Step 1: Write your name on a piece of paper. It must be your full name – first name, middle name and last name.
Step 2: Prick your finger and place a drop of blood on the piece of paper. Allow the blood to soak in.
Step 3: Turn off all the lights in your house and stand at your front door. The door must be wooden.
Step 4: Place the piece of paper in front of the door. Light the candle and place it on top of the piece of paper.
Step 5: At the stroke of midnight, knock on your front door 22 times. You must finish knocking before the clock moves to 12:01 AM.
Step 6: Open the front door and blow out the candle.
Step 7: Close the door again and immediately relight the candle.
You have just invited the Midnight Man into your home.
Now, the midnight game begins.
You must walk around the house in the dark with the lit candle in hand. Your goal is to avoid the Midnight Man at all costs until exactly 3:33 AM. If your candle goes out, it means the Midnight Man is near you. You have to relight the candle within the next ten seconds or the Midnight Man will get you. The candle is your only protection.
If you are able to relight the candle within this time, you can continue moving around the house, avoiding the Midnight Man.
If you are not able to relight the candle fast enough, you must immediately surround yourself with a circle of salt. You must remain within the circle of salt until 3:33 AM. The salt is your last line of defence. Do not step outside the circle of salt or the Midnight Man will get you.
If you make it to 3:33 AM without being trapped within the circle of salt, it means you have won the Midnight Game.
Whatever happens, the Midnight Man will leave at 3:33 AM and, if you are still alive, it is safe to go to sleep.
If you spend the entire game staying in the one spot, this will only result in the Midnight Man finding you. It is HIGHLY advised that you keep moving throughout the game.
Signs that the Midnight Man is nearby:
1. Your candle will blow out.
2. You will suddenly feel extremely cold.
3. You will hear a low whisper.
4. You will see the shadowy figure of a man in the darkness.
DO NOT turn on any lights during the Midnight Game.
DO NOT use a flashlight during the Midnight Game.
DO NOT fall asleep during the Midnight Game.
DO NOT use another person’s blood on the paper that bears your name.
DO NOT try to use a lighter instead of a candle. It will not work.
DO NOT attempt to provoke or anger the Midnight Man in ANY WAY.
It must be exactly 12:00 AM when you begin performing the ritual, otherwise it will not work.
Some final words of advice:
Do not play this game. There are many dangers involved. Summoning a spirit or inviting a ghost or demon into your home is incredibly dangerous. You could be abducted or become possessed. Running around with matches and candles in the dark is extremely dangerous. Do not burn yourself or set your house on fire. Pricking your finger and messing around with blood is dangerous. Do not allow yourself to come into contact with someone else’s blood. You could catch a fatal disease. Finally, our advice to you is: Do not play this game.
Lucinda read the rules on her laptop and smirked.
“What rubbish they come up in the States” she thought. Though it did sound fun.
It was the last few weeks of university and her roommates and her were having one last party before the break. She was the only one who didn’t have a boyfriend, and she wanted it to be just about the girls.
“But no doubt Stefani and Lyla would bring Gregory and Allan to the party.
They lived in a typical overpriced rented accommodation near the University Of Nottingham.
It was in poor condition and the only reason the three girls were there because it was at least more affordable than London. Lucinda was from a classy upbringing, and enjoyed the finer things in life, but her Trust Fund had been severely dented beyond repair and her student loan had been left in her hands after some heated exchanges with her parents. So it was either her suave lifestyle or her expensive university campus that suffered. It was the latter and the though the outgoing girl found the new accommodation, sub standard. She managed to keep up her meals out and shopping sprees, while balancing university, her part time job and her many gentleman suitors.
Her last boyfriend, had been serious and they split as they were in two separate parts of the country.
They still texted and even called the occasional time, but he had a new girl and that had slightly fluttered, the brunette. So she enjoyed herself. Waitressing on weekends getting tips with her slim eye-catching figure and charm while going on dates with the University of Nottingham’s finest, looking for love. Mostly it was just chat, an occasional kiss, rarely sex, but she did have her moments. Lucinda was supposed to be studying for her exams but instead went on her laptop. Selfies, bloggers, influencers and gossip was now her main subject matter and her expensive social science degree was slipping away. She changed her outfit three times that day alone to eventually a blue and white checkered dress, that was cute but too good for lounging around in. Her make up was perfect even though she had no where to be. She had to look beautiful for her selfies, and her Tinder profile.
The party was to be that night and the three girls had taken a drive to the off license to pick up the bottles of cheap wine and Bucks Fizz.
Stefani liked the paranormal side of life and talked of her own experiences, she was quite alternative, quirky and strikingly beautiful. Her long black hair with a purple streak gave a mystic look and her face small and button nosed was always decorated in striking make up. Her boyfriend Gregory was equally alternative and was part of an online campaign group against chemtrails and other conspiracies of the hour.
She was convinced the house was haunted and made it clear that the house was unnaturally cold.
