Editor’s Note: Trigger warning — this story deals with themes that may make some readers uncomfortable, including violence, racism, and death.

Our parents all told us scary stories as kids so we would listen to them and to keep us in check. We believe them for a while until we get older and know that the monsters under our bed aren’t real. But what happens when we grow up and actually encounter the monsters we thought were fictitious?

Urban legends may be true. Spirits are probably out there haunting their next victim, so let’s talk about the stories and the creatures that come with them because maybe you may encounter them as well.

  La Llorona:

Originated in Mexico, La Llorona is very well known in the Hispanic community. Her name was Maria and she had two children who she threw into a river, instantly regretting it. It is said that if you lurk around rivers or even near a cemetery at night you can hear a wailing woman crying for her kids.

According to journalist Cristal Mesa from We Are Mitu, “Maria wandered the Earth after death in search of her children. This legend was often used as a cautionary tale to warn children not to stay out at night or to play near water alone, La Llorona will take them away.” 

Also from what my tios told me as a kid if you hear her far away, that means she’s close and if she sounds closer then really she’s far away so don’t let her trick you. She’s known to wear a white lace dress and if you look in her eyes she will bring you death so if you see or hear her you better put them legs in four-wheel drive.

 Bloody Mary:

As foolish as we are as kids we probably have played this game once in our childhood. There are many different versions of her story, but these are the most well-known ones. You go into a bathroom or any place that has a mirror and chant Bloody Mary three times. If it works you can see a woman in a white dress with blood all over her or sometimes you can see her holding a baby, if not then she might be after yours. Although the story is a little fabricated, she was in fact a real person known as Queen Mary.

She was the first queen of England, and later on, she had a miscarriage, hence why sometimes you can supposably see her holding a baby. A year later she died and haunts anybody who chants her name three times. So play at your own risk.

 The Axeman Of New Orleans: 

One of the most well-known urban legends in Louisiana, the Axeman was a serial killer who went into people’s homes and would slaughter them to death. During the period of 1918 and 1919, he went on killing sprees around New Orleans. He was never identified nor apprehended. 

 One of the many victims the Axeman claimed was named Joseph Maggio. He was sleeping with his wife when the axeman stormed in and killed the couples with a straight razor, then proceeded to bash their heads in with an ax. 

On March 13, 1919, The Times Picayune received a letter from the alleged “Axeman.” It stated: 

“Esteemed mortal, they have never caught me, and they never will. They have never seen me, for I am invisible, even as the ether, which surrounds your earth. I am not a human being, but a spirit and a fell demon from the hottest hell. I am what you Orleanians and your foolish police call the Axeman…They have been so utterly stupid so as to amuse not only me but his satanic majesty… But tell them to beware. Let them not try to discover what I am, for it was better that they never were born than for them to incur the wrath of the Axeman… Undoubtedly you Orleanians think of me as a most horrible murderer, which I am, but I could be much worse if I wanted to. At will, I could slay thousands of your best citizens, for I am in close relationship with the angel of death.” 

The Goatman’s Bridge:

The legend goes, back in Denton, Texas, an African-American man named Walter Oshburn was a successful goat seller and he was known as the “Goatman.” Locals supported him, but the KKK wasn’t so impressed and was angered by his success. They quietly drove down the bridge without anybody knowing, proceeding to kidnap Walter from his home and take him back to the bridge which resulted in them hanging and throwing Walter off of the bridge.

When they did that horrific act, they went to look back to see if he was dead or still alive, Walter’s body just disappeared and no one had seen or heard of him since.

 Locals around the area believe that Satanists have performed rituals on the bridge and opened a portal to a different dimension, some may say a portal to hell. There have also been many reports of screaming and maniacal laughter coming from the bridge at night. 

Urban legends are stories we all love to hear and spook ourselves with. The stories that bring chills up your spine are intriguing so hopefully, the retellings of these tales will make you think twice before chanting a demonic name or nearing a sinful area with evil waiting for you.