Letter: Discarded stuffed Ewok and scratching sounds from a bedroom closet
A letter read on air tells of a stuffed Ewok toy found in an outside trash can, brought back into the house, and placed in the writer's mother's bedroom closet. The mother reportedly woke that night to rustling and scratching from the closet. The toy was returned to the trash can the next morning. The writer closes with a joking remark about not keeping such things in closets.
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The story as told
The story is a letter read aloud on air. The writer says that about 12 years earlier, [quote withheld] in the outside trash can. The mother thought this very odd because the toy was [quote withheld] The mother reportedly brought it back inside and put it in her bedroom closet. She meant to keep it for a while, or give it away if the sister did not want it. According to the letter, later that night, after the mother had gone to bed, she woke to a [quote withheld] The writer says this frightened the mother because it came [quote withheld] The next morning, the toy [quote withheld] The letter ends with the writer's remark that this is why they keep their own closet doors closed and do not keep [quote withheld] in a closet. The writer adds that [quote withheld] No cause is stated for the sound, and no names, places, or dates are given. The writer does not say whether the mother checked the closet or what she found in it. The host reads the letter without adding any verification.
Reported events, in order
- 0:01
The writer's mother reportedly finds the 11-year-old sister's stuffed Ewok in the outside trash can. She thought it very odd because it was in mint condition.
- 0:19
The mother brings the toy back into the house and puts it in her bedroom closet, meaning to keep it or give it away.
- 0:31
Later that night, after going to bed, the mother reportedly wakes to a rustling, scratching sound coming from her closet.
- 0:41
The writer says the sound frightened the mother because it came from the exact spot where the stuffed animal was.
- 0:50
The next morning the stuffed animal goes back into the trash can.
- 0:56
The letter ends with the writer's joking remark about keeping closet doors closed because such things [quote withheld]
Claims
Each claim is labeled as something the person telling the story noticed (observation), what they made of it (interpretation), something others told them (hearsay), or something the host said (host statement).
- observation· 0:01
A stuffed Ewok belonging to the writer's 11-year-old sister was discovered in the outside trash can in mint condition.
- observation· 0:13
The mother thought finding the toy in the trash can was very odd and brought it back inside.
- observation· 0:19
The stuffed animal was placed in the mother's bedroom closet.
- observation· 0:31
The mother woke that night to a rustling, scratching sound coming from her closet.
- observation· 0:41
The sound was coming from the exact spot where the stuffed animal had been placed.
- observation· 0:41
The sound frightened the mother.
- observation· 0:50
The next morning the stuffed animal went back into the trash can.
- interpretation· 1:00
The writer's stated conclusion is that closets are places where such things [quote withheld]
Scores, with reasons
An AI model gave these scores using a fixed set of scoring rules (scoring-v1). They are editorial judgments and rough guides, not the odds that anything paranormal happened. How scoring works.
The story is brief but internally coherent, with a clear sequence, and an ordinary explanation (an animal or normal house noise) fits easily. It is secondhand, relayed by a family member about the mother, and gives no names, places, or dates.
Evidence for and against
- Concrete details about the object: the toy is identified as an Ewok and described as in mint condition.
- Clear, ordered sequence: toy found in trash, brought inside, placed in closet, sound that night, toy returned to trash.
- The writer separates what was perceived (the sound) from the inference about where it came from (where the toy was).
- No names, address, city, or date are given.
- The sound is not described beyond “rustling, scratching” and was not reportedly investigated.
- The writer's closing remarks are a playful quip rather than a considered account.
- The labels showing who is speaking come from the automatic transcript, and one line breaks off mid-sentence, so attribution within the letter is not fully certain.
- It is not stated whether the mother looked in the closet or what she found there.
- 0:13
- 0:31
What the model inferred (not said on air): My scoring reflects that this is a secondhand report from close family, with modest detail and an easy ordinary explanation. The casual, entertaining closing line is not treated as evidence about the events.
Nothing in the story can be checked independently: no names, places, dates, or records, no physical evidence offered or examined, and no witness speaking on air. It rests entirely on the letter writer's word.
Evidence for and against
- A single specific object is described (an Ewok stuffed animal). It could in principle be checked, but it is not offered or examined.
- No documentation, photograph, or recording is claimed.
- No second witness speaks on air. The mother's experience is reported only through the letter.
- No names or locations are given that could be checked.
- The letter is not described as coming from a verified source or with any supporting material.
- 0:01
What the model inferred (not said on air): This falls in the lowest band: the writer's word only, with no checkable specifics and no second witness on air.
The story puts an unexplained scratching sound inside a bedroom closet at night, linked to a discarded child's toy, which is mildly unsettling. Its brevity, the lack of any threat or escalation, and the writer's joking closing lines soften it.
Evidence for and against
- A nighttime sound from inside a bedroom closet.
- The sound is tied to the exact spot where the toy was placed.
- The letter states the sound frightened the mother.
- No figure, presence, or physical contact is reported.
- The toy was simply thrown away again the next morning, with no escalation.
- The letter ends on a light, humorous note.
- No description is given of what, if anything, was seen or how long the sound lasted.
- 0:31
- 1:00
What the model inferred (not said on air): My rating weighs the nighttime home setting and the intrusion into a bedroom closet against the story's short length, lack of menace, and comic ending.
This uses a familiar setup, unexplained noises from a closet at night, with the modestly distinctive detail of a child's discarded Ewok toy placed in the closet and then thrown out again. It is not a stock haunting, but the core event is common in ghost lore.
Evidence for and against
- Unusual focus on an object: a specific Star Wars Ewok toy found in the trash can and put in the closet.
- The strange event is attached to the object's location rather than to a room or figure.
- Closet noises and scratching sounds are recurring motifs in ghost stories.
- No distinctive being, setting, or twist beyond the toy detail.
- The comparison with the rest of the archive is provisional for this pilot, so this score leans on a judgment of content.
- 0:01
- 0:31
What the model inferred (not said on air): I assigned roughly the middle of the scale: a familiar [quote withheld] setup carrying one distinctive concrete detail (the discarded Ewok).
Scoring confidence 0.55 · analysis confidence 0.65 · checked against outside sources: no · evidence available: A letter read on air, allegedly from a listener.; The writer's secondhand report of the mother's experience.; No physical evidence claimed, offered, or examined.; No witness on air.. The originality score blends the model's score (45) with how rare the story's details are across the archive. This method is still provisional.
Ordinary explanations to consider
These are possibilities only. None is a finding about what happened.
- The rustling and scratching came from an animal or rodent in the closet or wall space, a common source of nighttime scratching in a house. · The sound is described only as [quote withheld] at night after the mother had gone to bed. Nothing was reportedly seen.
- Ordinary household noises (settling, shifting materials, heating, or plumbing) were taken to be coming from the closet. · The only specific detail about the location is [quote withheld] with no other sensory information reported.
- A household member put the toy in the trash can, rather than it appearing there by itself. · The letter says the mother “discovered” the toy in the outside trash can and found it odd. It does not say how the toy got there or that anyone saw it placed.
What stands out
The strange event is attached to a discarded child's toy rather than to a person or place. The story ends with the object simply being thrown away again rather than investigated. The letter's closing lines are openly playful, and the analysis does not treat that tone as evidence either way.
Related stories
Matched by shared recurring details, categories, and wording.