Are you familiar with the local legends of St. Virgil? If not, you may be wondering why certain island residents steer clear of the huge silk cotton trees lining the forests.

We can think of plenty of things to fear on the island of St. Virgil. The rapid expansion of Virgil Enterprises and the subsequent destruction of local landmarks. The sharks, saltwater crocodiles, and giant tentacled monsters that swim in the dangerous waters off the coast. The nosy tourists and travel vloggers that flood the island throughout the summer.

With all these tangible threats to life on St. Virgil, why exactly are the silk cotton trees so feared? Well, take a closer look at the gnarled branches and large buttress roots. You may find the answers that you’re looking for. If you don’t live to regret it . . .

But first things first: how can we identify a silk cotton tree? Look for the sparse leaves, the large branches that stretch outward, and the trunk that stands at least eighty feet high, usually dwarfing all other trees in the surrounding area.

We recommend viewing the trees from a safe distance, however. Some residents of St. Virgil refuse to even touch the silk cottons for fear of contracting bad luck.

How can a tree spread misfortune; you ask? Because of the malevolent spirits that live inside. Namely, the jumbies.

Don’t let the cute name fool you. According to folklore of many islands in the Caribbean, the malicious jumbie spirits are ruthless, terrifying, and sometimes even impossible to detect. Old tales of St. Virgil describe jumbies as capable of inhabiting human bodies on the brink of death. Have you or a loved one suffered a near-death experience recently? You may want to contact your local psychic immediately.

But the easiest way to avoid the jumbies (aside from avoiding those shark-infested waters we mentioned), is to simply leave the silk cotton trees alone. And certainly, don’t bring an axe into the forest. Chop down a silk cotton, and you’ll set free the jumbie spirits that live inside. Let’s all hope and pray that Virgil Enterprises halts their aggressive property development efforts before they reach the forests . . .

Before you scoff at St. Virgil’s regional folktales and discount them entirely as little more than superstitions, we should mention the seeds of the snake eye fruit found in similar forests. In local legends, the seeds of the fruit are used to wake the dead. And wouldn’t you know it, recent scientific studies suggest that a chemical found in the seeds did abnormally stimulate brain activity. Experts theorize that the ‘rising dead spoken’ of in these stories may have referred to individuals waking from comas after consuming the seeds.

Could modern science and research possibly provide us with similar explanations for the tales of the jumbies and the superstitions surrounding the silk cotton tree? We sure hope so. Because whether jumbies are literally haunting St. Virgil or not, darkness has descended on the island of St. Virgil.

And the recent killings of three tourists on the island is certainly no myth. But with investigators and local law enforcement stumped about the motive and nature of these murders, perhaps the answer lies in the supernatural. After all, the jumbies are far from the only sinister forces hidden deep in the forests of St. Virgil . . .

Learn more about the legends of St. Virgil in Rick Riordan Presents: It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass, on sale now!