10 Scary Facts Behind Urban Legends That Might Actually Be True

Urban legends are supposed to just be stories told to kids to teach them some type of lesson. Most of them were made up, however, a few are based on actual people’s stories and reports. Let’s explore 10 of these scary facts about urban legends.

1. The Enfield Monster

The Enfield monster legend started when a man in Enfield, Illinois, back in 1973, reported that he saw a strange creature that had three legs, short arms, and glowing pink eyes in his backyard.

After reporting, the police arrived shortly and found several scratches on his door, and unusual footprints that a 2 or 4-legged animal would not have been able to make. This started the urban legend in the community as the creature was never found or identified.

Source: Esquire

2. The Mysterious Hotel Note

In 2014, a woman staying at a hotel in Edinburgh found a handwritten note in her room’s drawer. She then posted this note on social media, instantly becoming trending, especially because of the note’s eerie tone and how creepy it was.

The note said, “Don’t open the locked door! Don’t trust its whispers. Leave, just lea…”. Yes, it was not finished, allowing the social media users to imagine just what happened to the writer of the note. However, the woman who posted the message has experienced no other disturbances in the hotel.

Source: Listverse

3. The Watcher of Westfield

In 2014, there was a family in Westfield, New Jersey, who reported receiving anonymous letters from someone who called themselves “The Watcher”. This person claimed that he was watching over the house long before the family moved into this new home.

The letters sent to the family contained their personal details, as well as their daily activities. The watcher also mentioned several locations and key details about the interior and various rooms in the house. That finally triggered the family to move, and the watcher was never caught.

Source: Marie Claire

4. The Black-Eyed Children

Since the 1990s, numerous people have reported seeing children that has dark and fully blacked eyes and speak in monotone voices. These children have always asked to enter their homes or cars.

The people who have reportedly encountered these black-eyed children also said they felt immense fear that made it hard to move or speak. The phenomenon remains unexplained, and the urban legend grows strong as the years pass by.

Source: Wikipedia

5. The Forest Grove Sound

The forest grove sound happened just a few years back in February 2016, when a very loud noise that sounded like it was coming from a mechanical device and was very high-pitched echoed through the whole night.

This sound was heard multiple times throughout the next few weeks, but no one could determine its source. This was 2016, so the technology of the time was modern enough, so they should have been able to easily find where the sound was coming from, but unfortunately, they did not.

Source: Wikipedia

6. The Hook – A Cautionary Tale from the 1950s

The Hook is an urban legend that is most likely aimed at teenagers and young adults who keep trying to go to a secluded area to be alone. This story began with a couple who parked in a forestry area where they heard a radio report about a criminal escaping.

The key detail is that the criminal has a hook for a hand. The radio report frightened the couple, who then chose to leave immediately. However, they suddenly found a hook hanging from the car door handle.

Source: Wikipedia

7. Aka Manto – Japan’s Mysterious Bathroom Spirit

Aka Manto is an urban legend in Japan dating back to the 1930s. It translates to “Red Cloak”, and it tells the story of how a masked spirit usually appears in public restrooms asking the occupants to choose between red or blue paper.

The red paper symbolizes being covered in your own blood by various methods, while the blue paper symbolizes your body turning blue by drowning or being strangled. Fighting the spirit could also get you dragged to hell or the underworld. Most likely created so people will choose a private restroom which is cleaner and safer, but no one knows exactly.

Source: Wikipedia

8. The Jersey Devil – From Political Rivalry to Folklore

The Jersey Devil legend began in the 18th century with the Leeds family in New Jersey. All or most of these stories are just created by a political rival to hurt the reputation of Daniel Leeds. He was labeled as evil because of his writing and political affiliations.

After a few decades, the story transformed into an urban legend known as the Jersey Devil. A creature that is said to inhabit the pine and has the head of a horse or a goat, along with a bat’s wings.

Source: Pinelands Preservation Alliance

9. Spring-Heeled Jack – London’s Leaping Menace

In 1837 London, several reports of a mysterious figure who could leap great heights and had clawed hands terrorized residents by jumping in front of carriages and escaping over walls.

This creature was named “Spring-Heeled Jack,” and his story only grew as years passed by because he influenced several Victorian literary works and folklore.

A possible explanation is that it is based on a real person who would jump in front of carriages wearing a costume or weird clothing. Then the story became exaggerated as it was told multiple times, just like all urban legends.

Source: Villains Wiki

10. The Baby Train – A Tale of Noisy Nights and High Birth Rates

The baby train is an urban legend that started in a town with an unusually high birth rate. They relate the train passing through each morning to wake residents up, and because of boredom or stress, there will be an increase in sexual activity.

This humorous explanation of the baby train is most likely just a way to tell kids why the birth rate is so high during that time. The real reason is the baby boom because of the men coming home from World War.

Source: Snopes

Author's Final Thoughts

Some of these urban legends started as made-up stories to warn people. But for every scary fact, there is a real story where it began, and that is what makes these terrifying. Let us know which one is your favorite, and visit this article below to explore more stories just like these ones above.

Related: 10 Creepy Facts You’ll Wish You Never Read (But Won’t Be Able to Forget)