Previously: The Picture Game.
The idea of a multiverse isn’t new, but in Sever the Cord, which was first uploaded to the Creepypasta Wikia on Nov. 7, 2010, it’s a little different — less a multiverse and more a… two-story house, let’s say. In this two-story house, each floor is identical to the other; the same furniture, the same organizational principles, and the same decorations exist on each floor. The inhabitants, too, are the same — there’s you, on the floor that you live on, and then there’s your Copy, which lives on the other floor. When you look in a mirror, you’re seeing the other floor. You’re seeing your Copy.
There’s one difference between the two floors, though, and that’s the fact that a… Being lives on one floor. The Copies that live there can’t see him… but he’s there. Watching. Keeping an eye on you through your Copy, for everything you do is also done by your Copy. The Being watches it all, meting out retribution when necessary.
You can escape the watching, of course… but the price is high.
Fun fact: Researchers did in fact find what might be evidence of a multiverse a few years ago. In 2010, a study found “four statistically unlikely circular patterns in the cosmic microwave background” of the universe, according to Phys.org — patterns which, theorized the researchers, might be “bruises” our universe got by bumping into other universes.
[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]
Whether or not our Copies or the Being were present when those bruises happened remains to be seen.
As always, play at your own risk.
Players:
- One principal.
Requirements:
- A mirror.
- A dark room.
- A light with a switch.
Instructions:
- Begin at any time. Nighttime is recommended.
- Prepare your room: Cover the windows securely; no light should shine through, whether streetlights or moonlight. Set up your mirror. Make sure your light and its switch are in working order. Leave the light on for now.
- Stand in front of your mirror.
- Look at your reflection in the mirror.
- It’s not your reflection. It’s your Copy. Look at your Copy in the mirror. Look your Copy in the eye.
- Know — don’t think; know — that you are not looking at yourself. Know that you are looking at perfect Copy of yourself. Know that you are bound to your Copy, and your Copy to you — but also that your Copy is distinct from you, a separate creature, a being all its own. Know this with every fiber of your being. Know that it is true.
- When you have reached this moment of truth, turn off the lights.
- NOTE: If you do not reach this moment of truth, DO NOT PROCEED.
- Wait. There is no precise time to wait; simply wait until it feels right to wait no longer. Most players wait around two minutes. You might wait more. You might wait less.
- Turn the lights back on.
- If your reflection is still present: The ritual has failed. It is NOT recommended that you try again.
- If your reflection has vanished: The ritual has succeeded. There will be no need to try again.
The Prize:
If the ritual has succeeded, you have severed the “cord” — the bond — between you and your Copy. Your Copy will no longer mirror your every move. You will no longer be watched. You may do as you please, and you will face no retribution for any of it.
The Price:
At the site of severance, the “cord” will begin to decay — on one side, and one side only. There is no telling which side will decay; it could be your side, or it could be your Copy’s side. Whichever side it is, upon reaching the You on that side, the decay begin to eat at that being’s soul. They will grow pale and weak, sickness tearing away at them from the inside out, cursing them to an eternity of shadows.
If your Copy falls to the decay, you will go free.
If the decay comes after you…
…You will not.
Concerning the Copy:
Don’t assume that the Copy isn’t you.
If you start to feel ill one day — like a shadow of yourself — look in the mirror.
Is your reflection there?
If not, the other You may have severed the cord…
…And you’re the one who’s paying the price.
***
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[Photo via bambi_photos/Pixabay]
