Foul Catch by Kevin Wikse

I began dreaming of an experience I had more than thirty years ago. I never forgot what happened, but when I recall memories, they were ephemeral, like grasping smoke, and I would quickly forget again. However, since the dreams began, my memories of the experience are becoming more concrete. I want to further solidify the experience for myself and see, on the off-hand chance, if anyone else has information that could assist me in resolving these events.

This occurred at Big Bear Lake in Big Bear, California, in the summer of 1986. My family had access to a vacation cabin there. We stayed a week. But none of that really matters concerning the experience...as far as I remember. 

I was swimming in Big Bear Lake. I remember the lake was busy. Tiny islands, rocky outcroppings, and hidden coves dot Big Bear Lake. I liked adventuring and swimming alone, so I headed to the out-of-way outcroppings. In 1986, I was hyper-fixated on dinosaurs. I regularly imagined slipping back into time through a portal made by an advanced prehistoric culture to see them or trekking down a hidden cave and discovering a secret location in the present day where a dinosaur or dinosaurs still lived. With wild rock formations jutting out of its pristine water and craggy cavern mazes, Big Bear Lake provided a spectacular backdrop for 10-year-old me to project his fantasies on. 

I soon found a place far away from the masses, tucked behind boulders and pine trees. I believed I was alone and began searching for evidence of a Plesiosaur or Brontosaurus, which might serve as the basis for a lake monster waiting to be uncovered. But I was not alone, and as far as monsters, the monsters lurking in Big Bear Lake that day were decidedly of the modern world. 

While I was exploring, I came across an odd sight. A man and woman, both adults, with a boy about my age, standing in the water. They were not playing. They were not relaxing or reveling but standing. Standing still, almost too still. The atmosphere around them was eerie. I was brought up in the LDS or Mormon Church, and I had been and seen others be baptized. For a moment, I thought I stumbled onto this boy's baptism. However, the circumstance suggested the existence of elements I was not accustomed to. 

Like me, the boy was Caucasian. The man and woman were oriental. The woman stands out the most. I remember her as uncomfortably flawless. In a sinister way, maybe even perfect. Long inky black hair, a thin, sleek body of glowing alabaster skin, clad in a skimpy crimson bikini. Her beauty was dangerous, unnatural, and otherworldly. A sweet but poisonous miasma persists around her in my memory. Thinking of her just now, I conjured the image of an onyx black widow spider with an hourglass made from ruby. I then experienced a sudden sharp pain behind my forehead, followed by a ferocious burning sensation. 

Besides being present and of Asian descent, I cannot register the man's features. Outshined by the woman, he might forever be relegated to her shadow. He remains faceless. However, as my dreams of this have started recently, I can get a vague sense of the boy's face. His eyes have a vacancy, as if in a trance or stupor. 

With a dragonfly's grace and predatory trajectory, her gaze floated above the water to meet mine. Her presence was overwhelming, and I was instantly, irrevocably captivated by her. 

"Lucky for you, little horse, today we need a dragon," she told me. The man tossed coins onto a metal tray or plate. I remember liking the sound it made. The man and the woman looked intently at the tray and discussed between themselves before she beckoned me closer. 

"You were marked with difficult beginnings at your birth. Your fruit is still not ripe. I, too, was born marked with bad fortune, but I have learned to correct it," the woman said, placing her hand on my cheek. Looking at the boy, the woman told me, "He was born with great fortune. Money will rain down on him his whole life. For him, luxury will be commonplace." I heard the sound of coins dropping on the mental tray again. 

"It is auspicious and a favorable sign that you are here, little horse. You should stay and share with us." The man next produced what I know now is a Bagua or Feng Shui compass. He consulted it before motioning to a specific spot. Taking me by the hand, she guided me to where I would stand. "Remain still, but be happy, for today, we again improve our fortunes," she tells me. 

I see her feeding the boy different colored paper money. As he chews, the man and woman begin sticking paper notes with red and black calligraphy on his body. His forehead, upper and lower back, chest, and stomach. Next, a bright red blanket or large cloth was draped over his head and body, floating in the water around his waist level. She and the man began speaking incantations as they made fast hand signs and traced symbols around and over the boy with their fingers, making abrupt thrusting gestures toward him. 

The woman wraps her arms around his body like a belt and secures her hands. The man places his hands on the boy's covered head, and together they submerge him underwater. It is complicated to say how I felt about watching this. I realized that they intended to drown him. Still, her charm was so disarming and reassuring that my concerns, even for myself, were nearly instantly tranquilized. 

A struggle and splashing occur. I can see the man and woman bear down a little more to keep the boy underwater, and very quickly, the water becomes calm again. I am standing on the shore of the small nearby island. I have no memory of getting out of the water. "He is still drowning, little horse," the woman tells me. She is holding the red cloth, wringing it closed with both hands. "First, it was the water because he needed air, but now it's the air because he needs the water." I can see that something is undulating within the makeshift sack she is clutching. 

