Three Elves on the Shelf

Summary

Podcast Summary: Spooked – Episode "Three Elves on the Shelf"

Introduction

In the episode titled "Three Elves on the Shelf," host Glynn Washington narrates a chilling tale of Lorena, a woman whose seemingly innocent souvenir from a trip to Mexico unleashes a series of supernatural events in her home. This episode delves into themes of belief, the supernatural, and the unforeseen consequences of engaging with mystical entities.

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1. Lorena's Journey to Huasca, Mexico

Exploring Huasca

Lorena travels with her mother and sister to Huasca, a picturesque town nestled deep within the forests of central Mexico. Guided by Fernando, their tour guide, they embark on a private tour to explore local landmarks and cultural sites.

Visit to the Elf Museum

During their tour, Fernando suggests a detour to a museum dedicated to elves and fairies. Lorena describes the museum as a "fairy tale cottage made out of bricks and wood," housing an extensive collection of elf dolls of various sizes and materials. Fernando explains that each elf has a unique story and associated power, such as fertility or overcoming addictions.

Acquiring the Elves

In the museum's gift shop, Lorena's family purchases miniature elves holding quartz crystals, each representing a distinct power. Lorena selects an elf for luck, her sister chooses one for prosperity, and her mother picks an elf for health, hoping it will aid her recovery from anterograde amnesia.

Lorena (09:40): "Some are plastic, others porcelain... each elf has a small sign with its story and its name."

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2. Supernatural Manifestations at Home

Initial Oddities

Upon returning home to Pasto, Colombia, the family places their elves in different parts of the house. Lorena notices her dog, Georgie, mysteriously bringing colored rocks into the house, which appears to be a precursor to the elves' influence.

Disappearing Items

Shortly after, Lorena experiences the first major supernatural event when her handmade Wise Man figurine for a work contest vanishes from her bedroom table after she takes a shower. Skeptical yet anxious, she interacts with her elf, pleading for the figurine's return.

Lorena (17:05): "When I get out of the shower, the Wise man figurine is not there anymore."

Miraculously, the figurine reappears on the Christmas tree branch, prompting Lorena to believe that the elves possess real, mystical powers.

The Family’s Growing Connection

Encouraged by the return of her figurine, Lorena becomes more attentive to the elves, offering them treats and money in hopes of receiving further assistance. Her sister secures a job, and her mother's health sees small improvements, which Lorena attributes to the elves' influence.

Lorena (23:37): "Thank you, elves."

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3. Escalation of Supernatural Events

Alarming Incidents

Lorena's experiences intensify when both she and her sister discover unexplained scratches and bruises on their arms, coinciding with loud bangs in the house at night. These incidents instill fear and solidify their belief that the elves are actively influencing their lives.

Lorena (26:08): "We hear a loud bang in the living room, like someone dropped a chair."

Seeking Professional Help

Conflicted by the escalating events, Lorena consults a family friend knowledgeable about supernatural occurrences. He warns her that the elves have become too powerful, especially the one she has been most generous with, and advises her to remove them from her home to prevent further chaos.

Family Friend (28:00): "Your elf is the most powerful. Because of all the money and candy you've given him. That's the one to blame for everything that's been going on."

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4. Attempting to Dismiss the Elves

The Church Ritual

Following the friend's guidance, Lorena, accompanied by her friend Tatiana, attempts to rid themselves of the elves by placing them at the entrance of a church with two doors—one for entry and one for exit. They perform prayers inside the church, hoping to sever the elves' hold over their lives.

Lorena (30:16): "You're gonna look for a church. And this church must have two doors."

Aftermath and Lingering Fears

After the ritual, Lorena informs her family of the steps taken, but her mother remains unfazed, treating the elves as harmless figures. However, Lorena continues to harbor fears that the elves might have left lingering effects or that they might return if she ever passes by the church again.

Lorena (34:09): "I'm scared that if I walk by, they're still waiting for me because I told them I'll be back."

