Dark Alleyways for Strange Children

There is this spot that as a child I would find myself playing there. It was one of those places adults would say "don't go back there!", and when I asked "why?" I always got "its dangerous".  But being the strange little child, I would always end up not listening and end up there. Something about venturing off into a forbidden area makes the adventure more worth while. The risk of being caught, or getting hurt just added more to the thrill of the adventure. It's a spot that would inspire me to return to the group and share stories that, like Wendy,  I would make up. There were ones about a man with red eyes who wanted to kill us, and of a cat that would talk, giving warnings of evil. I became a storyteller for the other kids and these stories would become games and pranks and we would keep going until one of us cried or said enough is enough. This dark place was our Neverland, giving us endless childish adventures, and later on a place for some teenage experiences. 

Now as an adult I see it as a dark, desolate, area that I know isn't safe for any child to be alone in, but as I looked at it I saw my self running through it. As when the dogs from the other yard escaped and chased me and my friends, or when we would film silly videos hanging off of the fire escapes. Only with a guiding greenish light that leads us to where we can look into a window and see the lives of other people, a glimpse of who the neighbors really are. Even with those memories though, it let me know that I haven't just entered my dark place. I have always been in this dark place, even as a child.