Around the turn of the century, in the fields bordering the south of Guayama (a town in the south of Puerto Rico), stood the hacienda of the Rodriguez family. They were loved and respected by all their slaves. Among the slaves were a young couple, Merce and Cayo, who were very much in love. The master had even given them permission to marry and a ceremony was planned.
The two were always seen together, always talking about their upcoming wedding, about the many children they would have, and about the happy life they would live together. Cayo was Merce's reason for living and he loved her deeply as well.
One day, the master bought a dozen new slaves. In the group was included a beautiful young voluptuous mulata. Her straight black hair reached her waist, and her swaying walk could hypnotize even the oldest men. Even Cayo became enchanted by the mysterious Fani. While he still loved his Merce, Cayo could not help his desire to flirt with the young woman.
After seeing her future endangered, Merce was determined to keep her love through any means, as the thought of losing Cayo hurt her deeply. Her last resort, while forbidden by her Catholic faith, was to summon the help of a witch.
The witch prepared a potion for Merce out of various oils and herbs. In the mixture, she soaked the skin of a female snake for nine days. The snakeskin then hung on a tree branch for three days and nights. On the third night at the stroke of midnight, the witch tied the snakeskin around two voodoo dolls and buried them. Merce was terrified by the macabre act, but was glad as the witch had assured her that Cayo would never abandon her. She said that by the following full moon, the couple would be happily wed and that the intruder would crawl away like a snake.
The witch was old, however, and confused the names as she buried the dolls of Cayo and Fani.
Merce anxiously awaited the next full moon. Anticipating their wedding day, she finished her dress and made the final arrangements for the ceremony. On the final day of the long wait, Merce received the news: Cayo and Fani had been married that afternoon in the same church that she had planned their wedding. Her heart shattered as she ran screaming madly towards the forest. The following day, the slaves of the hacienda noticed with awe that a path in the shape of a snake had mysteriously appeared a short distance from the church.
Merce was never heard from again.