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Conclusion

Lorena's harrowing experience with the "Three Elves on the Shelf" serves as a cautionary tale about the unintended consequences of engaging with mystical souvenirs. The episode intertwines elements of cultural folklore with personal fear, leaving listeners to ponder the fine line between belief and skepticism in the face of unexplained phenomena.

Narrator (34:45): "Thank you, Lorena, for sharing your story with the Spook."

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Notable Quotes

• Lorena (09:44): "These elves aren't exactly cute. They look like kids with grown up faces."
• Family Friend (28:00): "If you continue to keep them in your house, they will turn against you."
• Lorena (34:09): "I'm scared that if I walk by, they're still waiting for me because I told them I'll be back."

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Final Thoughts

"Three Elves on the Shelf" masterfully blends personal narrative with supernatural intrigue, highlighting how everyday actions—like purchasing a souvenir—can lead to profound and unsettling experiences. The episode invites listeners to reflect on their own beliefs and the mysteries that lie just beyond the veil of the ordinary.

Transcript

[Narrator]

Christmas is coming, but you don't stop to chat and you don't put no money in this old man's hat. If you got none extra, well, that'll have to do. But if you're sitting on gold, I'm coming for you. Listen to sport, Stay tuned. When work gets crazy, I like to stop by the bar after, have a few cold ones.

[Lorena]

I don't drink at all until 4:00. We limit ourselves to one bottle of wine a night.

[Health Expert]

Excessive drinking has a way of sneaking up on us. A few drinks, a few nights a week, it can add up and suddenly we're at greater risk for long term problems like heart disease, cancer and depression. Reason enough to rethink the Drink. [e-mail] NoHE Initiative why get all your.

[Advertiser]

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[Narrator]

I have a bad dog. I mean, Georgie's a good boy. He's a sweet mutt. Somebody found him wandering on the side of the road. He's just a couple weeks old, missing a leg. So I don't know about his early life. It seems like it was tough, really hard. But whatever happened, it gave him something. Some kind of magic power. Because now Georgie refuses to do tricks or anything. The come fetch, heal. He can't be bothered. Instead, he's got a sixth sense. If you feel in some kind of way, if you haven't even noticed it yourself, he notices it. Puts his head in your lap, looks directly at you. No screens, no filters. Makes you feel better. So then a little while ago, this dog suddenly starts bringing rocks in the house. Rocks. And I don't want him to hurt himself, so I take the rock from him. I toss it as far as I can. Bad dog. Leave them rocks alone. But then he's right back in the house with some rock. Georgie, for the love of God. And it takes a while to notice that it isn't rocks that he's bringing in the house. It's a rock. One rock doesn't look particularly special about the size of my palm. Just a rock. Colored rock. And it's crazy. I can throw this rock, bury it, hide it, whatever. The dog is going to find the rock. Fine. Let me just decide. Let the baby have his bottle. All right, Georgie. The rock stays in the house. And putting this rock in the living room seems to make this dog happy. Happier. He's always happy as a clam. Another dog that won't watch TV or anything will sit and look at this rock for hours. And I don't care about any rod. At least I didn't. But Georgie loves this rock. And I love Georgie. So now I love the rock. It's become kind of a totem, a charm. I rub this rock for luck. Sometimes I sit right next to Georgie and I look at the rock, too. It's nice. In fact, if a thief came in the dark of night and stole away this rock, my family would mourn the loss. Something special, for real. What is going on? I do not know. But George is getting older and I just asked the universe to please, please.

[Health Expert]

Please, please, please, please, please, please.

[Narrator]

Please leave this rock exactly where rocks, statues, ceramics. Let's meet Lorena. Lorena. She's on vacation down in Mexico with her mother and her sister. They've been checking out some amazing landmarks. With a little bit of time to kill, the tour guide suggests a detour to Huasca. Now, Huasca is a charming town located deep in the forest of central Mexico. Now, it's beautiful, certainly pretty, but that's only scratching the surface. Spoot.

[Lorena]

We are in the car, driving down a long, straight dirt road. The sky is turning gray. The trees are covered in moss, creating this archway over the road.

