Author Archives: ariatran

One Sleepless Night

Age: 19

Context: This story comes from the informant’s mom. This happened when she was around 14 years old, growing up in Mexico. It is a ghost story she often tells, especially when talking about strange or supernatural experiences.

The story:
“One night, my mom was struggling to fall asleep. She kept tossing and turning, so she decided to look out the window. While looking outside, she saw a large group of dogs walking together and barking loudly, which she immediately felt was unusual.

She went back to bed, trying to convince herself it was nothing, but soon after, she began hearing creaking noises coming from the roof. As the night went on, things became even stranger. She started seeing shadows moving in the hallway, even though everyone else in the house, including her sister, was asleep.

Then, objects in the house began to move. Pictures hanging on the wall started falling out of the blue. The moment that stayed with her the most was when she looked into the hallway and saw the shadow of a man slowly walking toward her.

Terrified, she tried to turn on the lights, but they wouldn’t work. At the same time, she heard heavy stomping sounds coming from the roof. Overwhelmed with fear, she hid under her blanket, covering her head until she eventually fell asleep.”

The Informant’s Thoughts:
The informant’s mom still remembers this experience vividly and often shares it as a ghost story. She never fully understood what happened or who or what he figure could have been. It could have been something supernatural, like a spirit, or simply something her imagination created in the dark. Growing up, stories like this, along with folklore like La Llorona, were often used to scare children into behaving. Even though the story may not be entirely realistic, it left a strong impression on both the informant and her mom.

Analysis:
This story really intrigued me because it falls into the common “haunted house” motif, where typical domestic spaces can cause fear. My interest accumulated as more spooky details were revealed in the story. I also find it interesting that the story is rooted in childhood, blurring the line between imagination and reality, making it hard to determine whether the experience was supernatural or psychological.

The story about Hai Van Passage

Age: 42

Context:
My relative who really enjoys taking road trips on his motorbike in different cities in Vietnam told me about this legend about the Hai Van Passage. It was once the busiest passage that connected major cities in the central part of Vietnam. However, its poor infrastructure along with foggy weather due to high altitude led to many traffic accidents.

The Story:
A woodcutter lived at the foot of the Hai Van Passage. One cold, rainy day near Lunar New Year, he went into the mountains to gather wood but on his way back, he got completely lost despite knowing the mountain really well.

As the night fell, he found an abandoned shrine and fell asleep there. In the middle of the night, he woke up to loud voices. Peeking out, he saw a horrifying scene: dozens of oddly figured bodies with missing limbs or torn flesh. They were supposedly ghosts of people who had died in accidents on the pass.

The “leader” of the spirits said that the next morning at 9 a.m., a passenger bus with 38 people would pass by. Their goal was to push it off the cliff and kill everyone except one pregnant woman. The woodcutter was frightened but remained silent until dawn.

As soon as morning came, he rushed down the mountain and waited in the middle of the road. When the bus arrived, he stopped it and asked how many passengers were inside and whether or not there was a pregnant woman. Shockingly, every detail matched what the woodcutter heard.

Eventually, they canceled the trip and made offerings to the spirits. The driver of the bus retired after escaping death. That day, the woodcutter didn’t just survive the night, he saved 38 lives.

The Informant’s Thoughts: My relative found this a really intriguing story. Despite not entirely believing in superstitions or mythical creatures, he often told this story to his friends who share the same passion for cross-country road trips with him. Aside from that, he also thought that this was a marketing scheme for nearby temples and charm or amulet sellers.

Analysis: This story really creeped me out, especially when the interview was conducted at night for me, while my relative was enjoying his bright and sunny noon break. On reflection, this story truly adds cultural value to the area around Hai Van Passage, especially since Buddhism is dominant there. Not only that, the story also serves as a subtle warning for drivers to remain cautious, as the pass is well known for its challenging and potentially dangerous conditions.