You know how your hometown always seems dull and sleepy?
That's even true when your hometown is a big city like Chicago. In my case, it
seemed like nothing exciting went on in Chicago when I was growing up there,
but now that we've moved away, my city has gone and gotten more interesting.
It's gotten so interesting that Mothman decided to start hanging around there.
Mothman is one of those creatures like Bigfoot or the Loch
Ness Monster that many people claim to have seen, but for which convincing
physical proof has yet to be found. Mothman was originally seen in West
Virginia decades ago, and some believe his presence signaled impending
disaster in the form of a bridge collapse. Anyway, in December, 2017, more than 50 Chicagoans claimed to have
spotted a Mothman-type creature in the Chicagoland area. We have to hope that his presence doesn't mean
disaster for the Windy City. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/paqv9z/mothman-sightings-in-chicago
In addition to Mothman lurking around Chicago, another
semi-mythical creature has recently been spotted in Illinois. According to
Cryptozoology News, a red-headed Bigfoot was hanging around south of Chicago. Was
he—like so many others—just looking for Mothman? It's impossible to say. http://cryptozoologynews.com/red-bigfoot-spotted-illinois/
The problem with these sightings is, of course, that they
didn't happen when I still lived in Illinois. With my forthcoming novel Sasquatch
CSI on my mind, I've been indulging my interest in cryptozoology (i.e. the study
of creatures like Bigfoot). The stories are fascinating, and I look forward to
doing more research. In the meantime, I might need to plan a trip home to visit
the family in Illinois. As research for the next book, it's tax deductible,
right?