Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Cat Scratch!

In the realm of Bloody Mary, Light as a Feather/Stiff as a Board, and 100 Candles, lies a new paranormal-themed slumber party game:  Cat Scratch.

I was introduced to Cat Scratch last evening as I was trolling around the paranormal phenomena section of  Yahoo Answers.  Intrigued, I decided to look up a little more information on the game, and found it was pretty simple to play, but did require at least two people, making it perfect for sleepovers!

How to Play:
1. One person sits on the floor while the other lies down with his/her head in the sitter's lap.  Additional guests sit in a circle around the pair, quietly.  Candle or other dim light, or complete darkness is not required, but definitely adds to the ambiance.

2. While gently massaging the person's temples in a circular motion, the sitter begins to tell a frightening tale involving a cat.  The website Scary For Kids has two examples, but honestly, they aren't really that creepy.  Please see below for a list of spooky cat tales that can be found here at Theresa's Haunted History for more inspiration...or simply make up your own.  The story content isn't as important as the mindset of the person lying on the floor.  They are to be as relaxed as possible, concentrating almost meditatively on the speaker's words.

3. When the story is finished, the person lying on the floor can lift up their shirt, and if the "incantation" worked, should have scratch marks on their back!

Does it Work?
Honestly, I've never tried this...and probably never will...so I can't really give you a satisfactory answer as to whether or not it "works."  However, keep in mind that it is very unlikely that these actions are going to summon anything paranormal into scratching you.  In VERY rare cases, you might find that that the 'scratchee' actually goes into a deep enough meditative state that its possible they could pull a mind-over-matter type deal and actually manifest scratch marks on themselves.

It is MUCH more likely, though, that when you pull up your shirt, you're gonna find what look like scratches!  These might be actual scratches caused by mundane things throughout the day that you didn't notice, or simply reddish marks caused by lying down on the floor, putting pressure on certain areas, for a set amount of time.  To test this theory out, I just went and examined my own back in the mirror, and sure enough, I have what can easily be interpreted as a "cat scratch," caused by my own nails trying to seek relief from a bug bite, lol. To a spooked tween WANTING to be scared, I can see where these could easily be misinterpreted...but that's part of the fun!  With Halloween fast approaching us, its the perfect time to give this a try; just let me know what happens!

Cat Stories From Theresa's Haunted History:
1. Wait 'Til Emmet Comes-this classic tale is said to have originated right here in Appalachia!
2. Demon Cat of Washington, DC-a terrifying creature stalks our nation's capitol
3. Ambrosis, the Ghost Cat-my own pet cat who never left
4. Phantom Lioness of the Cincy Zoo

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