Wonder Whales of the Ohio

Something in the Water

I spent an awful lot of time with my aunt and my cousin growing up. Almost every weekend, most school breaks, and when we went to the same school it wasn't unusual to stay some school nights with them as well. 

She was great. She was always taking me to 'fun church' on account of being a holy roller. Some of the songs she sang during car rides I thought she was part angel. Angel as it turned out found herself in care of me more often than not. So when family friends wanted to get together and watch movies of course I was drug along too. This little bitty house right across the street from the courthouse in Warsaw and just a jog down the hill to the river. 

They kicked us kids out when they were watching Misery. After playing in the boys room for a while we eventually snuck out the back and down to the river. It was late at night long after the street lights came on. The river was dark and calm. The boys were throwing sticks and rocks in the water. I was caught up in how the moonlight, and the other side of the river, reflected in the water. 

Then movement caught my eye. Wow must be a really big fish I thought. I loved fishing with grandpa, watching frogs jump in our pond. They often said I was a water baby, if there was water around I'd find it and play in it. Several large splashes well off the bank had my eyes glued. Then the V pattern formed showing what direction the fish was swimming off in. This V was huge like the wake of a boat, and it was coming right at me. Big fish barely ever swim towards shore. 

I was so excited I walked right up to the rivers edge hoping to catch a peek at this massive river monster making all the waves. There it was. Twelve maybe fifteen feet off of the shore. Two huge intelligent eyes, fins slowly pushing the water back and forth. It watched me in the same wonderment I was watching it. I wanted to go out to it but I couldn't swim well yet. This thing was easily as large as any boat I ever seen on the river not counting barges. 

Its snout was flat and shovel shaped, it's back looked like a cross between a fish and a dinosaur. It was huge like those whales they showed on TV.  I tried to get the boys to see it too but by the time they got to me it swam off. So as a kid I did the next best thing. I ran to the house to tell everyone of the dinosaur I had seen in the river. They mistook my excitement for fear and i wasn't allowed to watch scary movies with them for a while. Which made no sense Misery has no dinofish in it.