15-year-old Nickolas Conrad was at a sleepover with six other friends when he was woken up to intense pain on his neck. At first, the young boy wasn’t sure what had happened – he just woke up to a horrific sensation right in the middle of his throat.

“I felt this really bad burning on my neck and when I woke up and I started screaming and crying,” Conrad told KTHV. “It was the worst pain of my life.”

As it turned out, what happened to the snoozing teen wasn’t an accident. Conrad was the victim of the newest internet challenge, called the “hot water challenge,” which involves making some drink a container of boiling water or throwing it onto an unsuspecting person.

The latter was what caused the first and second-degree burns on Conrad’s neck: the other boys at the sleepover had actually dosed him in boiling water while he slept.

“They’re not my friends anymore and they’re not going to be,” Conrad added, speaking of the classmates who tried the “challenge” out on him.

Needless to say, the boy’s mother, Mickey, is disgusted by what happened to her son.

“I thought it had been an accident but when I found out it was deliberate, it’s so concerning,” she told KTHV. “Don’t ever say: ‘My child won’t do that,’ and educate them.”

No charges have been filed and the adults that were home at the time were sleeping during the event and had no idea what went on.

The “hot water challenge” is now being taken very seriously in schools nationwide, with resource officers working to make it clear that this “challenge” is not to be taken lightly. Not only could people be seriously injured, but the offenders could face felony charges for assault.

If you have kids, make sure to educate them about this terrible challenge!