The Choice Game

I have a weird story to share.

It's not really a normal story, more like one of those campfire horror tales you tell to scare your friends. You could call it a ritual, I guess. The most popular name for it is "The Choice Game". So, you'll probably want to hear about this ritual. For starters, the items you need to play it are as follows: 

• A portable phone
• An item of food
• A pencil/pen 
• A sheet of paper
• An animal of any kind

 

You should find a nearby woodland, since as far as I know that's the only place it can be performed.

It's also important to note that, for the most part, you can go back any time, unlike all those other stories. "Once you step inside, you can NEEEEVER GO BAAAAACK!" God, I can just feel the cliche burrowing into me just reading that. And... just a heads up, if you like animals, I recommend you don't read this story, never mind perform the ritual. If your little doggy is that dear to you, which, unless you're a goddamn psycho, it probably is, don't do this. Please.

To start off, get out yoru phone and dial a specific number. Now, you can only do this in specific countries. So if a number from your country doesn't appear, thank your lucky stars.

• For the UK, call: 01782 844111
• For the US, call: 1-719-596-7000
• For Italy, call: 39-06-5880516
• For Norway, call: 21-09-04-80

 

Once you've connected, you'll hear nothing but silence. You'll need to take the first step by saying a certain phrase. The one in this example is English, but translations can work interchangeably. You could speak goddamn Klingon into it, just use a translation and it will work. The phrase is: "If you kindly allow me, let me pass freely." That's all you need to say. Nothing else. Afterward, you'll hear a sharp screech of static and the number will disconnect. That's how you know you did it right.

Otherwise, you did it wrong and called your local pizza place or something, dumbass. So let's say you did it right. Good work, you're about to commit an atrocity. Pat yourself on the back. Put down the phone and write some words onto the piece of paper, it can be anything. Scribble down some swears like you're a bored 14-year-old armed with a pencil and a dictionary or make a manuscript for your erotic Zootopia fanfic, it's your choice. It'll work. Put the paper elsewhere and then go fetch your item of food. Place the food in the middle of the paper and wrap the paper around the food. With that done, get an animal, like a street raccoon or something, or go the easy and depraved route and use a pet if you have one.

Any animal would work. Hell, you could use a blue whale if you were that bored. Anyway, you then need to trek into the woods, with the food wrapped in paper and animal in tow. Inside the woods will be a small, pristine shack, that has seemingly popped up out of nowhere. You've never noticed it. Maybe you've even walked all over the spot where it was the day before. Too bad, you have now. Walk into the shack and knock on the wall four times. Knock-knock-knock-knock, just like that. An old man, slightly short with balding hair and a wrinkled face will then walk through the entrance into the shack and greet you politely. Greet him back and he'll strike up a conversation, which you must go along with.

At some point in the conversation, he'll bring up the paper in your hand and say it looks kind of weird. He'll ask if they can eat it, since he knew what item you put in it. Give it to him and he'll just bite through the thing like a marshmallow. Choose not to and he'll just continue the conversation until you get bored. If you went through with giving him the paper, he'll keep talking and then bring up the animal. He'll ask to look at it and inspect it.

Give it to him, and he'll open its mouth and look inside. He will then open its mouth further... and further until its arms start flailing and its jaw breaks. He'll dig his hands into the walls of your animal's mouth and then tear it in two. All while maintaining that polite, friendly smile. If you refuse like, y'know, someone who isn't fucking demented, the man will get angry and leave the shack. You'll then be free to leave as well and you can go home knowing little Rover survived that day.

But, if you went through with those two things, he'll hand you the animal and tell you to look closely at its throat. When you do, you'll see a strange... captivating vision somehow "playing" inside the throat. It varies from person to person what this vision is. Some people say they see new colors, others may be beautiful, ethereal figures dancing to and fro, some might even see dead relatives. Look back after this and you'll see that the old man is gone.

Follow this carefully, failing to do so will land you with injuries, or worse. Exit the shack, but in doing so, only take four steps. This is easy for people who decided to be right next to the door, but if you're at the opposite end, god help you. When you exit, you'll find a close friend near a door. You could've seen them every day at school, or they could just be someone you know over the internet. It doesn't matter, though. They'll be standing there, smiling.

They'll coax you inside, but once you're in, the door you came through will disappear. No going back now. The friend you were with is suddenly the old man that resided in the shack, still bearing that godless, polite smile. He'll try and talk to you again, mentioning the animal on your face. Please don't talk to them, because if you proceed further with the conversation, well... he'll ask to inspect you. Respond and you'll be hit with a strong blow of iconic karma. You'll befall the same fate as the poor animal you sacrificed to make this happen, and from there... well, you're dead, duh.

So you have to ignore him for a few minutes, after which he'll lead you by the hand into a room filled with lost friends and family members.

Some may be dead, some you haven't seen since your younger days. You'll be asked which ones to "save" and which ones to "kill". The dead ones, well, they're dead so it doesn't really matter, right? But the alive ones will make you sweat, leaving you to decide what brought you to this point. When you choose one person to save, another will die, from horrible causes. In a day or two, you'll be getting calls from your relatives about how little Ryan was found riddled with holes, or how Uncle Perry succumbed to a sudden, fatal, and painful disease.

And it'll all be your fault. You'll have killed them. You'll be a murderer. Just try and live with yourself afterward, most people off themselves out of regret.

Afterward, the person you "saved" will encounter great fortune in numerous ways. They might become rich, make the next best thing, or even just get the girl they wanted.

As for the dead ones you may have saved... well, they won't die. Their fates will warp in such a way that they never died. If you say how sad it is that Richie couldn't be here after he died of cancer at a family reunion, they'll cock their head and just point out that Richie is right in front of you.

You'll fall asleep and then wake up in your home. It's over.

Some people might wonder, why are you telling me this? How do you know this?

Well, to be honest, I overheard my owner talk about performing it with his friend. I don't know how two people would fit into it, though. And as for HOW I know this, well, I'm quite smart for a dog. Too smart even. No one really knows this, but I'm like that beca-