
Aaliyah Garza/The Rider
Name something you wouldnât want to run into in a dark forest or in an abandoned building. âI would say someone wearing a mask. I donât think thatâs a good thing to see.â
Favorite horror monster or villain? âI donât know why, but I like Slender Man because when I was younger, I used to play this game called âSlender.â I would always get jumps and scares.â
What is the creepiest thing that has ever happened to you? âOnce, when I was a kid, I was sleeping and I kind of woke up and I looked to the side. I donât know if I was in that station where you are kind of dreaming, but youâre also awake, and I kind of saw someone in my room walking towards my window. That was the creepiest thing ever. After that, I kind of woke up and I said, âOK, thereâs nothing here,â but I got super scared.â
Youâre home alone but you hear footsteps in your house. What do you do? âI hide in my room. Yeah, definitely.â
If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose? âI donât know, maybe âThe Shining.â OK, then Iâll say the âSlender Man,â but then Iâll have to run. I donât know, hide somewhere in a forest because I wouldnât want to see him.â
Would you ever go to a graveyard at night? Why or why not? âThe graveyard? No, why would you go to a graveyard at night? I wouldnât go. Thereâs nothing to do there.â
Youâre in a horror movie. Are you the final girl, the first to die, the comic relief, the skeptic, the smart one or the killer? âI would say the comic relief.â
Would you spend a full night inside a haunted house if someone paid you? âI donât think so. A million dollars is something to talk about. Only if itâs like a lot, a lot of money because I get scared super easily. Super, super easily.â
In the zombie apocalypse, what would be your weapon of choice? âI think a huge sword.â
Do you think there are real witches, ghosts, monsters and creatures living among us? Or are those things just from our imagination? âI would say imagination. I donât think theyâre real.â

Juanita Maldonado/The Rider
Name something you wouldnât want to run into in a dark forest or in an abandoned building. âA clown.â
Favorite horror monster or villain? âI donât really have one.â
What is the creepiest thing thatâs ever happened to you? âIâve been in a hotel and I heard something in the closet before. It wasnât a good hotel. It was a bad hotel, so I feel, like, something was really in there, so you know, like, a ghost or something.â
Youâre home alone but you hear footsteps in your house, what do you do? âI grab the sharpest, most dangerous object closest and I close my door and lock my door.â
If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose? ââThe Conjuring.â When I watch scary movies, they donât really scare me, but âThe Conjuringâ actually did. So, I actually want to be in that. If I want to be in a scary movie, I would want to be in it.â Â
Would you ever go to a graveyard at night? Why or why not? âNo, thatâs creepy.â
Youâre in a horror movie. Are you the final guy, the first to die, the comic relief, the skeptic, the smart one, or the killer? âEither the last one to live or the comic relief.â
Would you spend a full night inside a haunted house if someone paid you? âDepends how much. I am going to start high. Might be about $5,000.â
In the zombie apocalypse, what would be your weapon of choice? âA sword.â
Do you think there are real witches, ghosts, monsters and creatures living among us? Or are those things just from our imagination? âI think ghosts are real. I donât think monsters and all that. I think thatâs our imagination.â

Fernando Ramirez/The Rider
Name something you wouldnât want to run into in a dark forest or in an abandoned building. âOooh, probably, like a hobo, like a homeless person. I donât know or just, like, I probably wouldnât want to run into anyone there âcause, like, why would they be there?â
Favorite horror monster or villain? âLike, I hate all scary movies. Probably, well, my first scary movie I saw was âThe Ringâ and that scares me. I donât know if sheâs a villain, but she scares me to death.â
What is the creepiest thing thatâs ever happened to you? âWell, I went to, like, a haunted house once with my friends and we ended up getting split up and I was yelling, like, âPlease take me out of hereâ and they actually escorted me out. So, that was pretty creepy for me.â
Youâre home alone, but you hear footsteps in your house. What do you do? âI would run out punching and then just run out the front door.â
If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose? âProbably the least scariest one. âScary Movieâ âcause itâs funny and I could let that ease the pain of the fear.â
Would you ever go to a graveyard at night? Why or why not? âI would with people. I wouldnât go alone.â
Youâre in a horror movie. Are you the final girl, the first to die, the comic relief, the skeptic, the smart one or the killer? âIâm the comic relief. Iâm pretty sure.â
Would you spend a full night inside a haunted house if someone paid you? âIs there a price? OK, I guess so if Iâm getting paid âcause, like, one, Iâll get money and I donât have a job. And, then two, Iâll know itâs fake, so I guess so and I can do therapy after with the money. The price would probably be a million.â
In the zombie apocalypse, what would be your weapon of choice? âI would just want a full armor of spikes and knives. I donât know. Something where I donât run out of ammo and can just, like, go around and run through people.â
Do you think there are real witches, ghosts, monsters, creatures living among us? Or are those thing just from our imagination? âI think itâs real. I think that ghosts are real. I believe in ghosts âcause I think spirits can be around. I donât know, I get scared at night in the dark. So, I donât want to upset anyone, you know, in the dead. So, theyâre real even if theyâre not.â

