2 years ago I bought a small white koi that we named "Amelia" because
it looked like a small airplane and she went AWOL for 5 days. Amelia
died of dropsy last winter/early spring. June 13th I bought a $25
platnium koi - butterfly (I think). "She didn't even circle the 2300
gal. pond before disappearing into the "bat cave." One glimpse at
midnight the next night was the last I was sure I saw her (briefly).
July 27th I bought a $45 replacement... no other pure whites
available. Called the husband to "see" the fish before I released it.
The 2 of us and a neighbor watched the new fish flutter around for
about 20 min. and then we went inside. Later we visited to pond to see
the new fish and it was gone. While we watched, the new fish
reappeared, disappeared, and reappeared and was briefly joined by
(GASP) what appeared to be a portion of another white fish, presumably
the "lost" fish that I have NEVER fed for the last 1-1/2 months since
I bought it! Had I been alone I would have surely 2nd guessed the
possibility. 2 of us now entertain the idea of group hallucination. We
think the new fish flushed out the reclusive fish temporarily. How can
this fish (in not that large of pond), without companionship, limited
filtered light (pond is in shade), exist in the outer nooks & crannies
of the limited space between liner and the outer side of the inner
rock wall? I don't have a lot of other fish or plants. Hubby is NOT
interested in rebuilding that part of the wall. I'm concerned the fish
won't have enough depth for winter. Although I doubt I'll ever see it
again, I wonder if it'll have sense enough to come out when it gets
too big for the limited space it is in. Tell me I'm not crazy.

Anyone else got a similar fish tale or is it just white koi in
general?

Spooked in VA