the curse is a tale of horror and suspense. it tells the story of a group of common people fleeing from their daunting past, and their struggle for survival. it shows how man's evil transgression and guilty conscience will literally follow him to his death, and perhaps even cause it. it also tells of how one man's fault could not only lead to his suffering, but also to those he holds dear. the tale begins when a group of six daring, young teenage boys plan an upcoming halloween prank. the mastermind of the six, jack boomer, decides to try something different and more dangerous than the previous years. he plans to blow up the shack with a pile of firecrackers. four of his cronies immediately agree with his plan; however, ted dot, the pessimistic, redheaded teenager, is reluctant. he tries to explain to them the consequences of being caught. the other five are not dissuaded from the idea, and they somehow talk ted into going along with them. once all six confirm their new idea, they gather their materials. on halloween night, they set out to execute their plan. everything works out perfectly for them, and the shack soon erupts into a blazing fury. their celebration is short-lived, though. from out of the forest appears a mysterious old woman. her ethnicity is unknown, her origin is unknown, why she is bald, wears a polka-dotted skullcap, wraps her feet in construction paper for shoes, and wears a mud-stained, dark brown dress is all unknown, and it remains unknown throughout the story. the entire time she is simply referred to as the "old woman." in her hand she carries a long, gnarled staff the most significant figure in the entire piece. this stranger claims that the destroyed shack was her home, and she doesn't give the six teenagers a chance to explain. she unleashes her fury and invokes a horrible curse upon them. from then on, it is the ultimate survival story for the six boys. not only do they suffer the consequences, but also their family members and other best friends are part of the ordeal. and, the "old woman" claims, the terrible conflict does not cease until all six of them have been wiped out.