We played Cat Scratch

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My cousins and I have only met a handful of times. Yet, we all shared a common interest, the darker side of things in life. My grandpa and uncles have a knack for telling horror stories good enough to keep us up at night. That might explain why although my cousins and I didn't spend much time together we still had something to bond over. 

 All six of us were upstairs while the rest of the family reunion went on downstairs. I couldn't tell you whose idea it was to play, but I know my cousin Michael wasn't a willing participant without some coercion. Big brothers have that effect on younger siblings. Michael laid down in the center of the bedroom while the rest of us circled. Sarah hit the lights and then kneeled down by his head. She began rubbing his temples with two fingers on each side. The rest of us put our index and pointer fingers under Michael's body. Sarah said out loud:

 You are walking through a dark alley late at night.
You are the only one there.
The ground is slick with rain.
The alley is filled with garbage cans and litter.
But then you hear something.
A movement in the garbage cans.
You pick up your pace.
You want to get out of the alley fast.
But then you see something.
Red eyes. Glowing red cat eyes.
They are the eyes of an enormous cat.
You run, but the cat chases you and jumps on you.
It scratches you, one, two, three.

Cat scratch, cat scratch, cat scratch!

 What I remember was how eerie the was room once Sarah finished the story. We all looked at each other wide-eyed when Michael stood up and lifted his shirt. Three five-inch scratch marks ran down his back. That didn't end well. He freaked out when he saw them in the mirror. The rest of the night was spent telling each other our most horrifying stories. Michael was silent. I wonder if he ever recovered. Or is he marked by something more sinister than a kid's game?

Cat Scratch game

Cat Scratch is a classic sleepover game. If you find a participant brave enough have them lay down while you rub their temples in circular motions reciting one of two stories.

Story 1:
There once was an old lady who owned a Cat.
The cat was very nice.
It meowed and purred.
One day, the cat got hit by a car and died.
Catscratch, catscratch, catscratch

The old lady got a new cat.
The cat was very mean.
It hissed and clawed.

Catscratch, catscratch, catscratch

One day, the cat got hit by a car and died.
The old lady decided not to get any more cats.

Catscratch, catscratch, catscratch

Story 2:
You are walking through a dark alley late at night.
You are the only one there.
The ground is slick with rain.
The alley is filled with garbage cans and litter.
But then you hear something.
A movement in the garbage cans.
You pick up your pace.
You want to get out of the alley fast.
But then you see something.
Red eyes. Glowing red cat eyes.
They are the eyes of an enormous cat.
You run, but the cat chases you and jumps on you.
It scratches you, one, two, three.

Cat scratch, cat scratch, cat scratch!

Next, have the person stand up and lift their shirt. What's supposed to happen is three scratch marks will appear. Ghost cat attack.

Power of suggestion?

If I had not seen the scratch marks on his back, I wouldn't believe he had been scratched. Michael's personality makes him afraid of the world. He had some past experiences with unexplainable events, so I'm surprised he was even upstairs with us. Once the lights were off, I expected him to leave. Is it possible he was scratched prior to the game? Anything is possible. Michael and Sarah are siblings. Then again, his reaction had everyone as scared as he was. 

Maybe we all wanted to see scratches. Power of suggestion is strong if one person can stir up the idea and pass it on to the group as truth. We could have been seeing something out of nothing. 

I remember there being three red scratches. He was freaked out. I think as a group we all were. Didn't stop the fun of continuing that horror train though. We kept the scares coming with more urban legends and eventually, the red scratches on his back disappeared. All is well. Or not. That's what happens when a family is separated by great distances and even greater time. I have not seen my cousins since that night. I'm sure the next time we meet we will bring up that night again. Till then, I'll keep believing I don't know anything about this world and what's in it. 

What to pair with

At the time I wasn't old enough to drink. Now that I am, I recommend Family Reunion by Monday Night Brewing. What a fitting drink for this post, don't you think?

What's your go-to scary stories or games for sleepovers? Bloody Mary? Or do you have experience with the Cat Scratch game? Let me know in the comments.

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