The Witches Tree

Martin was calling out into the empty abyss of the woods, desperately searching for the missing schoolboy, Danny. He could hear nothing but the haunting sound of the wind, rustling the fallen leaves and tree branches. It was almost as if the woods were trying to communicate with him through the wind.

As Martin ventured deeper into the woods, he finally stumbled upon a clearing and in the center, he spotted Hindleap Warren's famous landmark - The Witches' Tree. This monstrously gigantic beech tree was named for the face of a witch that was carved into its trunk. Martin gazed in awe at the tree's interweaving branches that reached up towards the sky.

To Martin's surprise, he found Danny standing motionless in front of the tree. He approached the boy, calling out to him, but Danny was unresponsive. Martin was puzzled as Danny was facing the side of the tree, where many had interpreted the "face of the witch" to be located. To Martin's horror, the witch's face appeared to be frowning.

Danny then whispered, "She was calling me."

Martin asked, "Who? Karen, I mean Miss Wilson?" But Danny replied, "Not Miss Wilson." He pointed up at the tree and added, "Her." Martin's heart skipped a beat as he looked up and saw the witch's face, which now seemed to be smiling.

He tried to take Danny back, but the boy refused to go. Suddenly, a flash of white light interrupted Martin's vision and he was struck by something, causing him to fall backwards. When he got up, Danny was nowhere to be seen - he had vanished into thin air.

Martin was left horrified when he saw something high up on the tree - a sight that made him scream.

Meanwhile, Karen was leading a search party for Danny, with a few kids from her class, including Samantha and Gary. When she heard Gary say that Danny had gone to "her," she asked who he was referring to. Gary replied that Danny had mentioned someone was calling out to him from the woods and that he was in danger if he didn't come.

Samantha then suggested they look for Danny at The Witches' Tree. This filled Karen with dread, as she realized that something dangerous may have lured Danny away.

Martin couldn't believe what he was seeing. High up in the branches of The Witches' Tree, he could see Danny's red coat, swaying gently in the wind. How did he get up there? Was it the witch calling out to him? Martin was filled with fear, but he knew he had to do something. He couldn't just leave Danny up there.

He started to climb the tree, using its sturdy branches as support. It was a difficult climb, and Martin was getting more and more nervous with each step. He had a feeling that he was being watched, and he couldn't shake the feeling that the witch was still nearby. But he pushed these thoughts aside and focused on getting to Danny.

Finally, he reached Danny, who was sitting quietly, staring out into the woods. Martin tried to talk to him, but he was unresponsive. It was as if he was in a trance. Martin was worried and started to question what was happening to Danny. Was it the witch that had put him in this state?

Just as Martin was about to pick Danny up and bring him down from the tree, a loud cackling filled the air. It was the witch. Martin could feel her presence, and he was paralyzed with fear. He couldn't move or speak. He could only watch as the witch approached them, her face contorted with anger.

Suddenly, Danny stood up, facing the witch. He spoke in a voice that was not his own. "Leave us alone!" he shouted. The witch stopped in her tracks, taken aback by Danny's boldness. She cackled once more and then disappeared into the woods.

Martin finally found the courage to move, and he quickly got Danny down from the tree. They made their way back to the group, and Karen was overjoyed to see Danny. She asked what had happened, but neither Martin nor Danny could explain what had happened. It was as if they had both been under a spell, and now it had been broken.

From that day on, Danny was never the same. He had a newfound confidence, and he often spoke of his encounter with the witch. People whispered that he had been possessed by the witch, but no one could say for sure. All they knew was that Danny had come face to face with The Witches' Tree, and he had emerged victorious.