The Most Dangerous Games: The Hell Phone Ritual

Previously: Kagome Séance.

One of a long line of telephone-based games, the ritual game called Hell Phone has more in common with, say, the Shoebox Telephone — which, notably, does not involve an actual telephone — than something like the Answer Man, or even the Black Telephone Game or the Hooded Man Ritual: It’s intended to put you in touch with a loved one who has since passed on — rather than to, say, provide information or transport you to another world.

I’ve only ever seen the Hell Phone ritual in two places, and then, only in one, single form — that is, it’s a true creepypasta, with identical text having been copied and pasted in both places. I’m unclear on whether the earlier of these two sources is the original source, or whether I’ve simply been unable to locate other sources; for what it’s worth, though, both of the sources I did find are Brazilian: One is at the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Creepypasta Wiki, where it was posted in December of 2013, while the other, published a few months earlier in September of 2013, is over at the website Noite Sinistra (a title which translates to “Sinister Night” in English).

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

The Noite Sinistra post does have an interesting little preamble: The Hell Phone ritual, it states, was provided to the website by a reader… who also wished to remain anonymous. Whether that means this reader created the ritual or was simply passing it along remains to be seen; either way, though, it’s the earliest version I’ve found. So, do with that what you will.

As originally written, Hell Phone has a heavy Catholic component to it; the safeguards involve repeating Our Fathers and Hail Marys as needed. If you follow a different belief system, however, this part of the ritual is easily adaptable — whatever modes or methods of protection are meaningful for you will serve the same purpose. As such, I’ve decoupled the specific Catholic prayer conventions from this version, although you can of course perform it with them if that’s the way you roll.

Regardless, this ritual… may not be as safe as it seems at first. There’s a reason it’s called the Hell Phone ritual, after all.

As always: Play at your own risk.

Players:

• One principal.

Requirements:

• One corded, landline telephone. (See: Additional Notes.)
• One white candle.
• One black candle.
• Matches or a lighter. (See: Additional Notes.)
• A time-keeping device.
• Paper and a writing implement. (Optional, but recommended.)
• A safeguard — a mantra, a prayer, or other words of protection. (See: Additional Notes.)
• A dark, quiet room in which to play.
• Someone with whom you wish to speak — someone who is… no longer on our earthly plane of existence.

Instructions:

Making The Preparations:

1. Begin by determining when you will attempt to play the game. The game must be played at 3am on a Friday morning — that is, what most players would consider to be over the course of Thursday night into Friday morning. Do NOT attempt to play at a different time or on a different night of the week.
2. When you have determined when you will play the game, make the rest of your preparations: Gather your supplies; identify the dark, quiet room in which you will play; and, most importantly, determine the number you will dial when you play this game. (See: Additional Notes.)
3. Before 3am on the night on which you intend to play, bring your supplies to the dark, quiet room. Ensure you will not be disturbed or interrupted while you play; this may involve emptying the space surrounding your chosen room of any other people or pets, although you do not necessarily have to do so. When you have brought your supplies to the room, and ensured that you will not be disturbed, close the door behind you.
4. Close the curtains or otherwise block the windows, if any.
5. Set up the telephone, if needed.
6. Place the white candle to the right of the telephone.
7. Place the black candle to the left of the telephone.
8. Place the matches or lighter within easy reach.
9. Place the paper and the writing implement nearby, if using.
10. Place the time-keeping device somewhere you can see it.
11. Turn out the lights.
12. Now: Wait. Wait until it is just before 3am. Keep an eye on your time-keeping device.
13. Is it time?
14. Good.
15. Now you may begin in earnest.

Dialing The Number:

