The Ciguapa

This story is slightly different than my others in that it takes place in a modern setting as I wanted to show how folklore permeates across physical borders as well as through time, which is why it's still very much alive and playing a vital role in our present-day world. It's also different in that I use Spanish throughout the story to show that the characters are speaking both Spanish and English. I was partially inspired by my own experiences as the daughter of a Latina immigrant and the customs, traditions, and stories that my family brought with them from their home country. For those of you that don't know, a ciguapa is a popular figure of Dominican folklore. Descriptions and details about them vary, but generally, they are beautiful, elusive, humanoid creatures with backwards feet that live in forests of the Dominican mountains. The females are often described as dangerous to men who happen upon them, luring them to their deaths with their beauty, much like sirens and other female mythological creatures. Some of the other details I've included are based on a combination of folklore and one of the earliest stories written about ciguapas by Dominican author, Francisco Javier Angulo Guridi. Enjoy and as always, feedback is welcome and encouraged.