As he went on with his usual morning routine, Dale found a black envelope on the doormat by his door. Two things struck him as odd. Firstly, his mail was usually delivered to his apartment’s mailbox, and secondly, he was sure that the envelope wasn’t there a minute ago. As he approached the envelope, Dale felt the world starting to shift. His surroundings looked the same, but the sensation that what looked like a simple piece of paper wasn’t so simple continued to creep up on the back of his mind.

His heart was pounding hard, he started to sweat, his pupils dilated, and when he touched the envelope, it felt unusually cold. A million thoughts passed through his mind while alarm bells started ringing in his body, his muscles tensed up as if there was something inherently wrong with that object. But none of those warnings were enough for him to get rid of the envelope. He started to open it with a mixture of excitement and fear, but it soon felt like someone dropped a bucket of cold water on his head as he finished reading the contents.

“Good morning, Mr. Dale Hall.

Thank you very much for receiving our invitation. We’re pleased to inform you that we’ve heard your pleas and due to the sudden opening of spots, you’ve been selected amongst several candidates to participate in our ★Super Fun World Rehabilitation Program ★. Aware of your worldview, our management decided that your profile is exactly what we’re looking for.

Although unfortunately, we’re unable to disclose more information through this letter, we’re sure you’ll enjoy every second of what our program has to offer. Don’t let this opportunity pass by, as many would wage wars to acquire this pass. We’ll be waiting for your response. If you’re interested, and we know you are, simply look up at the sky with a solemn expression and say “I’m In” and we’ll snatch you right up.

Best regards, Amkorathotep”

After reading the letter multiple times, Dale stood there frozen trying to figure out what had just happened. All of that excitement was washed away, the disconnect between the reaction he had by seeing the envelope for the first time and the contents that sounded like an awful sales pitch written by a child left him in shock for a couple of seconds. Recomposing himself, Dale threw the letter in the trash and proceeded with his routine.

On his way to school, the morning incident didn’t leave his mind. Although disappointed with its contents, the reaction to the object’s appearance was the first time Dale had such strong emotions in a long while since the accident. But looking around and seeing the gray world he was used to, soon the previous excitement started getting buried by the monotonous atmosphere of the decaying world around him. That was until he found another black envelope inside his bag, just as he was preparing to go home after school.

“Is someone trying to pull a prank on me?” He thought. Although he wasn’t exactly the popular kid in school, people never went as far as messing with him. They were all cowards who’d rather talk behind his back and laugh amongst themselves. Never once had one of those spoiled kids tried to directly attack him, but at the moment there wasn’t any other reasonable explanation for the letters.

“No reaction this time” The envelope looked as plain as could be this time. He was sure it was the same size and paper as the last one, but there were no signs of the previous shivers and heart palpitations. So, he opened the letter.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Dale Hall.

Throwing our invitation in the trash was pretty rude. We were under the assumption that you were a polite person, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. I was very sad when I received the news. Given how your heartbeat when you first received my letter, I thought we had a real connection going on. I was already imagining our future together in the beautiful place where the ★ Super Fun World Rehabilitation Program ★ is located. I’m sure you’d love it. It’s everything you wished for and more. Don’t worry about the details, just say you’re in and I promise you won’t be disappointed. I’m still waiting, but won’t wait for long.

Best regards, Amkorathotep”

This time, all Dale felt was an inexplicable wave of fear. Seeing the “Good afternoon” and the fact that whoever sent this knew what end the first letter had, it was easy to infer that he was being watched. This type of unsettling feeling had never reached his mind up to this point. Someone watching his every move, laughing at him behind his back, peeking into his life without his consent, soon the fear turned into anger, he madly looked around him searching for whoever was toying with him, his anger only subsided when took in the deserted classroom.

Ripping the envelope into pieces was all he could do to vent his stress. Peeking around his back and paying attention to whoever looked at him too much, Dale made his way back home. Locking the door behind him, closing the curtains, and laying on his bed, Dale closed his eyes, trying to make sense of what happened. Calming down, He felt himself drift into a deep sleep.

Dale woke up feeling refreshed, but even though he opened his eyes, the world remained black. Initially confused, He soon realized what was blocking his view. A black envelope. The cogs in Dale’s mind started spinning wildly. Maybe someone broke into his room? But the door was locked. Maybe he was still dreaming, but it wasn’t the case.

The dizziness and chills were real. And after a few moments, the only option was to accept reality as it was, life started catching up to him and he was going insane. That was the only feasible explanation he could come up with. His trembling hands opened the black envelope. The letter read:

Good evening, Mr. Dale Hall.

Ripping it to shreds is going too far. I know you don’t care that much about our relationship, but I still care about you. I still wish to have those precious times together at the ★ Super Fun World Rehabilitation Program ★. It surely wouldn’t be the same without you.

We both know how much you need this. We both know how much you want this. But it seems you’re not motivated enough. This is your last call. I said I’d wait for your response, but I don’t have that much time to spare, the spots are almost filled up and you don’t seem too keen to have an amazing time at the ★ Super Fun World Rehabilitation Program ★.

It seems your parents’ deaths have taken a toll on you, and knowing what happened to them at the ★ Super Fun World Rehabilitation Program ★ wouldn’t make you any better. It’s sad to see you waste such an opportunity, but those who don’t seize it, don’t deserve it. I hope you make the right choice.

Best regards, Amkorathotep.

Dale’s world fell apart. The mention of his parents was bait. He was 99% sure of it, but the 1% was enough to entice him. On the day of the accident, all Dale received was a call from a relative saying his parents were in a car accident. There wasn’t much more after that. No one spoke about it.

They weren't found, empty caskets were buried and they were forgotten. At least that’s how it felt to Dale. And now this weirdo letter was telling him that the truth he’s been told all this time was a lie. The last push he needed to let go of this crumbling world. Dale looked at the red moon through his window, and with a solemn expression he exclaimed:

“I’m in!”