The Nanny Who Still Breathed After the Power Was Cut

"Mom, when it gets unplugged, why does it keep breathing?" Late at night, my nine-year-old son Howie clutched the hem of my nightshirt with both hands, his finger pointing at the tall, straight figure standing in the corner of the living room, his voice shaking so hard it could barely form words. My whole body went rigid. The half-glass of warm water I'd just poured slipped and shattered against the wooden floor, glass scattering everywhere.