The Most Dangerous Games: Lady Spades

Previously: The Stranger Ritual.

The current prevailing version of the Lady Spades ritual game hails from redditor jazzyfingers at the Three Kings subreddit; it may also be referred to as The Queen of Spades or Dama Pika. It’s similar to Bloody Mary in that the ritual involves calling up a woman — or at least, something that looks like a woman — in a mirror. Unlike Bloody Mary, however, the successful summoning of Lady Spades grants you the chance to make a wish… for a price, of course.

There used to be a variation of this game available on the Creepypasta Wikia, although it appears the page was deleted in September of 2015. I’m unclear on the reason for the deletion, but as I recall, the story as it stood wasn’t particular well written, so maybe it was a QA kind of thing. That particular version involved multiple participants; to see it in action, you can watch it being played here. 

[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]

For what it’s worth, the famed Russian writer Alexander Pushkin wrote a short story called “The Queen of Spades” in 1833, later publishing it in 1834. It, too, involves a game of cards, although it’s more a game of chance than the one seen here. Either way, though…

Play at your own risk.

Players:

• One principal.

Requirements:

• A candle.
• Matches or a lighter.
• Lipstick, preferably red, although other colors may also be acceptable.
• A quiet, dark room.
• A mirror. The mirror may be a fixture of the room (e.g. a bathroom mirror).
• The Queen of Spades, pulled from a deck of cards.

Instructions:

The Summoning:

1. Begin at midnight.
2. Enter the quiet, dark room. Make sure all the lights are off.
3. Place the candle in front of the mirror and light it with your matches or lighter.
4. Using the lipstick, write “Lady Spades” on the mirror. Then hold the Queen of Spades in your hand such that she is facing the mirror.
5. Close your eyes. Empty your mind. Relax, as much as you are able. Then repeat the words “Lady Spades, appear” aloud seven times.
6. Keep your eyes closed and call up the image of Lady Spades in your mind. She will be dressed in black, with eyes to match, and although her smile can melt even the coldest of hearts, her face will be mangled and scarred. Do not panic if you hear a woman’s voice or laughter, or the echo of footsteps nearby; these sounds indicate a successful Summoning.
7. Open your eyes.

The Wishing:

1. If, upon opening your eyes, any of the following occur, do NOT proceed:
   • The candle is out;
   • The card is facing you;
   • The card is missing;
   • You see a woman in the mirror with her hands pressed up against it.
2. Should any of these occurrences be observed, immediately enact the appropriate Ending for your situation as indicated below. If, however, you open your eyes and see a woman in the mirror with her hands by her sides, you may proceed.
3. State your wish to the woman.
4. No matter what happens next, do NOT break eye contact with her. If you do, immediately enact the appropriate Ending for your situation as indicated below.
5. If she decides to grant your wish, she will smile at you and say, “Yes.”

The Ending:

1. If the ritual is successful: Say the words, “Lady Spades, disappear.” Then wipe her name from the mirror, blow out the candle, and turn the lights on. Burn the Queen of Spades card to ash as soon as possible. Your wish should come true shortly.
2. If the ritual is unsuccessful: Proceed as directed for each situation.
   • If you open your eyes and the candle has gone out: Relight it as quickly as possible, say the words, “Lady Spades, disappear,” wipe her name from the mirror, blow out the candle, and turn the lights on. Burn the Queen of Spades card immediately.
   • If you open your eyes and the card is facing you, rather than the mirror: Rip the card in half, say the words, “Lady Spades, disappear,” wipe her name from the mirror, blow out the candle, and turn the lights on. Burn the pieces of the Queen of Spades card immediately.
   • If you open your eyes and the card is missing: Break the mirror, turn on the lights, and attempt to locate the card in the room. If you find it, burn it. If you don’t, leave it and vacate the premises immediately.
   • If you open your eyes and the woman’s hands are pressed against the mirror: Break the mirror immediately. Vacate the premises and burn the card.
   • If you fail to maintain eye contact: Break the mirror immediately. Vacate the premises and burn the card.
   • If she declines to grant your wish: Break the mirror. Blow out the candle. Burn the card. Hope for the best.
3. Do not attempt the ritual again. Ever.

Additional Notes:

If you open your eyes during the Summoning and everything is normal save for the mirror being empty or the absence of voices, laughter, or footsteps, the ritual has failed. There are no negative consequences for the ritual failing in this manner; however, it is still a good idea to repeat the words, “Lady Spades, disappear,” wipe the mirror clean, blow out the candle, and turn on the lights. Burn the card at your soonest convenience.

Do not attempt to end the game between the statement of your wish and the woman’s response. She doesn’t like being interrupted.

Lady Spades has a habit of sticking around. Even if the ritual is a success, it comes with a price.

Story Time:

Once upon a time, a young woman moved to a village in Eastern Europe from somewhere no one had ever heard of. Extraordinarily beautiful, she received rather a lot of attention from the men of the town; it was said that her smile could melt the heart of anyone upon whom she bestowed it. She dressed all in black, earning her the nickname Lady Spades, thanks to her resemblance to the playing card of the same name.

But her beauty was also her undoing. Brother turned upon brother, father against son, friend against lifelong friend, all in the name of winning just one, single smile from her. The women turned against her, too, blaming her for seizing the attention of their husbands and sweethearts. In an effort to save their village, the elders decided that there was only one solution: That she be removed from the equation.

An angry mob descended upon her house and found her brushing her hair before the mirror. The mob beat her savagely, tearing her beautiful face to shreds. Then they left her to die, with only her mirror — and her own ravaged visage — for company.

For three days she wept, her cries echoing through the village, until finally silence fell. But with her last breath, she cursed anyone who dared to say her name in front of a mirror. If you’re polite, she will make your fondest wish come true… but you don’t want to know what happens if you’re impolite.

And Whatever You Do:

Do NOT let her out of the mirror.

Lady Spades: FAQ.

***

Follow The Ghost In My Machine on Twitter @GhostMachine13 and on Facebook @TheGhostInMyMachine. And don’t forget to check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available now from Chronicle Books!

[Photo: Naira Dias/Flickr]