When you think of Halloween, do you think of dressing up with your friends and going to parties? Do you think of trick or treating? What about spooky stories? Well, lucky for you, we have conjured up a couple of them. But wait, these are not just ordinary horror stories. Oh no, what makes them so special is that they all take place in our beloved Bay Area.
We are going to start things off with a tale of a young, heartbroken mother. On one sunny day in Golden Gate Park, a woman was strolling the park with her baby. At some point, she grew tired and decided to rest on a bench. While the mother was talking to another woman, she lost track of focus and didn’t realize that the stroller containing her baby had fallen into the water. Eventually, the mother figured out that her baby was missing and searched all over the park to find it. Once she realized that the stroller must have rolled into the lake, the mother jumped in, never to return from the surface. Whether her foot got caught on a vine, or she intentionally drowned herself due to heartbreak, people visit the park at night hoping to run into the spirit of the mourning mother, for she is still looking for her lost baby. Investigators found out that in 1906, two young girls discovered a baby’s body floating in the same lake and reported it to the police.
Now our next story involves a group of Seniors who were celebrating their last year of high school at a party by Lake Temescal. Little did they know, a little toxic algae wasn’t all they had to worry about. Four teens swam out probably a little farther than they should have. One girl who was still on the shore later reported that they heard some splashing and screams out from the distance but assumed the teens were just messing around. However, they never returned to shore. Those who were at the party grew worried and the next day, returned with a search boat. After a couple of hours of searching, one rescuer found two bodies floating in the green, murky water. What was once their eyes were now dark holes, and their skin was covered in raw scratch marks. We still do not know the cause of death. Maybe they drowned and were feasted on my fish, or maybe something—or someone—killed them and left their bodies to tarnish. However, the other bodies were never found and the truth remains a mystery. Nowadays, teens still break into the lake, not aware of what danger they may face.
Our final story takes place in the 1920s, the decade full of eccentric fashion, raging parties, and extraordinary music. One night, Ruth and her friend decided to go to a party in an underground club in San Francisco. Ruth went to the party, hoping to find a nice gentleman to keep her company. A couple of hours in, she met John, a tall, broad shouldered, man with sharp cheekbones. He was the most handsome man she had ever met. When he grinned at her, her cheeks flushed and a shy smile grew on her face. John’s calloused hand grabbed her freshly manicured one, and he led her into the back of the club. The red fluorescent lights made it look as though everything was painted in blood. When they reached the door at the end of the hall, a sudden wave of nausea pooled in Ruth’s stomach. She tried to push this aside, and as she entered the ominous room, she felt John’s intimidating presence creep up behind her and heard the door lock. Hours had passed when Ruth’s friend began looking for her. After looking all over the club, she found Ruth in the same room, yet John was gone. Ruth, however, was lying in the middle of the floor with her neck slashed. Her once white dress was drenched in blood and life had been drained from her crystal blue eyes. That very club is still open today and is owned by John’s great-grandson, Peter. As attendees come and go, Ruth’s spirit is forever present, scheming to avenge her murder.