Wonder Whales of the Ohio

I Call It Illiad

Out cresting my shoulders in the waves, barely able to keep my feet dug into the mud enough to fight back the current's pull. I was completely at my aquatic friends disposal. Had they seen me as food or threat, I would be long gone down the river before anyone even began to suspect trouble. Here all three were within arms reach, barely hiding their huge size beneath the waters surface. 

The one in the middle sank beneath the surface only to return just as quick. It nudged me and opened its large mouth slowly.  "Oh this is it, I've made a huge mistake." I thought. They had teeth, rows upon rows of teeth, like sharks. They weren't wide wedged like a shark, actually they caved in at the sides and came to really sharp points. It looked as though the point was fatter than the middle of the tooth. I thought how odd it was, seemed like they would break many teeth because of this. It would help to grip onto things they bit into. 

That hyper observant nature of mind was still in overdrive, even as I was preparing to take my last breath. That's when I seen it, a green little orb with a white stuffed center. It was trying to ask me of I had more, or maybe acknowledging that I was the one tossing them out there. Either way it was an attempt to communicate. Maybe as simple as a thanks. I took out the jar, dipped some water in it and turned it over showing it was empty. I thought maybe the scent of the water pouring out would also communicate that the jar was where they came from. 

Instantly it swam right past me, curving around in a blur that sent me spinning like a top in the water. It was too quick to even register fear, I was so dizzy it took a moment to get my bearings let alone think straight. When the world stopped spinning I was treated by the middle one as it brushed slowly against my side. I noticed it stood out from the other two as it had many large white splotches among its scales. Those scales were tear dropped shaped, a ridge when from the point and circled around to create a divot in the middle. They were a greenish brown and blended in perfectly with the muck. Most likely they were often confused for driftwood just floating about the currents. 

I decided to call the white speckled one Illiad seeing I could differentiate it from the others. Amazing creatures huge as any tree trunk. They were swift beyond belief for their size. They were obviously intelligent enough to initiate a type of communication between us. Illiad indeed no one would ever believe this, but now I knew. 

Curiosity again got the best of me, I simply couldn't resist the urge. I latched on to Iliad's fins and pulled my legs around. It was like trying to hold a slick tree in a rainstorm. Illiad indeed got the message. Before I knew it I was down stream in a part of the river I didn't know. I couldn't even see the smoke stacks from the power plant. Though I hadn't drowned, and I hadn't fallen off. I was in a panicky situation though. I was so far from anything I knew. It finally dawned on me how long I had been gone and I really needed to get back. 

I started treading back upstream when Illiad and several more came from behind and gave me a lift so to speak. Just how many of them there were I couldn't say. They brought me right back to where we met. I patted all that would come close enough and then climbed my way out of the river. I was such a mess.