There once was a woman by the name of Maria who lived in Mexico.. She was claimed to be the most beautiful woman in the entire town. She had long brown hair with dark brown eyes, and her face was said to be perfect in every way. Her beauty had caught the attention of all: men and women. She was a woman full of life and love, and despite coming from a poor family, she still appreciated life to the fullest. 

The village was filled with travelers and traders from all around the globe, many coming for supplies, life, and adventure. However, the strangest thing someone arrived to search for would be love. 

Coming through the town was a group of men who rode on horses and stood proudly. These men came for something more, and among them was a man by the name of Sebastian; standing tall and strong, he was easily the handsomest of the group. 

One day, Maria headed to town for errands, where she ran into Sebastian. They were both amazed by each other’s beauty and started to fall in love. By the end of the night, Sebastian wanted to ask her father for her hand in marriage. He knew her father would say yes, as his daughter was being offered the opportunity to marry a handsome and rich man, ensuring her a wonderful life. They married the following month and lived together in a house surrounded by concealing trees. Near their house was a shallow river filled with rocks. During the night, harsh winds would pound against their windows, signifying the impending change in seasons. It would be autumn soon — the season that transformed the lively village into a desolate ghost town. 

During their blissful marriage, Maria became pregnant with a pair of twins, and since Sebastian would go to work before sunrise and come back at sunset, Maria would spend her days alone, waiting for her husband’s return. 

Nine months passed and she gave birth to her children — one son and one daughter, and the family lived even happier than before. As the kids grew, Sebastian’s work became more important and stressful, so to ease his worries, he would drink himself to sleep. His drinking led to arguments with Maria and eventually his absence. He left for work one morning, saying goodbye to his kids but nothing to Maria. He never returned after that. 

Rumors spread through the town quickly: many said he left her for another, others said she killed him for his money. However, these rumors were considered false until one day Maria saw her husband with other women. He hadn’t changed physically, as he still looked the same — the only thing that changed was his heart. 

She ran home in tears and in pain. By the time she returned, it had become night time. Her kids tried to comfort her:  “Don’t cry mother!”

However, one of them asked, “When’s father coming back?”

 Anger rushed through her veins and she grabbed her kids by the arm, dragging them to the river. The night was quiet, no wind in the air, and no light in the town. She blamed her children for Sebastian’s absence and drowned them, letting her anger out. The darkness grew heavier until she was unable to see anything except black. She then let go of her kids and their bodies flowed down the river. 

The night grew even more quiet, so quiet that even the sound of a falling leaf could be heard. After a moment’s realization, she cried,  “My kids, where are my kids!?” She ran in search of them, but since she was going upstream, she couldn’t see where she was heading. While she ran, her white dress got  caught on one of the rocks, causing her to trip and drown in the shallow water. Her soul became tormented, and for the murder of her kids, she was eternally punished to find them. 

After her death, the townspeople began to hear the cries of a woman coming from the river. As time passed, they began to fear this woman, as her spirit would roam rivers in search of kids, and once she found them, they would be pulled under and drowned. Her story is used to scare children from staying out too late, for if they do, the crying women will drag them into the water, never to return.