Interview: “Saving Unquiet Creek” by Kari Kilgore

When Annie Griffith visits her great-uncle’s mountain home, she discovers that the nearby creek is more than just lively—it’s crying out for help, and someone needs to listen.

Interview Questions

Did a real place or moment inspire part of your story?

There was a big, blocky rock with what looked like a sink on top at my godmother’s house that I was absolutely enchanted by. And living in a rainy, foggy, fern-and-moss-and-creek-filled part of the world is a constant source of inspiration.

Did the story start with the ghost, the water, or something else entirely?

I started out just wanting to write another story with Annie Griffith, the main character! She’s been a side character in several stories, but only had the starring role in a few. She’s just a delight to write with, and I learn more than I expect to about her and her world every time. I swear she conjured the ghost and the water and everything else herself.

Have you ever been somewhere that felt haunted to you?

The clearest experience I’ve ever had was walking in Dartmoor National Park in England. My husband Jason and I both felt a heavy, almost watery pressure in our chests when we passed through one specific small circle of stones where a primitive dwelling had been. The fact that we both felt it before we said anything to each other and remember it so clearly still has me wondering twenty-five years later!

Does water mean something special to you personally, or was it just the right element for this tale?

I’ve been lucky enough to live in rainy, watery places my whole life. Fog, mist, and thunderstorms, snow, lakes, and creeks all feel like home to me. I just don’t think I’d be happy without being able to see and feel that interaction between the sky and the land and my own skin. For example, I’ve loved all my visits to the eerie, stunning landscape of Death Valley National Park, but being there on a cool, overcast day with lots of water on the ground was pure magic.

This story feels deeply rooted in Appalachian land and lore. What inspired the setting and magical ecology of Unquiet Creek?

There’s a real feeling of connection with the land in the mountains, especially in a very remote area like where we live. We have to pay attention, especially in winter, when we can get snowed in for days or sometimes for weeks. And even though most of our older relatives were religious, they also made sure to plant their gardens by the phases of the moon, expected babies to be born by the same celestial clock, and paid attention to the color of a certain wooly caterpillar to predict winter weather. There’s also plenty of talk about herb women a long time ago who took care of folks, and a general awareness of forces beyond our understanding and control. I love adding actual fantasy elements to all the magical reality around us here.

The relationship between Annie and her great-uncle is both tender and powerful. What drew you to explore this family dynamic?

I write a lot of stories about connections across generations, with grandparents and grandchildren and often aunties and uncles. There’s something special about the relationship of a young person with an older adult who’s not their parent, especially if they’re not parents at all, one I was lucky enough to have with my godmother and her sister and brother. I remember how special it was to be the center of attention for adults who weren’t busy with other kids or in that teacher or parent role. I’m a very proud Auntie Moon myself to several kids, and I treasure getting to be that focused, understanding adult in their lives.

The spirit of the creek has a voice in this story—mournful, mysterious, and meaningful. Why did you choose to embody the land this way?

I love mythology and folklore, and Welsh folklore in particular. A story about a spirit that dwelled near creeks and streams, shouting at people to warn them of danger, really stayed with me. I started out expecting something like that, with the creek being loud and startling. But once I saw the setting with all the ferns (something else we have plenty of near home), the tone of the water changed. Between that and both characters missing Aunt Meri so much, Unquiet Creek naturally took on a deeper, richer voice. More about fear of loss than a harsh warning.

Water plays a central role here, both as setting and character. What is your personal connection to rivers and creeks?

I’ve always lived around creeks and ponds and rivers, from my native Appalachian Mountains in Virginia to Kentucky to southern Illinois to Michigan to Oregon to Georgia, as well as plenty of time spent around lakes and oceans. I’ve always been fascinated by the way water can exist in so many different forms, and how waterways can disappear before surging back to life. As an adult, I helped my own uncle publish science books for high school kids about our local Clinch River and Big Sandy River watersheds, and that only increased my respect for waterways. Knowing how vital and fragile they are makes them even more important.

Aunt Meri’s presence bridges life and death in such a gentle, powerful way. How did she come into being?

At first, she served as the reason Annie and others were worried about Uncle David, because of the loss of his beloved. I was pleasantly surprised to realize Aunt Meri was one of Annie’s most important teachers, because Annie’s a teacher herself in other stories. I didn’t expect Aunt Meri to be able to speak to David at all, since he doesn’t have the same kind of magic she and Annie have. I love that it turned out she can communicate with him through the water, in all that lively spray and mist.

What are you working on now—and what’s fun or exciting about it?

Right now I’m working on a collection of time travel stories. I’ve always loved to read and watch those, but I’ve never really written them before. I’m having a great time coming up with different methods for time travel and dealing with the consequences. And I’m tickled because much like Annie, several of the characters have shown up with more than one story to tell. I can’t wait to see how they turn out!

Then I’ll be digging into a historical fiction tale about a woman who knows how to use a comet to her advantage followed by a story about mind pirates. Because the little girl running the writing machine in my head always wants to try something new and different. I’m happy to let her run things and just do my best to keep up.

About the Author

Kari Kilgore finished her first published novel Until Death in Room 217 at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, where a rather famous creepy tale about a hotel sparked into life. That’s just one example of how real world inspiration drives her fiction.

Until Death was on the Bram Stoker Award’s Preliminary Ballot for Superior Achievement in a First Novel in 2016.

Her mystery tale What Breaks a Man was listed under Other Distinguished Stories in the 2021 edition of The Best American Mystery and Suspense.

Her professional short story sales include Fiction River, WMG Publishing’s Holiday Spectaculars, and Sylvia Magazine. Her writing is regularly featured in Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem Magazine and in the Uncollected Anthology.

Kari writes fantasy, mystery, romance, contemporary fiction, science fiction, and everything in between, and she’s happiest when she surprises herself. She lives with her fabulous author husband Jason A. Adams, various house critters, and wildlife they’re better off not knowing more about.

Find out more about Kari at karikilgore.com

Read the Story

“Saving Unquiet Creek” appears in Haunted Waters, available now from Blackbird Publishing.

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