Little Boy Lost (The Twilight Zone)


"Little Boy Lost" is the first segment of the fourth episode of the first season of the television series The Twilight Zone.

Opening narration

Plot

Carol Shelton is a photojournalist who must make a difficult decision: either she can take a new and prestigious position or marry her long-time boyfriend. One day, she meets Kenny, who is a boy she believes has been sent to her by a modeling agency for a photo shoot. They have a lot of fun during the photo shoot, but when he realizes that her focus is entirely on her job and not on him he leaves in distress. Carol decides to take the new job and dissolve her relationship with her boyfriend.
Kenny subsequently appears to her in random locations, including the interior of her apartment. He expresses his disappointment in her decision to follow her career instead of her relationship. Carol is confused and demands to know how he found her, how he knows so much about her, and why he thinks they can never see each other again. Kenny panics and runs away.
Carol sees Kenny in a park and confronts him. It becomes clear that Kenny would have been her son if she had chosen to stay with her boyfriend instead of taking a new job. He says that he would have been hers if she had only wanted him, and she claims she does want him—but not at this time in her life. Kenny explains that because she chose a different path, she may one day have children but her children will not be him. They commiserate as the boy fades away.
Later, Carol discusses her new job over the phone. Photos of Kenny and Carol together are arranged in the apartment. After she ends the call and leaves, Kenny vanishes from the photographs.

Closing narration