Author Archives: Kaelyn Saldanha

Unexplained Events in Two Houses

Age: 19

Age: 19

Context:

This story was told to me by my roommate(PR) during a casual conversation in our living room while we were talking about ghost stories and unexplained experiences. The conversation was informal, and the informant shared these stories as personal experiences from their childhood and family life. The conversation began after I mentioned taking this GESM class and how I was interested in Ghost Stories.

The Story:

PR: “Basically, when I was in elementary school, we had just moved into this new house, and there was this period of time where really weird stuff started happening. Like, during the summer, we would walk into a room and see a glass of water flipped completely upside down, but the water would still be inside it. There wouldn’t be any water spilled anywhere, which made no sense.

PR: One time it happened on my brother’s desk. There was a glass flipped onto papers, and the ink from the papers soaked into the desk and ruined it. We had to get rid of it because it was permanently stained.

PR: This went on for a while, and then a few months later, we found out that the previous owner of the house had just died before we moved in. That’s when it started feeling a lot creepier.

PR: Also, my mom would hear footsteps at night, like someone walking up and down the hallway. Sometimes she would hear what sounded like us outside her door, and she’d be like, ‘Guys, just come in, don’t stand there.’ But then she’d open the door, and no one would be there.”

PR: “And then there’s my aunt’s house. That place was just… off. It was always super cold, especially in the basement, and I hated being there. I would just stay in my cousin’s room because the rest of the house felt weird.

PR: One morning before school, my cousin and I were alone in the house. We were in the basement and started hearing this creaking sound, like a door opening and closing. We went upstairs to check, but nothing was happening.

PR: Then we went back downstairs, and it started again. So we went back up and checked every door. When we got to one of the bedrooms, the door was literally creaking open and shut by itself, the same sound we heard.

PR: There was no one else in the house. And the dog started barking up the stairs like something was there. It was actually really scary.”

Informant’s Thoughts

PR: “I still don’t really know how to explain what happened, because none of it made sense at the time. Like, the water glasses thing especially. I wouldn’t say I 100% believe it was a ghost, but finding out that the previous owner had died definitely made it feel a lot creepier.”

PR: The stuff at my aunt’s house felt different though. That place just always had a weird vibe, even before anything actually happened. The door creaking by itself and the dog reacting made it feel way more real in the moment. It wasn’t just one thing, it was like everything together that made it scary. I still think about it sometimes because I can’t really come up with an explanation for it.”

Analysis:

This entry reflects common themes found in ghost stories, including unexplained physical disturbances, auditory phenomena, and an overall sense of unease tied to specific locations. The first part of the story includes a classic haunted house motif, where strange events, such as objects moving in impossible ways and unexplained footsteps, are later connected to the death of a previous occupant. This connection reinforces the idea of spirits lingering in places where they once lived. The second part of the story focuses more on atmosphere and perception. The informant describes a persistent feeling of discomfort in their aunt’s house even before any specific event occurred. This aligns with a common feature in folklore where environments themselves are described as “feeling haunted.” The creaking door and the reaction of the dog add to the tension, as animals are often believed to sense supernatural presences. Overall, the story demonstrates how personal experiences, environmental cues, and cultural beliefs about ghosts combine to create meaningful and memorable narratives. Even without clear evidence, the informant interprets these events through a supernatural lens, which is a key characteristic of folklore storytelling.

Nachito’s Tomb and the Fear of Darkness

Age: 19

Age: 19

Context:

This story was told to me by a friend during a conversation about cultural ghost stories and urban legends. It is a well-known legend from Guadalajara, Mexico, and is commonly associated with the Panteón de Belén cemetery. Stories like this are often shared within families or communities and are sometimes retold during visits to the cemetery or in discussions about local folklore.

Text:

TC: “There’s this really famous ghost story from Guadalajara about a little boy named Nachito. He lived in the 1800s, and apparently, he had an extreme fear of the dark. Like, he couldn’t sleep unless there was light around him.

TC: When he died, his family buried him in the cemetery like normal, but people started saying that strange things were happening around his grave. Some versions of the story say that his coffin would move or shift overnight, like something was trying to get out.

TC: Because of this, his mother believed that he was still afraid of the darkness even after death. So she had his coffin taken out of the ground and placed above it, where it could be exposed to light.

TC: People say she would keep candles or torches around it so he wouldn’t be left in the dark. Over time, it became a known spot in the cemetery, and visitors started leaving toys for him.

TC: Even today, people still bring toys to Nachito’s tomb because they believe his spirit is still there. Some say that if you don’t bring him something, his ghost might cause bad luck or tragedies.”

Informant’s Thoughts:

TC: “I don’t really think of this story as super scary; it’s more sad to me. Like, it’s about a little kid who was just really afraid of the dark, and that fear didn’t even go away after he died. I think that’s why people feel bad for him and leave toys, because it’s more about comforting him than being scared of him.”

TC: “But at the same time, it’s still kind of creepy that people say something bad could happen if you don’t bring him something. It’s like a mix of feeling bad for him and also not wanting to risk anything.”

Analysis:

This story reflects common themes found in Latin American folklore, particularly the idea that spirits remain connected to their emotions or fears even after death. In this case, Nachito’s fear of the dark continues beyond his lifetime, influencing the actions of the living, especially his mother, who tries to comfort him by keeping his coffin above ground and surrounded by light. The tradition of leaving toys at his grave also shows how communities physically interact with folklore. These offerings function both as a sign of care and as a way to avoid possible misfortune, which is a pattern seen in many ghost stories. Additionally, this legend blends tragedy with innocence. Nachito is not portrayed as a threatening or evil spirit, but rather as a frightened child. However, there is still an underlying sense of caution, since failing to acknowledge him could lead to bad luck. This balance between sympathy and fear is what makes the story both memorable and culturally meaningful.