As I turned to tell my brothers about the bells, I saw that they too had noticed the sounds, for they were standing silently, gazing at the sky. The sound of the bells got louder and louder, and my puppy, who stood at my side, began barking, then ran off into a large clump of cattails. I tried to go after him but discovered that I could not move a muscle. I was mesmerized by the sound of the bells for at least a minute.

Then the tinkle of the bells subsided, and in the sudden silence, I heard a woman gently sobbing and calling, "Mija, mija "[daughter, daughter]. Suddenly, I was able to move, so I stood up and called to my brothers. They rushed to my side and took me by the hand. From the feeling of fear that gripped me, I knew this was something evil. We all raced home.

I soon learned that my brothers and the other children had also heard the woman crying and beseeching. But to them she had called out, is hijos, mis hijos "[my sons, my sons].

Once I was safe at home, I realized that I had lost my puppy, and I cried because I was certain it had drowned.

After we explained what had happened, my mother said we had done the right thing by leaving that place. She said that from our descriptions, she believed something evil had happened. My parents decided to personally make a visit to the spot where we had heard the weeping. I was apprehensive about returning, but at the same time, I was anxious to find my puppy.

As my father was getting the horses ready, I heard my mother whisper to him La Llorona "[the weeping woman].

When we arrived at the river, the sun was hanging heavy and tired in the western sky, and as we approached the river’s edge, we all suddenly heard the ghostly woman’s voice once more. Deep within each of us we felt her sense of urgency as she cried loudly for her children, Mis hijos, mis hijos."

My father called out to her, "Quien es. En donde estas. Que quieres?" [Who are you? Where are you? What do you want?].

He received no reply, so my mother shouted, "Deje a mis hijos solos, hija del demonio" [Leave my children alone, daughter of the devil]. Then mother made the sign of the cross and called to us, Vamonos "[Let’s go]! And off we went.

But in our haste, the horse my mother and I were riding tripped, and I fell off into the mud, hands first. As both my parents came to help me, one of my brothers shouted for us to look in the direction of the river. We all turned and saw the apparition of La Llorona with her arms outstretched and walking toward us.

The setting sun had cast a deep red, orange, gold glow on the river, and we clearly saw this ghost woman walking on its surface. My father yelled for us to hurry, and we quickly made our way back home. As soon as we got back, my parents alerted the neighborhood to the danger at the river. They told everyone what we had witnessed and warned them to keep a close watch on their children.

Most people think La Llorona makes her presence known only at night, but I am here to tell everyone that evil can chose day or night to come forth. To this day, I clearly recall that phantom woman walking on the water and crying for her children.