(A Nicaraguan folk tale) by D. Arróliga
The Apparition at the Melendez Lot
Once upon a time, in a nameless little town in Nicaragua, the peaceful life of its dwellers became altered by the sudden apparition of a ghost. Every night after the bells in the little church struck 8pm, everyone closed their doors and their windows, because that’s when the ghost appeared down on the Melendez sisters’ empty lot.
The whole town was terrified, and for days, all anyone spoke of was the ghost. Some said it was a terrible sight. Some said they heard the rattle of chains as if someone were dragging them, making an eerie sound. Some said they heard the apparition moan and wail making hair-raising shrieks. No one dared to walk after eight at night anymore, which made some wives happy and consider the ghost a blessing in disguise; after all, their not-so-well-behaved husbands came religiously home at 6pm.
