Use the verbs in the Past Indefinite Tense

The castle (to stand) high on the rocky hill above the village. It (to cast) a
cold shadow over the houses and fields. None of the villagers ever (to go) near
the castle. At night they (to stay) close to their fires and (to keep) their doors
locked.
The castle (to be) nearly in ruin. It (to be) a rotting jumble of stone and
timber. But someone (to live) there. One man. He (to live) there alone.
Who (to be) this man? Nobody really (to know). Some people (to say), he
was half man, half wolf. Most people (to think) he (to be) a vampire. Everyone
(to fear) him.
Late one night a stranger (to come) to the village inn. He (to say) the
vampire in the castle (to be) dead. The villagers (not to believe) him. They (to
think) vampires (to live) forever.
That night there (to be) a violent storm. Lightning (to flash) across the
howling sky, thunder (to shake) the roofs of the houses. The storm (to stop)
quite suddenly. At that moment the lid of the big coffin of the vampire (to begin)
to open. As the coffin (to open), the storm (to die) to a whisper. The body in the
coffin (to take) the violent energy of the night. The vampire (to be) back.
The next day (to be) bright and sunny. Birds (to sing) in the trees. The
castle (to look) beautiful in the dawn light. People (to get up) early and (to clear)
away the debris from the storm. There (to be) many cracked slates and broken
windows. The villagers (to put) back the chimney pots and (to mend) their
fences. Life (to go on).
But the next night another terrible thing (to happen), an awful cry (to ring)
round the village. "Murder! .."
(After Chris Culshaw)