The Jester's Joke: Whispers from the WeChat Haunting

The night was shrouded in a dense fog, the kind that clung to the earth like a living thing, whispering secrets of the past. In the small town of Eldridge, the silence was broken only by the distant howl of a lone wolf. The townsfolk had grown accustomed to the eerie sounds, but tonight, something was different. A new joke had taken root, one that spread like wildfire through the social media app WeChat.

The joke was simple, yet sinister: "Send this message to ten friends before midnight, or you'll be haunted by the Jester forever." It was a riddle wrapped in a threat, and it had no known origin. The first few who dared to ignore the warning found their phones buzzing with eerie messages, their screens flickering with the image of a jester's face. The messages were brief, cryptic, and always ended with a haunting laugh.

Amelia, a young librarian with a penchant for the supernatural, received the message at 11:45 PM. Her curiosity was piqued, and she decided to send it to her ten closest friends. As the clock struck midnight, her phone began to ring. The caller ID read "Unknown." The voice on the other end was chilling, a deep, resonant laugh that echoed through the phone.

"Amelia, you have been chosen," the voice said. "The Jester is coming for you."

Amelia's heart raced as she disconnected the call. She knew she had to find out more about this Jester, but her friends were skeptical. They dismissed her concerns as paranoia, but Amelia couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

The next day, the town was abuzz with rumors. People spoke of strange noises in the night, shadows that moved on their own, and the occasional glimpse of a jester's face in the windows of abandoned houses. Amelia's investigation led her to the town's old theater, a dilapidated building that had been closed for decades.

Inside, the air was thick with dust and decay. Amelia's flashlight flickered as she moved through the dimly lit corridors. The walls were adorned with faded posters of old plays, and the stage was a sea of forgotten memories. She found a dusty old box in the corner and opened it to reveal a collection of old photographs, letters, and a journal.

The journal belonged to a former actor named Edward, who had vanished without a trace years ago. The entries were filled with tales of strange occurrences, of a jester who had haunted the theater, and of a curse that bound him to the building. Amelia's heart pounded as she read the final entry, which spoke of a joke that would awaken the Jester's wrath.

As Amelia left the theater, she felt a sudden chill. She turned to see a figure standing in the doorway, a jester's mask covering his face. The laughter that followed was unmistakable, a sound that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

Amelia's friends were now convinced of the supernatural, but they couldn't help but wonder if Amelia was losing her mind. The hauntings grew worse, and the Jester seemed to be targeting those who had ignored the warning. The town was in turmoil, and Amelia knew she had to act.

She returned to the theater, determined to confront the Jester. As she stepped inside, the air grew colder, and the shadows seemed to move with a life of their own. The Jester appeared once more, his laughter echoing through the empty building.

"Amelia, you have made a grave mistake," the Jester's voice said. "You cannot escape the curse."

Amelia's eyes met his, and she knew she had to make a choice. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the journal. "I know who you are, Edward," she said. "And I know what you want. But I won't let you haunt this town any longer."

With a determined look in her eyes, Amelia burned the journal. The flames consumed the pages, and the laughter of the Jester grew fainter. The shadows began to recede, and the air grew warmer.

The Jester vanished, leaving behind a sense of relief and a renewed sense of hope. The town of Eldridge slowly returned to normal, but Amelia knew that the Jester's curse had not been entirely lifted. She had only delayed his return.

As she left the theater, Amelia couldn't shake the feeling that the Jester was still watching, waiting for the next person to take his place. She knew that her journey was far from over, and that the true mystery of the Jester's Joke was only just beginning.