Ryan and his sister Bethany stepped off the bus, their eyes wide with excitement. Jack, Sammy, and Jill soon joined them, each carrying backpacks stuffed with summer essentials. Simon, always eager to explore, pointed towards the forest. "Let's check out the trails before dinner," he suggested.

Ryan and his friends huddled closer to the fire, their faces lit by its warm glow. Suddenly, a scream pierced the night, echoing through the woods. Jack[/@ch_3_d]"What was that?"[/@ch_3_d] he whispered, his voice trembling. In the confusion, [@ch_6]Simon was nowhere to be found.

Jill brushed away the soil, revealing a skeletal hand. Her heart pounded as a vision flashed before her eyes: a scene from decades past, showing a witch's trial and her subsequent hanging. A sharp pain shot through her head, and her nose began to bleed. "We need to tell someone," she gasped, turning to Ryan.

Bethany, her face pale, approached them with news of Sammy and Jack's disappearance. "We can't stay here," she urged. Ryan nodded, realizing the curse was real and growing stronger. They had to find a way to break it before more lives were lost.

Jill's breath came in ragged gasps as they unearthed old stones, desperately searching for any sign of the witch's remains. Suddenly, spectral figures from the past emerged, their forms flickering like dying flames. [@ch_1]Ryan[/@ch_1_d]"We have to keep going,"[/@ch_1_d] he urged, even as the apparitions closed in.

Nicholas performed CPR, his hands steady despite the chaos around them. With a gasp, Jill came back to life, the curse momentarily broken. "We have to warn others," she insisted, though doubt lingered in her voice. Though few would believe their tale, they knew they had to try, for the sake of those who might be next.