Spooked - Three Elves on the Shelf

Episode Date: December 20, 2024

Lorena and her family are on vacation in Huasca, Mexico, where she buys three cute elf figurines at, “El Museo de los Duendes,” the Museum of the Elves. Apparently, these creatures can grant you wishes. But you gotta be careful what you wish for...Thank you Lorena for sharing your story to Spooked!Scouted and produced by Erick Yáñez, original score by Nicholas Marks, Lorena’s English voice is Laura Ubaté, artwork by Teo Ducot. Happy Holidays Spooksters!!! May the Elves be with you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Christmas is coming, but you don't stop to chat. And you don't put no money in this old man's hat. If you got none extra, well that'll have to do, but if you're sitting on gold, have a bad dog. I mean, George is a good boy. He's a sweet mud. Somebody found him wandering around the side of the road. And he's just a couple weeks old.

Missing the leg. So I don't know about his early life. It seems like it was tough, really hard. But whatever happened, it gave him something, some kind of magic power. Because now, Georgia refuses to do tricks or anything to come, fetch, heel. He can't be bothered. Instead, he's got a sixth sense. If you're feeling some kind of way, if you haven't even noticed it yourself,

he notices it puts his head in your lap looks directly at you no screens no filters makes you feel better so then a little while ago this dog suddenly starts bringing

rocks in the house rocks and I don't want him to hurt himself so I take the rock from him I toss it as far as I can bad dog get them rocks alone but then he's right back in the house with some rock.

Georgie! For the love of God! And it takes a while to notice that it isn't rocks that he's bringing in the house. It's a rock. One rock. Doesn't look particularly special. About the size of my palm.

Just a rock-colored rock. And it's crazy. I can throw this rock, bury it, hide it, whatever. The dog is going to find the rock. Finally, let me just aside. Let the baby have his bottle. All right, Georgie. The rock stays in the house.

And putting this rock in the living room, it seems to make this dog happy. Or happier. He's always happy as a clam. And now the dog that won't watch TV or anything will sit and look at this rock for hours. And I don't care about it. about any rod. At least I didn't. But Georgie loves this rock and I love Georgie. So now,

I love the rock. It's become kind of a totem and charm. I rub this rock for luck. Sometimes I sit right next to Georgie and I look at the rock too. It's nice. If the dark of night and stole away this rock, my family would mourn the loss. Something special. For real. What is going on? I do not know. But Georgia's getting older.

And I just asked the universe to please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please leave this rock. Exactly where it is. She's on vacation down in Mexico with her mother and her sister. and they've been checking out some amazing landmarks with a little bit of time to kill the tour guide suggests a detour to Waska Now Wasca, it's a charming town located deep in the forest of Central Mexico

Now it's beautiful, certainly Pretty But that's only scratching the surface We're in the coach For a recta very, very long The carretera is destapada We're in the car driving down a long straight dirt road. The sky is turning gray.

The trees are covered in moss, creating this archway over the road. Our guide's name is Fernando. Our guide's name is Fernando. He's been driving us around on this private tour. At one point, he says, You should take out your cameras. people often take photos of these trees, hoping to spot elves and fairies. Okay, this is obviously not true.

My sister is just as skeptical, but my mom, she's totally on board. Growing up, she heard a lot of stories about elves. So she pulls out her phone and starts snapping pictures left and right. For a fin, we get to the museum. We finally get to the museum. We entered this little building that looks like a fairy-tale cottage made out of bricks and wood. We walk into this huge hall and it's filled with elf dolls. In all the paredes, they're on the walls, they're sitting on benches.

Some are a foot and a half tall, others just a few inches. Some are plastic, others porcelain. Those duendes are not very lindos? These elves aren't exactly cute. They look like kids with grown-up faces. They have big ears, wrinkle skin, huge noses. Some wear pointy hats and baggy pants, and their eyes. Their eyes are so expressive.

Each one has a story and his name. Each elf has a small sign with its story and its name. One of them is linked to fertility, and the guy tells us that people who want to have kids should leave some money in front of it. There's another elf for those struggling with addictions. It's surrounded by cigarettes and a liquor bottle. There's even a guest book.

where people leave thank you notes for these elves. People write things like, thank you for allowing me to go on this vacation. Thank you because we finally could have a child. And I'm standing there like, Is this for real? When you, yeah terminamos the recorriada? So we finished the tour and come across this little gift shop.

