The baby girl was strange. She cried a lot. She also sometimes made sounds in a mature voice.
She seemed to have wisdom beyond her years.
A neighbor in the apartment complex was heard complimenting her as “having an old soul”.
That could be possible for some beliefs in reincarnation.
Her mother was embarrassed. She wanted to hide her daughter from being noticed. She consulted her husband. Together, they kept their daughter quiet, to avoid being heard and gossiped about, by the neighbors.
The old soul in a baby’s body refused the couple’s suggestion to be kept silent.
“Not again,” it thought. “I returned not to be banished from speaking.” It continued the baby’s habits of crying, screaming, shouting and babbling.
Readers must be wondering about the million dollar question – how can the parents keep their baby daughter quiet? Babies cry, scream, shout, and babble. Their baby is growing and will be learning to speak simple words soon.
The parents worked out a plan. Their baby became quiet. Nobody around them was wiser. It was calm and quiet in the apartment complex.
It turned out they sedated their baby, to keep her sleeping longer. When she awoke, it was for a brief period of time. Why? She was probably made sleepy, to fall asleep again. That was the strategy to make a quiet baby.
Until one morning.
The baby’s parents were heard talking in loud voices one morning.
“Why can’t our daughter wake up from her sleep?” asked the mother.
“I don’t know” said a man’s voice. That was presumably the father of the girl speaking.
“What can be fed to her to wake her up? Maybe that thing?”
“I’m not sure,” said the father’s voice.
There was further discussion between the parents, in loud voices. They were speaking loudly, to gain attention. They were hoping that neighbors would hear and come to their aid. They didn’t dare to call for a doctor or emergency medical services. If the authorities find any wrong doing, there would be many problems and trouble. It was a scary situation.
The parents didn’t talk about taking the temperature of their baby. They assumed their child didn’t have a fever. In fact, they were sure that it was something she had ingested, which caused her sleepy state.
The neighbors could hear their commotion. They were also afraid to call for an ambulance. That move was not welcomed by the couple, or they would have gotten one by now.
Calling for an ambulance involves a fee. There would be blood tests done. If the doctors at the hospital find that the parents were responsible for the unconscious condition of the child, they would be reported to the police. Those parents would certainly be furious and desiring to seek revenge on the busybody neighbors. Nobody wants trouble for themselves. It would be awkward for neighbors who intervene. It is about each man and woman for themselves.
It was a scary situation.
Meanwhile, the exasperated parents could not think of any safe action to take. They left their baby alone to sleep it off.
Two hours later, their baby woke up. Fortunately.
If anybody was in the situation where their morals and ethics are questioned, what would the decision be?
What action to choose? The dilemma would be:
- Call for an ambulance
- Pretend ignorance to save their own skin.
Related:
This is my collection of scary stories, written to Rojie’s “scary story” prompt
I’m having a whale of a time with her inspirational prompts. Her motivating choice of words inspires. I can’t really explain why but when I saw her prompt “scary story”, it sparked this whole series of writings.
(1) https://artmater.com/rojies-prompt-series-challenge-august-1-2026/
(2) https://artmater.com/scary-story-chapter-2-she-defeats-her-demons/
(3) https://artmater.com/scary-story-chapter-3-man-in-her-dream-left-footprints/
(4) https://artmater.com/rojie-asks-to-write-a-scary-story-for-aug-24-2026/
(5) https://artmater.com/scary-story-riddle-guess-what-this-is/
(6) https://artmater.com/is-ocd-also-in-the-alternate-dimension/
(7) https://artmater.com/dracula-or-insomnia-keeping-her-awake/
(8) https://artmater.com/is-this-scary-image-made-by-natural-stain-phenomenon-or-etched-by-evil/
(9) https://artmater.com/it-doesnt-pay-to-challenge-spirits-scary-story-9/
(10) https://artmater.com/dont-ignore-astrology-after-youve-consulted-the-charts-scary-story-10/
(11) https://artmater.com/scary-story-11-for-rojies-prompt/
(12) https://artmater.com/12-for-rojies-scary-story-prompt/
(13) https://artmater.com/scary-story-13-spell-written-for-rojies-prompt/
(14) https://artmater.com/scary-story-14-dilemma-for-rojies-prompt/
(15)