I tried my hardest to recollect a time where I was particularly adventurous, or motivated to take a risk. I’m not much of a whimsical person, I don’t usually venture out of my way to seek artistic payoff. Maybe I just haven’t had that experience yet. But this prompt instead took me immediately to a memory of my childhood.
When you’re a kid, theres not much to gossip about, or maybe theres just a lack of curiosity about whats going on in other people’s lives. Theres a selfishness that kids have, it stems from their inherent innocence, but also an aloofness and unconcern for whats going on around you. Thats where the recess talk is less about you and I and whats been going on in our lives, and more about games, and stories. Things that are way more fun to talk about because they’re magic and play, way more entertaining than the monotony of the day. Scary stories especially circled around like rumors. They were contagious to tell and to hear, but so terrifying, that they were at times unlistenable. I have memories of asking friends to finish the story of the “Girl with the Green Ribbon Around her Neck” for another time, because I was getting too spooked. That way we could also have something to talk about next lunch.
Anyway, one of the most famous stories going around was that of Bloody Mary and her game. If you dared: that is, if you were strong enough, brave enough, or curious enough, you could summon Mary herself. This would require going into the bathroom, turning the lights off, looking into the mirror and whispering “Bloody Mary” 3 times. A boy in my summer camp Evan would always say, “you have to whisper it slowly and clearly to make sure she hears you.” I’d also heard that you had to stare at yourself in the mirror, and not look away. The thought of doing such a routine alone still sends shivers down my spine. My 9 year old self was peeing her pants. But oh the temptation! The sheer wonder of whether or not she would appear by completing that simple task.
My free time was eaten up with the desire to go into the bathroom, shut the lights, and whisper “Bloody Mary.” I’d think, “what if I did it during the day when I wasn’t scared?” but the possibility alone would petrify me; talk me out of it. Soon this impulse reduced from being alluring, desiring, to just frightening. The rumors I’d hear of my friends seeing Bloody Mary, the sheer thought of being in the bathroom in the dark, the thought of what she might do to me! It was all too much. The thought of her and this game began to haunt me.
One night, I was having a sleepover at my best friend at the time Tia’s house. We used to have flashlight time before lights out, and flicker plastic flashlights around her room while talking before we went to sleep. This flashlight time, we used to talk about our biggest fears. Naturally, Mary herself was brought up. Tia lamented that she shared my fear, as well as my yearn to just know. After a lot of thought and deliberation, we decided together to set things straight. With the strength of each other, we could finally venture off the beaten path, and see for ourselves if Bloody Mary would show. If not, we could relieve ourself of this nightmare. If so…well her dad was in the next room.
As so, we scuttled into the bathroom, hearts beating fast. We turned the lights off, and shrieked uncontrollably. I was so nervous, my heart beating so fast, I could barely contain the words down to a whisper. But we completed the task, whispered her name 3 times. Nothing happened. Silence. Well, not silence, our giggles, our high from the summon.
Nevertheless my curiosity paid off, and in that moment, I knew Bloody Mary wasn’t real.
I loved this! This was such a cool way of interpreting the assignment given– to write about an adventure and a discovery that happened in the confines of your friend’s house that nonetheless was very impactful, rather than writing about a physical discovery. I also love the discussion of the way children talk to each other, how gossip isn’t nearly as satisfying as magic or the fantastic. The fact that this fantasy of Bloody Mary was so scary and alluring to you that it ended up impacting your day to day life was also super interesting. While there are some grammatical errors that you could clean up, this piece strikes me as really complete and fulfilling to read just as it is.
This is such a fascinating reflection on childhood, but also the psychological reasons behind why we tell stories. I liked the part where you talk about being at recess and what if felt like to hear or tell stories at that age. The fact that you followed through on the Bloody Mary story is interesting, but I wonder if there is more behind it. What was it about this particular story that fascinated your younger self? What did it mean to try and conjure a spirit? I almost wanted more of the introspection that came in the beginning to carry through, though-out the piece. I thought the writing was clear and well constructed. This could definitely be expanded if you want.
Great piece.
To this day, I should disclose, I’ve never been able to undergo the Bloody Mary dare. It just freaks me out way too much.
And I guess that is what makes this a good read: it taps into a certain kind of thrill of discovery – the act of discovery through thrills and fear and risk. This line captures that primal sense within in us all nicely: “The sheer wonder of whether or not she would appear by completing that simple task.” Also, because the piece talks about a scary tale we hear about as kids – and I was personally invested in that part – I felt the piece also was able to reach a climactic point towards its end. I was pretty curious to hear what would happen in front of that mirror.
Really nice work.
AV