I ran away at 5. I went a few blocks and couldn't find a circus, no matter how carefully I looked. So, I moved under a pine tree in someone's yard about a block from home. The person living there brought me out some snacks and drinks and then asked me where my mail would be coming from. I was totally confused, and then they offered to go to my house and check and see if I had any letters, so they could bring them to me. I described my home and off they went... No letters, but I did have one seething mother, lol. I still think back on that and love how they handled the situation. We didn't know them at all, but they couldn't have done it better, imo.
I've never lost/lost any of my kids. Dd has 'disappeared,' but she was in the house all along (the small spaces mentioned by pps).
Older ds did run from me once, augh. I had surgery on my foot and was on crutches, he was two. We'd gone to my mom's because I could not handle him and the pain. As soon as he got out of the car he took off running. I was crying and hopping on crutches as fast as I could, but I had no hope of catching him :( A neighbor, one my parents did not get along with, saw my predicament and caught up with him as I was dragging myself up a hill on my belly. I was a mess, dirty muddy tears, the whole nine yards. And here comes the up-to-that-point-unliked neighbor with my giggling two-year-old. He even helped me to my mom's door. We've been friends ever since :)
Luke is a work in progress. I can see the shenanigans and hijinks glittering behind his brown eyes. I'm sure I'll have plenty of things that will both make me cry and make me laugh so hard I'll cry later.