, where is Ruby? “What is she doing?”

“I don’t know… she was standing, and then… she wasn’t.”
My hands trembled and my heart fell. I switched the phone to speaker.

“What are you saying? Is she in pain?

“I believe so. She went down. “I attempted to assist her, but she refused to wake up.”

Lord, please.

“Where are you right now, baby?”
“I’m in the closet, hiding. I was at a loss for what to do. She remained motionless as the glass of water fell out of her fingers. She had her eyes open, but not as usual.

“Remain where you are, Ben. I’ll be there now, all right? You’re not by yourself. Hold on, please.

I didn’t log off. I kept my boss in the dark. I simply picked up my suitcase and took off. All the lights went red. Every second was too lengthy. I pushed the gas so hard that I drove as if I could bend time.

Everything appeared to be… still when I pulled into our street.

The door is locked. The curtains were pulled, nothing new. When Ruby and Ben wanted to watch

something, they did this.
The world felt… strange for a time.

I stormed in the front door.

“Ben? It’s Mommy.

Quiet.

I made another attempt, louder this time, totally forgetting that he had claimed to be in a closet. I felt panic rising in my throat.

Then I heard it. faint. Croaking.

“In the closet…”

He was curled up in the closet in the hallway, clutching his plush dinosaur as if it were the only thing that was still solid. They pulled his knees to his chest. His tiny fingers shook. I lowered myself on the ground and embraced him.

He muttered, “I didn’t know what to do,” in my shoulder. “I tried to help her.”

I brushed his hair back and muttered, “You did everything right,” trying not to cry.

He had that earthy little-boy smell that always made me think of playdough and crayons, along with sweat and dread. He was trembling. He hadn’t sobbed, though.
“Where is she, baby?”

He gestured to the living room. And everything changed inside of me.

With my heart racing in my throat, I stood and walked gingerly, as if a single mistake may trigger a nightmare.

Then I caught sight of her.

What prevented me from calling for an ambulance? I had totally forgotten about that in my haste to get home to Ben. I felt worthless now.

With one arm twisted beneath her and the other flopped against the carpet as if it didn’t belong to her, she was lying on her side. Her lips was slightly open, as if she had been attempting to say something, but her eyes were closed.

A broken glass of water spread out a dark stain. There was a folded cushion beside her head.
Ben also placed a cold pack from the freezer—the same one I used for damaged elbows and bruised knees—on her forehead.

“The sight seemed off, too silent, like a picture that had been exposed to the sun for too long. It was level. Unreal.”

I hurried over to join her. I touched her neck with my fingers. A pulse was present.

“Thank God,” I said in a whisper.

Ruby’s skin was clammy and her breathing was shallow. She was still alive, but hardly reacting. After a single flutter, her lashes became still.

Ben had noticed this. He had seen her fall apart. Perhaps he believed she had passed away.

I felt something burst inside of me at that very instant.

Not only because I was afraid for Ruby. I felt terrible for him.

In an attempt to help, my six-year-old son had tried to wake her, rushed to get the cold pack, and spilled the water. He must have pulled a chair near the ancient phone in the rubbish drawer. looked through shattered pens and cables. And he had phoned me after all else had failed.

so he was uncertain if she would awaken. Because he couldn’t leave her yet was too afraid to be in the same room.

A child should never carry such burden.
Abruptly, I was no longer in the living room. I was two years ago.

Random items in the trunk, including milk, bananas, and mint chocolate chip ice cream. I had given in to Ben’s demands for the dinosaur-shaped pasta.

“As we carried the luggage up the porch, we were giggling. Ben, with a baguette in his hand, feigning to cut the air.”

“I’ll fight bad guys with this bread, Momma,” he replied.

I recall how clear and overly blue the sky appeared that day. I recall calling his name as I unlocked the door. I recall the silence.

It was too silent.

Then we located him.
Richard.

He lay on the bed as if he had just made the decision to doze off. He wasn’t breathing, though. There was also something about the way his lips was open and his hand swung loosely, incorrectly, and lifelessly off the edge of the bed.

Why wasn’t Daddy waking up? Ben wondered. I didn’t respond. I was unable to. Before I could get to the phone, my knees had failed me.

a heart attack. Huge, abrupt, Richard.

He lay on the bed as if he had just made the decision to doze off. He wasn’t breathing, though. There was also something about the way his lips was open and his hand swung loosely, incorrectly, and lifelessly off the edge of the bed.

