La Lechuza

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. A silhouette inside stretched out its wings, the span larger than two grown men. "This will do," it cooed. "The perfect spot for my next roost." Its yellow eyes sparkled as it took in the delightfully dilapidated abode. It grinned. Then, with its talons, it began to gash lines and curves onto the hardwood floor. An incantation floated through the air and filled the cabin like smoke, smelling of sulfur and decay. The floorboards wailed and the walls shuddered.

* * * * *

“I’m sorry for sending us the wrong way Sergio!” Alma Espinoza squinted down the dark dirt road, the overgrown brush seemingly clawing its way out from the forest onto the path of Sergio’s car. “I actually haven’t been here in years. But I could’ve sworn this was it.” Alma tried the GPS on her phone again to no avail. “Ugh! Still in a dead zone!”

“Some first date,” Sergio muttered. “We should be in a hot tub getting drunk by now." They had met at the bar where Alma worked. He was new in town and had quickly become an almost nightly regular. Alma had even saved him on a number of occasions by stopping him from driving home absolutely plastered. Good thing too. He didn’t need another DUI. Or worse. “They have 12 step programs,” Alma had told him several times. “I’m not an alcoholic,” Sergio had asserted. She stopped mentioning it. Finally, after weeks of talking and flirting, and a bathroom stall hookup, she had invited him to her uncle's cabin for the weekend.

As the last rays of sun sank behind the horizon, Sergio spotted a small decrepit cabin off to the side of the road. Candlelight appeared through one of its windows. Alma narrowed her eyes. “Let’s not stop here. Keep going.”

“Keep going where? We got no choice but to stop and ask for directions. Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. I don’t scare easily.” Sergio threw her a smirk.

He pulled over and parked. “You stay here. I’ll check if anyone’s home.”

Alma stared out at the gaping black void of the forest. “Nuh-uh, you’re not leaving me behind. I’m coming with you.” As they approached the front door, they caught sight of a white owl in a nearby tree. It glared straight down at them. Its yellow eyes widened and its beak opened as if to screech, but no sound came out. For a flicker of a second, its expression seemed to stretch beyond the normal limits of a typical owl’s eyes and beak. Wait. That couldn’t be. “Sergio,” Alma whispered, pulling him towards the front door of the cabin. “Let’s get this over with.” They both looked back up at the tree, but the owl was gone. Turning their heads, they glimpsed a flash of the owl flying off, its flapping wings silent.

Sergio knocked on the front door, which caused it to slowly open with a groan. “Who’s there?” a woman’s voice called out.

“Sorry to disturb you,” Sergio said. “But this lovely lady and I got a bit off track and we were wondering if you could help us find our way again.”

A shadow reached for the candle and approached the door. As it got closer, Alma and Sergio could just make out the form and features of a petite elderly woman. “I was hoping you could do the same for me.” The candle’s flame illuminated her clearly now. Worry and desperation clouded her face. “My car broke down. I was on my way to see my grandson in the hospital. He’s been in an accident. I tried to call someone, but there’s no signal here. I saw this cabin a few yards away and hoped to get help, but it’s empty. Abandoned for years by the looks of it.”

Lightning suddenly flashed, and thunder shook the ground. A torrent of rain unleashed upon them. Sergio and Alma ran inside. “What the hell?” Sergio exclaimed. “In Southern California? Where did this come from?” While Alma was busy wringing out her hair, Sergio looked around the cabin. “Um, Alma? What’s wrong with this picture?” “Oh Sergio! So many things,” Alma seethed, still preoccupied. “No, look!” Sergio nudged her. Finally, Alma examined the cabin’s interior.

“I know,” the old woman murmured. “I was just trying to wrap my head around it when you guys knocked.”

The small one-story cabin from the outside was somehow a spacious two-story cabin from the inside. “This isn’t possible.”

Then, just as quickly as the storm had poured over them, it stopped. Silence. Stillness.

Alma glanced at the old woman before meeting Sergio’s eyes. “We need to go. Now!” Sergio nodded.

“Listen,” he said to the old woman. “We can give you a ride. We have no idea where we’re going, but it’s better than staying here.” Alma shot him a look, but Sergio didn’t notice.

“Oh, thank you!” the old woman cried with relief.

“Of course, Mrs.…”

“Call me Dolores.”

They headed out to the car. However, the wheels were now stuck in the mud left behind by the storm. After many failed attempts, they begrudgingly settled to spend the night in the cabin. Hopefully the mud would dry up the next day.

Still disturbed by the incongruity between the interior and the exterior of the cabin, they simply resolved to ignore it. They had no other choice.

Dolores sighed. “Well, gonna see if there’s a tolerable bed in one of these rooms.” She meandered off into the darkness. “There’s more candles and matches in the drawer right next to you, by the way.”

Sergio and Alma stood still for a while in the murky moonlight emanating through the window. Finally, Alma broke the inertia by shaking her head and said, “No way I’m sleeping tonight, especially with that woman here.”

