La Mala Hora: From Scary stories at Americanfolklore.net

A New Mexico Ghost Story

retold by

S.E. Schlosser

My friend Isabela called me one evening before dinner. She was sobbing as she told me that she and her husband Enrique were getting divorced. He had moved out of the house earlier that day and Isabela was distraught.

I called my husband, who was on a business trip in Chicago, and he agreed that I should go stay with Isabela for a few days to help her during this difficult time. I packed a small suitcase and got right into the car. It was late, and it would take me at least four hours to drive from my home to Sante Fe. Isabela was expecting me to arrive around midnight.

As I traveled down the dark, wet highway, I kept feeling chills, as if someone or something were watching me. I kept looking in the rear view mirror, and glancing into the back seat. No one was there. Don't be ridiculous, I told myself, wishing fervently that I was home in my bed instead of driving on a dark, rainy highway. There was almost no traffic, and I heartily wished that I would soon reach Sante Fe.

I turned off the highway just before I reached the city, and started down the side roads that led to Isabela's house. As I approached a small crossroads, I saw a woman step into the street directly in front of my car. I shrieked in fright and slammed on my brakes, praying I would miss her.

The car shuddered to a halt, and I looked frantically around for the woman. Then I saw her, right beside my window, looking in at me. She had the face of a demon, twisted, eyes glowing red, and short pointed teeth. I screamed as she leapt at my window, her clawed hands striking the glass. I put my foot down on the accelerator and the car leapt forward. For a few terrible moments, she ran along side the car, keeping up easily and striking at me again and again. Then she fell behind and in the rear view mirror I saw her growing taller and taller, until she was as large as a tree. Red light swirled around her like mist, and she pointed after me, her mouth moving though I could not make out the words. I jerked my attention back to the road, afraid what might happen to me if my car ran off the street.

I made it to Isabela's house in record time and flung myself out of the car, pounding on her door frantically and looking behind me to see if the demon-faced woman had followed me. Isabela came running to the door and let me in.

"Shut the door! Shut it!" I cried frantically, brushing past her into the safety of the house.

"Jane, what is wrong?" she asked, slamming the door shut. She grabbed my hand and led me into the living room. I sank onto the couch and started sobbing in fear and reaction. After several minutes, I managed to gasp out my story. Isabela gasped and said: "Are you sure you were at a crossroads when you saw her?"

I nodded, puzzled by her question.

"It must have been La malhora," Isabela said, wringing her hands.

"The bad hour?" I asked.

"This is bad, Jane. Very bad," Isabela cried. "La Malhora only appears at a crossroads when someone is going to die."

Ordinarily, I would have laughed at such a superstition, but the appearance of the demon-woman had shaken me. Isabela got me a cup of hot cocoa, brought my luggage in from the car, and sent me to bed. She was so concerned for me that she didn't once mention the divorce or Enrique.

I felt much better the next morning, but I could not shake the feeling of dread that grew within me all day. Neither of us mentioned La Malhora, but we were both thinking of her when I told Isabela that I wanted to go home. Isabela insisted on accompanying me. I flatly refused to drive after dark. I was afraid I would see the demon-woman again when I passed the crossroads.

We left the next morning, and we hadn't been home more than twenty minutes when a police car pulled into my driveway. I knew at once what it meant, and so did Isabella.

The officers spoke very gently to me, but nothing could soften the news. My husband had been mugged on the way back to his hotel after dinner last night. His body had not been found until this morning. He had been shot in the head and was killed instantly.

Comments

poor guy he got shot in the head!!!!!

Posted by: layla | July 11, 2010 11:12 AM

omg.....really guys this is weird.

Posted by: Anonymous | July 15, 2010 11:27 AM

that was a awsome story i love storys like that i would read it all the time it was so cool !!!!!

Posted by: missy | July 16, 2010 08:42 AM

This was a freakY story! I have read a lot of them and by far this one is the one that I was so into .thanx! I could read these stories all day!

Posted by: Joby | July 16, 2010 02:58 PM

oh c'mon it wasn't that scary

Posted by: jenni | July 17, 2010 06:04 PM

freaky :/

Posted by: twix | July 17, 2010 06:30 PM

omg that was totally scary im christian and every night i pray to my guardian angel to protect me.

Posted by: animepopprincess101 | July 18, 2010 04:08 AM

this is creepy but awesome sooooo enjoy it xxx

Posted by: anonymous | July 20, 2010 07:13 AM

umm....it was...........interesting.....

