Boy Claims to Have Lived on Mars in a Past Life, Mysteriously Disappears
When Mark first told his parents about his past life on Mars, they initially thought he was just making up stories. They chuckled and let his imagination run wild.
However, things took a strange turn when Mark received his own computer as a birthday present. He started scouring the internet for more information about his past life, and one day, two men from the Secret Service showed up at his door.
Mark was gone.
His parents only found out what was happening when it was already too late. They overheard Mark speaking softly to someone at the door, but when they went to check, the boy was no longer there.
As Joyce stepped outside, she caught only a fleeting glimpse of her son. Her heart skipped a beat. Every mother's nightmare left Joyce nearly powerless.
Mark's Disturbing Message
A man in a suit led the boy into a darkened car before getting in himself and speeding away. Joyce ran out of the house, but there was no way to catch up to the vehicle.
Tears streamed down her face. It had to be related to the jumbled stories Mark had been telling repeatedly for the past few days. Why hadn't they taken him seriously?
The Truth Revealed
In the following days, everything became clear to the parents. They realized they should have listened to their son and not dismissed his message as "crazy talk."
But what was Mark's strange connection to the Red Planet? Who were the men in suits, and why did Mark simply go with them? Joyce only wished for one thing: for the nightmare to end.
Mark's Obsession with Mars
From a young age, Mark talked most about Mars. His parents had no idea when or how this obsession began, but their son just wouldn't stop talking about his "past life on Mars."
At first, his mother Joyce encouraged these "creative" thoughts, but recently, she began to feel it might be a bit too much. What if his classmates teased him because of it?
No Friends
Mark didn't make friends because he drove them all away with his Mars talk. Moreover, he had no opportunity to interact with them after school, making things even more challenging.
Joyce partly blamed herself for not giving Mark a computer sooner. Perhaps playing with friends online would distract her son from his Martian obsession. But it seemed to have the opposite effect.
Given a Computer
On his birthday, Joyce finally surprised young Mark with a computer. The boy looked extremely delighted and immediately took the computer upstairs to set it up.
Joyce hoped he would use his new computer to play all the computer games kids his age typically enjoyed. However, Mark did something entirely different with the equipment.
Not Returning
Mark didn't come back downstairs to join the guests. "What could he be doing up there for so long?" Joyce wondered. She went up to his room and asked him to return to his party.
Unfortunately, that didn't have the desired effect. She saw her little boy in a state she had never seen before. What would the guests say, who had come specifically for Mark's birthday celebration?
Boy's Computer Obsession Takes a Troubling Turn
Mark didn't react at all to his mother's presence. It was as if he hadn't even noticed that she had entered his room. He remained motionless, fixated on the screen.
The computer had captured him so completely that he seemed oblivious to his mother's attempts to get through to him, despite her raising her voice repeatedly.
Trying to Wake Him Up
Carefully, Joyce took a few steps closer, and just before she reached him, he suddenly turned to her. Although his eyes had been open the whole time, it was as if he had just woken up.
He obediently said to his mother, "Oh, hello, Mom!" In that moment, Joyce's heart skipped a beat due to fear and concern. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
The New Mark
Joyce didn't know what to say. She was amazed by the scene she had just witnessed, but at least he still seemed like the "old" Mark when she got closer to him.
Unfortunately, in the following weeks, she would see more and more of the "new" Mark. The gift that was supposed to make him more "normal" seemed to have the opposite effect.
Up to Something
After family and friends had all gone home, Joyce and her husband Oscar were ready for a restful night. They urged Mark to go to bed as well, and he immediately started brushing his teeth.
Then he asked if he could use his computer for a while before going to sleep. He had something in mind. Joyce agreed but emphasized that it would be an exception.
An Exception
"Starting tomorrow, you can't use the computer after 7:00 PM. Spending too much time on the computer is unhealthy. Do you understand?" Mark nodded obediently. Joyce and Oscar smiled contentedly.
They were pleased with how happy they had made their son with his birthday gift. But the unpredictability of the days to come would soon wipe those smiles away.
Nighttime Activities
The days passed, and everything seemed fine. Mark appeared to be sticking to the computer schedule. Well, he was, but beyond Joyce and Oscar's sight, more was unfolding than they could have imagined.
It was the dreams Mark had. Dreams that drove him almost every night - when his parents were fast asleep - to sneak out of his bed and sit in front of his computer again.
Oscar Noticed
One night, Oscar noticed it. He had been out with friends, sharing a few beers with some rugby buddies at a cafeteria. When he returned home, Joyce was already fast asleep.
As Oscar tiptoed into the bedroom, he noticed a faint light seeping out from under Mark's door.
Nightmare
That wasn't all; he also heard little Mark sobbing and mumbling some words. He gently opened the door to avoid waking his wife.