[Fernando]

No Estroquilla. Fernando.

[Lorena]

Our guide's name is Fernando. He's been driving us around on this private tour. At one point, he says, you should take out your cameras. People often take photos of these trees, hoping to spot elves and fairies. Okay, this is obviously not true. My sister is just as skeptical. But my mom, she's totally on board. Growing up, she heard a lot of stories about elves. So she pulls out her phone and starts snapping pictures left and right.

[Fernando]

Por fin de mos. El moseo.

[Lorena]

We finally get to the museum. We enter this little building that looks like a fairy tale cottage made out of bricks and wood. We walk into this huge hall, and it's filled with elf dolls.

[Fernando]

Figuras de duendes.

[Lorena]

They're on the walls. They're sitting on benches. Some are a foot and a half tall, others just a few inches. Some are plastic, others porcelain.

[Fernando]

Los nuendes no San Muy Lindos.

[Lorena]

These elves aren't exactly cute. They look like kids with grown up faces. They have big ears, wrinkled skin, huge noses. Some wear pointy hats and baggy pants. And their eyes. Their eyes are so expressive. Each elf has a small sign with its story and its name. One of them is linked to fertility. And the guide tells us that people who want to have kids should leave some money in front of it. There's another elf for those struggling with addictions. It's surrounded by cigarettes and a liquor bottle. There's even a guest book where people leave thank you notes for these elves. People write things like thank you for allowing me to go on this vacation. Thank you cause we finally could have a child. And I'm standing there like CER aberta Diesto. Is this for real? So we finish the tour and come across this little gift shop. There are keychains, magnets, but also these tiny elves about 2 inches tall. These elves, they are so cute. They look like cereal box toys. They are all holding quartz crystals with each crystal representing a unique elf power. So we get a red one for my mom for her health. She had an accident a few years back and she suffers from anterograde amnesia. She tends to forget things that happen throughout the day, but hold fond to her older memories. For my sister, who just graduated and is job hunting, we pick a green one for prosperity. As for me, I'm doing well at work. Things are good with my partner. So I just choose one for luck.

[Narrator]

When work gets crazy, I like to stop by the bar after, have a few cold ones.

[Lorena]

I don't drink at all until 4:00. We limit ourselves to one bottle of wine a night.

[Health Expert]

Excessive drinking has a way of sneaking up on us. A few drinks, a few nights a week, it can add up. And suddenly we're at greater risk for long term problems like heart disease, cancer and depression. Reason enough to rethink the drink more at rethink the Drink.com Noha initiative.

[Lorena]

Four days later, we are back home in Pasto, Colombia. We start unpacking and we take out the elves. I put my elf on a shelf that's in my room. My mom puts hers next to the TV and my sister takes hers to her room. Then my sister Les vamos a poner dulces.

[Fernando]

Les vamos a poner monedas.

[Lorena]

Let's try giving them some candy and some coins. So we rummage around for whatever candy we have at home.

[Fernando]

Requiredo tanto quier un Super Coco.

[Lorena]

I find a Super Coco. It's a very cheap coconut candy with cream filling, super sweet. And I just put it under the elves and take a picture. I send the picture to my friend Tatiana just to brag about my trip.

[Fernando]

She replies back, por que no me traxte un vami?

[Lorena]

Why didn't you bring one for me? Of course. Weeks go by and nothing happens. I don't feel any luckier. My sister, she gets a job, but we don't think it's because of the elves. And my mom, well, she eventually walks around the house and grabs the elves candy and the coins she just forgot. One day I'm at work and my sister texts me asking if I had taken her purse. I'm like, no. Apparently it had a lot of money inside and she had put it on a tall shelf at home. So when I get home, I help her look for it.

[Fernando]

Las dosbos come.

[Lorena]

Say we look on the shelf. Nothing there. We look all around the apartment. Nothing.

[Fernando]

So I tell caro y le ponemos una moneda. Que tala, Paris?

[Lorena]

What if we give your elf a coin? Maybe that will help us find it. I'm just joking. But she puts a coin in front of her elf and says, le sijo, por favor.

