Upon retirement, many people embrace new hobbies. Oliver Gordon, too, ventured into the world of gardening and home improvement. His dream project involved constructing a backyard pond. Yet, a peculiar predicament unfolded as all his fish mysteriously vanished from the pond, leaving Oliver perplexed and eager to solve the enigma.
With a determination to uncover the mystery, Oliver began digging and made a peculiar discovery. As he delved deeper into the unknown, a dire turn of events unfolded, leading to his hospitalization. The question loomed: what exactly had Oliver stumbled upon in his quest for answers?
Oliver savored his newfound freedom during retirement, relishing the simple joys of life. He and Emily traveled to serene destinations, exploring their shared passions for nature and art. With each passing day, they cherished the precious moments together, free from the rigors of military service, and embraced a tranquil future.
Having devoted most of his life to a busy military career, Oliver grappled with the newfound free time in retirement. To fill the void, he embarked on a long-cherished dream: revamping his garden. With each plant and flower, he found purpose and tranquility, nurturing his newfound passion.
Residing in St. Mary's County, Maryland, Oliver and Emily Gordon faced a substantial garden renovation project. Undeterred by the magnitude of the task, Oliver welcomed the challenge with enthusiasm. With determination and a shared vision, they embarked on transforming their vast garden into a serene retreat, fueled by their love for nature.
His wife had been looking forward to having her own vegetable garden, for as long as he could remember, and he wanted to have a pond full of Koi fish. After years of planning and research on his level, he was finally ready to make it a reality and work upon building his dream pond.
In the following months, Oliver dedicated himself to the garden project. With relentless effort and unwavering commitment, he cultivated a breathtaking oasis. Before they knew it, the garden was a thriving masterpiece, a testament to Oliver's diligence and the couple's shared dream brought to life.
While he was thrilled with how the garden turned out, he was proudest of the pond. Oliver filled the pond with water lilies and it was almost ready for the finishing touch: the fish. But before he could put the fish into it, he woke up one morning and saw that something wasn’t quite right.
Something Isn’t Right
A mystery unfolded in their garden as the water lilies withered, leaving Oliver perplexed. Despite extensive online research, his quest for answers remained unfulfilled. The enigma of the dying water lilies continued to worry him, making Oliver curious for different solutions to restore the garden.
When Oliver went to bed the night before, the water lilies were fine, but the following morning, they were completely dead. So, he got rid of the old lilies and put fresh, new ones in their place. He also decided it was the perfect time to put the Koi fish into the pond. However, he was in for an even bigger surprise the next day.
When Oliver woke up the next day, the first thing he did was check on the new water lilies and the Koi fish. And that’s when he realized many of the lilies were missing. Only a few were left, and they had just started opening. This had Oliver worried and desperate to find what happened.
Oliver eagerly wanted to share his pond work with Emily, but he had to delay. Not just the water lilies vanished; something more went missing, leaving him concerned. He couldn't wait to uncover the garden's secrets and share the surprises with his wife.
After the water lilies went missing unexpectedly, Oliver decided to make sure the same thing didn’t happen to his precious Koi fish. In order to keep track of the fish, he decided to buy ones that looked different. So that he can distinguish between them and keep a track of them as well.
But upon closer look at the pond, he discovered that his pure white Koi was nowhere to be seen. Completely confused, Oliver looked around for it. here and there in the pond. Surely, it had to be hiding. There's no way a fish could be somewhere else. How could a Koi fish suddenly disappear?
The following morning, Oliver, filled with resolve, approached the pond to feed the fish and unravel the garden's mysteries. As he neared the water's edge, something even more unfolded, leaving him baffled. The unexpected turn of events intensified his determination to understand what was truly happening in their garden.
The lilies were fine, but another Koi was missing! In a state of utter confusion, Oliver decided to return to his house and turn to the internet again for answers. How could water lilies and Koi fish go missing? There had to be an explanation for the strange occurrence. Nothing else adds up.
Within a week, Oliver’s pond went from full of beautiful water lilies and happily swimming Koi fish, to completely empty. By the end of the week, there was nothing left in the pond but a few water lilies. And with all of the fish gone, they became the target once again.
Just a few days back, Oliver had realized his dream of building a beautiful pond. But now, to his dismay, it had turned into little more than a water-filled hole. The rapid transformation left him disheartened as he wondered what could have caused the pond's sudden deterioration, casting a shadow over his recent accomplishment.
Oliver had put so much work into building his dream pond, and it had all been for nothing. All he wanted was to be able to enjoy the pond and the colorful fish with his wife, but what was supposed to be a relaxing hobby, was causing him lots of stress and desperation to find answers to his question.
Oliver had invested both time and money in constructing the pond, and he had also spent a considerable sum on the fish. As he confronted the pond's decline, he began to sense that his efforts and resources had been in vain. The feeling of disappointment grew, making him question if it had all been a colossal and futile expenditure.