Sergio snickered. “Ah, she’s a little old lady. She seems harmless.” Then, pulling her towards him, he whispered, “Come on. Let’s find a room so we can at least somewhat salvage this date.” He caressed her lower back and gave her ass a squeeze, licking and biting his lips in what he thought was a seductive manner.

“Are you fucking crazy??” Alma tried to keep from shouting. She shoved his hand away. “What’s wrong with you??” She grabbed a candle, lit it, and stormed out of the front room, down the hallway. Sergio chased after her, but once he stepped into the hallway, he found himself alone. No trace of Alma. What? She couldn’t have walked that fast. He held his breath and listened for any creak or shuffle. Nothing. Once he started breathing again, a scent of rotten eggs assailed his senses. It burned his nose and throat. He could even taste it on his tongue. His eyes began to water. “Argh!” He covered his face and ran away from the smell. At the end of the hallway, he knocked his shoulder against a door frame and tripped into a room. He regained his balance and worked to catch his breath. The smell had disappeared.

On the far side of the room, Sergio saw a baby crib. It was slowly rocking back and forth. He turned to the window. Closed. Suddenly, he heard the cries of a baby. It continued for several seconds. Then, silence. Alma’s piercing scream came next, feet stomping down the hallway. She ran into the room and into Sergio’s arms, still screaming and sobbing. “Did you hear it? The baby… Oh God!”

Sergio calmed her down as best he could. They headed back to the front room, where they found Dolores. She had heard the cries and smelled the sulfur too. Neither of them could pinpoint where the crying had come from. “It was a baby for sure,” Sergio said, “We gotta find it. We can’t just leave it out there.”

“No.” Dolores said gravely. “This is the work of La Lechuza.” Alma and Sergio stared at her blankly. “You’ve never heard the Mexican urban legend?”

“Oh! I kinda remember my abuelita telling us the story.”

“Well let me refresh your memory.” Dolores cleared her throat. “La Lechuza is a bruja that can shape shift into a white owl. They say this owl witch has the face of an old woman, but with wide yellow eyes and a black beak for a nose. It stands 7 feet tall and has a wingspan of 15 feet. She wasn’t always a bruja, though. She started her life as a normal young girl. Now, there are many versions of the legend. Some say that she was killed by villagers, others say that the villagers killed her child. Still others say that her drunk husband killed her child, her baby boy. This last version is the most widespread. Her husband was a mean drunk. Abusive. Violent. She had been attempting to escape when her husband chased after her and rammed into her car, causing the accident that killed her baby. So she sold her soul to the devil to give her the power to exact her revenge. This is how she became the owl witch. The drunk husband’s death did not satiate La Lechuza’s lust for blood, however. It continued to kill, stalking drunk men and luring them into isolated areas with a whistle or a baby’s cry, then crushing their skulls in between its talons. It has been known to swoop down on cars, ram them, and scratch them up. There is no escaping La Lechuza once you’ve crossed its path. And you must be careful. Because she appears as a normal woman during the day. But once night falls, she can shape shift into La Lechuza. They also say she can control the weather. A sudden storm is one of the signs that La Lechuza is near. And she not only feeds on flesh, but on emotion too.”

“Oh yeah, I remember my abuelita told me of ways to protect yourself against it.” Sergio struggled to remember. “Salt can protect you, I think. And you can also stop her by cussing her out. Or tying a rope of 7 knots and hanging it on your door. There’s this prayer too…”

Dolores laughed. “It’s only an urban legend though. Just trying to have some fun and spook you guys a bit.”

“What?” Alma said. “So you made the crying noise?”

“No, no. I’m sure that was just some wild animal in the woods. They can really sound human sometimes.”

The sound of a hooting owl rang out in the distance.

“You know, I think we could all use some tea.” Dolores said. “I’m pretty sure I have some tea bags and a couple mugs out in the car. I’ll be right back.”

“Where is your car anyway? I didn’t see it driving in. It isn’t too far?” Sergio looked at Dolores skeptically.

“No, no. Not too far at all. Only some yards away around a bend, behind some brush.” Dolores headed out.

“This is too much,” Alma said, rubbing her temples. “This night wasn’t supposed to go like this.” She looked to be on the verge of tears.

“I still think I should go to look for the baby.”

“Sergio! What the fuck are you talking about? It was just some wild animal, like Dolores said. You wanna get attacked?”

“Nah, it sounded too human.”

“There was definitely something off with it. Something not human.”

“You’re not dissuading me.”

“Yeah," Alma scoffed. "You do tend to be stubborn and double down when you've made your mind up about something." She looked out the window. “I don’t wanna be left alone with that old woman, though. If you go, I’m going with you.”

Dolores opened the front door, which made Alma jump. “Alright. Time for some tea.” She poured water into a mug and held it over the candle flame to heat it up.