[Fernando]

Doendes que paresca mi Cartera elf.

[Lorena]

Please let me find my purse. Ten minutes later, we were back, searching through the same spots and aesta. There it was, right where she had left it on the top of the shelf.

[Fernando]

Sueltona Risa. Pero risa nerviosa.

[Lorena]

I let out a nervous laugh. But we were like, maybe we didn't see it before. It's now the Christmas season. Our tree is up, and a cute snowman tablecloth covers our dining table. I'm at home doing arts and crafts for a work contest to see who could make the best nativity scene using only recyclables. My task is the three wise Men. So I make one of the Wise Men figurines with styrofoam and old fabric. Once I finish, I leave it on my bedroom table and go take a shower.

[Fernando]

Cuandos a li A la habitacion no estaba?

[Lorena]

When I get out of the shower, the Wise man figurine is not there anymore. My first thought is, I'm home alone, so maybe one of my dogs took it. But that's impossible. We got a fence in the hallway to keep them out of the bathrooms. So I searched the rest of the house, but this wise man is nowhere to be found. Hmm. This has already happened to my sister and her purse. So I Start to toy with the idea of talking to my elf. My elf already had a couple of coins in front of it, about 50 pesos. So I stand in front of the.

[Fernando]

Elf and say, senor, doende por Favora y te.

[Lorena]

Mr. Elf, please bring back my figurine and I will give you more money. I feel so silly talking to the elf. I go back to the living room and start searching everywhere again. But then I turn around and ela.

[Fernando]

Figuras ta a en elarboldena vida.

[Lorena]

The wise man is sitting on my Christmas tree on one of the branches.

[Fernando]

Me a sos te.

[Lorena]

I'm scared. This is impossible. It wasn't me. But I go to my room and I put a 2,000 peso bill under my elf. About half a dollar. When my sister and my mom get to the apartment, I tell them what happened. But I try to keep the details light so I don't scare my mom. She just laughs and says, well, looks like we did bring some magical elves with us. She wasn't scared at all. But I'm a little spooked because I was alone when it all happened. That's when I start to believe in the elves. I start to feel like they're alive, living in my home. So I just keep giving them treats, just in case.

[Fernando]

Las higintes emanas empeciable con hos.

[Lorena]

Over the next few weeks, I become more generous. I give them nicer candy, not Super Cocos and larger bills. But I'm the only one doing it. My sister never gives them anything. As for my mom, she starts taking the money and the candy again.

[Fernando]

Unos dias despues del episoyo El Arrbol de Navidad Habian Concerto de Marcontonio Solis.

[Lorena]

A few days after the Christmas tree incident, there's a Marco Antonio Solis concert. I'm in line with my boyfriend and my uncle. It's almost 7pm Suddenly I receive a phone call from one of my aunts. She tells me that my mom's not answering her calls. So I call my mom. No answer. It's getting late and my mom usually doesn't go out alone. I start worrying that something might have happened to her, or maybe she had some kind of breakdown. Even though she's been living with amnesia for eight years, something like this has never happened. I step out of the line and I leave my boyfriend and uncle behind. When I get home, I start walking around the block, but I don't see her anywhere. I'm starting to panic because it's almost Nine. She's been missing for three hours.

[Fernando]

Estoy des perada e al punto de casillorar.

[Lorena]

I'm so desperate that I want to cry. I'm thinking the worst. Maybe she was kidnapped. Maybe she had an accident. Then an idea pops up in my head. I mean, this is like my last resort.

[Fernando]

Serre los ojos y les hables.

[Lorena]

I close my eyes and I talk to the Alps, just like how you would pray to God.

[Fernando]

I say, por favor que pares qua mi mama? Hi. A poned.

[Lorena]

Please bring my mom back home. I'll give you a 50,000 peso bill. About $12. That was the biggest denomination in Colombia back then. After praying, I turn around and I head back home. And as I'm turning the corner.

[Narrator]

I.

