Welcome back gals and ghouls to this week’s story. I thought it would be interesting to take the next couple of weeks to look into the different “scary” games that many of us play as children. This week we will be focusing on the Western world (North America specifically) and different creepy games that kids play without knowing how creepy they actually are. Next week we will be examining Japanese games to compare the intensity between the two cultures. I hope you are all excited… Ready, set, go!

Growing up, we all have this sort of curiosity about fear. From daring each other to summon a manic woman, to magically lifting your friend using just your finger and thumb, we take our chances to see just how far we will go before chickening out. Today we are going to explore three common Western horror games played by children.

Cat Scratch

This game sounds as though it would be so easy to fake, but many people who have tried this game as children swear it to be real. The concept behind it is that you are summoning a sort of demonic cat-like creature that will scratch you upon completion of a simple rhyme.

This game requires a minimum of two people, with no maximum amount of players.

Step 1: Player One (the “Summoner”, if you will) sits in a circle with the rest of the players while Player Two (the “Victim”) lies inside the circle with their head on Player One’s lap.

Step 2: Player One would gently massage the temples of Player Two and recite one of the following two poems (whichever they deemed appropriate at the time).

Story #1
There once was an old lady who owned a cat.
The cat was very nice.
It meowed and purred.
One day, the cat got hit by a car and died.
Cat scratch, cat scratch, cat scratch. 

The old lady went out and got a new cat.
This cat was very mean.
It hissed and clawed.
Cat scratch, cat scratch, cat scratch.

One day, this cat got hit by a car and died.
The old lady decided to not get any more cats.
Cat scratch, cat scratch, cat scratch.

Story #2

You are walking through a dark alley late at night.
You are the only one there.
The ground is slick with rain.
The alley is filled with garbage cans and litter.
But then you hear something.
A movement in the garbage cans.
You pick up your pace.
You want to get out of the alley fast.
But then you see something.
Red eyes. Glowing red cat eyes.
They are the eyes of an enormous cat.
You run, but the cat chases you and jumps on you.
It scratches you, one, two, three.
Cat scratch, cat scratch, cat scratch!

Step 3: Immediately after the poem is recited, Player Two must stand up and the remaining members of the circle must lift up Player Two’s shirt to expose their back, where they will see the mysterious appearance of three scratch marks running perfectly down the centre. Player Two will have felt no scratching sensation at all.

Concentrate

Some of you may remember playing this in the school yard at recess with your friends in the late 90s or early 2000s (when I was in JK-3rd grade). Although I only ever saw one colour, many people claimed to have seen any range of colours, all meaning something completely different. Many people speculate that this is a type of hypnosis, but the ultimate “goal” is to tell you how you are going to die.

This game requires only two people.

Step 1: Player One stands behind Player Two as Player Two closes their eyes (no peeking).

Step 2: Player One will recite the following chant while using the appropriate motions connected to each verse.

Chorus – (Every time you repeat this portion, you pound lightly on the victims back with both fists)
Concentrate. Concentrate.
Concentrate on what I’m saying.
People are dying. Children are crying.
Concentrate. Concentrate.
Concentrate on what I’m saying.

 Verse 1 – (Tap the person on the top of their head with your fist and run your hands down both sides of their head – You are imitating the feeling of cracking an egg)
Crack an egg on your head.
Let the yolk run down. Let the yolk run down.
Crack an egg on your head.
Let the yolk run down. Let the yolk run down.

 Chorus
Concentrate. Concentrate.
Concentrate on what I’m saying.
People are dying. Children are crying.
Concentrate. Concentrate.
Concentrate on what I’m saying.

 Verse 2 – (Twist your hands on their shoulders and run your hands down their arms)
Squeeze an orange on your shoulder.
Let the juice drip down. Let the juice drip down.
Squeeze an orange on your shoulder.
Let the juice drip down. Let the juice drip down.

 Chorus
Concentrate. Concentrate.
Concentrate on what I’m saying.
People are dying. Children are crying.
Concentrate. Concentrate.
Concentrate on what I’m saying.

 Verse 3 – (Poke them on either side of their torso and run your hands down their sides)
Stick a needle in your sides.
Let the blood drip down. Let the blood drip down.
Stick a needle in your sides.
Let the blood drip down. Let the blood drip down.

Chorus
Concentrate. Concentrate.
Concentrate on what I’m saying.
People are dying. Children are crying.
Concentrate. Concentrate.
Concentrate on what I’m saying.

 Verse 4 – (Tap them on the back with your fist and run your hand down their back)
Stab a knife in your back.
Let the blood drip down. Let the blood drip down.
Stab a knife in your back.
Let the blood drip down. Let the blood drip down.

Chorus
Concentrate. Concentrate.
Concentrate on what I’m saying.
People are dying. Children are crying.
Concentrate. Concentrate.
Concentrate on what I’m saying. 

Verse 5 – (Mime wrapping a rope around their neck and then pull on the imaginary rope. The victim’s head should fall back as if they are being hung)
Wrap a rope around your neck.
Wrap it till it’s tight. Wrap it till it’s tight.
Wrap a rope around your neck.
And… PULL!

(Now hold the person by their arms gently swaying them back and forth. Whisper the following in their ear)
You’re standing on a building.
You’re out on the ledge.
You’re feeling very dizzy
And you’re close to the edge.
And someone… PUSHES YOU! (Then you push them.)

Step 3: Player One asks Player Two what colour they saw when they were pushed. The colour they reveal describes how they will die later in life.

Red: Stabbed
Blue: Drowned in water
Yellow: Poisoned
Orange: Burned
Green: Fall from a great height onto grass
Purple: Suffocation
Brown: Buried alive
Grey: Disease
Black: Of old age and goes to Hell
White: Of old age and goes to Heaven

Bloody Mary

Last on our list is one of the most well known scary games that many of us played as children. Although there are many variations to this specific game, I will be speaking about the one that I have come across the most frequently.

This game is to be played by a single player on their own.

Step 1: The player is to enter a dimly-lit or candlelit room with a large mirror in it. (Most people tend to use a bathroom)

Step 2: The player faces the mirror and in a calm voice, says “Bloody Mary” three times without closing their eyes or looking away.

Step 3: Bloody Mary will show herself in the mirror behind you. Generally, the story goes that she is covered in blood and screaming, but people have also said that she appears as a corpse or a witch and curses you or attempts to strangle you to death.

*Bonus Fact* The “summoning” of Bloody Mary is actually an ancient practice called “Catopromancy” which means “divination using a mirror”.

That’s it for this week! I hope you learned something spooky about your childhood! I’m looking forward to next week’s post and I hope you are too. 

Until next time… Keep it spooky!