The Ghost In My Machine

Stories of the Strange and Unusual

The Most Dangerous Games: The Staircase Ritual

by

Previously: Hyakumonagatari Kaidankai. 

I’m not totally sure where The Staircase Ritual originated; it’s credited on most creepypasta repositories to someone going by the name “CousinSpookyNoodles,” but the site on which it was found is never specified. In any event, though, this one is long and involved, so it’s best not to undertake it unless you can devote at least two days to it — including an uninterrupted 13-hour stretch for the second half.

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It’s not quite an exorcism, but if you’ve got something weird going on in your home, it’ll help contain it by banishing it to the first floor. It also places a series of obstacles either slowing down or stopping whatever might be plaguing you from making its way from the first floor to the second. You’ll have to face it eventually, though, so be prepared for a fight.

As always, play at your own risk.

Players:

  • 1 principal.

Requirements:

  • 1 staircase with no fewer than 11 steps, but no more than 16 (excluding landings). A staircase with 12 or 13 steps is ideal.
  • 1 small, portable, battery-operated fan.
  • 1 glass of water.
  • 1 handful of dirt.
  • 1 candle.
  • Matches or a lighter.
  • As old a picture of the land on which your home currently stands as you can find.
  • 1 picture of your home as it is today.
  • 1 pair of six-sided dice.
  • 2 timekeeping devices. Analog is preferable, but digital will work in a pinch.
  • 1 food offering. It must be an animal or animal byproduct.
  • 1 mirror.
  • 1 handful of ash.
  • 2 to 3 dust bunnies.
  • 1 small living creature. An insect is ideal.
  • 1 fingernail, lock of hair, or other token plucked from your own body. It is not recommended that blood be used.
  • Salt.
  • 1 sharp object, preferably made of silver.

Instructions:

The Prelude:

  1. Begin in the afternoon. Make note of the precise time at which you commence.
  2. Stand at the bottom of the staircase. Speak aloud the words, “It is from here whenceforth I shall commence.”
  3. On the first step, place the small fan. Recite, “Here is the air that mortal breathes.”
  4. On the second step, place the glass of water. Recite, “Here is the water that mortal drinks.”
  5. On the third step, spread the handful of dirt, covering as much of the step as possible. Recite, “Here is the earth on which mortal stands.”
  6. On the fourth step, place the unlit candle, laying the matches or lighter next to it. Recite, “Here is the fire that burns mortal’s hands.”
  7. On the fifth step, place the old picture of your home. Recite, “Here is the time that has come to pass.”
  8. On the sixth step, place the current picture of your home and roll the dice beside it. Recite, “Here is the present and the die is cast.”
  9. On the seventh step, place one of your timekeeping devices. Recite, “Here comes the future, the time ticks by now.”
  10. On the eighth step, place your food offering. Recite, “Here is the offering for Devil’s mouth.”
  11. On the ninth step, place the mirror. Recite. “Here is my image, in God’s likeness I trust.” NOTE: This phrase must be repeated word for word and without hesitation, regardless as to the religion of the principal.
  12. On the tenth step, place the handful of ash and the dust bunnies. Recite, “Here is mortality, ashes and dust.”
  13. On the eleventh step, place your living creature. It must be alive, and it must not be able to escape. Recite, “Here is a life I present unto thee.”
  14. On the twelfth step, place the token from your body. Recite, “And here is the essence extracted from me.”
  15. On the final step or landing, draw a line of salt. Recite, “No further than here.”
  16. Leave your objects in place on the staircase overnight.

Do NOT proceed if anything seems amiss the next day (see: Additional Notes). If all is well, however, proceed as follows:

The Main Event:

  1. Evacuate all occupants of the house except the principal. Gather up your sharp object and your second timekeeping device. Keep these items with you at all times.
  2. Begin at the precise time you commenced the Prelude. Stand the bottom of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move.
  3. After an hour has passed, mount the first step and turn on the fan. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
  4. After the second hour has passed, mount the second step. Drink the entire glass of water. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
  5. After the third hour has passed, mount the third step, making sure both of your feet are in or on the dirt spread across it. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
  6. After the fourth hour has passed, mount the fourth step. Take up the lighter or matches and light the candle. Make sure it does not go out. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
  7. After the fifth hour has passed, mount the fifth step. Use the candle from the fourth step to burn the old picture of your home. Once the picture is unrecognizable or burned completely to ash, blow the candle out. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
    1. NOTE: It may be helpful to hold the candle during step 6 and carry it with you to step 7. At NO POINT should you turn around or look behind you.
  8. After the sixth hour has passed, mount the sixth step. Take up the current picture of your home and rip it as many times as indicated by the roll of the dice, but do not allow it to fall to pieces. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
  9. After the seventh hour has passed, mount the seventh step. Turn the clock forward as many hours as indicated by the roll of the dice on the previous step. Do NOT turn the clock backwards. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
  10. After the eighth hour has passed, mount the eighth step. Take a bite of the food offering and swallow it. Do NOT allow your face to betray any dislike or disgust. Show as much enjoyment as you can. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
  11. After the ninth hour ends, mount the ninth step. Pick up the mirror and look into it, focusing on your own face. Do NOT look at anything other than your face, no matter what might try to catch your eye. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
  12. After the tenth hour has passed, smash the mirror and mount the tenth step. Use your sharp object to bring forth a fresh drop of your blood. Allow the drop to fall on the pile of ashes and dust. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
  13. After the eleventh hour has passed, mount the eleventh step. Kill the insect. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
  14. After the twelfth hour has passed, mount the twelfth step. Take up the token plucked from your body and swallow it whole. Face the top of the staircase. Plant your feet. Do not move. Do not turn around or look behind you.
  15. After the thirteenth hour has passed, mount the final step. Keep your sharp object close.

