Deep in the heart of Nottinghamshire's ancient Sherwood Forest, the latest craze amongst thrill-seeking youth is calling out the name “Mackenzie” three times. Before you utter his name for the first time, you’ll feel your heart thudding nervously in anticipation, a giddy smile spreading across your face.

“Mackenzie!” you declare loudly to the dark woods. You pause, looking around expectantly. But nothing has changed - the forest remains the same as before.

By the time you repeat his name a second time, you’ll be pondering the theories and legends surrounding his demise. How exactly did he die out here so long ago? Was it illness, murder, an accident? Or something more...supernatural? Local lore offers many dramatic versions of Mackenzie’s final days. But the true facts remain a mystery.

You wonder - could this be the same Mackenzie that people still whisper about around campfires today? If so, what fate befell him in these very woods? And would you someday share that grim destiny if you continue what you've started tonight?

Hesitating only a moment as the wind picks up, you push the doubts aside and say once more into the darkness, “Mackenzie!”

There are no sudden messages appearing on the trees, no phantom visions like in the movies. The only "instructions" that have been secretly passed down about this ritual is a simple slip of paper with three words: "Light candle, call Mackenzie three times." You initially dismissed it as a silly prank invented by your friends.

But now, alone under the swaying pines, you feel a chill run down your spine. This final time saying his name, you sense a presence behind you. Yet when you spin around quickly, nothing seems amiss in the lonely forest.

In the distance, a faint laugh echoes between the shadowy trunks. You nervously tell yourself you’re letting your imagination get the better of you. This is nonsense...isn’t it?

Steeling your nerves once more, you call out in your most commanding voice: “Mackenzie!”

The very air turns icy cold around you, and your breath emerges in frozen puffs. An overwhelming sense of dread descends, your heart freezing mid-beat. You can’t shake the feeling that you’ve just made a terrible mistake.

From right behind you comes a sinister whisper in your ear: “It’s go time."

That is the last thing you’ll ever hear in this life. Your cold body is discovered days later deep in Sherwood Forest, wearing a frozen look of terror.

Of course, the police don't put much stock in paranormal explanations when a teenager turns up dead. In their official statements, they vaguely reference “misadventure” and warn the public not to go wandering the woods alone at night. But rumors immediately spread that you were yet another victim of the Mackenzie curse.

It’s said that over the decades, at least one local risk-taker every generation just can’t resist the urge to be the next one to call out that cursed name and receive a ghostly visit. Their motivations vary - some seeking attention, others trying to impress friends or even win a dare for money or pride. A few genuinely believe they have a special gift for communing with the dead. But their grisly endings are inevitably the same once they utter “Mackenzie!” for the third and final time within the misty confines of Sherwood Forest after nightfall.

Why do they keep attempting this deadly ritual decade after decade? Some self-proclaimed psychic mediums claim that Mackenzie’s lonely, angry spirit grows stronger over time, desperately seeking more hosts to drain of their precious life force. Skeptics argue instead that it is nothing more than a scary legend - a self-fulfilling prophecy where imagination combined withexposure and reckless behavior leads to tragic ends. The rational explanations may seem convincing under the sane light of day...But then another victim turns up frozen in mortal terror. And the legend persists.

Of course, only the most daring few ever discover firsthand the truth of what occurs in those dark woods whenever some poor soul calls out that damned name. But then again, who’s to say that you won’t decide to seek out those ancient woods yourself one foggy night?

Perhaps you’ll be drawn by promises of communicating with the dead... the ultimate thrill... establishing your reputation... or just winning a foolish bet with friends. If so, there’s a crumbling slip of paper waiting somewhere nearby with three simple words beckoning you to light a candle and shout “Mackenzie!” to the unseen horrors dwelling within Sherwood’s misty shadows.

Will you be the next one to call out that fateful name? Who knows? But once spoken three times in those haunted woods, the darkest legends promise that a voice will utter one final phrase as your life force freezes over:

“It’s go time...”