The Crying Room

The Crying Room
Contributed by Sandra Salas

I have a story to tell you that happened to me and my sister about 7 years ago. First of all, my family has been living here in Del Rio for about 30 years now....they are originally from The Valley. Anyway, the house that they moved into about 27 years ago is very old (they moved to a different house when they first got here and lived there for about three years). This house is said to be about 90 years old. Our family was growing, so we needed more space and so my dad decided to add on to the old house. He added four more bedrooms and two bathrooms and another livingroom connecting it to the side of the old house. Well, the new bedrooms are at the farther end of a long hall. There are two on the left and two on the right side of the hall. My room used to be the last one on the left. The first one on the left was my sister's and her husband, the first one on the right belonged to my other sister, Rosa. The last room on the right (the one opposite mine) was empty, except for a twin-size bed and a mirror that was there. The room that used to be mine, had a door that led to the outside of the house. That side of the house leads to the back of this restaurant that we own. One day, I believe this was back in 1986 or '87, my sister Rosa was at work. She was going to clean the windows when she noticed that they didn't have any Windex and so she remembered that there was some here at home. She came to the house and entered it by way of that side door.....which was unlocked because there wasn't any furniture in that side of the house yet. Anyway, she got what she needed and she was walking down the long hall going towards the side door when she heard something. She heard what sounded like a woman crying! It was kind of a low sighing. She heard it coming from the "empty" room....which had it's door closed. She stood right next to the door and sure enough it was coming from there! So she opened the door....but she found it empty and the crying immediately stopped. She didn't think much of it, and so she left the house through the side door and returned to the restaurant. That was the first incident.

The second one happened to me and my sister Rosa at the same time. It was, I believe, 1994 when I heard it. I had just come home from school and I was tired so I went to my room (the one with the side door) to take a nap. The room across from mine (the "empty" one) had it's door closed, like it usually did. So I laid down on my bed but I left my bedroom door open. I had been there only for about five minutes when I started hearing a woman cry. At first, I didn't know where it was coming from....then I sat up and I could tell that it was coming from the "empty" room. I got up and walked over to the door and stood right next to it listening....and it WAS coming from inside! She was crying quietly and she would even sigh! So, I opened the door....and yes, the crying stopped and the room was obviously empty. I didn't feel scared or anything....which is weird, too! So, I just closed the door and went back to my bedroom and closed the door behind me. I thought to myself,"That way I won't hear it anymore!" I was laying there for only a couple of minutes, when my sister Rosa got home and walked into her room which is right next to the "empty" room. I could hear that she was inside her room with her door open. Suddenly, I heard the crying again! My sister then came to my door and knocked and let herself in and asked me,"Why are you crying?". I said,"It's not me. It's that room again." I got up again, and we both stood by the "empty" room's door and we both heard it coming from inside! She opened the door and like before the crying stopped and the room was still empty. But like I mentioned before, neither of us was actually frightened by what happened. I was told that long before there were houses here, this area of Del Rio served as a camp ground for soldiers. And that maybe something bad happened here and that maybe that is why we hear things. Before this side of the house was built, there used to be a Fig tree growing right were the "empty" room is. My family told me that they used to hear sounds, like chains and voices, coming from that tree! And we were told that maybe there is money buried there and that maybe THAT is why we hear things. Sorry I made this so long. And thank you for letting me share this with your readers!

Sandra
"DarkFalls"

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That is a really cool story, Sandra! I don't think I'd ever be able to sleep if I were hearing noises like that... Thanks for sending it in!--tbs

This page was last updated on July 6, 2002.

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