A Mexican woman describes her encounters, along with other friends and family, with the Lechuza. Though the accounts are brief, they offer a glimpse into the legend.
I received the following account:
"Hello, Lon. I was born and raised near Matamoros, Mexico. I heard you talk about the Mothman on a few podcasts. The legendary Lechuza is a woman who sheds her 'human' skin at night to reveal that she's actually a wrinkly monster with hot coals for eyes. It commonly takes the form of an owl (Lechuza means owl) or a fireball and devours humans.
I was a Girl Scout. We went camping in the mountains. That one night, all 20+ girls were cramped into a tent for 10 people. It was really hot, so I left the tent to look for the cabin where my parents were sleeping. That was a bad idea. I got lost. After a while, something started chasing me. It cornered me. It glared at me. Its eyes were dimly lit. And then it left. It left a trail of feathers.
I was really scared, but I tried holding it in because I thought it'd make me a more desirable meal. It made me fear the forests for a while. And I was crying a lot while wandering through the woods. I believe that I had encountered a Lechuza.
I know a few more Lechuza stories, but they're rather short, so here they are:
- My dad had a similar experience when he was young. He saw an old woman sprouted wings and flew around like a gargoyle in the woods.
- My best friend saw a Lechuza attack her uncle's farm. This one had feathers all over it, not just making up the hair. They found a dead cow the next morning.
- We were having a sleepover at a friend's house when one of the girls saw a silhouette of a woman with glowing eyes outside of the window, in the backyard. We barricaded ourselves in the room and didn't leave until sunrise. This was actually terrifying because everyone thought we would die so we all started confessing our secrets." M
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