But that wasn’t the worst part. Oliver still had no idea why things were disappearing. After turning to the internet, he found that there was no predator that ate water lilies and Koi fish. It gave him momentary relief but he was still anxious and curious, looking for answers. If not eaten up, where could they be?
With this ruled out, he decided to check the pH levels of the water. But they ended up coming back normal. Also, his fish hadn’t died, there was no body nor any signs of it, they had simply vanished. So, there had to be another explanation that helps explaining the events.
Of all his garden endeavors, the pond was the toughest and costliest. Oliver toiled for months on it, pouring his heart into the project. He felt immense joy at its completion, relishing the beautiful outcome. But now, his happiness was in danger as the pond started to deteriorate, making all his effort and money seem wasted.
Oliver looked at the pond and let out a deep breath. He had dug it with his own hands, placing rocks meticulously. He wondered, "Was all this effort worth it for a mere muddy pit?" Disappointment washed over him as he considered if his hard work had been in vain, making him question its value.
Oliver's determination burned bright; he wouldn't back down easily. The dream of a pond had lived in him for years, and he wasn't about to let this obstacle shatter it. Instead, he decided to solve the problem and turn his muddy pit into the oasis he'd always dreamt.
Determined to get to the root of the problem, Oliver observed the pond day after day. But by this point, all of the water lilies and Koi fish were long gone—nothing was happening. However, what he was looking for wasn’t at the surface of the pond. It was deep in the muddy puddle.
Weeks went by and Oliver still had no answers. But on one sunny morning, everything changed. While Oliver and Emily were spending some much-needed time in the sun in their garden, the water in the pond started moving. Emily was so shocked she jumped out of her seat on the bench!
Oliver stared at the still water, unable to spot any movement. Suddenly, a loud splash echoed out of nowhere, instantly capturing his interest. He felt sure that something was hiding beneath the surface, poised to unveil itself. His excitement and intrigue mounted as he contemplated the enigma concealed within the water.
There was definitely something in the pond, and Oliver was set on solving this puzzle. He thought that whatever it was had a hand in the sudden vanishing of his water lilies and Koi fish. He was determined to reveal the secret behind this mystery and set things right in his beloved garden.
Oliver knew that in order to have his dream pond, he needed to find out what it was and get rid of it quickly. But he had no idea how difficult and challenging it would be. He just wanted it to get out of the pond so that he can finally make his dream pond come to life.
Hyperaware and looking for any signs of movement, Oliver walked to the pond cautiously as Emily ran back into the house. But alas, there weren’t any signs of life. Oliver kept staring at it, clueless as to what he could do next to make the situation better.
So, Oliver found a stick in the garden and he used it to move the water around in the pond. However, regardless of how much he moved the water, it didn’t move again. It was as if it hadn’t moved at all. Oliver kept trying carefully so that it could move at least a bit.
By this point, Oliver was feeling extremely frustrated. Just as he thought he was finally going to get answers, he was back to where he started. He decided to move the stick in the water one last time, hoping something would happen.
For a few minutes, Oliver stood there silently, and then the water started moving again. He couldn’t figure out what was causing the water to ripple. But he wasn’t willing to give us this easily—he was closer than ever! He just had to know.
As soon as Oliver saw movement, he began getting to work. Time was of the essence and he wasn’t going to let whatever was moving disappear again. So, he opened the valve he installed and watched as water drained from the pond, allowing him to take a clear look at what it was.
The water ended up taking a few hours to completely drain, but Oliver was more than happy to wait. By the end of it, there was no water left. It was completely drained of water, everything was visible to Oliver. But he still couldn't look clearly.
Oliver gazed at the muddy pond, expecting to see something, but it was empty. This confused him. He wondered, "How could this be?" It was as though something had made a big splash and vanished into thin air. The mystery deepened, leaving him curious about what had caused the disturbance and where it had gone.
Just a few hours before, he and his wife had been enjoying the sun, sitting on the bench, when he heard and saw movement from the pond. How could something that was so clearly there just suddenly disappear? Things weren’t adding up and before long, Oliver realized it didn’t just disappear.
Convinced that something was in fact there, without even thinking twice, Oliver went down into the pond and started digging through the mud with his bare hands. He dug around for a while and that’s when he finally got a glimpse of it. There it was. Oliver wanted a clear look of it.
From the corner of his eye, Oliver saw the mud move. This surprised him, and he got up. He used a stick to poke at the mysterious creature, hoping it would stir again. The strange movement made him very curious, and he was determined to find out what this hidden pond dweller was.
After poking it, the creature moved again, and this time it lifted its head and hissed at Oliver. Caught completely off-guard, Oliver jumped back. His heart was beating a mile a minute from the shock, and it took him some time to recover. And acknowledge what just saw.
