The Most Dangerous Games: The Black Keys Piano Ritual

Previously: Manami-sama.

There are 36 black keys on a piano. It’s said that if you press all of them at a certain time of day during a certain phase of the moon, then you can give yourself a glimpse of heaven or hell — and perhaps change your fortunes, if you’re very lucky and very wise. To do so is to play the Black Keys Piano Ritual… though be warned: Although the prize for choosing wisely is valuable beyond measure, the price for choosing poorly is steep. Perhaps steeper than you might be willing to pay.

Like the Dead Poet’s Game, the Black Keys Piano Ritual is wrapped up inside a creepypasta originally posted to the Creepypasta Wiki in June of 2014. The pasta isn’t, as far as I know, based on an existing legend — I haven’t found anything resembling its basic outline or structure elsewhere on the internet, at least — and its author, Creepypasta Wiki user PianoKeysLetterTreats, doesn’t appear to have penned or published any other pastas since.

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

Which is to say: This one is likely an invented ritual game designed as the centerpiece for the pasta with which it’s associated, rather than an existing urban legend or piece of folklore. And, given its fanciful nature, I would imagine performing it is unlikely to achieve success, per se.

Still though — if you’d like to give it a shot, here’s a playable version, for, uh, educational purposes. You don’t need to have any skill with or even knowledge of the piano to play it; you just need to be able to tell the black keys from the white ones, whether by sight or by touch.

But, as always: Play at your own risk.

Players:

• One principal.

Requirements:

• A full, 88-key piano.
• A time-keeping device.
• A lunar calendar or moon phase tracker.
• A sense of courage.

Instructions:

The Hook:

1. First, determine when you will play: Consult your lunar calendar or moon phase tracker and determine when the next full moon is. This is the night on which you will play.
2. Wait until that time. While you are waiting, assemble your remaining supplies — namely, the piano, and access to it.
3. On the evening of the full moon, prepare yourself. Rest, if you are able. Then, when you are ready — begin.

The Verse:

1. By 3am, ensure that you are in the space with the piano, with your time-keeping device and your sense of courage alongside you.
2. Approach the piano. Seat yourself at it, if you like.
3. Now: Wait. Keep an eye your time-keeping device. Wait until it reads 3:15am precisely.
4. At 3:15am — no sooner, no later — press all of the black keys on the piano. You may press them in any order, and you may press them either individually or all at once; the only requirement is that you press them all — every last one — within the minute
5. You MUST complete this step before the clock ticks over to 3:16am.
6. As sound of the last note dies away, wait. Wait, and watch.
   • If nothing in your environment changes: The ritual has failed; do not proceed. Vacate the premises. For you, the ritual ends here.
   • If two… entryways appear: The ritual has succeeded; you may proceed.
7. You are now faced with two entryways — two portals, if you will. They will appear identical to your eye. You must now choose one portal, and then enter it.
8. Not choosing is not an option. (See: Additional Outcomes.)
9. Make your choice.
10. You will have only 30 seconds, once you have stepped inside, to determine the nature of the portal and to act accordingly.
11. One portal is paradise. The other portal is hell.
    • If you determine the portal to be the former: Speak the following words aloud: “This will be.” Then exit the portal.
    • If you determine the portal to be the latter: Leave IMMEDIATELY. Do not linger. Do not speak. Do not stay. Exit the portal. Exit the portal NOW, before the 30 seconds are up.

The Coda:

1. Once you have arrived back in your world, vacate the premises, find a safe place to sleep, and rest.
2. In the morning, you will know if you were successful.
   • If you found paradise: Your future will be a bright one. Every success will be yours; every fortune will be good. If, that is, you spoke the correct words before returning to your world.
   • If you found hell: Your fortunes will not have changed; simply be grateful you escaped. It is not recommended that you play this game again.
3. Please note that several alternate outcomes may occur at the conclusion of the game, depending on the actions you did or did not take. (See: Additional Outcomes.)

Additional Notes:

This game may be played with bystanders present. Bystanders should remain quiet for the duration of the game. Bystanders should NOT touch the piano at any point.

This game may be played with more than one principal. If playing with more than one principal, it is NOT recommended that players enter different portals, for reasons detailed here.

The piano used for the game MUST have a full keyboard of 88 keys. It does NOT necessarily have to be an acoustic piano. Digital pianos or keyboards are permissible, as long as they are full-sized and contain all 88 keys.

However, it is NOT known whether or not a virtual piano accessed entirely via a computer, tablet, or phone is permissible. Attempting to play with such devices is therefore NOT recommended.

Additional Outcomes:

Please be advised that the following outcomes may occur depending on your own actions:

If you found paradise, but you did NOT speak the correct words: Your fortunes will not have changed. You glimpsed perfection, and you chose not to embrace it. Whether that was a wise choice or not remains to be seen.

If you found hell, and you did NOT leave immediately: …Well, if that happened, you wouldn’t have made it to this point — because you wouldn’t have made it back at all. Failure to leave within 30 seconds will result in you becoming trapped. I’m sorry. But then again, you were the one who wanted to play this game, weren’t you? So… maybe I’m not that sorry.

If you refused to choose: As the saying goes: Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.

And it’s your own fault.

You’re the one who brought them here.

Actions have consequences, after all.

***

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[Photos via Tama66, mnievesmc, StockSnap/Pixabay]