A group of children discover a dead body

It was the summer of 1987, and the small town of Maplewood basked in the golden warmth of the sun. The streets were quiet, as most families were away on holiday or staying indoors to hide from the heat. But for six kids, the endless days of summer meant endless days of freedom to explore the fields, woods, and creeks that bordered their sleepy town. For as long as anybody could remember, the gang had been inseparable: Tommy, Sarah, Eli, Mia, Jack, and their leader, Jason. Every summer, they'd roam the countryside in search of adventure or mischief, but nothing could have prepared them for the horror that awaited them that day.

It was one of those lazy afternoons where time seemed to pass slowly and do nothing except just wake up from its deep sleep. They all met under the broad oak tree growing at the edge of the woods, a familiar gathering place. Jason, with his penchant for grandiose schemes, had recently heard about an old, abandoned house deep in the forest, just beyond the creek. No one lived there anymore, and the most fanciful rumors were said to abound about ghosts and strange occurrences. Of course, Jason had to go see it for himself, and of course, the rest of the group trailed after him.

"I bet there's treasure there," Jason said, his eyes shining with excitement. "Or at least something cool."

Mia, who was the youngest in their little group, hesitated. "What if it's dangerous?"

"It's just an old house," Eli chimed in. "Nothing's gonna happen."

That was when they head into the woods and deeper, crossing a stream and following a trail. The trees were thick now-thick enough to make their branches seem like leafy tunnels overhead. The air reeked of damp earth and pine needles, and cicadas droned in the distance, constantly buzzing away as if reminding that the sounds of summer were still on. The kids joked and teased one another as they walked, their voices cutting into the otherwise quiet surroundings.

And at last, what seemed hours ended when they finally reached the old house. It was really more of a dilapidated shack; the rotting wooden walls covered in ivy, its roof sagging beneath the weight of years of neglect. Shards of broken glass spotted the jagged windows where sunlight danced through the afternoon. The whole area had a strange eerie stillness to it, but Jason couldn't be deterred.

"Let's go inside," he said, pushing open the creaky front door. The others followed, their footsteps hesitant but eager.

The interior was dusty, dark, full of the smell of mildew. Furniture broken, belongings long forgotten lay scattered in every space, creating an impression of hasty departure. They looked into room after room, pushing instruments into old cabinets, drawers, but nothing special to write home about—no treasure, no ghosts, only remains of a life abandoned long ago.

But then, as they turned to leave, something drew Jack's eye. Down at the far corner of the kitchen, the floorboards were off, as if ripped open and hastily replaced. "Come here," he said to the others.

"This looks interesting," Jack said, pointing to the uneven boards. "There's something down there.".

Curiosity piqued, Jason knelt down and used a rusty crowbar they had found earlier to pry the boards loose. As the boards came up, a stench hit them: something foul and rotting. In a moment, their excitement turned to dread.

Under the floor, under a ripped, dirty tarp, lay a man's body. The children stood there frozen, their hearts pounding against their chests. They had never seen a dead body before. But in this case, the very notion of its appearance—the pale, contorted expression of decomposition—was far more awful than anything they might have ever conceived of.

Mia let out a scream, and Sarah clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wild with fear. Tommy stepped back a pace, his face white. Eli was silent, shocked, unable to look away from what they saw.

Jason, the daredevil, took a step closer still, his hands shaking. "It's real," he whispered, his voice almost inaudible. "It's a dead body.

Nothing seemed to be said or done. The truth of what they had discovered hung in the air like a thick, oppressive cloud. Jason, who never showed fear until now, was the first to act. "We need to report this," he said his voice trembling with fear. "We have to get out of here.".

They ran from the house, dashing through the trees as fast as their legs could carry them. The trees seemed to blur together, and the carefree crickets, now eerie, came at them with sinister intent. The sun started to set in the sky, casting long shadows across their path, but none of them ran until they reached the edge of the woods, breathless and shaken.

They reached the end of town and stood stock-still there, unable to decide what to do. Jason looked at his friends and saw that their faces were pale, and their eyes were wide with fear.

"We can't keep it a secret," he finally said. "We have to report this to the police.".

And so they did. By evening, the small town police force had made its way to the abandoned house, confirming exactly what the kids had known. The body of the missing man had gone over a year and had been driving the mystery goers in Maplewood crazy for months. The kids had found something dark and something very miserable, far out of the reach of childhood adventure.

It was during this summer that their innocence was buried along with the body, hidden beneath the floorboards. The same woods where the fun was limitless and exploration showed no bounds now haunted them as a constant reminder of that day that found them discovering death hidden behind shadows.