Chapter 1: The Haunting Headline

Jereco Jake Slade, a relic of a bygone era, a newspaperman who’d rather chew on a typewriter ribbon than a salad, was having a decidedly unhaunting day. His latest assignment? A missing accountant. Yawn. He’d covered more exciting stories in his youth – like the time he’d chased a raccoon through City Hall.

“A missing accountant,” he muttered, the words tasting like stale coffee. “Exciting stuff. Next thing you know, I’ll be covering a lost sock.”

As he trudged through the rain-slicked streets, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. A chill ran down his spine, but he dismissed it as the aftereffects of too much cheap whiskey. He’d always been a skeptic, a realist. But lately, things had taken a turn for the weird.

At the accountant’s office, a dreary, windowless cubicle farm, Jereco was greeted by a nervous-looking office worker. “He just…vanished,” the man stammered, his eyes darting around the room. “One minute he was here, the next, gone.”

Jereco raised an eyebrow. “Vanished, huh? Like a puff of smoke?”

The office worker nodded, his face pale. “It’s like something…supernatural.”

Jereco scoffed. “Supernatural? More like super boring. Unless, of course, we’re talking about a ghost who’s embezzled millions.”

The man’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t believe what’s been happening here lately.”

Intrigued, Jereco leaned in. “Spill it.”

The man hesitated. “Strange noises, flickering lights, and a sense of…unease.”

Jereco chuckled. “Sounds like a typical Tuesday at the office.”

But as he delved deeper into the case, the strange occurrences began to escalate. Whispers echoed in empty hallways, lights flickered ominously, and shadows seemed to dance and distort. Jereco, ever the skeptic, tried to rationalize the phenomena. Maybe it was a faulty electrical system or a prank gone awry.

Desperate for answers, he turned to a local folklore expert, a wizened old woman named Lola Ising. She regarded him with knowing eyes. “You’ve stumbled upon something dark, young man,” she said, her voice a low rumble. “Something that’s been lurking in the shadows, waiting for its chance to strike.”

Jereco rolled his eyes. “Great. Now I’m dealing with ghosts and goblins.”

Lola Ising smiled knowingly. “The spirits of the past can be quite vengeful, especially when their secrets are disturbed.”

Jereco was skeptical, but he couldn’t deny the growing unease. As he left Lola Ising’s hut, a sudden gust of wind whipped around him, nearly knocking him off his feet. He looked up at the sky, a single, ominous cloud looming overhead.

“Well, this is just peachy,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. “A missing accountant, a haunted office, and a whole lot of weird.”

He trudged back to his dilapidated apartment, the rain soaking through his worn-out coat. As he fumbled for his keys, he heard a faint whisper, a chilling voice that seemed to emanate from the darkness.

“You’re digging too deep, Jake.”

More to Come