Posted by: small fri | July 22, 2010 01:42 AM

Awesome! I love this ♥

Posted by: Lilly | July 22, 2010 04:19 PM

Wow. that was creepy. I told my friend on the phone n she hung up xD

Posted by: Scarlet Knight | July 22, 2010 10:10 PM

omg that is so scary.....

Posted by: kristina | July 23, 2010 06:40 PM

at first it was getting good, with the scary woman staring into the car window and even in real life i would be a little scared but when it started getting bigger and the red dust to me it was just. pathetic.
Lol soz but wasnt scary atall. seriously. i would have prefered it if she didnt get bigger and there were no dust but she did something like;
....... smashed open the window and got in the car, then opened her mouth and puked blood and bugs and stuff in her face or the woman driving stopped the car violently and the 'Malhora' woman shot forward and her gums came out and she tried to bite her face e.t.c
Lol ik i like gruesome tales and 18 movies. Tara, 12 =D

Posted by: tara =) | July 25, 2010 12:40 PM

lol that was awesome <3 im in my bed readin, im shakin xD

Posted by: sophie | July 26, 2010 10:08 PM

im so scared. im so scared!
poor guy...

wait, why was the demon woman clawing at her window if the woman's husband was dying>?

Posted by: Anonymous | July 28, 2010 05:21 PM

This was an awesome read xD

Posted by: Mizure | July 30, 2010 12:53 AM

I got to the part where the person saw the demons face...and my sister came up and told me that one of our horses was going to have to be put down. One of my favorite horses.

Posted by: Ted | July 30, 2010 02:04 PM

that was kinda scary and creepy!!

Posted by: alice | August 3, 2010 07:26 PM

Gosh that was scary scince im only 9 ill say this aieeeeeeeeeeeeee

Posted by: Jenifer | August 5, 2010 04:11 AM

that was SCARY

Posted by: a | August 9, 2010 02:42 PM

I actually grew up in guatemala and reading this is nothing comapred to the la llorna! Search the story up, none back home goes out after 6 lol

Posted by: monica | August 10, 2010 12:29 PM

I lived in clovis new mexico not far from there and iv heard it b4

Posted by: Mi-suu | August 13, 2010 11:04 AM

This gave me chills up my spine!

Posted by: bessie | August 14, 2010 04:02 AM

wow that story was awsome cause of the malahora i heard the tale before but i didnt belive it now im kinda scared and concerned about it

Posted by: dave | August 20, 2010 06:10 AM

dude this is so scary cant go to bed now

Posted by: bella swan | August 20, 2010 11:49 PM

omg dat waz soooo cool and i live in new mexico too!so i hope i wont c her!or else im gonna have a hart attack im only 12 by the way

Posted by: ciara | August 22, 2010 02:15 PM

wow,creepy

Posted by: hayley | August 24, 2010 11:57 AM

um, I'm 11, I was driving in North Dakota with my dad and this happened to us, but she clawed at me, I pulled out the gun we keep in the car and shot her in the face. I haven't slept sence. true story, I swear.

Posted by: Andrew | August 27, 2010 06:19 PM

WOWWWwwWW I'm In ♥♥♥♥♥ withn this!!!(((((:

Posted by: K'Woww | September 1, 2010 01:42 PM

that was the ausumnous story ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Anonymous | September 3, 2010 07:00 PM

this is kinda creepy....

Posted by: priciy16 | September 5, 2010 10:10 AM

Whoa creepy

Posted by: LORD TACO | September 7, 2010 03:24 PM

Tht was soo scary ! Omg! Im british and im scared to go to America now!

Posted by: Anonymous | September 10, 2010 12:23 PM

wow this story fraked me out aww he died...

Posted by: danie | September 17, 2010 01:05 AM

my dad shot himself, so i know almost exactly how she feels.

Posted by: Natalie | September 18, 2010 08:40 AM

awesome! still shaking from it!

Posted by: Anonymous | September 19, 2010 04:19 PM

O_O THATS MESSED UP!!!
ITS EVEN MORE SCARY CAUSE MY NAME IS ISABELLA!!!.....
And I Know A Guy Named Enrique D;

Posted by: Isabella | September 19, 2010 10:43 PM

That story was awesome but very sad

Posted by: ivy | September 21, 2010 09:41 AM

i loovee this story sooo much

Posted by: rebecca | September 26, 2010 01:10 PM

OMG! I was at the part where the Mala Hora is chasing the car and I felt a freezing gust of air on my arm and I was like,"OH MY GOD IT'S THE MALA HORA!!!!" ^_^

Posted by: PrettyGirl1 | October 3, 2010 12:54 PM

dis wuz scary...i thought da gurl was bout to die!!!!

