In a small village, there is a habit of children playing hide and seek before dusk. Rafi, 9 years old, is the champion. He can always hide in unexpected places.
One afternoon, Rafi hid in an old warehouse near the rice fields. His friends counted and searched, but Rafi never showed up. After dusk, everyone panicked and started searching the entire village.
It turned out that Rafi showed up by himself... the next morning. His body was dirty, his eyes were empty.
"I was just hiding, then someone asked me to play again," he said softly.
When asked who, he only answered, "My friend. He lives in the warehouse. He told me not to go home yet, because he's lonely."
The warehouse is now locked forever. But residents still hear the laughter of small children every afternoon before dark.
Interesting knowledge: Many psychologists refer to the time between 5–7 p.m. as liminal time, the time "between worlds" when our perception of space and time can become blurred—and children are most sensitive to that.
Philosophy: Maybe children's games aren't just entertainment… but their way of connecting with another world we don't understand.
Weird rumor: In a certain village, hide-and-seek after sunset is forbidden because it's believed that "other beings" join in the game, and the loser… can't always return.