By Crystal Arbogast

-----It was there by the road, one of those many hollows going back into the hills and mountains. From a distance it looked no more than a wide pathway between the trees. It was called Granny Holler; "holler" being the way mountain folk pronounced hollow.
-----Rosa Lee tightened the grip on her mother's hand every time they passed it on their way to the small grocery on the edge of town. As much as she fought it, she could not help but glance into the shadows that danced between the trees and the darkness beyond. Between the road and the hollow was a large circle area. This provided a place of rest for travelers and one could see the blackened area where numerous campfires had been made.
-----"Rosie, hold on for a minute. I see two pop bottles over yonder."
-----The girl watched as her mother stepped into the circle and pulled the bottles out of the weeds. Money was scarce in what was labeled "The Depression" and the few cents deposit for the bottles meant that Rosa's mom would be getting peppermint sticks on this trip. Even with the thought of candy, she wished that her mother would hurry up so that they could move farther on down the road, farther away from Granny Holler.
-----Rosa had not told her mother that she had heard Poppy talking to his brothers about the place. She had played out in the yard late one evening catching bits of conversation between her father and uncles. The jug that her mother frowned upon had been passed around and the glow of their cigarettes had mingled with the fireflies.
-----"Remember the time old Ned got killed at the sawmill? For three nights folks said that a scream came out of the holler; you know, like a woman screaming."
-----"Ralph Tate says his granpa told him that a bunch of Union Cavalrymen went into the holler lookin' for a way across the mountains into Tennessee. Said their horses came running out a day after they rode in. Nobody ever saw hide nor tail of the men."
As mother and daughter came within sight of Morrison's grocery, Rosa's thoughts brightened at the thought of candy. The screen door creaked as it was opened and the two stepped inside.
-----"Well hello there, you two!" Mrs. Morrison was a heavy lady, with bright red cheeks and a personality that wrapped you up like a quilt, sat you down, and made you feel bad at trying to pull away. "Mary, I'm so glad you came in today because I think I'll be needin some eggs from you in a few weeks. I'll give you cash for them or credit; however you want to do it. How's that husband of yours? Lord, that child is growing! Did you hear about Margie being pregnant again? Oh, listen to me rattle! What do you need today Hon?"
-----Along with the sugar and flour, Mrs. Morrison put a handful of peppermint sticks into a small paper bag and handed them to the little girl. "Here honey, I expect you'll be carrying these."
-----She was now glad that her mother had picked up the pop bottles. Her small hands clasped the bag tightly.
-----"Lord Almighty! I haven't seen any of them folks pass through here for years now!"
Mrs. Morrison went to the window to take a closer look.
-----Three horse drawn wagons were slowly making their way along the road. Brightly colored ribbons hung from the reins and a steady jingle played rhythmically with the sway of the train. As the women watched from the window, Rosa stepped outside and glimpsed the last wagon as it disappeared around the curve in the road.
-----"It's a good thing they're movin on. They steal everything in sight!' Mrs. Morrison shook her head as she moved away from the window and turned her attention to her customer.
With the "tradin" and conversation over, Rosa and her mother started on the road to home.
The smell of the peppermint teased Rosa's nostrils and before she could ask, her mother said, "Let's have one of them peppermints Rosie."
-----Lost in the enjoyment of the candy, the child didn't give a thought of nearing the holler until her mother grabbed her by the shoulder and stopped the walking for both of them. Mother and daughter gazed upon the sight ahead of them. The gypsy wagons had stopped and were set up for camp within the circle in front of the holler. Rosa's mother took her hand and they slowly approached the site. Two men could be seen starting a fire in the middle of the encampment. Both looked up briefly as Rosa and her mother passed by. The region's fear and distrust of gypsies would not, however, prevent Rosa's mother from practicing her Christian ways. She nodded, said "howdy", and picked up the pace.