Posted by: cxbvbc | October 9, 2010 12:38 PM

WOW SCARY I IMAGINED THE OLD LADY IN MY HEAD :O LOL

Posted by: WOAH | October 9, 2010 09:17 PM

Nice mixture of the phantom hitchhiker, the crossroad legends and the harbingers of death. Hispanic people are usually a lot more superstitious and perhaps they have mixed those original legends up, adding a few religious-like demonic fear to the whole thing. Really nice indeed, I've never heard such versions of roadside legends before.

Posted by: Herne the Hunter | October 10, 2010 06:13 PM

we got freaked out it made us jump out of our chair and we ran as fast as we can to the living room NO KIDDING!!!!!

Posted by: amanda and maria | October 11, 2010 12:45 PM

Guess where I'm NOT going!

Posted by: Kelsey | October 11, 2010 02:02 PM

wow man thats sacry

Posted by: maria | October 11, 2010 08:22 PM

tha story was good...

Posted by: Anonymous | October 12, 2010 11:29 AM

@a, Dude i know what ur talkin bout, ive been scared of la llorna since i was small. As a ghost hunter now ive overcome many fears but not her!

Posted by: Anthony Angel | October 16, 2010 03:02 PM

OMG that was really scary imagine having a lady in front of u for a minute then she appears right next to u

Posted by: Anonymous | October 18, 2010 08:04 PM

awesome story

Posted by: Sindey | October 18, 2010 09:02 PM

absolutely loved it...i (being a californian)love scary stories from the east coast and outside the us...one story i would recommend is Naciremas...very intelligent stor

Posted by: Matt m | October 18, 2010 10:58 PM

:D loved it

Posted by: Anonymous | October 19, 2010 02:07 PM

wow

Posted by: Anonymous | October 19, 2010 06:47 PM

that was like a scary weird story

Posted by: patrick piercse | October 20, 2010 03:55 PM

ahahahaha i find it funny

Posted by: someone | October 21, 2010 02:04 PM

that was freaky and weird at the same time im only 10

Posted by: Anonymous | October 21, 2010 07:59 PM

it was cool

Posted by: jesus | October 22, 2010 12:05 PM

very interesting

Posted by: sandra | October 22, 2010 01:31 PM

i don't really get it
it is kinda wierd

Posted by: stupidhead123 | October 22, 2010 10:36 PM

what is la mahora

Posted by: Amber | October 24, 2010 02:29 PM

A little weird

Posted by: Anonymous | October 25, 2010 07:43 PM

Woah, shooting sombody, thats ok, but shooting his head... thats just wrong, i mean his head...His head!!!

Posted by: igor | October 28, 2010 11:15 AM

it was intense

Posted by: alex | October 28, 2010 12:43 PM

That was alright. I mean it wasn't scary at all but it wasn't weird or funny. I've read and heard scarier.

Posted by: Anonymous | October 30, 2010 07:44 PM

the POOR guy I feel so bad for him because he got shot

Posted by: Abigail | October 31, 2010 01:36 PM

it wuz kinda scary, but theres scarier out there,:)

Posted by: Anonymous | November 1, 2010 05:52 PM

i wouln't have luved to be her when she met la mala hora. Awsome!!!!

Posted by: Anonymous | November 3, 2010 07:41 PM

ooo tht poor demon girl! can u imagine? anyone as tall as a tree must be an outcast! :(

Posted by: Holly | November 4, 2010 06:53 PM

This one was GOOD!!!

Posted by: Emily | November 8, 2010 01:30 PM

omg this is so creepy ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Posted by: uy | November 10, 2010 12:31 PM

that was soooooo scary! that is a story everyone should be scared of!!

Posted by: scary bones | November 10, 2010 03:18 PM

WOW! That is all I can say right now, WOW!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Anonymus | November 10, 2010 09:05 PM

i would NOT go back!!

Posted by: shaylan | November 20, 2010 01:05 PM

WOW Pretty scary.............or WEIRD LOL

Posted by: Princess Daisy | November 24, 2010 03:46 PM

awwwww the guy got shot i feel bad for the women :(

Posted by: Gothic girl | November 29, 2010 09:40 AM

I read this and then my dog barked and I almost screamed!

Posted by: Anonymous | December 2, 2010 02:28 PM

Cool storie.It describes a lot of details.I wonder how the Malhora became a legend.

