For a short story. A mysterious puzzle is regifted from one person to the next. Something bad always happens to the giftee. Finally, after all the family and friends are exhausted, the puzzle starts showing up at garage sales and auction boxes. Disaster follows.
Turns out, when you put the last piece of the puzzle in place, you release a creepy evil spirit that brings bad tidings into your life. The only way to stop it is to break up the puzzle, box it up, and get rid of it.
I think it will work. I wonder where I got the idea. It just came to me . . .
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Oh my . . .

Clown puzzles. You intentionally lose the pieces.