Urban legends are always fun to tell in a darkened room with a flashlight or sitting by a campfire. I remember my brother, two cousins, and I doing just that. We would usually end up scaring ourselves. I decided to pick five of my favorite urban legends and research them and I found out that a small town near where I live actually has a combination of two of these urban legends. I'll tell that one as well.
Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary different origins; the first it is said that Mary is Queen Mary I. The second, a witch named Mary Worth. However, no matter how it started it is a well known urban legend. The original ritual was for a young woman to walk up a flight of stairs backwards holding a candle and a hand mirror. She was then supposed to be able to see the face of her future husband. If she were to see a skull or the face of the grim reaper, it was said she was to die before she could marry.
The ritual I and many others know however, deprives from the Japanese legend of Hanako-san where a student is to go into the girls bathroom, usually the third floors, go into a stall, knock three times, and ask if the spirit was there. What we know is that you stand in front of the bathroom mirror with only candles lighting the room, spin around three times saying "Bloody Mary." No matter which version you try, it still gives chills.
Lady in White
No matter what version of this urban legend you hear, it is basically all the same. The Lady in White is a legend dating back to medieval times, if not earlier. The woman is said to be wearing a white dress and just roaming around where she has supposedly died. Each culture and place has it's own variation of this legend.
Slender Man
For some reason Slender Man is my favorite urban legend, even if he did begin as a Creepypasta fictional character. He is said to stalk, kidnap, and kill children. As a matter of fact, this fictional character turned urban legend is the reason behind the Waukesha, Wisconsin stabbings. Two 12 year old girls tracked down a classmate and stabbed her multiple times, killing her. They said Slender Man had told them to or he would kill them and their families.
Body Under the Bed (True)
What would you do if you were staying in a hotel and a body is under the bed? That has actually happened and is what began this urban legend. The urban legend began in 1991 when a couple started to smell something foul when staying in a hotel. The hotel room was searched thoroughly and wouldn't you know it, there was a body underneath the bed. A person was murdered and hidden underneath a hotel room bed! 1991 was not the only year this happened. The newest case was in 2010. The next time you stay at a hotel, make sure you check under the bed.
Disappearing Hitchhiker
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This urban legend has variations, but they're all the same premise. A hitchhiker flags down a vehicle and gets into the empty seat. But before they reach a certain point in the journey the hitchhiker disappears. Some accounts say they have actually dropped the person off at a destination only to look and the passenger has disappeared as soon as they get out of the car.
Quarter Mile Bridge
Sugar Grove, VA
This urban legend may not be known to many around, however, it is one that's close to home...literally. It combines the legends of Lady in White and the Disappearing Hitchhiker. It is said that when you are going from Sugar Grove towards Troutdale there is a woman wearing a wedding dress. She died on her wedding day in a car crash in the middle of winter and the roads were iced. The woman will get into your car whether you pull over to pick her up or not; as long as you have an empty spot for her.
The quarter mile bridge is actually two bridges. The first one is where the woman will be and before you're able to make it to the second bridge, the woman will disappear. She supposedly died in between the two bridges and that's where her spirit remains.
