The Burning Man

There was a small town called Hollow Creek, hidden deep within a forest. It was quiet, the kind of place where everyone knew each other, and life moved at a slow, peaceful pace. But there was one thing that haunted the town: a ghostly figure known as the Burning Man.

The legend of the Burning Man was as old as the town itself. People said he was a man who had been wronged a long time ago, and he died in a terrible fire. Now, his spirit wandered the streets, covered in flames that never went out, searching for revenge. And anyone who saw him was doomed. They would die within a week.

Most people in Hollow Creek didn’t believe the story, or they tried not to. It was just something parents told their kids to keep them from wandering alone at night. But deep down, everyone was afraid. Because every few years, someone would disappear, and whispers would spread that they had seen the Burning Man.

It all started again one chilly autumn night. Sarah, Jake, and Tom, three high school friends, were hanging out by the edge of the woods. They weren’t supposed to be there—especially not after dark—but they had heard the stories about the Burning Man and thought it was just a joke.

“Come on, you guys really believe in that stuff?” Tom said, laughing. He was always the fearless one.

“I don’t know,” Sarah replied, hugging herself as the wind picked up. “My grandma used to say she saw him once, when she was a kid. And a few days later, her best friend disappeared.”

Jake, who was usually the quiet one, shivered. “Let’s just go back. This feels wrong.”

But Tom wasn’t listening. He marched ahead into the woods, calling out, “Hey, Burning Man! Show yourself! I’m not scared!”

Suddenly, the air around them grew colder, and the wind stopped. It was as if the whole forest had gone silent. Then, from the shadows between the trees, a flicker of light appeared. At first, it was just a small glow, like a candle flame. But it grew, and grew, until a figure emerged from the darkness.

It was a man, or at least, what used to be a man. His body was engulfed in flames, his face twisted in pain and rage. The fire didn’t burn him—it was part of him, as though his very soul was on fire. His eyes were hollow, glowing like burning coals, and his hands reached out, claw-like, towards them.

For a moment, the three friends were frozen in terror. The Burning Man took a step toward them, and that was when they broke free from their shock. They turned and ran as fast as they could, their hearts pounding in their chests. The Burning Man didn’t chase them, but his fiery figure stayed burned in their minds.

Back at home, they tried to convince themselves it wasn’t real. Maybe it was a prank, or just their imaginations. But the fear was too strong, and none of them slept that night.

The next morning at school, Tom seemed different. He laughed off the night before, but there was something in his eyes—something dark, like a shadow that wasn’t there before. “You guys are such babies,” he said. “We didn’t see anything. It was just some guy with a torch or something.”

But as the days passed, strange things started happening. Tom began having nightmares, waking up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat. He told Sarah and Jake that he kept dreaming about the Burning Man, standing at the foot of his bed, just watching him with those burning eyes.

Sarah was worried. “Maybe we should tell someone,” she said. But Tom refused. “No way,” he snapped. “I’m fine.”

A few days later, Jake noticed something even more disturbing. Tom’s skin had started to change. At first, it looked like a sunburn, but it got worse. His arms were red, raw, as if they were slowly being burned from the inside. Tom brushed it off, saying it was nothing. But Sarah and Jake knew it wasn’t. The curse was real.

It was exactly one week after they saw the Burning Man when it happened. Tom didn’t show up to school. Sarah and Jake went to his house, but his mom said he hadn’t come out of his room all day. They knocked on his door, calling his name, but there was no answer. When they finally opened the door, they found his bed empty.

All that was left was a pile of ashes in the middle of the room, and the faint smell of smoke lingering in the air.

Sarah and Jake were horrified. The Burning Man had taken Tom, just like the legend said he would. And now, they were next.

Terrified, they went to the town’s oldest resident, Mrs. Green, who was known for knowing everything about Hollow Creek’s history. She listened carefully as they told her what happened, her face growing pale. “The Burning Man’s curse is ancient,” she said. “He was a man who was wronged by the town, set on fire for a crime he didn’t commit. His spirit won’t rest until he gets his revenge on those who see him.”

“But we didn’t do anything!” Jake cried. “We didn’t even know about him until now.”

Mrs. Green shook her head sadly. “It doesn’t matter. Once you’ve seen him, the curse is set. But there might be a way to stop it.”

She explained that to break the curse, they had to return to the spot where they first saw the Burning Man and offer him something precious—something that meant more to them than anything else. It was a way of showing respect, of trying to make peace with his angry spirit.

Desperate, Sarah and Jake agreed. They went back to the edge of the woods that night, carrying with them the most valuable things they could think of. Sarah brought a necklace that had belonged to her grandmother, the one who had once seen the Burning Man. Jake brought his father’s old pocket watch, a gift he had cherished since his dad had passed away.

As they stood there, waiting, the air grew cold again. The wind stopped, and the forest fell silent. Then, from the shadows, the Burning Man appeared once more, his body glowing with flames, his eyes burning with rage.

With shaking hands, Sarah and Jake placed their offerings on the ground and stepped back. “We’re sorry,” Sarah whispered. “We didn’t mean to disturb you. Please, let us go.”

For a moment, the Burning Man stood still, his fiery gaze fixed on them. Then, slowly, the flames around him began to die down, flickering like a dying fire. He looked at the items they had offered, then back at them, his expression softening just slightly. Without a word, he turned and vanished into the night, leaving only the smell of smoke behind.

The next morning, Sarah and Jake woke up, alive and unburned. The curse had been lifted.

But the legend of the Burning Man still haunted Hollow Creek, and everyone knew that one day, he might return, searching for revenge once more.

Disclaimer: This story has been generated by an AI. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locations is purely coincidental. The content is for entertainment purposes only and does not reflect any real-world situations or entities.