Drops Of Blood (Short Horror Stories Compilation)/Gotas de Sangre

The Legend of the Package and the Horseman

I wasn't aware of the existance of this Mexican legend until I began to dig into more unknown creepy legends from my country, when I came across with it I felt the need to share it with you guys! 

XVIII century, Zacatecas.

Maria Rosa was a young woman who used to pray under the moonlight and stars in the balcony every night of insomnia, rather than go out with her friends or think about marriage. About midnight Rosa was looking at the solitary street as usual until a horseman approached her and told her he was foreigner and was looking for someone to take care of the valuable package he was carrying. She accepted and the mysterious gentleman promised to come back for it the next day at the same hour. Maria Rosa was curious about the content of the package so when she couldn't take it anymore, she opened it. Afterwards she came to a priest and told him everything. He advised her to find a newly baptized baby and at the moment of the arrival of the creature she should make the infant cry to get rid of the malignant entity.

And so she did, that night she wasn't at her balcony but inside scared to death. The horseman arrived but when he didn't see her he shouted to give the package back if she wanted to live. She came out with the baby in her arms and when he got closer to her she pinched the baby, the horseman walked away but not forever, he returned for several months. The priest exorcised the street and commanded to put three crosses along the road and one more in Maria Rosa's house. That same night the horseman came back but a lightening fell upon him and his horse and disappeared.

The woman never opened her balcony ever again or revealed the content of the package, which is only known as an excuse to take her away to who knows where. It is said that even in these days one can see after a starry night horse footprints in front of Maria Rosa's house.