[Lorena]

See my mom standing in front of our building. It happens so immediately. My mom is so calm, as if nothing had happened. I tell her I've been looking for her all night, and she says she wanted to go for a walk. And she didn't hear her phone ringing, but she was okay. We go back to the apartment, and I'm thinking, gracias, yo.

[Fernando]

Gracias, gracias.

[Lorena]

Gracias.

[Fernando]

Doentes a thank you.

[Lorena]

Thank you. Thank you, elves. I take a 50,000 peso bill, wrap a rubber band around it, and place it gently next to my elf. That's the incident that made me respect the elves more. I'm starting to get a little obsessed. I start leaving more money. 5,000 peso bills, 500 pesos in coins. I'm starting to talk to them when I'm alone. I say out loud, please don't hide my stuff.

[Fernando]

No vayas hablas di mardos.

[Lorena]

Please don't hurt us. Then one day, I'm heading out for drinks with a friend, but I realize I'm out of cash. So my only option is to take the 50,000 peso bill from the elf. I go up to the elf, look in its eyes and say, I'm gonna take the money, but I'll make sure to return it later.

[Health Expert]

If you could hear love, what would it sound like?

[Narrator]

Son, can we talk about your drinking? Yeah, Dad, I think we should.

[Health Expert]

Helping those closest to you think about their excessive drinking. Maybe that's what love sounds like. [e-mail] An OHA initiative.

[Lorena]

One night, my boyfriend is staying over at my place. We're sleeping, and suddenly.

[Fernando]

Sentimos un gol pe fuerte en la sala.

[Lorena]

We hear a loud bang in the living room, like someone dropped a chair. I Get out of bed to check. But everything looks just as it was. So I just brush it off and go back to bed. The next morning, I'm still kinda half asleep, lying next to my boyfriend.

[Fernando]

He stretches out his arm and says, mira lookunos pequenos.

[Lorena]

His arm is covered in these really tiny scratches. These scratches are small and short, like baby fingernails. It looks like someone did it on purpose. I text my sister about the loud bang and the scratches, and she replies with a photo of her arm.

[Fernando]

Sus brazos jenos de moretones.

[Lorena]

Her arm is covered in these tiny bruises the size of pennies. She says, I don't remember hurting myself. They just showed up this morning.

[Fernando]

Hay no sempe samos a sutaro.

[Lorena]

We start to freak out.

[Fernando]

Savill amos que un los duentes.

[Lorena]

It's the elves. We are sure it's them. My sister says we should throw them away. But something inside me is telling me that it can't be that easy. So we call this family friend who's helped us with this type of thing before. He comes over and I show him the Alps. He just stares at them for a moment. And then he asks me to put them back in my room. He says they can't be here with us because they will hear us talking. I'm gonna tell you how to get rid of them. The first thing he says is, estos duentes. These elves are very powerful. You've been giving them a lot of treats. And then he looks at me and says, actually, your elf is the most powerful. Because of all the money and candy you've given him. That's the one to blame for everything that's been going on. He says, you bought these elves for a reason. But if you continue to keep them in your house, they will turn against you. Your mom's health will suffer, your sister will struggle at work, and you will run out of luck.

[Fernando]

Estaba a sustada. Muy a sustada.

[Lorena]

I'm freaking out. I'm wondering, what if we can get rid of them? What should we do?

[Fernando]

He says, el secreto prades a ser nos de ellos.

[Lorena]

The secret to get rid of them. And don't ever repeat this aloud. Okay? You're gonna look for a church. And this church must have two doors. One door to enter, another to exit.

[Fernando]

Los baza je bar.

[Lorena]

You're gonna take them and you're gonna leave them at the church's entrance. Then you're gonna tell them loud and clear so they can hear you.

[Fernando]

Por favor, esperend mi a qui Wait for me here. Yo ya regreso por ustes.

[Lorena]

I'll be right back. After that, you're gonna enter the church, pray, and when you're ready, you'll exit through the other do. That night, I text my friend Tatiana.

[Fernando]

I tell her, voya ser alguy. Necesito que me a compa.

