The Wicked

A local myth speaks of a witch whose spirit haunts the abandoned Open Hearth house. The legend claims she eats children to live, girls to stay beautiful, and men for strength. The townspeople dismiss it as superstition, until signs begin to emerge that the legend may be real.

Amanda, a little girl from the neighborhood, vanishes from her bedroom without a trace, confirming the town's fears about Open Hearth. The discovery shatters the community's skepticism and puts the house back in the spotlight. The fear that the witch has claimed another victim hangs over the town.

Max, a teenager mourning his grandfather, is visited by his tomboy friend Sammy. Sammy's tough exterior masks a troubled home life, and their bond grows as they reconnect. The two start drifting toward the Open Hearth dare and the deadly secrets it conceals.

Zach, along with friends Julie, Carter, and Tracy, decide to go to Open Hearth to prove the myth true by throwing rocks at the windows. They leave on their bikes and head toward the abandoned house, planning a reckless midnight dare. The plan foreshadows the danger that lies ahead.

Zach's group reaches Open Hearth and throws stones at the house. One stone hits a window, and they glimpse a shadow moving inside before fleeing back to camp. The group later drinks and, in a moment of reckless bravado, have sex at the camp.

Max and Sammy locate the house again and throw another rock at it, this time catching the witch's attention. They sprint away as the house seems to respond to their provocation. Back at the campsite, the others realize something sinister has begun to stir.

Julie hears a whisper at the edge of the woods and finds a teddy bear that belongs to Amanda outside the camp. The four kids decide to investigate the woods further to find the kidnapped girl. They hear a distant child crying and press on toward Open Hearth.

Julie volunteers to go in, with Zach joining her, despite warnings from the others. They locate Amanda tied up in the basement with an apple in her mouth and manage to escape into the woods, with the witch in pursuit. Their narrow escape deepens the peril for everyone else at the campsite.

When the group returns to the campsite, they discover Carter's truck and much of their camping gear missing. With the town ten miles away and the ranger station four miles away, they decide to walk to safety rather than wait for help. Max records a plea on video, urging anyone who finds the footage to burn the house down because the myth is real.

The witch abducts Max as the teens struggle to survive at the edge of the woods. Sammy runs to the ranger station and finds the police unhelpful, even smirking at her claim. She blackmails Deputy Karl to force action, signaling the breakdown of law and order in the face of the haunting.

Karl arrives at Open Hearth with Deputy Mahoney guarding Sammy outside. Inside, the witch kills Mahoney and attacks Karl, unleashing the full horror of the house. Sammy, Max, Zach, and Julie converge on the scene as they realize the danger is real and immediate.

The group uses a bottle designed to capture the witch and battles her as she drains their souls. They manage to burn her with a flamethrower provided by Max's grandfather, who is revealed to be a witch hunter. The police search later finds no corpses, the house is torn down, and the ending hints the witch may still hunt children.