
|
w w w . c a s t l e o f s p i r i t s . c o m
MARU
This experience happened to my grandmother and is often retold at family gatherings. My family is originally from Puerto Rico which is where
this
story takes place. Back in the day (circa 1940s-50s), the
whole
town was very rustic and there was no bridge to cross the river and,
since it
was not very deep or turbulent, people crossed it by jumping on the
rocks
protruding from the water.
Maru often came to my grandmother for advice since her husband was an abusive alcoholic. My grandmother would provide a shoulder to cry on and a cup of coffee. Back in those days, the mentality was that the wife was sort of a martyr and this, along with childbirth, was just one of the sacrifices of the gender. Backwards, I know, but it was a different time. Maru soon became very ill from some internal disease (Maru didn’t know
what
disease since she didn’t go to the doctor), but the sickness did not
stop her
husband from continuing his attacks on her. On one such occasion, the
woman
ran several miles barefoot to my grandmother's house seeking shelter
from her
husband. The lady was exhausted and in pain—pain from her bloody feet,
pain
from her disease, and pain from the injuries her husband had caused.
Maru was
screaming for help—she wanted my grandmother to hide her from her
husband, whom
she believed was chasing her. Hours passed and it became apparent that Maru was on her deathbed. She began coughing up blood that spattered on the walls and the bed. The disease and the prolonged abuse had taken their toll on her body and she passed away on my aunt’s bed. The strange things began soon after. The next morning, my grandmother was woken by noises from the valley.
As I
mentioned before, their house is in the middle of a valley on top of a
hill
surrounded by mountains; so any noise that came from the valley echoed
loudly.
She walked out onto the balcony and looked down towards the river. The
noises
she had heard came from cows that were mooing in a strange,
high-pitched way—a
frightened way. They were all facing the opposite bank of the river as
they
did this. Now, these cows were old milking cows that were used to
being around
humans and were not easily spooked. So it really surprised my
grandmother when
they abruptly stopped mooing and ran for their lives! My grandmother
looked in
the direction of the far bank and she saw mist—mist that began
swirling,
rising, and collecting itself into the form of a woman! The mist woman
proceeded to cross the river, “stepping” on the very rocks that Maru
used when
visiting my grandmother! My grandmother was so in awe that she didn’t
feel
afraid—yet when the mist reached the other side of the river, my
grandmother
said she heard a loud sigh of relief echo through the valley. Then the
form
disappeared. Another thing that would happen was that the children (my aunts) who slept in that room would report having their sheets pulled by an unseen force. When one of them woke up to accuse the other, they each found their sibling to be sound asleep! Finally, footsteps could be heard throughout the house making their way from the kitchen to the girls’ bedroom and abruptly stopping when they reached the door. I have never had any experiences personally, but I always get chills when my grandmother tells this story. Thanks for letting me share!
Submitted From: Gianna, TN, USA |