[Lorena]

I need to do something and I need you to come with me. She asks, what is this all about? And I tell her it's about the elves. She's not taking me seriously. She just replies, well, make sure your elf is not reading your texts. So the next morning, I meet up with Tatiana and we head towards the church. I'm carrying the elves in a black plastic bag. We're walking in silence. When we get to the church, there's no one around.

[Fernando]

Camine hacial entrada.

[Lorena]

I walk to the front entrance, Y.

[Fernando]

Los deje en la primeras calera.

[Lorena]

And I place the bag on the doorstep.

[Fernando]

I say, esperan mequi que yarre griso.

[Lorena]

Wait for me here. I'll be right back. My friend and I go inside. We sit down and start to pray. At the back of the church, next to the statue of the Virgin Mary, I see the exit door wide open to my right. I'm praying for the elves to stay so they don't follow me. After a few minutes, we slowly stand up and leave through the exit door. We quickly turn the corner and start speed walking. I feel agitated, nervous. It's like we're escaping. Once we are far from the church, I start telling Tatiana the whole story about losing money and losing my mom. She's freaking out. She's like, why did you bring me here? What if they come with me? What if someone sees them and takes them? I tell her, no.

[Fernando]

Same.

[Lorena]

I don't know. I just hope people think it's a trash bag and throw it away. Once we get back to the apartment, I tell my sister and my mom what we had done. My sister looks relieved. But my mom, well, she laughs at everything. She chuckles and says, hay porecitos, poor little things. Who's gonna take care of them now? I have never, ever gone back to that church. I think that was the first and the last time I have ever been in that area.

[Fernando]

Mi miedo hera que si yo pasava por ayes tu mieran esperando mi.

[Lorena]

I'm scared that if I walk by, they're still waiting for me because I told them I'll be back.

[Narrator]

Thank you. Thank you, Lorena, for sharing your story with the Spook. And do not forget, the next time you're in Mexico, be sure to pay a visit to a Museo de los Duendes in Huasca. But please be careful with any souvenirs you may purchase. Lorena's English voice in that story was by Laura Ubate. The original score was by Nicholas Marx. This piece was scouted and produced by Eric Yanez. Oh, yes. Tis the seasoned deer spookster. The winter solstice holds a special place in the hearts of those who seek to understand the shadow. And there are creatures, entities, set to only make their presence known during this season and no other. So if you have a story about such a power, about your relationship with such an entity, I would love, love, love to hear it. I promise to tell only 1 million of my closest friends the magical, mystical fellowship of Spooksters. Let me know [e-mail] because there is nothing better than a spook story from a spooked listener. Spooked is brought to you by the team that doesn't give pennies to elves under any circumstances. Except for Mark Ristich. He's out here willy nilly on these streets sticking coins into every scary looking ceramic he can find. Naturally, there's Davey Kim, Zoe Ferrigno, Eric Yanez, Teo Dakot, Marissa Dodge, Miles Lassie, Doug Stewart, Elliot Lightfoot, Paulina Creaky, Juan Diego Beltran, Sasha Wilson, Dan Yasinski. The spook theme song is by Pat Lesini Miller. My name is Glenn Washington. And we bow before the carved figure sitting on the lotus leaf, or the God hanging from a cross, or the deity standing at the temple gates. We bow, knowing full well this wooden pretense is not our God, but a vessel that we pour into to remind ourselves of the mystery. So why are we shouting? When it happens, and it happens often, at the figure, the statue, we fervently beg for mercy, for hope, justice, healing, for revenge. Why are we shocked when that statue weeps, as if in acceptance of the vision we have poured into it? We say the mystery has power over all things, but we recoil when it does the smallest thing. Wooden statues, ceramic figurines, totems. If we put something into them.

[Health Expert]

Isn'T.

[Narrator]

It natural that we also get something back? I don't want to be surprised at how the powers manifest themselves. No, no, I want to be careful. And the best ward I know, the very best protection I have, is to never ever, never ever, never ever, never turn out the lights.

[Lorena]

Sa.