The Glass

 If you're ever paying a visit to Liverpool, England, be sure to take a walk down to the dockside. There, you should find a boat ride agency's building.

Head inside and ask the first staff member you see if it would be possible to speak to the manager. He will say no, and quickly begin to walk away from you. Do not, under any circumstances, give up from this point onward. For if you ask for the manager with intentions of completing this ritual without finishing it, you will never be seen again.

Follow the staff member until he reaches a run down green door. You will know the door because all other doors in the building are blue. Before he can enter, grab his right shoulder and say these exact words: "They have sent me for the knowledge key."

Say nothing more, and nothing less. The staff member will step aside, allowing you to open the door and step inside. He will slam the door shut behind you, and you will be left in pitch darkness.

I would advise closing your eyes as soon as you enter the room, to save yourself from accidentally opening them later.

You will hear heavy breathing behind you, but it is unknown what happens if you turn around. After a minute or so, the breathing will stop, and will be replaced by a blood-curdling scream right next to your ear.

Be expectant of it, and do not show any signs of shock when you hear it. After another minute, the lights will turn back on. As soon as this happens, close your eyes tightly if you haven't already.

There will be a mirror in front of you and a man sitting behind you. If you look at either the individual's eyes or their reflection, it is rumored that you will be erased from existence. He will ask you why you are there. Reply with the same phrase as before ("They have sent me for the knowledge key.") and wait for him to respond.

He will say one of two things. One option is that he will ask, "Who is it that sent you?" If he asks for this information, reply, "The same men that brought you here."

The scream will be heard once more, this time louder and even closer. Ignore it again.

The man will then stab you in the back, throwing you forwards into the mirror in the process, and knocking you unconscious. You will wake up outside the building where you first started, with no visible wounds.

You can attempt to repeat the ritual if you dare, but beware; getting the same response twice results in you dying in the room, never to be discovered.

The other response the man may give you is another question. He will ask what you desire.

If you reply with a way out, he will obliterate you, transforming you into a pile of dust.

Asking for material matters will result in you suffering an eternity of being trapped under ice cold snow, suffocating but not allowed to die.

You can ask the man for one of two things: the knowledge key, or the sacred chance. Asking for the knowledge key will make the man impart upon you the secrets of the world: how it came to be, who created it, how it will all end; and will "kill" you in the same manner as if the man asked who sent you earlier (you will wake up again outside the building unharmed).

However, you will never be able to speak, see or hear ever again, and will slowly be driven insane by your newfound knowledge which you cannot share.

If you ask the man for the sacred chance, he will place a small glass filled with liquid in your hands. You must feel the dimensions of the glass.

If the glass is taller than it is wide, all hope is lost for you.

If you drink the liquid, you will be poisoned and your heart will fail, but your brain will remain alive, and you will be forever aware of your lonely existence. If you open your eyes, you will look into the eyes of the room's inhabitant; this is sure to result in a fate far worse than death.

The only remaining option is to throw the liquid forwards into the man's eyes. If you aim correctly and get the liquid in his eyes, they will close, but he will lash about wildly with his knife. You must turn and run out of the door, being sure to slam it behind you.

You will be forever chased by the man you left in the room. He will visit you in your sleep and haunt your thoughts, and letting your guard down for a moment will result in your death. If the glass is wider than it is tall, as my glass was, drink its contents in one gulp.

As soon as you have swallowed the liquid, open your eyes. The man will be gone, and you will be facing the door from which you entered. Leave out of the same door, closing it behind you but being careful not to look back.

From that point onwards, you will dream every night of the secrets of the world, so vividly as if the visions were real. However, you will forget them as soon as you awaken. I believe that my fate is perhaps worst of all; being so close yet so far from the truth. If you do decide to complete this ritual, beware.

For the only way for somebody like me to recover my dreaming knowledge, is to kill another survivor.