There are keychanged. magnets, but also these tiny elves, about two inches tall. So, cara was tierna. These elves, they are so cute. They look like serial box toys. They are all holding quartz crystals, with each crystal representing a unique elf power. So we get a red one for my mom, for her health.

She had an accident a few years back, and she suffers from anterior grade amnesia. She tends to forget things that happened throughout the day, but holds on to her older memories. For my sister, who just graduated and is job hunting, we pick a green one for prosperity. As for me, I'm doing well at work. Things are good with my partner. So I just said, I just took the luck. So I just choose one for luck Four days

After our city, Pasta, Colombia Four days later, we are back home in Pasto Colombia We start unpacking and we take out the elves I put my elf on a shelf that's in my room My mom puts her next to the TV And my sister takes hers to her room

Then my sister says Let's let's put Duleses, let's try giving them some candy and some coins. So, we rummage around for whatever candy we have at home.

Recurredo that was a super cocoa. I find a super cocoa. It's a very cheap coconut candy with cream filling, super sweet. And I just put it under the elf and take a picture.

I sent a picture to my friend, Tatiana, just to brag about my trip. She replies back. Why didn't you bring one for me? Why didn't you bring one for me? Of course. Weeks go by and nothing happens. I don't feel any luckier.

My sister, she gets a job, but we don't think it's because of the elves. And my mom, well, she eventually walks around the house and grabs the elves' candy and the coins. She just forgot. One day, I'm at work and my sister text me, asking if I had taken her purse.

I'm like, no. Apparently it had a lot of money inside, and she had put it on a tall shelf at home. So when I get home, I help her look for it. Las two buscamos there. And no staba. We look on the shelf, nothing there. We look all around the apartment.

Nothing. So I tell her... Caro, and if we put him a moneta, what if we give your elf a coin? Maybe that will help us find it. I'm just joking. But she puts a coin in front of her elf and says... ...les say,

For favor, duend, is that appear my cartel. Elf, please. Let me find my purse. Ten minutes later, we were back searching through the same spots, and... There it was. Right where she had left it. On the top of the shelf. I let out a nervous laugh, but we're like, maybe we didn't see it before.

And then, it's now the Christmas season. Our tree is up, and a cute... snowman tablecloth covers our dining table. I'm at home doing arts and crafts for a work contest to see who could make the best nativity scene using only recyclables. My task is the three wise men. So I make one of the wise men figurines with styrofoam and all fabric. Once I finish, I leave it on my bedroom table and go take a shower.

When I came to the abitacean, No estaba. When I get out of the shower, the wise man figuring it's not there anymore. My first thought is, I'm home alone, so maybe one of my dogs took it? But that's impossible. We got a fence in the hallway to keep them out of the bedrooms. So I searched the rest of the house. But this wise man is nowhere to be found.

This has already happened to my sister and her purse. So I started to toy with the idea of talking to my elf. My elf already had a couple of coins in front of it. About 50 pesos. So I stand in front of the elf and say, Sir Doende, for favor, let me say, and I put a billetet. Mr. Elf, please.

Bring back my figuring, and I will give you more money. I feel so silly talking to the elf. I go back to the living room and start searching everywhere again. But then, I turned around and... The figure was down in the arbor of the Christmas tree. On one of the branches. Me assuceded.

I'm scared. I said, no, it's impossible. I don't know. This is impossible. It wasn't me. But I go to my room and I put a $2,000 bill under my elf. About half a dollar. When my sister and my mom get to the apartment, I tell them what happened.

But I tried to keep the details light so I don't scare my mom. She just laughs and says, well, looks like we did bring some magical elves with us. She wasn't scared at all, but I'm a little spooked because I was alone when it all happened. That's when I started to believe in the Alps. I start to feel like they're alive, living in my home. So I just keep giving them treats just in case. The next semanas, I'm going to be more generous with them. Over the next few weeks, I become more generous.