Why wasn’t Daddy waking up? Ben wondered. I didn’t respond. I was unable to. Before I could get to the phone, my knees had failed me.

a heart attack. Suddenly. enormous.
He wouldn’t have felt anything, they later told me. However, I did.

The room whirled as they gazed at Ruby’s still body. My throat shut. Like burning paper, the edges of my vision twisted. Ben’s breathing behind me could hardly be heard since my heart was beating so loudly.

I tasted vomit at the back of my throat, and the sharp metallic edge of panic blended with the fragrance of spilled water. I had trembling hands. That old fear was rising again, thick and hot and quick, and I could feel it.

One body had already been discovered by my baby. He was unable to locate another.

I blinked hard, made my hands move, and swallowed the scream that was trying to get up my throat.
“With hesitant fingers, I reached for my phone. I pushed too hard on the screen. The call icon escaped my notice. I gave it another go.”

“911, what’s your emergency?”

I said, “My babysitter collapsed,” in an overly high voice. “She is not waking up, but she is breathing. About fifteen to twenty minutes have passed. Please. Send someone, please.

Ben was no longer in the corridor. Now he was standing behind me, shielded by his dinosaur.

And this time, I knew he was observing me. I therefore raised my voice. The calm in this storm had to be me.

I whispered, “Ruby,” softly. “My dear, help is on the way. Can you hear me, Ruby?

Her voice was hoarse and her lips were dry. As if she was having trouble identifying the room, she blinked up at me.

She began, then winced, “I…”

Softly, “It’s okay, honey,” I said. “Don’t try to move or speak just now. Simply take a breath. slow, deep breathes.

The paramedics later informed me that the cause was a sudden drop in blood sugar and dehydration. She hadn’t eaten during the day and hadn’t mentioned feeling lightheaded to anyone. She was preparing to prepare Ben some popcorn when it happened quickly.

However, something changed. within me. In Ben…

I put Ben to bed that night after everything had calmed down, after Ruby had been picked up, after the living room had been cleaned, and after I had finally remembered to take a breath.

He was quite silent. Too alert, as if his mind would not shut down.

He inquired, “Did Ruby die?” “Like Daddy?”

My response was, “No, sweetheart,” “Remember, she was conscious when they stole her? She told you good-bye and that she would see you soon.

He inquired, “Then what happened?”

I said, “She fainted,” “She was thirsty and exhausted. Do you recall how I advised you to drink plenty of water and juice during hot weather? Ruby didn’t.

He fixed his gaze on the ceiling.

“When she fell, she made a sound. similar to a thump. I believed she might have had a brain injury.

My eyes hurt with tears. This was one among the prohibited items for children to carry. I was being undone by the innocence in his voice.

“Remembering what you said made me want to shake her. about avoiding relocating someone who is injured. So I grabbed the pillow. as well as the chilly item. She didn’t wake up, though.

I said, “You did so well,” in a broken voice.

He said, “I felt really alone,” as he gave me a serious look.

I took a deep breath.

“I understand. And I really apologize. Ben, but, you weren’t by yourself. I was on my way. When you called, I was on the run.

“Your eyes look like hers did,” he said in a whisper.

To that, I was at a loss for words.

“Want some ice cream?” I inquired. “I am aware that it is late. But didn’t we have a stressful day?

He gave a nod.

With all of this pressing down on me, I went to the kitchen. I added chocolate sauce after scooping ice cream into bowls. Ben would go crazy from the sugar, but it was worth it.

He was in need of encouragement.

His hand was still in mine when he later fell asleep.

I remained there, observing him from the edge of the bed. observing the rise and fall of his chest. memorizing the way his lips parted while he slept, and the tiny freckle next to his ear.

The problem is that I didn’t consider the possible outcomes.

“I wondered what had happened.”
“My youngster had witnessed a horrific sight. And he had attempted to assist rather than crumble. He had recalled all I had taught him: don’t panic, stay composed, and call for assistance.”

However, by doing it, he had briefly transcended his childhood. He turned into the storm’s calm. And thinking about how pleased and heartbroken I was at the same time crushed my heart.

“However, there are instances when it’s about seeing their bravery when they shouldn’t have had to. and understanding that they are more than just the person you are parenting. You will strive to earn their respect for the rest of your life.”

I didn’t get any sleep that night.

In the dark, I sat next to him and held his hand. Because he wasn’t the one in need of saving when it counted most.