On Halloween night, Marcus stayed late at his trading desk, captivated by a mysterious new stock, “NTH.” It had appeared out of nowhere with a perfect price rise, a steady, eerie climb that defied all market logic. He couldn’t resist; he bought in, ignoring the unsettling feeling that had crept over him.
The moment he clicked “Buy,” his screen flickered, the stock price soaring impossibly high. He was thrilled until his screen dimmed, showing a warning: Trade at your own risk. Confused, he glanced at the message, but then it vanished, replaced by an alert that his account balance was empty.
Panicked, Marcus searched his transaction history, only to find more messages—haunting, cryptic messages detailing the losses of traders before him, each with the same stock. “They all took the risk, and none escaped,” one read. His heart pounded as he noticed a new name added at the bottom: Marcus Payne. His bank accounts, portfolio, everything drained.
Desperate, he tried to close out, but the screen froze, revealing a message in red: “You’re in for life.” Then, the price ticked up again, and he realized he wasn’t alone—other traders, ghostly, flickered on his screen, trapped in an endless, haunted trade.