December 3, 2023
Date of interview: 26 Nov 2023
I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the paranormal, but few stories in Central Texas capture attention quite like Candle Face. She’s said to haunt those who deny her existence, driving them toward a mental breakdown or even death, while her followers claim she has the power to erase pain and mental torment in an instant.
My latest effort to understand her led me to an interview with a man who calls himself “Mr. Smoe.” Our connection feels personal—he believes I played a role in calling Candle Face out of hiding years ago. During our conversation, he painted two very different sides of her. To believers, she’s gentle, capable of lifting unbearable pain. But for skeptics, she shows no mercy.
Mr. Smoe’s story begins in a turbulent home ruled by his father’s alcoholism. By thirteen, he had already spiraled into addiction himself. His life changed dramatically in 2002, at a moment of utter desperation. In his living room, ready to commit suicide, a ghostly young girl appeared. She had hollow eye sockets, skin that bubbled like boiling oil, and an otherworldly voice: “Do not do it. I can help you. I can make your pain disappear.” Desperate and shaken, he answered, “Yes, I believe.”
Instantly, he felt his anguish lift. The relentless voices in his mind fell silent for the first time in years. Candle Face retreated into the corner where she had appeared, leaving him forever changed.
After that night, she began appearing in his dreams, urging him to spread her presence to others—especially those struggling with addiction. As he spoke at AA meetings, he discovered others who claimed Candle Face had relieved their pain as well. His efforts grew beyond meeting halls, reaching people on the streets and those trapped in cycles of prostitution around South Austin.
Yet there’s a darker edge to her story. According to Mr. Smoe, those who dismiss Candle Face don’t find the same relief. Instead, they spiral deeper into despair. Some reportedly lose their grip on reality; others die by suicide.
I tried to understand this paradox, pressing Mr. Smoe on how she could be both compassionate and cruel. My questions hit a nerve, and he abruptly ended the interview, warning me to watch my step. His words left me uneasy, especially since I’ve had my own encounters with Candle Face.
Below, you’ll find the video of our brief interview. Mr. Smoe, an obvious pseudonym, insisted on anonymity. To honor this, I recorded the video with the camera pointed at his ceiling fan and edited it to brighten the footage and distort his voice:
After the interview, I walked to a creek near my childhood home to clear my head. This creek was a well-known shortcut to Dawson Elementary School and a spot where neighborhood kids often hung out—or fought. I filmed the area, remembering how my brother Ricky and I navigated its trails, and how I once encountered Candle Face there.
Later, I visited an old friend who knows Candle Face’s legend from our shared childhood. While we talked about the interview and the creek, his Ring doorbell camera picked up something. Though no one was on the porch, the video showed a large shadow and a strange, orb. My friend believes this might have been Candle Face, drawn by the conversation—or by my recent interview.
Note to my friends who are familiar with this house and its owner: Please keep his identity confidential.
Candle Face seems to occupy a strange space—both a source of comfort for some and a threat to others. It’s hard to reconcile the accounts of her compassion with the fear and torment she inspires.
One thing is certain: belief, or the lack of it, plays a critical role in how she interacts with people. Those who believe are spared. Those who don’t suffer. But what drives her? Compassion? Vengeance? Something else entirely?
For now, all I can do is document what I find—interviews, personal visits to places tied to her legend, and footage like the Ring camera recording. Whether people believe in Candle Face or not, her impact is undeniable. She leaves a mark on everyone who crosses her path, and I suspect she’s not done yet.
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