I was nine years old and lived in a hollow called Open Fork in the state of Kentucky. It was the autumn of the year, and the leaves had already fallen. I had been staying with my sister and brother-in-law for quite some time, running the daily errands for them.
One day my sister asked me and my girlfriend, Lilly, to go get some apples for her at the apple orchard about two miles away – a long trip, especially riding double bareback on an old mule.
It seemed like it took us all day to reach there, but we got the apples and headed back home. As we were riding along past a coal bank, all of a sudden the mule reared back and bucked me off into the creek. And it wouldn’t move another inch. Somehow, the mule was spooked by something or someone.
We kicked and stomped and hit and pulled on the mule. We even cussed the mule, but still it would not move. After about 20 minutes of aggravation, it got up and we were finally on our way.
It was getting late, and so I asked my girlfriend to spend the night with me. Lilly agreed, and we started down the path. As we looked around in the direction of the creek, there we both saw a figure which looked like a woman with a gown and apron on. But surprisingly, she had no head.
Our hearts were in our throats, and I began to cry. I told my friend to walk in the other direction, and maybe the headless figure would go away, but it followed us down the creek, so we turned around went the other way. And sure enough, the thing followed us again.
I thought to myself: Oh Lord, help me. Any minute, this thing is gonna get us!
I looked at Lilly and I told her we cursed that mule and treated it mean, and that’s why this monster was following us. She started crying. I told her we had to promise never to cuss or hurt that mule again or any other animals.
And when we promised that together, the headless woman rose up out of the creek and it looked like she was walking on a beautiful shiny floor – then she disappeared into the fog.
When I calmed down from all this excitement, I got the nerve up to get back on that old mule and ride as fast as I could home. I never will forget the frightening experience as long as I live. And I learned never to treat another animal mean again.
