How to Play Alone
Alright, if anybody else has run across a copy of "How to Play Alone", please let me know. I'd be a bit creeped out if I had the only copy in existence. I ordered the book from a website... Barnes and Noble maybe, I don't remember. I called them up after reading through some of the book, and they told me that they've never stocked that title.
"How to Play Alone" is a small black book, about five inches tall and three inches wide. No cover art, just the title written in plain white ink. The pages all appear to be photocopies of hand-written notebook pages. None of the pages are numbered. The first page has the title, and nothing else. No author name, no publisher, nothing. I've searched the book, but the information doesn't appear anywhere. I have no idea who wrote this dang book.
The book is divided into short chapters, each containing instructions on how to play a game. The chapters are numbered, but they appear out of order in the book. And I use the word "games" loosely, because the instructions are usually downright bizarre, and the games that are being described don't sound like any game I'd ever play. In fact, some of the games sound more like rituals of some sort. The fact that you're apparently supposed to do them alone is the part that gets me. Just... alright, I'm just going to show you a couple of the games and you'll see what I mean.
Chapter 23: Hide
This game must be played in complete darkness. There cannot be any light, or they won't come.
Make sure that the home you are in is completely dark. If there is more than one floor, all of the floors must be dark. Completely dark is when you can have your eyes closed or open and it looks exactly the same. When it is completely dark, find a corner to stand in that faces to the North and the East. Stand exactly two feet away from that corner, hold your hands over your eyes and start counting. Start at one, then continue counting up.
If you reach 100 and nothing happens, stop counting and turn on every light in the house. You have failed. If you hear a whispering voice from the corner begin to count with you, stop counting. Do not look at the corner. Leave the room without looking at the corner. The game has begun.
When you enter a new room, search for a hiding spot. If the count stops before you find a hiding spot, you will fail. If you find a hiding spot, stay there. Do not speak. Do not move from the hiding spot. If you leave the hiding spot before the game is over, you will fail.
When the count ends, it will announce, "Ready or not, here I come," and it will begin to search for you. Do not leave your hiding spot, or it will find you. If it finds you, you will fail. If the lights come on, it has given up the search.
The game is now over. You win.
Chapter 54: Wait
This game must be played on the day before a special occasion, such as a holiday or birthday.
At the very beginning of the day, before anything else is done, light a fire. It can be a candle, a burning piece of paper or anything. They don't care. Stare deep into the flame and whisper, "Tomorrow is a special day. Make it so." Then touch the flame with the index finger of your dominant hand. The game has begun.
From now until midnight, the flame must not be allowed to go out. If the flame is extinguished, you will fail. In addition, you must not sleep for the entire duration of the game. If you sleep, you will fail.
If the rules are followed, the flame will go out at midnight exactly. At this point, you may go to sleep and you will not fail. The next day, you will lose a treasured item and gain two items that you will treasure equally.
