A closer look
That terrifying game where you chant into a dark bathroom mirror wasn't invented by middle schoolers; it's a corrupted form of catoptromancy. Young women in the early twentieth century used to walk up stairs backward in the dark while holding a mirror, believing they would see the face of their future husband in the reflection. If they saw a skull instead, it meant they would die before marrying. Eventually, society realized this was incredibly dangerous, mostly because walking backward in the dark is a great way to fall down the stairs.
