For the purpose of this assignment, I will conceal the name of the interviewee and replace it with Sarah.

I asked good friend Sarah to tell me a ghost story. At first she said she didn’t know any. But she gave it some taught and remembered her mom telling her stories of her childhood. She warned me that these stories were true, and she can confirm it by having me call her mom. Her story goes as follows:

When my mother was born, her mother (Sarah’s grandmother) passed away giving birth to her. She was sent from Mexico to live with her grandmother (Sarah’s great grandmother) and her cousins in Fresno, California. Nevertheless did she know she was going to live in a house where an old Indian Reservation used to exist. My mother told me when she was growing up in that house, her and her cousins would always be scared at night because they would often see white figures walking in and out of their rooms. She said she can vaguely remember her childhood, but one thing was clear, she knew that house was haunted. When she was in her teens, she actively took on roles as a mother because her grandmother was getting ill. She can recall cooking dinner one night and seeing a white figure walking behind her while she made dinner. She said that her grandmother would not allow anyone to sleep with her because she did not want the female ghost who lived in her room to haunt her or her cousins. According to my mother, in the room where my great grandmother lived, there lived a female ghost who would sleep and cuddle with her each night. My mother never questioned her grandmother, because she knew better than to stay quiet, if not the ghost would follow her. My mother knew she had to leave that house, so that’s when she met my father and she decided to leave out the house and live with him. Once my mother left the house, my great grandmother grew sicker and sicker, to the point my mother had to make frequent visits after work and check on her. Couple months passed and her grandmother passed away.

            To this day, her cousins still live in this house, and they seem to have a mental illness. She believes that the ghost have messed with their minds, and have made them sick.

Sarah has never walked inside the house, but she has driven passed it. She refuses to go inside because she fears the ghosts might follow her home.

When Sarah was telling me this story, I felt so engaged by it.  I felt as if I was her mother in the story. After learning about the different motifs in ghost stories, I feel this story is true ghost story. Knowing the fact that this house was built on top of an Indian Reservation already goes to show there will be ghostly activities in this house. As discussed, most Native American ghost stories consist of ghost haunting because of burial removals and an unfinished business. We know that Native Americans treasure their burials, and having a house built on top of this location, leaves for ghost hauntings.

Ever since our professor, Dr. Tok Thompson, vaguely told us about a recent ghost story reported in the Toys ‘R’ Us in my hometown, Sunnyvale, California. I’ve decided to investigate more about the ghost by getting in touch with my one closest my friends who works at this store. For the purpose of this assignment, I will conceal the name of the interviewee and replace it with Haley.

Me: So I heard the Toy ‘R’ Us in our town is haunted?

Haley: Yes it is! At least once of week I will see some crazy shit happen while working.

Me: Do you know the history of the store?

Haley: Yeah… Well according my store manager, the Toy ‘R’ Us (this store is now spilt in half… half is Toy ‘R’ Us and the other half Baby ‘R’ Us, but customers have access to both stores once inside) was built on top of some old dude’s house. Rumors have it, the guy’s name is Tom and he died in his house, but no one knows how. After his death, Toys ‘R’ Us was built and some pieces of the house still remain here. In the store, we have a dividing wall that splits both Toy ‘R’ Us and Baby ‘R’ Us apart, and at the corner of wall there is a doorbell that rings back office’s bell, people say this doorbell belongs to old house which was once here.

Me: That’s crazy. So do you think Tom’s spirit never left his house, and now lives inside the store?

Haley: Hell yes it does! It was around 1 am, last Christmas that I had to work the late night shift after our annual sale. While I was restocking toys in the back, all of a sudden, a whole rack of toys fell from the shelf. I was frightened. I thought another employee might of have tipped the toys off the shelf, but no one was there. I was scared. I told my manager, and he joked that Tom made an appearance. Ever since then, I truly believe the store is haunted.

Me: Oh god. I learned in my ghost story class that crazy shit happens around midnight (liminal time) and probably Tom has some unfinished business that he needs to take care of… Or possibly he never had a proper burial, and/or his spirits did not like the fact a store was built directly on his property. I have to say, this is fairly spooky. Do you any more stories where “Tom” made an appearance?

Haley: Well… I have seen three surveillance videos where the front doors of the store all of a sudden open and then shut close without tripping the alarm…. also there was another time when a Filipino lady came out screaming from the women’s restroom because she felt something/someone touch her while she was using the restroom. I am used it to now. I just make sure not work the late shifts nor use the restrooms while working. I am not planning to stay here that long, so that’s why I’m not trippin’ about this place.

Me: Well thank you Haley, you told a great story! Can’t wait to see you again.

My reaction: I truly believe this story was a ghost story because she experienced an instance where things fell without anyone being present in the room during liminal time. I also feel that Tom lingers around Toy ‘R’ Us for many reasons, improper burial, the remains of his house belong to him, and/or possibly he has some unfinished business he needs to take care of.