“I was really scared …”
For Isa Machado and her family, Halloween arrived a little early this year.
Not long after settling into their new trailer-style home in Jacksonville, Florida, the Machados began noticing something strange. Every night, mysterious sounds echoed through the walls — scratches, bumps, and odd rustling noises that seemed to move from room to room.
“We heard strange noises throughout the house,” Isa told The Dodo. “It was so weird — even in the kitchen!”
Before long, Isa’s mom was convinced their new home was haunted.
Then one day, the haunting revealed itself.
Isa had gone to use the bathroom when she suddenly heard those same noises — this time coming from just a few inches away. She froze.
“I was really scared, but I didn’t make a sound,” she recalled.
And then, through a small gap in the wall, something reached out — a tiny hand with sharp claws.
Isa grabbed her phone and began recording.
When she showed the video to her family, their fear quickly turned into laughter. Their “ghost” wasn’t supernatural at all — it was a raccoon.
“We thought it was so funny and sweet,” Isa said. “We called animal control, and they came to get it out.”
But when help arrived, the story got even better — it wasn’t just one raccoon hiding in the walls.
“It was literally an entire family,” Isa said.
Since the crawlspace beneath the home had been left open, the raccoons had made it their cozy hideaway.
Once Isa and her family understood what was really going on, their fear melted away into affection for their unexpected guests.
“Let me tell you,” Isa said, laughing, “those are the cutest and sweetest little critters I’ve ever seen.”
What started as a spooky mystery ended in smiles — proof that sometimes, the “haunting” in your home just wants a snack and a nap.