Caddo Shuffle

Late one night, a fisherman swore he saw a massive shape wading through the cypress knees. Thinking it was a gator, he grabbed his spotlight — only to catch Merilla, chest-deep in the lake, doing what looked suspiciously like a cannonball warm-up. The creature locked eyes with him, raised a hairy finger to its lips, and then belly-flopped so hard the boat nearly capsized. Ever since, that fisherman refuses to go out on Caddo without a raincoat — says it’s the only way to survive Merilla’s splash zone.