I decided to do the fairytale Hansel and Gretel mixed with the Central American urban legend: La Llorona. Hansel and Gretel originated in Germany and it tells the tale of a brother and sister being abandoned in the woods and running into a house made of candy. After entering and eating portions of the house, a cannibalistic witch confronts them and keeps them hostage for her to eat later. After some smart thinking and a stroke of luck, the siblings trick the witch and escape the jaws of death. In the urban legend La Llorona, a woman loses her children and thus mourns for them while roaming the nights wailing like a mad spirit. It is advised that if you hear crying and cannot find the source, to just run away and don’t turn back.

My take on these two is to combine them. Taking place during the 1950’s – 1960’s, two siblings are walking home late and they suddenly hear crying in the distance. The older brother is wary while the younger sister is disturbed. They’ve heard the story of La Llorona and know that going straight home would be the safest bet. But she’s in their way and they have no choice but to walk past her! They wait until the ghost points at them and says “ah! son mis hijos!” (ah! it’s my children!) and heads straight for them. The siblings run away and the story focuses on this encounter and how the siblings try to escape. Instead of a cannibalistic witch capturing them, it’s a ghost that tries to take them with her but in order to do that they would have to cease to live.