She gestures to me, come and see. As if still in a hazy dream, I step forward. Peeking inside, I see a large golden carp struggling to breathe. "The first time we caught a dragon, he was able to swim away. But never again," she smiled. Looking deep into my eyes, she says. "I will let you have a taste." The man brings the tip of a fillet knife to the gill of the gold carp and sharply inserts it. 

The world goes black. 

I awoke on the beach with a start. I am alone. Blood and footprints are in the sand, leading back into the water. I don't remember how long I lay there on the shore. There was no indication I had been gone very long. Upon rejoining my family, neither my mom nor dad ever said a word. However, my mom noticed something wasn't right. Throughout the rest of our trip, she repeatedly asked if I was okay until I uncharacteristically threatened her to stop. Snapping and lunging at her. I scared my mom, causing her to cry. It was one of the first times I consciously realized that I wasn't "me" in how I reacted. It was...something else. 

My mom wasn't wrong to be concerned. The dread and uncertainty that clung to me took the sparkle out of Big Bear Lake, and honestly, it never came back. I wonder if I were to return to Big Bear Lake, now, no longer a "little horse," if I would be so easily corralled by exotic beauty. I would be curious to learn how particular fortunes have fared over the past three decades. 

-Kevin Wikse

Dead Dog's Tale

The Dog Woman of Watts by Kevin Wikse.

 

6/8/23

Amazing the life of its own, this simple piece I wrote took on. I've become an authority concerning the Dog Woman of Watts in many ways, most of them small. Seeing and reading the reactions this piece has caused has also been an experience. For the most part, I am happy to have become a key contributor to the discussion. My name and work are cited, and I am credited for my writing. I am sure Clifton would get a kick out of knowing that. 

I cleaned up and revised my original piece in 2016 or 2017. I will include a link to the original post at the end. I find it fascinating that my speculations and postulations, especially concerning MK-Ultra and Animal/Human hybrid genetic experimentation, have emerged as fact. It serves as validation and inspiration to continue researching and writing. To all those who have attempted to misrepresent my work, thank you. You have been the best advertising I could hope for. All this dirt you tried throwing on my name made me a hill to stand on and you a grave for your relevancy. 

-Kevin Wikse

Being a Southern California native, I can't help but have my curiosity piqued when I hear unusual stories about my home state. I ran across the "dog woman of Watts" while researching cryptid sightings in Los Angeles. I had not heard of the dog woman of Watts, but maybe my cousin, who lives in Watts, had. She had not, but she said she would ask around. Her neighbor, Clifton (presently in his 70s), witnessed the dog woman of Watts. I asked my cousin if Clifton was open to talking about his sighting and, if so, to call me.

Online resources concerning the dog woman of Watts are scarce. However, I summarized what I could find: In 1961, in Watts, California, a neighborhood located in the southern region of the greater Los Angeles area, the Watts Police Department began receiving phone calls about a frightening creature roaming the streets. The first sightings of the animal occurred around 3 PM, and both sightings and phone calls would continue for the next 3 to 4 hours. Citizens reported seeing a creature with the body of a large dog but with a woman's face. Police initially thought it was a prank call or drug-induced hallucinations. Still, as the calls kept coming in, they began to take it seriously. 

I briefly talked with Clifton, who said he wasn't feeling well. I asked what he could remember. He stated it was summer and on a Friday. He left work early and was walking home when he heard a woman scream. Clifton saw a woman pulling a child through a front gate by his arm. Clifton laughed. He thought the boy "done fucked up" for his mama to be tugging on his arm like that. Clinton continued walking and saw them pointing at something across the street. He said the woman began yelling for her neighbor to come and look.

Clifton looked and saw a huge dog walking towards him on the sidewalk. Clifton remembers it had shaggy dark brown or black fur. The creature had an unnatural side-to-side gait, like it was stumbling. That is when Clifton noticed the dog's "face." He said it looked more like an ape's face than a human's. Either way, it wasn't a dog's.

Clifton expressed how scared he was by this. He quickly crossed the street and was grateful the woman had let him into the yard. Clifton, the woman, and her son watched the creature from behind the gate. Clifton claimed the beast paid them "no mind" as it shuffled by and down the sidewalk. 

The woman and her son were rattled, and Clifton admitted to being pretty spooked. It was Clifton who suggested they call the police.

Before I got off the phone with him, Clifton stated he heard rumors the creature spoke to a man, a notorious pimp, from the neighborhood. The man was later found stabbed to death. Clifton wasn't sure if the rumor was true. He recalls hearing the pimp was found dead before this happened. I thanked Clifton for his time. I might call him later this week and ask how he is feeling and if he remembers anything more about the dog woman of Watts.

In theorizing about the dog woman of Watts, I came up with some postulations. If the rumor Clifton heard is true, the dog woman of Watts spoke to the pimp, which adds an element of the supernatural. However, I will begin with my less metaphysical postulations.

