Urban Legends: Which Have You Tried?

If you were a kid in the 90's and early 00's like I was, I bet at least one of these games or challenges came up at a sleepover. Maybe it was a dare between siblings. Urban legends are a fascinating thing - often because they were told as something that happened to a friend of a friend or a distant relative - making them seem plausibly true while still horrifying.

Most urban legends are just creepy stories, like the Man with the Hook, that are incredibly outdated (who goes "parking" these days to make out with their sweetheart anyway? That's what Netflix and Chill is for.) but some are still relevant for today's youth.

Have you tried any of these?

Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary is the stuff of nightmares for a lot of people - a horror film was even made about this character. Her origin story is a bit shaky; was she killed by her husband, did she murder her baby, is she the Queen of Scotland? None of that is really important...

Here's how you play: Go into the bathroom, shut the door, and turn off the lights. Standing in front of the mirror, says the words "Blood Mary" three or five times (depends on the version you play). The ghost of Bloody Mary is supposed to appear in the mirror (often behind you) and either scratch you or scream at you.

Charlie Charlie

This popular pencil game originating in Mexico made the rounds on the internet in 2015. Charlie Charlie is a game where kids contact the spirit of a boy named Charlie by using pencils, here's how one version of it works: Instructions for Charlie Charlie

This one seems to be a cross between using a Ouija board and thrifty dowsing rods. Players of this game have reported strange happenings afterwards, like seeing shadows or hearing a child's laughter.

Baby Blue

It's hard to untangle the origins of Baby Blue, but many theorize it spawned out of the Bloody Mary  challenge. In this one, you begin much the same way - in the dark bathroom with the door locked. You position your arms as though you were cradling a baby, swaying them from side to side while you chant "Baby blue, baby blue" a total of 13 times.

While probably a psychosomatic response, your arms should feel heavier, as though the weight of a real baby is there. Stay alert. When you feel a scratching sensation on your arms, you are meant to drop the "baby" in the toilet, flush, and exit the bathroom as quickly as possible.

If you make it out unscathed, you win.

The Three Kings

Just a game or a link to the Shadowside? You decide if you choose to play this game.

You will need:

• A dark room
• Two large mirrors
• Three chairs

Click this link for more info and safety instructions....

The player is sat on chair as the 'King' and the Queen and Fool are supposed to manifest in the two mirrors facing you. But which is the Queen and which is the Fool? That's for you to determine...and for whomever manifests...are you their Fool or Queen? The game is Three Kings, after all.

Candy Man

A very dark and twisted tale, the Candy Man is said to have been a slave that was mobbed and killed for daring to fall in love with a white woman. Before he was killed, he cursed the men and vowed to return and exact his revenge.

To play this creepy variation of another chanting mirror game, stand in front of the mirror in a dark bathroom and chant "Candy Man" five times. He is supposed to appear behind you and try to kill you with his hook hand - turn the lights on immediately and flee to the brightest spot in your home to survive.

Lady in White

I have to admit I've had a hard time finding any specific information about this game, because there are so many ghost legends about ladies in white. In this one you begin as usual in a dark bathroom. Spin in a circle five times and say "Lady in White", then turn the opposite direction and say the name of a dead loved one. That spirit will allegedly manifest in the mirror and speak with you.

Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board

There are a lot of claims about this one really working, but apparently it requires a group of seriously dedicated believers. 4-5 people can seemingly lift a person off the ground as they were light as a feather using only the first two fingers of their hand...

Sounds implausible, right?

But after an easy incantation and a repeated chant, you'll be levitating your friend in no time!

To Play:

1. Turn the lights down and use some candles for mood lighting.
2. Two people sit on either side of the "body" and any extra sit near the feet or head.
3. The leader of the chant will recount this incantation and give instructions to the "body"
4. Chanting "light as a feather, stiff as a board" the group will slowly raise the "body" up using only two fingers from each hand strategically placed under the shoulders and knees.

Witchcraft or simple physics?

Have you ever played any of these games? I have to admit to a sense of sick curiosity about the more dangerous ones, like the Three Kings. I've read a lot about The Midnight Man, One Person Hide-n-Seek, and the Elevator Game as well. The more creepy and the higher the stakes, the more fascinating to me.

I have survived, clearly, Bloody Mary and the Candy Man. I have yet to make Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board work, but if anyone's down for a night of popcorn, soda, and a screening of The Craft let's make it happen!

What are your thoughts on these Urban Legend challenges? Do you think they're all tricks of the mind or could there be some collective validity to them? Tell me your stance in the comments!