Frederick couldn’t believe his friends had managed to convince him to do something so ridiculously stupid. They were all standing outside of an abandoned house they had found deep in the woods. It was rather small, almost cabin size, and as far as they could tell, hadn’t been touched in decades. The roof had begun to collapse, the wood decaying from rot. It was a rather pathetic sight, but there was something about it that made Frederick shiver.

None of them had the courage to step inside, however, one of his friends was willing to give him twenty bucks for the endeavor. Despite the worry he felt, rationally, there was no reason to walk away from such a challenge. Frederick’s friends stepped back as they watched him slowly open the door, it creaking violently.

As he took a step inside the house, all he saw was darkness, even with the light of the outside world peering in through the doorway. He tried squinting to make out some of the detail, without much success. As he took another step, he heard the door slam behind him with great force. His friends were probably screwing with him, yet he still felt uneasy.

Frederick banged his fists against the door, pleading to be let out, but no response came from the outside. His heart was racing, surely his friends wouldn’t be that rude, this had to be some sort of a mistake. In fact, it was rather odd, as the ambiance from the outside was completely silenced, not a single sound could be heard. His eyes tried to adjust to the darkness, but he could still see nothing. It was as if this place somehow repelled light altogether.

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Frederick could do nothing but huddle in the corner, afraid to move or touch anything that might be inside with him. As he waited, he slowly faded into sleep, his mind drifting, doing its best to forget the nightmare he was trapped in. It felt like only minutes had passed when he heard the door open. He felt strange, tired almost, physically weak and mentally exhausted. His friends must’ve finally gotten bored of the lackluster prank. He lifted himself up with great effort, and approached the doorway.

A couple men stood outside, examining the place in odd clothing. As Frederick walked outside, confused, the men saw him and jumped. “Woah, sir, are you alright?” Frederick didn’t understand, where did his friends go? “Where…what…” Frederick muttered softly. “What’s your name?” one of them asked. “My…name is…Frederick.”

One man turned to the other, his eyes wide. “Isn’t…isn’t that the name of the kid that disappeared fifty years ago? My father always talked about him.” Frederick touched his face, it felt leathery, wrinkly. He had a long beard, coarse and thick. His hair stretched down as well, a light shade of gray. He had only been inside the house for a few minutes, and yet, he was no longer a boy, but an old, regretful man.