Papa's Fence

As he stood in silence leaning against the old wooden fence that marks the outer most points of the property, he watched the sunset and daydreamed about the wonders that lay just beyond that old fence.
For as long as he could remember, his papa had always warned him to never leave the property, to never wander beyond the fence. Papa used to say, the fence is there to protect you. Even so, he couldn’t help but wondering.
You see, he had just celebrated his 18th birthday and the meant that he was officially a man. He wanted to make his own decisions. He didn’t need papa’s old fence to protect him anymore. He assumed papa didn’t even know what was on the other side?
With his mind made up, he swiftly hopped over the fence and wandered slowly to the edge of the woods. He found an old dirt path that was covered with fallen trees, leaves and underbrush but he proceed down the path in search of the dangers papa thought he needed to be protected from.
He continued to climb through the underbrush and followed the dirt path until suddenly the dirt seemed to disappear and the terrain became very rocky. The rocks on either side of the path were tall and sharp but he continued to follow the path. As he wandered down the rock covered path, he was startled by a loud screeching sound. He was so startled that he took off running straight ahead, away from the protection of the fence. Before he knew it, he was falling in to the black nothingness that lay at the end of the path.
"Now son, it is said, that the young man is still falling to this very day into the black nothingness for all eternity."