By Ayush Patel | Staff Writer

Isla de las Muñecas (Island of the Dolls) is a creepy island near Mexico with a horrifying backstory; rumors say that a miserable girl drowned in the island’s river, and that the dolls are possessed by her soul. But how did those dolls get there even in the first place?

Don Julian Santana Barrera, the island’s occupant, found a mysterious dead girl floating in the island’s river, along with a doll that he assumed was hers. He had good intentions, so he hung the doll in a tree to show respect to the deceased girl. Soon, the girl’s spirit began to haunt Santana Barrera, so he hung even more dolls to show respect to her. Eventually, he went insane, collecting and hanging dolls for fifty years! He scavenged for dolls near his home, removed their eyes and limbs, and covered the dolls with dirt before actually hanging them which added a sense of eeriness to the island. Mysteriously, he was soon found dead in 2001- drowned exactly where the poor girl was found; rumors have it that Santana Barrera’s spirit joined the girl’s after his death. Then, the island became officially open to the public. Eventually, it became a tradition for visitors to add to the collection of dolls. Thus, the the island became even more ominous!