Joker

A carnival arrives, cloaked in shadows and whispers of the uncanny. For Tammy, it's a haunting reminder of a childhood accident she can't forget. But for her friends Rhonda and Jake, it's a chance to embrace spontaneity and escape the mundane. Little do they know, a malevolent force lurks beneath the carnival's bright lights and cheerful facade.

A haunting melody draws them in, the air thick with the scent of popcorn and something unsettlingly metallic. When their friend Tom vanishes into a dilapidated tent marked "The Cursed Coaster," the group is confronted by the Joker, a sinister entity whose painted grin hides a world of malice.

They are forced into a deadly game, a series of twisted challenges designed to exploit their deepest fears. They navigate a treacherous funhouse, where reality bends and distorts, and ride a haunted carousel that forces them to confront echoes of their past. The Joker's laughter echoes through the carnival's labyrinthine pathways, a constant reminder of the danger that lurks around every corner.

As the stakes rise, the group faces a choice: succumb to the terror that threatens to consume them, or find the strength to break free from the Joker's control.

Will they escape the carnival's clutches, or become another haunting echo in its sinister history? A short story.

The "J" story of Spooky Shorts.