Spooked – Episode: "I'm Not Your Brother"

Podcast: Spooked by KQED & Snap Studios
Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Glynn Washington
Storyteller: Luis Pena
Producer: Fernando Hernandez

Episode Theme & Purpose

This episode of Spooked explores the chilling phenomenon of doppelgangers through a firsthand account from Luis Pena. Set in rural Mexico, the story navigates family bonds, supernatural encounters, and the haunting legacy of the past. Listeners are drawn into an eerie family drama that blurs the line between sibling rivalry and otherworldly impersonation.

Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdown

1. Sibling Pranks & Rivalry (04:59–07:35)

• Host Glynn Washington opens with a light-hearted anecdote about pranking his younger brother, creating a thematic segue into the nightmarish tale to follow.
  • Memorable Quote:
    “I think about this often. My brother with his bicycle, how scared and afraid he must have been waiting alone at the 7-Eleven for any sign of his savior... And I laugh myself wretched. Just like older brothers everywhere.” (06:25)

2. The Night Visitor: Luis’s First Encounter (08:56–11:14)

• Luis Pena recounts being awakened at 3:30 a.m. by his brother Alvaro, who calls him by his nickname “Mega.”
• Luis questions Alvaro’s presence, since he should be elsewhere.
• The figure chillingly says:
  • “I’m not your brother.” (10:13)
• As realization sets in, the figure laughs and vanishes before Luis's eyes.
• Luis spends the rest of the night terrified, waiting for daylight.

3. Parental Doubt & the Second Encounter (11:14–13:10)

• At dawn, Luis tells his mom, who dismisses it as a nightmare.
• Two weeks later, his mother experiences a similar event:
  • She sees the doppelganger, who uses Alvaro’s voice and beckons her to follow.
  • The apparition vanishes in the backyard shadows.
  • “I saw him just like he said, just like your brother’s silhouette. And he had the same voice.” (12:12)

4. Seeking Spiritual Help & Exorcism Ritual (17:19–20:29)

• Disturbed, they consult both a priest and a local spiritist.
  • Both advise that such entities often target the most vulnerable member of a family, impersonating them to try to usurp their place.
  • The solution: a cleansing ritual involving candles, salt, and prayers to guide the entity out.
  • “It was somehow a beautiful spiritual ritual, but at the same time, it was creepy.” (19:41)
• They do not tell Alvaro about the ritual, fearing to worry him.

5. Continued Hauntings & Family Relocation (20:50–22:04)

• Despite the exorcism, Luis continues to hear the brother’s voice calling him.
• The family eventually decides to permanently move away to Puerto Vallarta for peace.

6. Years Later: The Father’s Encounter (22:04–26:35)

• After a year, Luis’s father moves back into their old house with Alvaro.
• On December 24, the father visits Luis and describes his own haunting:
  • The familiar voice of “Alvaro” calls to him at 6 a.m. He follows the silhouette, only to have it disappear.
  • He then sees the real Alvaro asleep and an entity that looks like his son pointing at him through the window.
  • “That’s the point where my dad thinks, what the fuck is going on? He thinks that that thing pointing at my brother is going to kill him.” (25:06)
• The father is shaken and moves out immediately.

7. Family History & Revelations (29:39–33:37)

• Luis later confides in his grandfather, who shares a story about Santiago Garcia, a previous owner of their house:
  • Garcia was tall, thin, and sarcastic—fitting the figure everyone saw.
  • Garcia murdered a neighbor during a drunken brawl on New Year’s Eve, then was killed by an angry mob in the very house.
  • The house, built on the site of violence, may be at the root of their troubles.
  • Grandpa’s warning:
    “There’s just some things that are meant to remain hidden.” (33:27)

8. Epilogue: Family Moving On (33:37–35:05)

• The family never investigates for hidden treasure or tries to contact Mr. Santiago’s spirit.
• Despite everything, the real Alvaro remains nonchalant about the haunting, to the exasperation of his family.
  • “I can’t believe how you can be so concerned about someone and he’s not concerned at all about himself. I mean, I love him. I’m still gonna be here for him, but he’s not gonna change. What are we going to do?” (33:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Luis Pena, upon seeing the doppelganger:
  • “I’m not your brother.” (10:13)
• Mother’s validation of the haunting:
  • “I saw him...just like your brother’s silhouette. And he had the same voice and he said to me, ‘Please come, I want to show you something.’” (12:12)
• Priest and spiritist’s warning:
  • “There’s this demon or entity that usually picks the weakest person or the weakest soul in a family, and that’s the person they impersonate because they want to take their place in that family.” (17:54)
• Luis’s father, shocked:
  • “I just saw this thing, this silhouette that looks like you. He sounds like you. Are you okay?” (25:23)
• Grandfather’s caution:
  • “There’s just some things that are meant to remain hidden.” (33:27)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Speaker | |------------|---------------------------------------------|------------------------| | 04:59–07:35| Host’s brother prank, theme introduction | Glynn Washington | | 08:56–11:14| Luis’s first encounter with the doppelganger| Luis Pena | | 12:08–13:10| Mother’s encounter with the entity | Luis Pena | | 17:19–20:29| Spiritual consultations and cleansing ritual| Luis Pena | | 22:22–26:35| Father’s encounter and the family’s flight | Luis Pena | | 29:39–33:37| Grandpa shares the history of Mr. Garcia | Luis Pena & Grandpa |

Tone and Language

• The episode moves between familial warmth and playful ribbing (in both Luis's anecdotes and Glynn’s opening monologue) and genuine terror as the haunting escalates.
• The storytelling is candid and direct: “Are you okay? I just saw this thing, this silhouette that looks like you. He sounds like you.” (25:23)
• Despite supernatural chills, the story remains rooted in the love, frustrations, and resilience of a close-knit family.

Closing Reflections

• Host Glynn Washington closes with a meditation on the company we keep and the dangers of letting monsters—literal or metaphorical—into our circles:
  • “If you are the five people you spend the most time with, choose wisely. Never ever ever. Never. Never ever ever ever. Turn out the light.” (38:47)

This episode artfully weaves supernatural terror and family dynamics, leaving listeners with unresolved questions and a warning: We may not always recognize the “monsters” standing beside us—be they family, ghosts, or something in between.