1. At 3am precisely, light the white candle. Then, repeat the following words aloud three times: “May human souls be guided to me by the light of this candle, and may they come in peace.”
2. After the third repetition, wait for a brief moment. Watch the white candle:
   • If the white candle goes out: The ritual has failed; do not proceed. Speak your safeguard aloud, disconnect the telephone, and exit the room, closing the door behind you. Vacate the premises, if possible. Do not open the door to the room until the sun has risen. (See: Should Something Go… Wrong.)
   • If the white candle remains lit: The ritual has succeeded; you may proceed.
3. Now: Think about your loved one — the one who is no longer with us. The one whom you wish to contact. In your mind’s eye, recall them in as much detail as you can: What they looked like, what they sounded like, their little habits and eccentricities… all the things that made them who they were.
4. Hold this image in your mind. Focus on it wholly. Do not allow your attention to wander.
5. Still holding the image of your loved one in your mind, pick up the telephone’s receiver and put it to your ear. Then dial the number as previously determined — the number for the person you are currently holding in your mind.
6. Now: Wait. Wait for 10 seconds. What do you hear down the line?
   • If you hear nothing after 10 seconds: The ritual has failed; DO NOT PROCEED. Hang up and disconnect the telephone immediately, extinguish the white candle, and light the black one. Repeat aloud the following words three times: “May the spirit consume the light of this candle, for it will not consume my soul.” Then speak your safeguard aloud three times. Allow the black candle to burn until it extinguishes itself; then exit the room, closing the door behind you. Vacate the premises, if possible. Do not open the door to the room until the sun has risen. When you are able to return, destroy the telephone, and dispose of both its remains and what is left of the two candles in a location as far away from you and your home as possible.
   • If you hear someone pick up the other end before the 10 seconds are up: The ritual has succeeded; you may proceed.
7. Listen to your correspondent. Listen closely; their voice may be weak, and they will speak for 60 seconds, and 60 seconds only. Listen to what they say to you. You may write it down using the paper and writing implement to refer to later (see: Additional Notes), but do not allow these tools to distract you. Listen to their message. Hear it in its entirety.

Ending The Call:

1. When your correspondent falls silent, hang up and disconnect the telephone immediately.
2. Speak aloud your safeguard.
3. Remain where you are until the white candle burns out.
4. Later, in the safety of the daylight, you may look back over your message, if you have chosen to write it down.
5. What have you learned?
6. I hope it was worth it.

Additional Notes:

Due to the use of candles and open flames, this game should be considered a FIRE HAZARD. Take common sense fire safety precautions before playing, including but not limited to removing all flammable objects or items from the vicinity of the flame, keeping a functional fire extinguisher on hand during the course of the game, etc. We are not responsible for anything that may befall you while playing this game.

Regarding the telephone:

The telephone MUST be a corded, landline telephone. Do NOT use a cordless phone. Do NOT use a mobile phone. Do NOT use a computer program or tool that allows you to make calls without the use of a telephone.

Regarding the safeguard:

This safeguard is highly adaptable, and should be something of meaning to each unique player. It may be religious in nature, or not; the only requirements are that it be meant for protection against anything that might attempt to do players harm, and that it comprise a word or words that may be spoken in repetition.

To determine the number you will dial:

Convert each letter of your loved one’s name to its corresponding number. These numbers taken together as a sequence are the phone number you will dial. For letters that correspond to a two-digit number, dial both digits when dialing the full telephone number.

Note that the letter conversions are via the letters’ location within the alphabet, NOT the letters assigned to the numbers on your telephone’s dial or keypad — that is, in the Latin alphabet, the letter A corresponds to the number one, as it is the first letter in the alphabet, not the number two, where it is located on an American telephone’s dial or keypad; the letter J corresponds to the number 10, as it is the 10th letter, not the number five, where it is located on a telephone’s dial or keypad; etc.

Regarding your message:

It is possible that your correspondent will speak to you only in numbers — that is, that they will speak a sequence of digits, rather than words. If this should be the case, then you may decode your message the same way the telephone number to dial is determined, simply in reverse: Convert the numbers to their corresponding letters in the alphabet. In sequence, these letters will form words. These words are your message.

This possibility is why it is recommended players include paper and a writing implement among their supplies: If your correspondent provides you with a sequence of numbers, you may use the paper and writing implement to make note of them for translation at a later time.

Should Things Go… Wrong:

If the white candle extinguishes itself in Step 2 of Dialing The Number:

It is possible you have received an uninvited guest. Over the next 13 days, you may see or hear things — figures, strange shapes, voices, unusual noises — from time to time; however, do not be alarmed: This uninvited guest is not capable of doing any actual harm, and will leave on their own after the 13 days are up.

If the ritual fails in Step 6 of Dialing The Number:

It is also possible you have received an uninvited guest. This one, however, may be… less benign. Follow the procedures laid out under “If you hear nothing after 10 seconds.” Do not fail to follow these procedures.

If you complete the ritual and experience nightmares and/or the pervasive smell of rot beginning the following night:

You have definitely received an uninvited guest — a dangerous one. The only known safeguard against this particular uninvited guest requires the player to travel to an island surrounded by ocean water — not lake water, river water, etc.; ocean water only — and remain there until safe.

If you do so, and find the nightmares and/or the smell of rot to fade upon arrival, remain on the island for 13 days, after which you may safely return home.

If you do so, and find the nightmares and/or the smell of rot to continue after arrival…

…There is nothing to be done for you.

I’m sorry.

I’m so sorry.

***

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

[Photos via viarami, Alexas_Fotos, Pixabay/Pixabay]