“Grady,” she said. “I have asked you over and over not to track mud into the kitchen. Look at the floor!”
There was no doubt that she was right about the mud all over the floor, but she was wrong to blame her husband. He said he didn’t do it. As the days passed, it became an unpleasant issue between them.
One day, Grady examined the mud tracks closely and noticed that it looked as though a high-heeled shoe had carried the mud inside and then smeared it. He thought of Jessica’s last threat.
That’s impossible! There must be another explanation! he thought.
At the same time the mud made its appearance at Grady and Stella’s house, reports started coming in from people who said they heard a woman screaming at the drop-off. A few swore that they saw the ghost of Jessica walking that section of road.
“That’s nonsense,” Grady said to Stella. “Things like that don’t happen.”
Stella became frightened. She now found the smeared mud all over the kitchen floor when Grady was not home. If Grady didn’t bring it in, then who did? She became suspicious about Jessica’s death. What if it hadn’t been an accident? What if Grady had pushed her? If she failed to please him, thought Stella, would he do the same to her?
Finally, one day Stella waited until Grady was away from the house, then packed a bag and went home to her parents. She left a note for her husband saying she would not be back.
When Grady came home that day, he could not accept the contents of the note. He had to bring Stella back. He saddled his horse and rode down the road toward her parents’ house to try to persuade her to come back to him.
He wasn’t thinking about the road or the section with the drop-off that he was approaching. He was intent on getting Stella back.
Suddenly, a shrill scream filled the air. Directly in front of him stood the ghost of Jessica! At the same time, Grady’s horse reared and sent him flying through the air—right over the drop-off.
Another scream filled the air, but this time it was Grady’s.
Jessica’s revenge did not bring peace to the spirits of the restless twosome. Still at night, travelers hear the screams of a man and a woman at the drop-off. People who bought the house that Grady had owned complained of sometimes seeing mud on the kitchen floor and hearing the soft laugh of an unseen woman whispering, “Vengeance!”
Conclusion
Whether you are a believer in ghosts or not, we hope you enjoyed these stories as much as we enjoyed putting this collection together for you.
As you have seen, ghost stories are not just for Halloween. There are ghost stories for all year round. Storytelling is one of Kentucky’s greatest traditions.
When you are thinking of gifts for holidays, remember that a printed book or an e-book would be nice. But a magical gift your loved ones will never forget is actually hearing a story!
Acknowledgments
The summer of 2014 was a sad one for us. Two of our dearest friends died in quick succession. We dedicate this book to Dwayne VanderEspt and Jerry Anderson in loving memory. They live on the other side now, but they also still live here in our hearts forever.
Dwayne died suddenly on June 24, 2014, at the age of sixty-four. We first got to know Dwayne several years ago as our computer technician, but he soon became a treasured friend. We acknowledged him in our earlier books because he gave us so much support in getting them ready for publication and in promoting them after publication. Besides making sure our computer was all right, he often checked to see if we were all right, too.
Dwayne loved the Beatles, guitars, music, people in general, and his family. He was dedicated to his work with computers, but most of all, he loved being a loving husband, father, son of Louise, grandfather, and friend.
Thank you, Dwayne, for giving us so much care and support, and thanks to the entire VanderEspt family for giving us the same, even in their time of sorrow. We feel certain Dwayne will be around for consultations from the other side.
Jerry died unexpectedly on July 11, 2014, at the age of seventy-five. The three of us grew up together in Russell Springs, Kentucky, and remained best friends through the years, regardless of where we went. The songs and stories about “all for one and one for all” described us perfectly. We considered ourselves as family and thought of Jerry’s children as our nieces and nephews.
We were always so proud of Jerry’s accomplishments. He served in the U.S. Air Force on special assignment in Okinawa, Japan. He made his home in Madison, Wisconsin, where he joined the City of Madison Fire Department in 1964. In 1986, he started the City of Madison Arson Squad, which he led until his retirement in 1996.
He loved fishing, bowling, golfing, hunting, and being with his family and friends. He always encouraged us in our writing. Thank you, Jerry, for all our precious times together, and thanks to the Anderson family for their love and support even in their own time of loss. You know, Jerry, that even death cannot keep us from being best friends forever. We know you are with us always.
Dwayne and Jerry, how blessed we were to have you in our lives!
Books are made by more than the words of the authors. We have so many people to thank for helping us in our work that their names would make a book in themselves. Space limits us, but we do want to acknowledge those who have played major roles.
Thanks to Ashley Runyon, acquisitions editor at the University Press of Kentucky, who looked at the manuscript first and then passed it on to the right people. A special thanks to our copyeditor, Donna Bouvier, who always knows how things should be done. We appreciate all the suggestions.
Thanks to Robert W. Parker (Mr. Ghost Walker of Down-town Louisville Ghost Tours) and Thomas Freese (master storyteller and craftsman) who read the manuscript and gave us valuable insight and feedback. Both are authors of many books and were willing to give us expert advice.
Thanks to David VanderEspt, Dwayne’s brother, who came to our rescue when we needed help with our computer. We appreciate your expert help more than we can say.
Thanks to Sharon Brown, who took us to many haunted locations to gather information and meet some ghosts.
Thanks to artist Jill Baker and poet Lee Pennington for their contributions; and to Salvador Doggie, who supervised us all.
Thanks to authors Irene Black and Nash Ford for guiding us to some ghostly locations in Russell County that we had not visited before.
Thanks to Pattie Filley, Lewis Brown, Carol Ferguson, and all the people in the past and present who told us stories that we have passed on to you.
Thanks to the board, the staff, and the editors of the University Press of Kentucky who helped this book come to life. We are forever grateful for your faith in our work.
And a special thanks to all of you who buy our books or come to hear us when we tell our stories!
About the Authors
Roberta Simpson Brown and Lonnie E. Brown were born in Russell Springs, Kentucky, near Lake Cumberland; they now live in Louisville. Their families were friends for generations, so Lonnie and Roberta share a common background of storytelling that flourished in rural south central Kentucky. Married since 1977, they enjoy reading, traveling, and learning about the paranormal. Lonnie is an accomplished golfer and musician. Roberta is a retired teacher who now works as a professional storyteller. Roberta and Lonnie coauthored Spooky, Kooky Poems for Kids. Lonnie is the author of Stories You Won’t Believe. Roberta is the author of The Walking Trees and Other Scary Stories, Queen of the Cold-Blooded Tales, Scared in School, and Lamplight Tales and the coauthor of Strains of Music with her sister, the late Fatima Atchley.
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