I give them nicer candy, not supercocos, and larger bills. But I'm the only one doing it. My sister never gives them anything. As for my mom, she starts taking the money and the candy again. Onos days after the episode of the Arbor of Navidad, there was a concert of Mark Antonio Solis. A few days after the Christmas tree incident, there's a Marco Antonio Solist concert.

I'm in line with my boyfriend and my uncle. It's almost 7 p.m. Suddenly, I receive a phone call from one of my aunts. She tells me that my mom's not answering her calls. So, I call my mom, no answer. It's getting late, and my mom usually doesn't go out alone. I started worrying that something might have happened to her or maybe she had some kind of breakdown

even though she's been living with Amnisha for eight years something like this has never happened I step out of the line and I leave my boyfriend and uncle behind when I get home I start walking around the block but I don't see her anywhere I'm starting to panic I'm starting to panic because it's almost nine. She's been missing for three hours.

I'm desperated, and at the point of almost I'm so desperate that I want to cry. I'm thinking the worst. Maybe she was kidnapped. Maybe she had an accident. Then, an idea pops up in my head.

I mean, this is like my last resort. I closed the eyes and I talked to the Dundes. I closed my eyes and I talked to the Elps, just like how you would pray to God. I say, for a favor, that may be my mom and I'll put a billet of $50,000. Please bring my mom back home. I'll give you a 50,000 pezzo bill, about $12.

That was the biggest denomination in Colombia back then. After praying, I turn around and I head back home. And as I'm turning the corner, I see my mom standing in front of our building. It happened so immediately. My mom is so calm as if nothing had happened. I tell her, I've been looking for her all night, and she says,

she wanted to go for a walk and she didn't hear her phone ringing. But she was okay. We go back to the apartment and I'm thinking, Thank you, thank you, gracias, gracias, gracias, do you, d'OENDS.

Thank you, thank you, elves. I take a 50,000 peso bill, wrap a rubber band around it and place it gently next to my elf. That's the incident that made me respect the elves more.

I'm starting to get a little obsessed. I started leaving more money. 5,000 pesos bills, 500 pesos in coins. Jeko a point in I'm starting to talk to them. When I'm alone, I say out loud, no you go to give my things. Please don't hide my stuff.

No, you'll lastimars. Please, don't hurt us. Then one day, I'm heading out for drinks with a friend, but I realize I'm out of cash. So my only option is to take the 50,000 peso bill from the elf. I go up to the elf, look in its eyes, and say, I'm going to take the money, but I'll make sure to return it later. One night, my boyfriend is staying over at my place.

We're sleeping and suddenly we're a We hear a loud bang in the living room. Like someone dropped a chair. I get out of bed to check, but everything looks just as it was. So I just brush it off and go back to bed. The next morning, I'm still kind of half asleep lying next to my boyfriend.

He stretches out his arm and says, Look. His arm is covered in this really tiny scratches. These scratches are small and short, like baby fingernails. It looks like someone did it on purpose. I text my sister about the love. loud bang and the scratches.

And she replies with a photo of her arm. His brasos full of moretones. Her arm is covered in this tiny bruises, the size of

pennies. She says, I don't remember hurting myself. They just showed up this morning. There we started to freak out. We start to freak out. We know that they're the elves.

It's the elves. We are sure it's them. My sister says we should throw them away. But something inside me is telling me that it can't be that easy. So we called this family friend who's helped us with this type of thing before. He comes over and I show him the elves. He just stares at them for a moment.

And then he asks me to put them back in my room. He says, they can't be here with us because they will hear us talking. I'm going to tell you how to get rid of them. The first thing he says is, These dweens are very powerful. These elves are very powerful. You've been giving them a lot of treats.

And then he looks at me and says, actually, your elf is the most powerful because of all the money and candy you've given him. That's the one to blame for everything that's been going on. He says, you bought these elves for a reason, but if you continue to keep them in your house, they will turn against you. Your mom's health will suffer. your sister will struggle at work and you will run out of luck I'm scared, very astustada, I'm freaking out

I'm wondering, what if we can get rid of them? What should we do? He says, The secret to desacern us, the secret to get rid of them and don't ever repeat this aloud, okay? You're going to look for a church. And this church must have two doors.

