The Echoes of the Forgotten: A WeChat Séance

In the quiet town of Jingning, nestled between rolling hills and ancient cypresses, there lived a young woman named Ling. Her life was a tapestry of routine and solitude, the threads woven from the memories of her deceased mother, who had passed away under mysterious circumstances when Ling was just a child. The only connection Ling had left to her mother was a WeChat account, a digital grave where she poured out her grief and longing.

One rainy evening, as the storm raged outside, Ling found herself unable to sleep. She reached for her phone, her fingers brushing against the cold screen. A thought struck her—a séance. She had heard of them, seen them on TV, but never dared to attempt one. Yet, in the solitude of the night, she felt an inexplicable pull.

Ling opened WeChat and began to type. She scrolled through her contacts, searching for any sign of her mother's presence. There, amidst the list of friends and acquaintances, was a name she had never seen before: "Mum's Soul." Heart pounding, she sent a message: "Hello, is anyone there?"

To her astonishment, an immediate response came back. "Hello, my child. I am your mother's spirit."

Ling's breath caught in her throat. She had never expected an answer. "How did you find me?" she typed, her fingers trembling.

"I have been watching over you, waiting for the right moment to reach out. I need your help," the message read.

Ling's heart raced. "What do you need?"

"I need you to uncover the truth about my death. There is something dark in our family's past that I have been trying to escape. But now, I am trapped, and I need you to break the cycle."

Intrigued and a little scared, Ling agreed to help. She began to delve into her mother's past, piecing together the scattered memories and clues that had been hidden away. She discovered that her mother had been involved in a secret society dedicated to preserving ancient rituals and artifacts. It was a society shrouded in mystery and danger, one that had been rumored to be the source of many supernatural occurrences in Jingning.

As Ling followed the trail, she uncovered a series of letters her mother had written to her, detailing her fears and the dark secrets she had been forced to keep. The letters spoke of a vengeful spirit, one that had been bound to an ancient artifact and was now seeking retribution.

One night, as Ling sat in her mother's old room, the phone vibrated in her hand. It was a video call from "Mum's Soul." The screen flickered, and Ling saw her mother's face, pale and haunted. "Ling, I have found the artifact," her mother's voice echoed through the screen. "But it is not what you think. It is a curse, and it has been passed down through generations of our family."

Ling's eyes widened. "What do I do now?"

"Destroy it," her mother's voice was urgent. "But be careful, for the spirit will not take kindly to its release."

Determined, Ling set out on a quest to find the artifact. She traveled through the town, asking questions and piecing together the clues her mother had left behind. She visited the old temple, the one her mother had spoken of in her letters, and there, amidst the shadows and cobwebs, she found the artifact: an ornate box, covered in ancient symbols.

As she reached out to touch it, the room began to spin. She felt a cold wind brush against her skin, and her heart raced. "Mum's Soul," she whispered into the phone, "help me."

Instantly, the room was filled with light, and her mother's spirit appeared before her. "Ling, you must destroy the box. But be quick, for the spirit is growing stronger."

Ling took a deep breath and, with all her strength, shattered the box. The symbols began to glow, and the room was filled with a cacophony of sounds. The spirit, a figure cloaked in darkness, emerged from the debris. It looked at Ling with eyes filled with malice.

"Your mother's actions have cost me dearly," the spirit hissed. "But now, you will pay the price."

Before Ling could react, the spirit lunged at her. She felt a sharp pain in her chest, and her vision blurred. She fell to the ground, her breath coming in gasps.

As the spirit hovered over her, Ling's phone began to ring. It was her mother's voice, calm and clear. "Ling, you must believe in me. The spirit is bound to the box. Destroy it, and it will be gone."

Ling's eyes opened, and she reached for the broken pieces of the box. With a final effort, she crushed them into dust. The spirit's form began to fade, and then it was gone.

Ling lay on the ground, gasping for breath. She looked at her phone, the screen now blank. She had won, but at what cost?

Days passed, and Ling's life slowly returned to normal. She had uncovered the truth about her family's past and freed her mother's spirit. But the haunting presence of the spirit had left its mark on her. She knew that the cycle of darkness would continue unless she could find a way to break it for good.

One evening, as she sat in her mother's old room, she received a message on WeChat. It was from "Mum's Soul." "Thank you, Ling," the message read. "You have set us free. But remember, the cycle will continue unless you can find a way to end it once and for all."

Ling looked at the screen, her eyes filled with determination. She knew that her journey was far from over. The echoes of the forgotten would continue to haunt her, but she was ready to face them. For the sake of her family, and for the sake of peace, she would uncover the final truth and break the cycle for good.