Aaliyah Garza/The Rider
Who started Halloween and why do we wear costumes? âI do not know.â
How did you celebrate Halloween when you were a child? âEvery year, my parents were the ones that stayed in and handed out the candy. Me and my sister would go around.â
What is the best Halloween memory you have? âI can remember participating in a haunted house and just scaring people. Like, getting that thrill was really fun.â
What is the worst Halloween memory you have? Â âI donât think I have a worst memory. I like Halloween.â
What has been your favorite all-time Halloween costume? âThe bloody âScreamâ mask.â
If you could only wear one Halloween costume for the rest of your life, what would you be? âThe Joker because heâs just mysterious. I like that one. It looks cool.â Â
How are you spending your Halloween this year? âMy parents are actually coming in to town for the World Series, so Iâll probably end up spending it with them.â
Are you superstitious? âSomewhat. I like to have the same routine before I come to the field. I like to keep things similar. Iâll cook the same breakfast before game days and then showing up to the field on time to get my pre-workout. Keeping it similar.â
What is your favorite urban legend? Â âI donât know. I donât have one.â
Which horror movie scarred you for life? ââThe [Texas] Chainsaw Massacre.â Yeah, that one was scary. Donât want somebody chasing after me with a chainsaw.â

Aaliyah Garza/The Rider
Who started Halloween and why do we wear costumes? âI have no idea who started Halloween, but I feel that the costumes–no, I have no idea who did this.â
How did you celebrate Halloween when you were a child? âWe would go to a church, like fall festival, and we would just, like, trick-or-treat there, you know. Me and my family would have a little booth there. Thatâs how we would celebrate Halloween back in Abilene.â
What is the best Halloween memory you have? âProbably when I had a whole pillowcase filled with candy. Everyone just kept giving me candy that day. The church was full with people. I grew up in the church, so it was cool to have all those people. All my friends came home from school, so it was, like, a good environment. That was probably my favorite Halloween memory, was at church.â
What is the worst Halloween memory you have? âWhen my mom was deployed and my dad had to work, so I had to stay home for Halloween. It was really sad. It was probably the worst Halloween.â
What has been your favorite all-time Halloween costume? âI am a big fan of Mickey Mouse, so I went to Disney World and I went and bought the hands and the ears and then I made the shorts and the shoes. Dressing up as Mickey Mouse is probably my favorite Halloween costume.â
If you could only wear one Halloween costume for the rest of your life, what would you be? âMickey Mouse. Iâd be Mickey Mouse for the rest of my life.â
How are you spending Halloween this year? âThis year we are actually participating in the festival, the team is. Weâll be here at the Trunk-or-Treat. I think we have class on Halloween, then weâll probably have practice, so weâll spend it as a team. Weâll be here together at the gym. If we see some little kids, we might give them some candy, but I donât think we really have a plan, yet.â Â
Are you superstitious? âYes, like stepping on a crack, the bad luck. I believe in those superstitions, like when a ladybug lands on you. I believe that means someone is thinking about you. I believe those kinds of superstitions.â
What is your favorite urban legend? âProbably the candy man one. The one where youâre in the bathroom and you gotta turn the lights off and you say, âCandyman,â three times. Iâve never done it. Iâm too scared. Itâs like a Halloween-type thing, where if youâre in the bathroom you turn the lights off, then you gotta say, âCandyman,â three times and evidently, heâs going to poof–like appear. Itâs scary. Iâve never done it before. They made a movie about him. … Thatâs probably, like, the scariest one. Iâve never done it before and I donât want to do it because I believe in that stuff right there.â
Which horror movie scarred you for life? âProbably the âTexas Chainsaw Massacreâ because they based it off of a true story and they say that the house is really in Texas. So, that is probably the one that has scarred me because that could be like a real situation.â

Aaliyah Garza/The Rider
Who started Halloween and why do we wear costumes? âI donât know.â
How did you celebrate Halloween when you were a child? âWhen I was little, we used to trick-or-treat. Myself, my sibling and my cousins. So, we would go around and trick-or-treat all together throughout our neighborhood.â
What is the best Halloween memory you have? âI would say when all my friends got together. We decided we were going to wear funny costumes that year. … I was actually a sumo wrestler, so I had a big inflatable sumo suit. So, that was pretty fun.â
What is the worst Halloween memory you have? Â âWe actually got scared one time. They had an airhorn, so they scared us pretty bad.â
What has been your favorite all-time Halloween costume? âI would say, probably, when I was a sumo wrestler. I just saw it and I thought it was pretty funny, so thatâs basically it.â
If you could only wear one Halloween costume for the rest of your life, what would you be?âI guess a soccer player.â
How are you spending your Halloween this year? âHopefully, weâll still be playing.â
Are you superstitious? âNo, I am not.â
What is your favorite urban legend? Â âI donât have one.â
Which horror movie scarred you for life? âI donât like scary movies with dolls because theyâre pretty creepy to me. Iâm not a big fan of scary movies, but whenever I do watch them, I donât like any of them that have the dolls because theyâre creepy.â