“I’m gonna try my phone again. Maybe I can get a signal upstairs.”

“I’ll go with you!” Alma's voice came out shrill.

Sergio thought of how Alma had disappeared in the hallway. “No. You stay here. I won’t take long. Have some of Dolores’ tea. It’ll calm you down.” Alma bore a death stare into Sergio’s eyes, but stayed where she was as she watched him climb up the stairs.

Sergio wandered from room to room upstairs, banging on his screen. “Come on!” He dropped his phone. “Shit!” As he went to pick it up, he noticed strange markings on the floor, lines and curves creating foreign symbols that he could not decipher. He had seen enough movies, though, to know that they were those of a witch.

Back downstairs, Dolores handed Alma a mug of tea. Alma had no intention of drinking it. "That's really tragic about your grandson," Alma said. “I hope he fully recovers soon.” She started to feel lightheaded. The steam of the tea was somehow making her feel nauseous. She felt an inner terror creep up from the pit of her stomach. Her head started to pound, and she rubbed her temples... Smoke. Burning fuel. Crushed metal. A baby’s screams. The stench of alcohol... She needed fresh air. This old woman was getting into her head.

“What’s wrong?” Dolores asked.

“I’m getting a migraine,” Alma said. “I got some pain reliever out in the car. I’ll be right back.” She rushed out the door.

Once again, a crying baby's voice wailed through the air. Alma screamed.

Sergio came running down the stairs and raced outside once he realized Alma was out there. Shaking, Alma pointed to the car. It was all scratched up, some of the metal completely slashed off. Sergio shook his head in disbelief. He then remembered that the old lady had gone out alone to her car a little while ago. Could she have done this? How did they not hear the metal being slashed? “It’s Dolores,” Sergio said.

Suddenly, a white owl landed on the branch of the tree next to them. Then another popped up. And another. They realized that there were about 50 or more owls perching all around them.

Dolores appeared in the doorway and urged them to come back inside.

“I got this,” Sergio reassured Alma, taking one last look at the car and stepping away.

“Here, some tea will calm you down.” Dolores handed Sergio a mug, which he quickly smashed against a table and lunged at Dolores, aiming the sharp handle at her throat. Dolores’ scream soon turned to gurgled moans in her throat. Her body twitched and writhed for a bit before finally resting still, eyes wide open.

“You killed her!” Alma shrieked. She stood over the lifeless body in disbelief. Sergio leaned against the wall to catch his breath.

Alma slowly turned her head around toward Sergio. However, it kept turning and turning long after it should be humanly possible to do so. The skin on her neck grotesquely stretched and stretched until her head had made a complete 180 degree turn. Sergio started wheezing as he stared straight into the gaping yellow eyes of an owl. Alma cocked her head to one side. "Why did you do that? She was on her way to see her injured grandson! He was hit by a drunk driver, you know? She told me all about it. A worthless drunkard. They all deserve to die... just like YOU!” She fully morphed into La Lechuza and grabbed Sergio by her massive talons.

“She didn't have to die. We should've kept going like I said. We shouldn't have stopped. It’s true that I had planned to take you here all along. But I didn’t plan on Dolores finding this place." She gripped Sergio tighter. He began to curse at her.

La Lechuza threw her head back and cackled. “Those silly protection techniques are all bullshit. Urban legends.” She sneered, then licked the sweat off Sergio’s forehead. “Mmm. Your fear is delectable. The perfect appetizer.”

Sergio began to recite the first line of the protection prayer his abuelita had taught him -- La Magnificat. La Lechuza’s sneer fell and her grip on him slightly loosened. He couldn’t remember the rest of the prayer, but La Lechuza’s falter gave him enough time and leverage to escape her grasp. He ran out to the car.

The car struggled to gain traction against the mud, but finally it broke free. Sergio raced off. He could barely hear the whisper of La Lechuza’s beating wings. He turned and saw the creature flying next to his car. La Lechuza bumped against the side of the car, almost making Sergio lose control. He regained it though. He floored the accelerator. But La Lechuza didn't lose any speed, easily able to keep up.

Sergio could see the lights of a town in the distance! He could make it!

He lost sight of La Lechuza. Where did it go? He frantically looked around. He didn’t even hear the whisper of its wings anymore. Too quiet. Suddenly, La Lechuza’s giant talons seared through the car roof and ripped it off. This time he could not recover. He lost control and crashed through a bunch of brush before barreling into a tree, completely totaling the car.

La Lechuza calmly walked over to the wreckage. Sergio was not there. He must have been thrown out. She found his twisted body several yards away. She hadn't eaten all day and was famished. With her talons, she grabbed Sergio’s head and crushed it open.

* * * * *

At a bar in Las Vegas, Alma is pouring yet another drink for a recent regular. He's already wasted. They're friendly and flirting. She admits that she's kinda drunk on the job herself and makes him promise not to tell her boss. She then whispers in his ear to meet her in the bathroom.