The Ending:

  1. Turn around.

Good luck.

Additional Notes:

The instructions detailed here are designed for a home in which the occupants sleep on the second floor. If, however, you sleep on the first floor, simply reverse the instructions — that is, begin the ritual on the top step and work your way towards the bottom, rather than starting at the bottom and working your way to the top.

If you do not have a staircase, you may still perform the ritual using a long hallway. In the case of a hallway, mark the division between each “step” at regular intervals with a line of salt. Not NOT perform this ritual in a room. Do NOT perform it outside. Do NOT perform it in any small, enclosed spaces.

The Main Event does not necessarily have to be performed on the day immediately following the Prelude, but it’s recommended that it be performed as soon as possible. The more trips you or any other occupants of your home take up or down the staircase, the weaker the twelve obstacles in place will become; furthermore, depending on the strength of your unwelcome guest, they may not hold for more than a few nights to begin with.

If, after the Prelude, you return to the staircase to find any of the objects disturbed, do NOT proceed. Similarly, if you wake during the night or have nightmares while you sleep, do NOT proceed. If anything out of the ordinary occurs between the time when you complete the Prelude and begin the Main Event, DO NOT PROCEED. Instead, perform the following:

To Abort the Ritual:

Place a ring of salt around each item on the staircase, around your bed, and around the bed of any other occupants in your home. Leave them overnight. In the morning, remove the objects from your home.

Destroy them by any means necessary.

The Staircase Ritual: FAQ.

***

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I was gonna do my dog for the living object but then I saw the note about killing it and I was screaming ‘NO NOT MY DOG!’ Also, when you finish the game/ abort the game/ quit will the ‘thing’ pose a threat to you still? And why can I not use stairs with 16+ steps? And what if the objects cannot be removed/destroyed? What will happen?

    Reply

    • Well, if you do it with 16+ steps, you’ll be going an awful long time (16 or more hours) without taking care of any of your regular bodily functions; as such, it’s not recommended that you use a staircase with more steps than necessary. As opposed to what might happen if the objects can’t be removed or destroyed… let’s just say that what we don’t see is often scarier than what we DO see. Isn’t it a more thrilling story not to know?

      Reply

      • It says you can do it in a hallway for homes without stairs. Would it be OK to do it on the stairs and then repeat in a hallway to banish the spirit to the doorway or where the hallway ends?

        Reply

      • Um, would it be possible to do it with the staircase, then do the game again with the hallways therefore containing it to the main doorway? And possibly perform something else to weaken the spirit?

        Reply

    • It’s the unwelcome guest invading your home. This ritual is meant to “banish” it from your sleeping quarters as means of protection, is what I gathered. So it could either be a weak spirit or it can be a very strong spirit. It is completely variable to each person performing the ritual.

      Reply

    • Regarding the previous question, I don’t think so, unless specifically stated in another ritual. You could try searching for one, but make sure you know what exactly is in the house. Otherwise, I suggest you use an object of religious faith (if you have a religion you strongly believe in) and follow whatever your deity asks you to do.

      If not,

      you’re on your own.

      Reply

  5. This ritual summons a variety of demons. It is very hard to control not only what you summon but how to finish and banish the guest.
    Be very careful with this one. It is asking for trouble. Blood rituals will bind you to the demon you summon. Demons do not affect you on a level you can register. For example you will not be able to see, hear, feel the demon sometimes. If a demon is bound to you it will haunt you for years on a emotional level. Believe me I know. I have just about recovered from a ritual I did 6 years ago. The deeper the cut for the offering the longer the binding. Once the cut or scar fades the power diminishes so only offer a pin prick no more.
    To the owner of the site, I recommend publishing The Grand Grimore. This is the most sensible ritual I have read .

    Reply

    • Depends

      You have to face it, and er, somehow deter it from coming back. How you do that is unspecified as it probably defers from situation to situation

      Nevertheless, I’d suggest you don’t play this. If not, well,

      you will have to bear the consequences.

      Reply

  14. Yo, like, I have goosebumps right now, shit…. what if I trip? What if I’m scared of cockroaches and spiders? Can it be an ant? XD I just put my finger and kill it. What if I want to play this with someone else, can it be two people?

    Reply

  15. I. Dont. Know. Why. I. Ask. If. I’m. Not. Doing. This. Never. Ohoho, just pray God to save you when you turn back. Like couldn’t you give me a sneak peak of what would happen at the end? Like a little clue or something? Yes, iM fReAkiNg oUt?

    Reply

  16. What does it mean by tearing the picture of your home but not letting it fall to pieces? Do you just make tears in the picture while leaving it whole as opposed to tearing it up?

    Reply

  17. Can I put the offerings such as the food and maybe a few of the others on plates, or would that ruin their power or whatever? And could I put the insect in a cage, perhaps with a bit of food to make sure it stays alive through the night? What if I come back and my insect has died?

    Reply

  18. Sorry if this is a bit gross, but, well… you won’t be able to go to the bathroom for hours at a time… will it screw up the ritual if you wet yourself?

    Reply

    • It shows weakness to not have self control like that, especially in a exorcism ritual like this, meant to intimidate spirits. I suggest eating and drinking minimal before doing this and making sure your well kept.

      Reply

  23. I can only assume that this means to tear, but not completely rip the photo apart. I’d satisfy that by tearing the corners towards the center of the photo.

    Reply

  25. Who or what is there if you turn, and when you turn? Is it like a demon, or a rakshasa (basically demon in Hinduism) or does it differ from your religion?

    Or maybe its Death, but that won’t make sense, seeing as (I am assuming) we would have to battle Death at the end then…

    Reply

  26. Some of these I can see people actually doing- and as much as I am too chicken, some of them I think of doing too. But this one? …yeah, no way in hell.

    Reply

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