-----"Your little girl is beautiful." An elderly woman was standing at the back of the third wagon. Her white hair was pulled back in a bun, and her dark eyes reflected the smile on her lips. Startled, Rosa's mother shifted the weight of her groceries and smiled back, murmuring a thank you.
-----"Perhaps she would like a ribbon for her hair?" The old woman reached into the back of the wagon and pulled out a handful of ribbons. Rosa had never seen so many beautiful colors before.
-----"I'm sorry, maam, but I'm afraid I don't have any money left." Rosa's mother nodded toward her groceries.
-----The smile on the old woman's face widened as she held the ribbons up and pulled a bright red one free of the mass. "This is a gift. A beautiful red ribbon for such lovely black hair. May I?" The old woman held the ribbon and gestured to Rosa. Her mother seemed unsure, but managed a smile and said, "I guess it's alright."
-----The gypsy stepped behind Rosa and gently pulled back her hair. She then slid the ribbon against her neck and tied it into a bow. The girl found herself gazing into the hollow.
"Rosie, did you hear me? Thank the nice lady for that pretty ribbon." Rosa's mother seemed impatient to go, so she turned and whispered, "Thank you." The old woman smiled after them as they continued down the road to home.
-----Later on in the evening, Poppy wasted no time in securing his chickens after hearing about the gypsies. And although it had not stopped him before, he made a loud declaration about being unavailable for church on Sunday. He would remain on vigil until the campsite was empty and the wagons were down the road.
-----The night wind blew in with the threat of a storm. As the lightening struck and the thunder crackled across the sky, Rosa wondered what it would be like outside in the weather with nothing but a wagon canvas between you, the darkness, and the Granny Holler. She found herself feeling sorry for the gypsies and the nice old lady. As she admired the ribbon she had pulled from her hair, a knock came to the front door. Poppy rose from his chair and glanced at his wife who stood at the door of the kitchen. "Mary, do we have any more coffee?"
-----As the door opened, a gust of wind and rain blew in from the outside. Rosa's Uncle Delbert stepped in and closed the door behind him.
-----"Hell of a time to be outside, Delbert. You want some coffee?"
Delbert shook off his jacket and hung it by the door along with his hat. "That'll sure taste good right now. I got caught up in this storm while I had the dogs out on a run on the mountain. I'm missing one, though. That new pup….. I reckon the storm spooked him. I thought I heard him as I passed by the Granny Holler, but the weather was so bad, I headed straight for here. I'll go out in the mornin and look for him."
-----"Did you ask the gypsies if they saw him?" Rosa's mother handed Delbert the cup of coffee and looked sideways at her husband.
-----"I never saw any gypsies. What gypsies?"
-----"They made camp at the holler earlier today. Mary and Rosie passed by them on their way back from Morrison's."
-----Delbert sipped his coffee and looked at his brother. "I'm telling you that I didn't see anybody. If they were there, they're gone now. Anyway, maybe I'll see some sign of them tomorrow. I've got to find that no account pup."
-----Sunday afternoons were Rosa's favorite day of the week. The butterflies came in great numbers out of the woods to land gently upon her mother's flowers. As she lay on her back in the grass, mesmerized by the dance of the colorful creatures, she pulled the ribbon from her hair and thought about the one who gave it to her.
-----"I'm telling you, it was the damndest thing!"
Rosa could hear her Uncle Delbert on the porch above. He had spent the entire morning looking for his long lost hound and was now back to tell his brother all about it.
-----"Well, did you find him?"
-----"Yeah, but I'm telling you, I ain't never seen anything as strange as what I found in that holler!"
-----"Granny Holler?"
-----"Yeah. I went out as soon as it got light. I heard him up in the holler. I called out to him and started in. For a while, it seemed as if he was getting farther and farther away. So, I started to run in the direction of his bark. I was running so fast that it was a while before I noticed something."
-----"Noticed what?"
-----"Ribbons! I swear it was like a trail made by somebody! Hangin on the bushes along the way!"