The Wolf Ape. In Fresno County, California, the Watts Valley area (interesting connection) is about 250-ish miles north of Watts of the greater Los Angeles area and home to the "Wolf Ape." The Yokut tribe had stories and artwork featuring a wolf-bodied creature with the face of an ape long before the Europeans came. The Yokut state the creature always appears sick, forever coughing and wheezing. Yokut history marks a dwindling presence of the Wolf-Ape before Europeans arrived. European encounters with Wolf-Apes happened primarily during the California Gold Rush (1848-1855). The beast was sighted as far north as Oregon and south as Arizona.

The dog woman of Watts shares many parallels with Wolf Ape. Clifton recalls that a dog or wolf-like body is an ape's face. The unnatural gait, or stumbling, supports the Yokut claim of Wolf-Ape appearing to be sick. Watts is only 250-ish miles south of Fresno, CA (a 3 or 4-hour drive). Wolf-Ape sightings in both Oregon and Arizona demonstrate this creature can travel. For me, Wolf-Ape is a highly likely candidate for the identity of the dog woman of Watts, but I have a few more postulations.

Human/Animal genetic experimentation. Southern California, for all its dark secrets, one secret is perhaps best summed up as "vile." Southern California has a human trafficking problem. The slums of Los Angeles have long been used by U.S. Government Agencies (C.I.A. in particular) and private corporations in procuring human test subjects for cruel scientific research and experimentation. The C.I.A. run, declassified before a congressional hearing, the MK-Ultra program targeted prostitutes, the homeless, and people with mental disorders (primarily schizophrenia) living or working on Skid Row for sinister mind-control experiments. 

Individuals were kidnapped and regularly administered extreme L.S.D doses while locked in coffin-sized boxes for weeks. These poor souls were psychologically shattered to develop multiple personalities. Each personality would be separately trained in specialized skills and could be brought forth using specific "command words." That is what the C.I.A. would admit too. Imagine what they won't.

MK-Ultra success rates were low. What happened to individuals the C.I.A. considered failed test subjects? Evidence suggests they were sold to private corporations (Dow, Merck, GE, Monsanto, etc.) for further human experimentation. I do not believe it is a stretch to postulate the dog woman of Watts may have been an escaped Human/Animal genetic experiment. Watts, California, was part of the C.I.A. dragnet for human trafficking. 

The surrounding ruinous infrastructure on privately owned land differentiated between discrete work sites or abandoned buildings is complex and problematic to investigate. This makes hiding a secret research facility in plain sight possible. Keeping labs near designated abduction grounds cuts down on transportation issues. Suppose the dog woman of Watts did escape such a facility. It could explain her sudden appearance and subsequent disappearance, as she would have been close and quickly recaptured.

I am currently researching other Los Angeles-centered cryptid sightings. I could soon support an argument that Los Angeles is, or once was, home to a secret genetic testing lab. Similar to Plum Island, which also used U.S. citizens as test subjects.

An avenging spirit, Skinwalker, or similar magic worker (Brujo/Bruja, sorcerer, priest). My last postulation is rooted in the paranormal and given a modicum of possibility should the rumor Clifton heard be true. According to the stories, the dog woman of Watts spoke to a pimp, who was later found dead. In 1961 Watt's was home to a large African American population. 

As such, the religions of Vodou, various forms of Orisha worship, and Palo Mayombe had footholds within the community. I cannot speak to Orisha's worship. However, from the perspective of Vodou and Palo Mayombe, I can say with some authority. Followers of both Vodou and Palo Mayombe often petition spirits to seek retribution on their behalf. In particular, Palo Mayombe priests grant a human's soul the talents of various animals and send the empowered ghost to perform tasks. One such spirit or empowered ghost might have been sent to avenge someone exploited, or worse, by the pimp.

Numerous problems arise with this postulation. The creature appeared physical and was seen by many. Spirits are rarely seen, and generally, it is by one or two people. The spirit is often seen as an "apparition," but not physically tangible and fleeting. The dog woman of Watts seems to have been solid, and her presence sustained for 3 to 4 hours. The dog woman of Watts may have been a skinwalker or similar magic worker. Through sorcerous means assumed the form of a sizeable dog-bodied creature and issued a death curse to the pimp.

While I use the term Skinwalker, I apply it loosely. The Skinwalker or "Yee Naaldoshii" is distinctly Navajo and is an overused and misappropriated term to describe any Native American shapeshifting phenomena. Los Angeles was home to both the Chumash and Tongva natives and a plethora of surrounding tribes. Their descendants still live in Los Angeles. We do not know the context in which each tribe views magic and shapeshifting. The Skinwalkers of Navajo lore are primarily evil. Other tribes might see their brand of Skinwalker as a protector.

While a Navajo Skinwalker might have traveled to Watts to speak to a pimp, I find it more likely the culprit was a Native American magic worker. One with ancestral land ties to Los Angeles meted punishment for someone who could not. 

Concerning the dog woman of Watts, I find the avenging spirits and Skinwalker postulations the least probable. Still, enough parallels exist (only in conjunction with the rumor Clifton heard) that I feel it's possible…however remote.

If Clifton remembers anything more about the dog woman of Watts, I will share it. If you discover any information regarding the dog woman of Watts, I would appreciate hearing from you.

-Kevin Wikse

The Original Post

The Los Angeles Almanac