A woman who recently relocated to the Appalachian Mountains was left spooked after noticing a strange smear on her glass door that she claimed resembled a face.
Julia Magarita Ortega (@jmotheartist) shared a video on TikTok showing the eerie mark, which she believes appears to have facial features, pressed against the glass. The video, which includes a brief moment where her dog jumps up and paws at the door, garnered 438,000 likes and 5.1 million views.
“Please tell me that doesn’t look like a witch face pressed against the glass to y’all. Thanks,” she captioned the post.
The Appalachian Mountains, stretching from southeastern Canada to central Alabama, are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.
The region is known for its rich biodiversity, dense forests, and rugged terrain. These highlands have long attracted those seeking solitude, beauty, and connection with nature—but they also come with a reputation for mystery.
According to National Geographic, the Appalachians are steeped in folklore, ghost stories, and tales of cryptids. Due to the isolation of the mountains, combined with their ancient geology and deep-rooted traditions, the area has become renowned for its tales of magic and mythical creatures.
Locals and visitors alike have reported suspected paranormal activity and shared their stories with the hashtag #hauntedappalachia.
So when Ortega spotted something strange on her door, many TikTok users took it seriously.
“God forbid a baddie with a full face be curious about others’ interior design choices,” joked Lucy.
“Some people are joking but you fr [for real] have to be careful and research the rules of living in Appalachia,” warned Noah.
“Hey, big dawg. If you ain’t got curtains yet, go ahead and throw a towel or sheet up over your windows at night. It’s the rules,” another user advised.
“People are still moving to the Appalachian mountains?? I thought people would be moving away,” asked Falcon.
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Others took a more tongue-in-cheek approach.
“Y’all please quit saying there are scary evil creatures in the woods. That’s Paul from up the road scoping out the copper in your house. Get some curtains and hide your catalytic converter,” said Kaycee.
Some admitted to being genuinely unsettled by the video.
“Dog scared the hell out of me,” wrote Mandy.
“Stayed at an Airbnb in the Appalachians once. I was supposed to sleep on a bed set up in the sunroom…. Room full of windows, not a single curtain or blind. Noped out of that real fast,” another user commented.
And one TikToker, identifying as a local, offered this cryptic guidance: “As an Appalachian just ignore it. Trust me bro. It’ll (probably) leave you alone if you pretend you don’t see it. That’s what I do and I’m still kicking.”
Newsweek reached out to @jmotheartist for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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