His initial assumption was that Mark was having a nightmare and that he just needed to wake him up. It was indeed a nightmare, but Oscar couldn't protect the little boy from it.
Disturbing Sight
Oscar saw Mark at his computer! Mark had no idea his father had come in. Oscar watched tears streaming down Mark's cheeks, and what was even more unsettling, Mark was speaking in some incomprehensible language!
His head was slightly tilted back, mouth slightly open as he struggled to say something. Not knowing what to do, Oscar immediately left Mark's bedroom!
About to Unfold
Oscar couldn't understand it, so he didn't bother trying to explain it to himself. He went to bed right away, quickly falling asleep and waking up the next morning with a lot to contemplate.
At the breakfast table the next morning, Oscar sits with Joyce and Mark. Oscar continues to stare at Mark, who seems just as undisturbed as any other day! Then Oscar gently asks his son:
"It's About Mars"
"Hey buddy, did you sleep well? You look a bit tired." Mark's response would surprise him. "Do you really care, Dad? You never wanted to hear anything about Mars.
If I seem tired, it's because of Mars." And he gets up from the breakfast table and walks away. Oscar can't believe his ears. Perhaps it was time to seek help.
Laughing It Off
After breakfast, Oscar takes Joyce aside to tell her about what he saw and heard last night. But to his surprise, he doesn't receive much support; Joyce laughs it off.
She tells him that he should drink less at the rugby club from now on. In hindsight, Joyce should have listened, maybe things would have turned out better. But hindsight is always 20/20.
Next Surprise
The next surprise was right at their doorstep. This time, Joyce had to deal with it. Mark kept asking her for more paper because the paper in his printer had run out.
At first, she didn't think much of it. She assumed it was just the excitement of something new, and that's why he was printing so much. But that wasn't the case. Little Mark was preparing his message.
Printing
Joyce buys new paper for Mark and calls out to him when she gets home. Joyce holds the paper in her hands for a while, while Mark is eager to take it. "Why did you need this?" she asks him.
She insists that it's not cheap, and Mark says he understands. Then Joyce asks him what he actually needs the paper for. But Mark's answer would give her goosebumps once again.
No Time Left
"Come to my room, Mom, and I'll let you read the message!" Mark replies. Joyce agrees, although she still doesn't fully grasp the seriousness of the situation, and tells him she'll come after she's done cleaning the house.
But it's already too late for that, as before she could make her way to Mark's room, two men are standing at the door. They came for Mark. Joyce opens the door first, and Mark arrives as well.
The Two Men
Mark stands casually in front of his mother, as if he had been expecting the men. The men tell Mark they want to talk to him. Joyce is shocked because the men address him directly, not her!
She wonders why these two men are at their door and why they specifically came for Mark. They want to speak to Mark alone! How did they even know their address?
Refuses
All of this unsettles Joyce greatly, and she responds to the men, "There's no way you're talking to my son! Who are you, and what are you doing here?" It leads to a tense standoff.
The men refuse to justify themselves, saying it's a serious matter. They promise to tell her everything once they can speak to Mark.
Logical Question
That was the most important thing, and until then, they wouldn't reveal anything else. Joyce's reaction to this was understandable. "You mean an 8-year-old child? What could be so important that you can talk to my little boy about it and not me?"
It seemed like a logical question, but Joyce had no idea of the seriousness of the situation. She informs the men that she wants to involve her husband, who needs to be called first.
A Message for Her
After speaking to Oscar and being told he's on his way, Joyce hangs up the phone. In the meantime, she closes the door and tells the men they will have to wait.
But just before she closes the door, the men have one more message for her. "I'm afraid we have to make a call as well, madam. We understand your resistance, but you see, you should have cooperated."
They Make a Call Too
For Joyce, those are frightening words. Who is threatening her at her own doorstep? What could they possibly mean by that? Unfortunately, that's not all, as they fulfill their words and immediately start making a call.
And even before Oscar arrives home, members of the Secret Service show up! They have apparently responded to the call made by the two men at the door and are now surrounding the house!
Here for Mark
Joyce panics. It's a menacing sight, and she wants to protect little Mark from it. But Mark remains calm, suspiciously calm. Oscar doesn't know what he's seeing when he gets home!
The men glance at him, one of them even greets him, but it's evident that they are there for Mark and no one else. What happened in Mark's life that his parents had no idea about? Was he really that special?
Questions to Mark
As Oscar and Joyce realize that there is little time left before the Secret Service intervenes, they turn to Mark. They hope that by doing so, Mark will tell them what he needs to say, rather than telling it to the intelligence officers.
"Why are they here, Mark?" asks Oscar. "I tried to tell you! But you didn't listen to me. Now I don't know what else to say. I don't understand my dreams, maybe they will..." Mark says, gesturing towards the men outside.
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