Maria, the witch Tlauipochi

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• CoverBy: Sofía Jiménez Diaz
• Page 2Once upon a time in the quiet canals of Xochimilco, María lived a simple life, but she kept a very dark and terrifying secret hidden inside her small wooden home. Most people thought she was just a normal local woman but she was actually a Tlahuipochi, a dangerous monster that could turn into a bright, floating ball of fire every single night.
• Page 3When the sun wentdown, María did a strange and scary magictrick. She sat by herwarm fireplace, took off her human legs, grew sharp bird claws,and flew high over the dark water to hunt. She always looked forsleeping babies in their little cribs because sheneeded to feed on them.
• Page 4One night, a brave young man watched her secret ritual from the shadows. While María was away flying across the dark sky, he ran quickly into her empty house.
• Page 5When María came back home right before sunrise, the salt burned her badly. She tried very hard, but she could not put her legs back on her body. As the bright morning sun came up over the water, the strong light destroyed her completely. She turned into a small pile of cold ash, and the village was finally safe from her scary terror forever.
• Page 6References: Cruz, I., & Cruz, I. (2023, 24 julio). María.La bruja Tlahuipochi. Cartelera de Teatro CDMX. https://carteleradeteatro.mx/2018/la-tlahuipochila-bruja-de-xochimilco/
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