Aaliyah Garza/The Rider
Do you know who started Halloween and why do we wear costumes? âI donât, actually.â
How did you celebrate Halloween when you were a child? âAll my cousins would get together. Our families would do a big barbecue. Weâd all dress up and get ready together and then go trick-or-treating.â
What is the best Halloween memory you have? âProbably when I dressed up as a witch and I painted my whole face green. I had a fake nose and then trying to take the nose off, we had to glue it on my face and then we couldnât take it off. So, I was, like, crying because it hurt, but it was fun.â
What is the worst Halloween memory you have? âI donât think I have a bad memory with Halloween.â
What has been your favorite all-time Halloween costume? âFor me, when I was Bubbles from âThe Powerpuff Girls.ââ
If you could only wear one Halloween costume for the rest of your life, what would you be? âA blueberry. Every year, I say I am going to be a blueberry, but I donât know why, so Iâd probably just be a blueberry.â
How are you spending Halloween this year? âThis year, I think weâll be traveling with the team, so I think weâre gonna try to all dress up at the airport together.â
Are you superstitious? âYes, I have superstitions before a game. If I donât put my right sock on, then my left sock, then my right shoe, then my left shoe, then I donât play well.â
What is your favorite urban legend? âI donât think I have one.â
Which horror movie scarred you for life? ââThe Shining.â Whenever I go to hotels and I look down the hallway, I think of those girls.â

Juanita Maldonado/The Rider
Name something you wouldnât want to run into in a dark forest or in an abandoned building. âA murder, I guess.â
Favorite horror monster or villain? âProbably Jason, Jason is pretty cool.â
What is the creepiest thing thatâs ever happened to you? âI donât know. Nothing really creepy has happened to me.â
Youâre home alone, but you hear footsteps in your house, what do you do? âPicking a weapon up. Gotta have a look around. Whatever is closest.â
If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose? ââHalloween,â I guess.â
Would you ever go to a graveyard at night, why or why not? âNo, thatâs not a smart idea.â
Youâre in a horror movie. Are you the final guy, the first to die, the comic relief, the skeptic, the smart one, or the killer? âProbably a combo of the final man and the comic relief. Iâd try to find the light in the situation and still survive.â
Would you spend a full night inside of a haunted house if someone paid you? âHell yeah. Yeah, itâd have to be a lot. Weâre talking about five or six figures at least.â
In the zombie apocalypse, what would be your weapon of choice? âProbably some sort of sword because you canât run out of ammo. Maybe a sniper, something like that.â
Do you think there are real witches, ghosts, monsters and creatures living among us? Or are those things just from our imagination? âI may not want to believe, but nah, probably not.â

Fernando Ramirez/The Rider
Who started Halloween and why do we wear costumes? âI mean, people back in the day started Halloween. Oh, no, it has something to do with, like, Day of the Dead or something. No, thatâs in May, actually, March, I donât know. I donât know. Donât ask me this. Iâm not that smart with history.â
How did you celebrate Halloween when you were a child? âMe and my sister would dress up in our costumes and then weâd go door-to-door getting candy, which sounds really weird, but thatâs what everyone did. So, thatâs what we did. Went to haunted houses. It was fun.â
What is the best Halloween memory you have? âI think, maybe, when I dressed up as a fat hobo and I chased little kids around, but then afterwards, I would give them my candy âcause I was too old for candy.â
What is the worst Halloween memory you have? âWhen I ate too much candy and I ended up getting sick from it. Probably that.â
What has been your favorite all-time Halloween costume? âWhen I dressed up as a bumblebee when I was a little girl.â
If you could only wear one Halloween costume for the rest of your life, what would you be? âOh, I donât know. Thatâs hard. Probably, oh, I have an idea. Probably the bumblebee, I guess, âcause thatâs my favorite one.â
How are you spending Halloween this year? âPlaying soccer.â
Are you superstitious? âYes, very superstitious. Like, black cats are bad luck and number 13 is bad luck. I have to wear certain jewelry during warmup before I take it off to go play in a game. I have to have my hair a certain way for my games. I have to have everything set out, like, the night before my game before I play. Otherwise, itâll, like, mess up my routine. Stuff like that.â
What is your favorite urban legend? âI have no idea. I donât know if I have a favorite one. I canât even think of one right now.â
Which horror movie scarred you for life? âOh, I donât know. This one wasnât that scary, but it was just weird because I remember, like, a lot of hair and after that, hair creeped me out. âMama,â it was called âMama.ââ
–Compiled by Juanita Maldonado

