In How to Write a Unique Spooky Story, I wrote about how to write a unique spooky story by either creating your own monster, creature, or horror yourself or by finding a monster that is not well known. I advised finding a monster by researching myths and legends in other cultures to find something that has a rich history surrounding it, but that is not considered modern. One of the countries that have some unique creatures is the Bahamas. Each of islands in the Bahamas has their own unique legends filled with  creatures from different myths.

Andros Bahamas: Lusca

Lusca is a monsterous creature that is believed to live in the blue holes of Andros Bahamas. Lusca is a Bahamas legend that is akin to the Loch Ness Monster; it is believed that Lusca is a half octopus with its other half being either a dragon or shark, depending on the legend that Lusca is featured in. Lusca has long strong metallic tentacles that gleam in the sun when they are raised out of the water to drag sailors and ships down into Lusca’s underwater lair when they trespass on the territory that belongs to Lusca. However, no matter the legend, Lusca is always referred to as a female monster that lives underwater. It is believed that she is responsible for drowning those that sail into the blue holes that she calls home. Many of the residents of the Bahamas still steer clear of the blue holes to this day out of fear of Lusca dragging them to an underwater grave.

Exuma Bahamas: Pretty Molly

Pretty Molly is a legend unique to Little Exuma, as she was so named due to her believing to reside in Pretty Molly Bay. Pretty Molly is a legend with two different tellings. The first legend is that Pretty Molly is a mermaid with a beautiful tail with three fins that look like underwater wings. In this version she is a beautiful and somewhat harmless creature that lives in Pretty Molly Bay and the only time she shows any hint of violence is against those that would try to harm her and even then, those that try are often left half drowned, but alive. The second legend  is that Pretty Molly is in fact a ghost that was once a slave, one that committed suicide in Pretty Molly Bay to escape her masters by walking into the bay and drowning herself to escape her life of pain. In this legend, Pretty Molly can take on the form of a mermaid if she so chooses and she haunts the shore of the beach where she once committed suicide. Her ghost has been known to terrify those that destroy her solitude at night with horrible screams and the feeling of the pain that she once endured.

Andros Bahamas: The Chickcharnies

The Chickcharnies are believed to reside in the tallest pine trees and they make their nests in the spot where the two tallest pine trees are joined together. The Chickcharnies are bird-like creatures that look like an owl with three fingers, three toes, and the ability to rotate their heads a complete 360 degrees. It is believed that the Chickcharnies can grant good fortune for a lifetime to those that  show them respect. Those who fail to show the proper amount of respect can find themselves cursed with a lifetime of ill fortune and, in extreme cases, the Chickcharnies have been known to leave those they dislike with their heads turned around backwards.