Posted by: Jose Barroso | December 2, 2010 06:57 PM

GIRLS NIGHT OUT! XDD jk but thats creepy o.o

Posted by: Roxz | December 3, 2010 12:09 AM

this story was cool but i thought the lady said that she woould die not her husband but that ws a cool aending i wanted her to live

Posted by: rena | December 3, 2010 01:52 PM

That wuz awsome

Posted by: Anonymous | December 8, 2010 12:03 AM

A good story. I little sad, but otherwise good.

Posted by: Jessica T | December 8, 2010 03:39 PM

this is an awesome story

Posted by: Angel | December 23, 2010 12:14 PM

HEY!!!! THAT IS CREEPY.

NOW I KNOW NOT TO DRIVE NEAR CROSSROADS. LOLZ!!!!!

Posted by: ANONYMOUSLY | January 10, 2011 05:26 PM

I'm reading this on my iPad in the movie theater ( long story ) anyways I like this story it's........cool

Posted by: Skye | January 19, 2011 10:40 PM

OMG I HATE CROSSROADS NOW! i am now scared to drive on them cause i might see the demon lady! AND I DONT WANT ANYONE TO GET SHOT IN THE HEAD!

Posted by: rick | January 24, 2011 07:18 PM

that was a scary story i have read alot today and this ones the most scary one man that creepy:/

Posted by: maxien | February 1, 2011 03:37 PM

This story did not scare me but it did entertain me

Posted by: haily | February 2, 2011 11:59 PM

wow! the guy got shot in the head ! poor guy . now im ariad of crossroads

Posted by: jassmine | February 4, 2011 09:46 PM

I always have loved a good scary story

Posted by: jackie collins | February 5, 2011 03:46 PM

wow tht was scary ....

Posted by: jess | February 14, 2011 12:24 PM

I love this story

Posted by: jonathan | February 18, 2011 06:09 PM

not that scary

Posted by: dany | February 21, 2011 11:22 PM

i've got butterflies in my stomach!la mala hora's description's so scary!!!!!!!

Posted by: reeba | February 22, 2011 08:52 AM

that was a very good story and poor husband. this is the best one yet!!!

Posted by: jazi | February 22, 2011 09:42 PM

Good story. I was totally suprised by the ending. I though she was gonna die.

Posted by: Caitlin | March 3, 2011 11:34 PM

This story is REALLY freeky!

Posted by: Anonymous | March 4, 2011 02:43 PM

Good story...Lol

Posted by: flower | March 7, 2011 02:37 PM

Good one. :)

Posted by: Victoria Fear | March 10, 2011 03:56 PM

ohhhhhhhh wow thats crazy

Posted by: brittney | March 15, 2011 08:17 PM

CREPPY i wouldn't want that to happen honestly!

Posted by: Zoe A | March 20, 2011 07:27 PM

That story was scary but cool u know.....I liked sooo much it kinda of reminds me of a movie I once saw anyway I wonder if they would ever turn it into a movie but longer and more scarier and more details.....and seriously if it was true then dang!:)

Posted by: alexis | March 23, 2011 01:38 PM

omg that was scarying then i almost cried but i cant bc im at school :'( ohhhhh im such a softyyyyy

Posted by: theresa | March 24, 2011 01:13 PM

OMG creepy

Posted by: alisha joshua | April 1, 2011 09:15 AM

This was creepy and weird! :0 I've heard about this when I went to Mexico. They have drawings and said sometime to prevent the death,they have to kill the person who saw it so the demon could have its soul! :o

Posted by: Arra | April 11, 2011 07:53 PM

That.. Was... AWESOME!
If you have a good imagination, you can make up what would happen in your mind like a video. I like doing that, A lot..

Posted by: Ally | April 14, 2011 11:11 AM

Um,not that scary but creepy

Posted by: BeeAnca | May 6, 2011 10:44 PM

My Heart was racing after I read this! I don't
get scared by reading things, but I guess there is a first time for eveything!!

Posted by: Teetotaller | June 4, 2011 12:59 PM

This is soo scary i thought she was going to diee, i dont want to go to New Mexico but the story was great!!!! :D and wat makes it even more scary is that im alonee:(

Posted by: jazmin | June 10, 2011 09:43 PM

omg ive never heard of the malahora and im mexican!!

Posted by: valily | June 18, 2011 01:58 AM

so SCARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Anonymous | June 20, 2011 07:53 AM

SAD

Posted by: Cola Roc | June 21, 2011 05:02 AM

looks like im not going there

Posted by: noone | June 24, 2011 01:17 PM

okay well its scary right now im shaking its my 1st time reading this

Posted by: hello hello hello | June 29, 2011 07:47 PM

Hahaha, this is funny, but enrique should've died, not her husband!