-----"You mean, like hair ribbons?"
-----"Yeah, like hair ribbons!"
-----"Poppy! What about the nice old lady? We can't leave her in the Granny Holler!" Rosa ran to the top of the porch, clutching the ribbon in her hand.
-----Her uncle pointed to the flash of red in her hand. "They looked just like that one!"
-----Rosa's mother had been within earshot of the men's conversation and appeared at the screen door when she heard the excitement in her daughter's voice. "Now Rosie honey, you come on in here and help me in the kitchen. You don't need to be out here, listening to your Daddy and Uncle Delbert."
-----"But Mommy, Uncle Delbert said that there was all kinds of ribbons like mine in the Granny Holler! That nice old lady is probably lost and the holler won't let her out!"
Rosa's mother pulled her daughter into the doorway and glared at the two left on the porch. -----"Honey, you've been listening to scary stories told by grown men who've had too much to…..well, silly stories told by men who are trying to scare each other."
-----"But Mommy, what about the lady that gave me my ribbon?"
-----Rosa was not satisfied with the number of explanations her mother had given her as possible reasons for the ribbons in the holler. She felt in her heart that something wicked was in the holler and that it held the gypsy family there.
-----The days that followed were quiet and subdued. Mary knew that her daughter was consumed with thoughts about the old woman and her family. She also noticed that the conversations between her husband and his brothers had become more reserved, with each of them looking over their shoulders now and then.
-----Weeks later, Mary decided it was time to gather her eggs and make another trip to the grocery. "Come on Rosie. I'll have money for a soda pop this time." So, with the red ribbon in her hair, Rosa and her mother made their way to the main road.
-----They passed the Granny Holler, with the dark shadows and strange whispering sounds that beckoned to Rosa and threatened to reach out and grab her.
-----"Rosie! I said, what kind of pop do you want, honey?" Mary had talked more than she had spit for in an attempt to keep her daughter's attention away from the holler. Mentally, she wondered how people like the storekeeper could spew out sentences as fast as they did. She tried to draw attention to things they had passed many times before, such as the water seeping out between the rocks, the fossils that could been seen in those same rocks, and the way the heat made everything quiver in the distance.
-----With the last curve in the road behind them, both mother and daughter savored the thought of a cold soda from Mrs. Morrison's freezer. The storekeeper was delighted to see the eggs and stepped behind the curtain momentarily to put them in her own kitchen. She returned with the same big smile and with another little girl in tow behind her.
-----"Rosie, this is my granddaughter Brenda. She's staying with me for a while. "Why, look honey, Rosie's got a pretty hair ribbon too!"
-----Brenda stood before them, a bit shy, with curly red hair and a bright green ribbon that threatened to lose the battle at keeping her hair out of her eyes. "And guess what! Go on honey, you tell Rosie where you got your ribbon! What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Oh well, let mamaw tell them. My daughter and son-in-law went to a carnival outside of Church Hill. They live just across the state line in Tennessee. Well, there was this old gypsy woman who was traveling with her sons and she just gave my daughter a ribbon for Brenda's hair. My daughter said she was so nice, not like you'd expect from those people. She said that all of the horses had ribbons everywhere too. Isn't that strange? Well, my lord, those wagons that passed through last month were just like that!"
-----Mother and daughter left the store with a feeling of satisfaction. The cold pop bottle felt good in Rosa's hand. Her mother had a strange smile on her face.
-----The long day wound down and dusk found familiar faces on Poppy's front porch. The news of the gypsies sparked a lively conversation.
-----"Guess them gypsies found that trail to Tennessee."
-----"Wonder if they came across some old white haired soldiers?" The laughter drifted down to Rosa as she lay in the grass, watching the fireflies. "Say, did you hear the one about……….
-----Maybe the Granny Holler wasn't such a scary place after all. Maybe one day she just might step into the circle and look for pop bottles too. Maybe there was no booger man in there.
-----Maybe.