The Charred Man

In a small village nestled in the woods, there was a legend about a burnt corpse that haunted the area. The legend went that a man had been burned alive in a terrible accident, and his charred remains were buried in the village cemetery. But the story didn't end there. According to the legend, the man's vengeful spirit would rise from the grave and seek out children to burn alive unless they recited a specific ritual to keep him at bay.

At first, the parents of the village dismissed the story as nothing more than an old wives' tale, but as more and more children began to go missing, they began to take it seriously. The parents instructed their children to memorize the ritual and recite it every night before bed. The ritual went like this:

"Charred man, charred man, leave me be.

Stay in your grave and let me sleep.

With these words, I banish thee,

Back to the darkness from whence you came."

The children recited the ritual religiously, and for a time, it seemed to work. The village went years without a single child going missing, and the legend of the burnt corpse faded into obscurity.

But one night, a young boy named Timmy forgot to recite the ritual before bed. He had been playing with his friends all day and had come home exhausted. He climbed into bed and fell asleep before he even had a chance to think about the ritual.

In the middle of the night, Timmy was awoken by the sound of crackling flames. He opened his eyes and saw the burnt corpse standing at the foot of his bed, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. Timmy tried to scream, but the burnt corpse reached out a hand and covered his mouth.

"You forgot the ritual, little boy," the burnt corpse whispered. "Now you must pay the price."

With that, the burnt corpse raised its other hand and flames shot out from its fingertips. Timmy's bed caught fire, and he screamed in terror as he was burned alive.

The next morning, Timmy's parents found his charred remains in his bed, and the entire village was thrown into a panic. The parents redoubled their efforts to ensure their children recited the ritual every night, but it was too late for Timmy.

As the weeks went by, more and more children began to forget the ritual, and the burnt corpse claimed more victims. The parents pleaded with the village elders to do something, but they were powerless to stop the vengeful spirit.

One day, a stranger came to the village. He was a tall, gaunt man with piercing eyes and a wild mane of black hair. He claimed to be a witch hunter, and he said he knew how to stop the burnt corpse.

The village elders were skeptical, but they were desperate for a solution. They invited the witch hunter to stay in the village and observe the situation.

For weeks, the witch hunter watched as the burnt corpse claimed more victims. He studied the ritual the children recited and pored over ancient texts in search of a solution.

Finally, one night, the witch hunter came to the village elders with a plan. He told them that the only way to stop the burnt corpse was to perform a ritual of their own, one that would exorcise the vengeful spirit from the corpse and put it to rest once and for all.

The village elders were skeptical, but they were willing to try anything. They gathered together with the witch hunter in the cemetery where the burnt corpse was buried. They recited the ritual the witch hunter had taught them, and as they did, the earth began to shake.

The burnt corpse rose from the ground, its eyes blazing with fury. It lunged at the villagers, but the witch hunter stood his ground. He brandished a silver dagger and began to recite an incantation. The burnt corpse recoiled at the sound of the witch hunter's words, and its flames flickered and died out.

The witch hunter advanced on the burnt corpse, his silver dagger gleaming in the moonlight. He plunged the dagger into the corpse's chest, and there was a blinding flash of light. The burnt corpse let out a final scream and collapsed to the ground, its charred body crumbling to dust.

The village elders and the witch hunter stood in shock as the burnt corpse disappeared before their very eyes. The witch hunter turned to the elders and spoke.

"The curse has been lifted. The burnt corpse is no more. But remember, this is not the only evil that lurks in the world. Be vigilant, and always remember to banish evil spirits with silver and incantations."

The village breathed a collective sigh of relief, and the parents hugged their children tight. They knew that they could now sleep soundly at night, knowing that the burnt corpse was gone for good.

However, as the years passed, the legend of the burnt corpse began to fade from memory. New generations of children grew up without hearing the cautionary tale, and soon, the ritual was forgotten altogether.

One night, a young girl named Lily went to bed without reciting the ritual. She had heard whispers of the legend from her parents, but she thought it was just a silly story. As she slept, the burnt corpse appeared at the foot of her bed, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.

Lily woke up and tried to scream, but the burnt corpse covered her mouth with its charred hand. It whispered to her, "You forgot the ritual, little girl. Now you must pay the price."

Lily struggled and fought, but it was no use. The burnt corpse raised its hand, and flames shot out from its fingertips. Lily's bed caught fire, and she screamed in terror as she was burned alive.

The next morning, Lily's parents found her charred remains in her bed, and the village was once again thrown into a panic. They knew that the burnt corpse had returned, and they remembered the witch hunter's words.

The village elders gathered together once again and recited the ritual, but it was too late for Lily. The burnt corpse had claimed another victim, and the legend lived on.

From that day on, the village never forgot the cautionary tale of the burnt corpse. The parents made sure to teach their children the ritual, and they passed it down from generation to generation. And although the burnt corpse never returned, the memory of its wrath lingered on, a reminder of the dangers that lurk in the dark.