The Ghost In My Machine

Stories of the Strange and Unusual

The Most Dangerous Games: Sever The Cord

by

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.

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:

  1. Begin at any time. Nighttime is recommended.
  2. 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.
  3. Stand in front of your mirror.
  4. Look at your reflection in the mirror.
  5. It’s not your reflection. It’s your Copy. Look at your Copy in the mirror. Look your Copy in the eye.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.

Sever The Cord: FAQ.

***

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[Photo via bambi_photos/Pixabay]

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. In severing the cord, like Macbeth, I wonder… do we jump the life to come? Sure, we’re free to what we like without fear of retribution in this life, but what of the afterlife? If we’re no longer connected to the being who watches have we effectively cut ourselves off from “the other side” of this life? Perhaps the the long-term rewards outweigh the relatively short ones we’d reap in this life by severing the cord.

    Reply

  4. If the copy is exactly you then are they knowing like you are and that’s why decay might come for you ? I think that’s it.

    Reply

    • No. Ghost believers believe there is a parallel dimension (which is your Copy’s dimension) whom that our Copies may look exactly like us, but, they are opposite in everything, for example, you are a ghost believer, then, your Copy would be a skeptic.
      The decay may come after you or your Copy. The only way to realize you are free………………
      …………is that the Copy has the decay somewhere but you look there and you don’t.

      Reply

  6. I feel like this is a game you can play on accident. Like for no reason in the middle of the night without realizing it.

    Reply

  7. That’d propbaby be the weirdest thing to me; knowing that a mirror’s reflection is actually the closest to what another world is. Anyway, onto my question, er..more than one. There’s a few mirror rituals that involve turning off the lights in this giant compilation of ‘Don’t play these’ games. So, theoretically, what would happen by combining this one and say, another one? Would your copy also experience what happens, or would you be forced to experience it by yourself? Also, most require a dark room without any light. Could you do such a thing in a bathrom, with an already set up mirror? Though I don’t know if doing it in a bathroom, or just a room without any light, would make a difference..definately increases the spook factor.

    Reply

    • I’ll answer your questions.

      1. What would happen if I combine this ritual with another mirror ritual?

      Please don’t do that. That will increase the Danger Factor.

      2. Would your Copy experience what you experienced yourself?

      Guess not. In reality, the reason why you see your Copy is because when people made the mirrors, they painted the glass with some sort of chemical to see your Copy. But for ghost believers, well, the reason why is because there is a mirrored dimension who us, is opposite in everything. So, I’m a skeptic, so I guess not.

      3. Could I do this is a bathroom? Bathrooms have already set up mirrors.

      I guess so. But there is one more reflective thing to worry about because some bathrooms…………………
      ……………don’t have mirrors.

      Reply

  9. Do you mean that once you look back in the mirror after turning back on the lights that you don’t see your ‘copy’

    Reply

    • Yes, if done correctly when you turn the lights on if your reflection(copy), is not present or seen you have done it. Then you wait to see if you have the prize or pay the price

      Reply

    • Once you’ve turn the lights back on, you don’t see your reflection, you only see the stuff inside the room you’re playing.

      Reply

  10. I wonder if these copies of us are an integral part of who we are. It would make sense, if everyone has one of these from birth then to alter that in any way would be to alter yourself in some unknown way. Imagine that you are balanced on a seesaw with someone of your exact mass, who suddenly disappears. This would certainly cause some kind of destabilizing effect. I don’t know, I don’t believe in a lot of this stuff, but as you say above parallel dimensions almost certainly exist, and who knows what can happen if we play around with that balance.

    Reply

  11. I’m so confused about one part – If your copy mimics you and everything you do, then how would it try to sever the cord without you doing it? Doesn’t that NOT make u a perfect copy? Also, if you’re doing it, then so is your copy, right?

    Reply

  16. What if you don’t reach the moment of truth, do you just give up, open the curtains and turn on the lights and never try again?

    Reply

  19. I have the most grim feeling that, if done spot on and in pristine conditions, it will work. In all honesty, who ever says it doesn’t work could have done it wrong. The topic of the existence of other universes is not new to me. I do not wish to try it because it is possible that it will work. I love reading about it though, this website is cool, it keeps me interested. 🙂

    Reply

  21. This is by far my favorite post. :3 Thank you so much for posting all of these, I really enjoy scaring myself with them. XD

    Reply

    • I’d like to think it’s an omnipotent being who has it’s ways of manipulating the things around it, so yes. It’s more of a neutral party, but who knows what it’ll do when you have done something wrong?

      Reply

  23. Also, does your Copy know that they’re a ‘Copy’ or what if we ourselves are a Copy? How do we know?

    Reply

  24. So think about it, if you were to take someone’s life after successfully completing the ritual and being on the prize side, your copy won’t be there to take their copy’s life, so what do think exactly happens?

    Reply

  25. sorry if this question is confusing or stupid or something, but do all Copies reside in the same realm/universe/etc? or are Copies and non-Copies mixed within realms without any way to distinguish one from the other? because if they aren’t mixed together and realms are strictly Copy or non-Copy, couldn’t someone just tell another person who they knew to do the ritual, and just wait and see if they decayed or not? anyway, i love reading about these games, thank you so much for sharing these with us! (although my house is full of mirrors and i often find it hard to sleep at night haha)

    Reply

  28. Would it be possible if your copy tries to sever the cord and they turn out to be the copy? Would you just cease to have a reflection? And can others see your reflection even if you sever the cord?

    Reply

  29. If the copy of a person, who hasn’t severed the cord yet, reads this game, then this means that his/her copy also read it. Can they try the ritual without us knowing? After all, they copy all our moves.

    Reply

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