One door to enter, another to exit. Those you're going to take them. And you're going to leave them at the church's entrance. Then you're going to tell them, loud and clear, so they can hear you. For favor, wait for you. for me here. And I'll be right back. After that, you're going to enter the church.

Pray. And when you're ready, you'll exit through the other door. That night, I text my friend Tatiana. I tell her, I'm going to do something and I need you to come with me. She asks, what is this all about? And I tell her it's about the elves. She's not taking me seriously.

She just replies, well, make sure your elf is not reading your texts. So the next morning I meet up with Tatiana and we head towards the church. I'm carrying the elves in a black plastic bag. We're walking in silence. When we get to the church, there's no one around. I walked to the front entrance

and I was left in the first escalera and I placed the back on the doorstep. I say, Wait for me here. I'll be right back. Wait for me here. I'll be right back. My friend and I go inside.

We sit down and start to pray. At the back of the church, next to the statue of the Virgin Mary, I see the exit door wide open to my right. I'm praying for the elves to stay so they don't follow me. After a few minutes, we slowly stand up and leave through the exit door. We quickly turned the corner and start speedwalking. I'm very agitata, nervous.

It's like we're escaping. Once we are far from, nervous. from the church, I start telling Tatiana the whole story about losing money and losing my mom. She's freaking out. She's like, How will I do you have to do? What do you've been pegged to her? Why did you bring me here?

What if they come with me? What if someone sees them and takes them? I tell her, No, I don't know. I just hope people think it's a trash bag and throw them. it away. Once we get back to the apartment, I tell my sister and my mom what we had done. My sister looks relieved, but my mom? Well, she laughs at everything. She chuckles and says, I poe-sitos, poor little things. Who's going to take care of them now? I have never, ever

come back to that church. I think that was the first and the last time. I have ever been in that area. My my fear was that if I were past over there, they're still waiting me.

I'm scared that if I walk by, they're still waiting for me. Because I said that I told them, I'll be back. You thank you, Lorena, for sharing your story

with the spoke, and do not forget the next time you're in Mexico. Be sure to pay a visit to a Mose. Leo de los duendez and Waska, but please be careful with any souvenirs

you may purchase. Lorena's English voice in that story was by Laura Upate. The original score was by Nicholas Marks. This piece was scouted and produced by Eric Yannes. Tears the season, dear spookster, the winter solstice

holds a special place in the hearts of those who seek to understand the shadow. And there are creatures. entities set to only make their presence known during this season and no other. So, if you have a story about such a power, about your relationship with such an entity, I would love, love, love to hear it. I promise to tell only one million of my closest friends, the magical, mystical, fellowship of spooksters, let me know.

Spooked at snapjudgment.org. because there is nothing better than a spook story from a spoot listener. Spooked is brought you by the team that doesn't give pennies to L's under any circumstances except for Mark Ristich.

He's out here, really nearly on these streets sticking coins into every scary looking ceramic he can find. Naturally, there's Davey Kim, Zoe Ferragno, Eric Yonyz, Teo de Kott, Marissa Dodge, Miles Lassie, Doug Stewart, Elliot Lightfoot, Paulina Creek, Juan Diego Beltran, Sasha Wilson, Daniel Sinsky, the spook theme song.

It's by Pat Lassini Miller. My name's from Washington. And we bow before the carved figure sitting on the lotus leaf, or the god hanging from a cross, or the deity standing at the temple. gates. We bowing full well. This wooden pretense is not our God, but a vessel that we pour into to remind ourselves of the mystery. So why are we shocked when it happens? It happens often at the figure. The statue we fervently beg for mercy, for hope, justice, healing, for revenge. Why are we shocked when that statue weeps? As if an acceptance of the The vision we have poured into it. We say the mystery has power over all things,

but we recoil when it does the smallest thing. Wooden statues, ceramic figurines, totems, if we put something into them, isn't it natural? We also get something back. I don't want to be surprised at how the powers manifest themselves. No, this word, I know. The very best protection I have. have is to never, ever, never, ever, never, never, never, never.