Once he had a moment to recover his breath, Oliver was all set to return to his task. He was determined to find out what this peculiar creature was that had messed up his dream pond. It had become his mission to unravel the mystery and restore the beauty of his cherished garden feature.
Ready to find out what the hissing creature was, Oliver approached it once again. But when he got closer, the creature jumped toward him. Without even thinking, Oliver moved his hand toward the animal and grabbed it.
While he hadn’t planned on touching the strange creature, it was now in his hands. This was the perfect opportunity to get a better look at it and figure out what it actually was. And finally get rid of it. So Oliver acted on his instincts.
Oliver touched the creature’s smooth skin, running a finger down its back. By this point, some of the mud on it had fallen to the ground, and Oliver was able to see two very small eyes staring back at him. It was enough to shake him to his core. He was terrified at his sight.
Oliver hadn’t seen anything quite like this creature before and he didn’t know what he was looking back at. The animal was still covered in mud, which made it hard to see what it was. So, he decided to wash the creature in order to get a better look.
Oliver gently grabbed the unknown creature by its head and washed it with a hose to examine it closely. As he knelt beside it, he couldn't shake the feeling of how strange it all seemed. In that moment, curiosity and wonder filled his mind as he tried to understand what this mysterious creature was that had caused so much disturbance in his beloved pond.
Even though it resembled a snake, Oliver couldn't recall ever seeing one quite like this. There was something off about the creature. It left him wondering what else it could be. His curiosity was piqued by the unusual appearance and behavior, prompting him to ponder the true identity of this mysterious animal.
After looking at the animal once again, Oliver discovered something he hadn’t seen on any snake before. The creature had two things coming from its body, which looked like tiny arms. The tiny stubs even had a few appendages that resembled fingers.
Oliver's confusion deepened with this revelation, and his curiosity surged. He had never encountered a snake with hands before, which left him both baffled and intrigued. The discovery of this unique creature had opened up a whole new world of questions in his mind, and he was determined to solve the mystery surrounding it.
Closer than ever to figuring out what the interesting animal was, Oliver’s interest took over, and he accidentally let go of its head. He had to figure out how the creature’s tiny fingers worked. Were they like human fingers? Or like a reptile? He was just desperate to find out.
Releasing the creature's head turned out to be a big mistake, one that Oliver would soon regret. As soon as he let go, the creature hissed, wriggled, and then bit Oliver on his forearm. It was a sudden and painful surprise, and Oliver found himself in an unexpected and dangerous situation, all because he had let go of the creature too soon.
In complete shock, Oliver took a moment to compose himself. And when he finally caught his breath, he pulled the animal off his arm and put it into a box. Bleeding profusely from the bite, he called his wife Emily and showed her the wound.
Caught by surprise, Emily ran into the house and brought out some bandages for her husband. And that’s when the argument started. Eager to figure out what the animal was, Oliver wanted to take it to the vet. However, Emily was more concerned about taking Oliver to the hospital to deal with the bite.
As the bleeding eased, Oliver convinced his wife that the bite was just a scratch. They picked up a container, got in their car, and drove to the vet. Worried but trying to stay calm, they hoped the vet could help figure out what kind of creature had bitten Oliver and ensure he was okay.
Living in rural St. Mary's County, Maryland, their nearest vet was an hour's drive from home. Unfortunately, on the way to the vet, things got even worse. They faced an unexpected twist in their journey, which added to their anxiety about the situation. They just wanted to reach the vet and find out what had bitten Oliver and how to treat it.
After driving for about 30 minutes, Oliver began feeling ill. By this point, the bleeding had stopped, but that was the least of his worries. Oliver’s arm had swollen to double its size. And that’s not all—his head was spinning and his vision became blurry. With each minute that passed by, Oliver appeared to be getting sicker.
After a while, Oliver began to believe his wife might have been right all along. Maybe they should have gone to the hospital before the vet and got everything tested to be sure. However, they had already made their choice, and there was no turning back.
As soon as Oliver and Emily walked into the vet, the vet told his secretary to call for an ambulance. The vet looked at the animal, and then told the Gordons that not only was it a snake, but it was a Timber Rattlesnake, and very poisonous.
The situation was now dire, and they needed to get Oliver to the hospital before the venom continued to spread. In the meantime, the vet tied a bandage around Oliver’s upper arm. And just a few moments later, Oliver was put into an ambulance and driven to the hospital. However, he still didn’t have the answer he so desperately wanted.
Oliver thought his new pond would bring him nothing but joy in his retirement, but after the water lilies and Koi fish started disappearing he became obsessed with trying to figure out why it was happening. Without any answers, he wasn’t willing to give up easily.
However it ended, we bet Oliver wasn’t expecting his discovery to end up in a deadly encounter from a creature he hadn't seen before leading to a hospital visit. We hope Oliver made a full recovery and that he finally got his dream pond.