It could have been that the house was haunted or the fact the extractor fan was fitted the wrong way around, but she chose the former and her bedroom consisted of healing crystals and dream catchers.
Lyla was the quiet one of the group a girl who lived in her books and games and her equally quiet and book-smart other half Allan.
She was studying biology and she was one that was going places. She had a round affable face, blonde hair, but was more curvy and carried extra weight than the other two. She wore mostly out of date clothes checkered blouses leggings and jeans. However she was content and Allan was her first serious boyfriend. From what the two others found out during confessions night A game that they revealed things about themselves over a glass or ten of wine.
That Lyla had only ever had sex with Allan and she was thrilled by that. Stefani’s number was vastly higher and Lucinda was up to 12. They enjoyed these nights of random games and chit chat. They all felt a bond since they all met and they knew they’d miss each other immensely that summer.
The evening was drawing closer and one by one they arrived back home from university. Lucinda had stayed home to study and didn’t get much done. She kept thinking of the Midnight Man game. “It could be fun” she thought. Lyla would get scared and she’d add to the suspense.
Lyla was downstairs cooking pasta.
“Hi Lucinda, did you get much done today?” She asked as her glasses got steamed up from saucepan.
Lucinda folded her arms and leaned against the wall. “Not as much as I would have hoped” she looked at her phone and caught up with the 10 minutes of social media she’d missed.
“Would you like some pasta” Lyla asked kindly as she stirred a red sauce into the pot.
“Would love some cheers!” Lucinda smiled as she remembered she had little in her fridge.
They sat on the alcohol stained sofa with their bowls of food and watched reruns of old American comedies which they still giggled to.
Not long after the key in the front door turned and Stefani appeared. Headphones, moody face and wearing black. Today she had purple lipstick and her face was white as snow. Her attire was black save her tartan skirt, her legs were long and were complimented well in the sheer black tights. Her transformation from slightly alternative to Level 10 goth was nearly complete. She put her vintage satchel on the table.
“There is pasta girl” Lyla said.
“Vegetarian?” Asked Stefani in her new university non conformist accent. Lucinda had never known anyone to change so fast and extremely as Stefani had. It was all Gregory’s doing.
“Oh yes, sun-dried tomato flavor” Lyla smiled. She had a cute face and when she smiled she lit the whole room up.
“Cool I’m starving thanks chick” Stefani walked into the kitchen.
When she returned she sat in her place on an armchair taking of her Doc Martin boots and curling up with her food.
“So what’s happening tonight?” She asked.
“Well drinks chats and some games” Lucinda announced as it was her role.
“What kind of games tonight? I beat you all at Scrabble and Cluedo” Lyla raised her hand in mock victory.
“Yes well not scrabble or Cluedo” Lucinda said getting up to the kitchen to take someone’s milk and fill a glass of it.
She returned to sit back down.
“I was thinking something a bit more edgy and fun” she resumed her eating.
“The ouija board” Stefani gasped hopefully.
“No........fucking way!”Both Lyla and Lucinda exclaimed.
“Never again.......” Lucinda shuddered. They had once tried the occult practice last Halloween, and though Lucinda was certain they were moving the glass themselves, it still gave her nightmares.
“Well we’ll see what the blokes want to play” Stefani said.
Lucinda was crestfallen.
“The blokes are calling over? I thought it was just us” she sounded disheartened.
“Just for a short while to have a drink and........” Lyla was cut off.
“Talk conspiracy bollocks” Lucinda added indignantly.
“No.......to have a drink and.......” Lyla blushed.
“Oh right sorry.....I forgot, getting cock these days is more important than sisterhood” Lucinda rolled her eyes. As beautiful and desirable as she was she hadn’t been active in the last two months and she was jealous.
“Actually we can still play games” she said getting up.
“Maybe we can do something you’d like after all it’s your turn to pick the game” she said to Stefani.
“Ok cool, what do you want to play?” Stefani scraped her bowl for the last bite.
“Hang on I’ll get it it’s on my laptop” Lucinda ran up the stairs and returned shortly with her laptop opened and the Midnight Man game on the screen.
She placed it on the table and the two other girls read it out aloud.
“Wow” Stefani said as she crouched down to read it.
“That’s mildly terrifying” Lyla remarked.
All off a sudden the door blew open making them all jump.
“Stefani! You didn’t close the door properly you really must check, the place will be robbed if you were last to leave”
Lucinda slammed it shut.
“Sorry.....but the landlord supposed to fix that ages ago” she looked back at the screen.
“I know, but he’s a waste of space” Lucinda said sitting back down to finish her milk.
“And a creepy bastard too” Lyla muttered.
It was true they were sure washing on the line was taken by him. They just couldn’t prove it.
“So what do you think? A few drinks and we’ll play this it will be fun, even with the men” Lucinda smiled cheekily.
Lyla looked doubtful.
Stefani nodded. “Oh yes....this will be so scary I love it”
