The Haunted Traveler December 2017 Edition

111
Stroke
John Maguire
The house was notably different when Samantha walked through the door. A complete
change in atmosphere. There was normally always somebody inhabiting this home,
particularly around 5pm and on a Friday afternoon.
The flat screen television that dominated the living room, looked out of place, as for
the first time Samantha could remember, it was actually switched off.
She walked through the dining room to the kitchen and flicked the kettle on, to make
an instant mixed cappuccino. After trying to distract, with a few menial tasks, the silence
was just too much, she gave in and the T.V became alive. The news boomed out, the
usual symphony of doom and gossip,
“CELEBRITY SUPER SLUT PEBBLES’ HIGHWAY SEX VIDEO TAPE HAS
GONE VIRAL AND SENT HER POPULARITY SOARING.”
It’s just background noise, thought Samantha.
A hot bath and a movie was the itinerary for the evening. Realistically, she knew
revision was a necessity but that could wait until the morning, when she was more alert.
The importance of getting the right amount of points to get into medical school
had been her “get out clause” for going away to York, for the weekend with her family.
The prospect of spending four days with her dad’s parents was far from appealing.
A Household were Breakfast was a fag and a cup of tea with the tea bag left in. Her
parents were hesitant leaving her, being a teenage girl, but her sister lived, literally around
the corner. In secret her parents did hope she may have a few friends over with a cheap
bottle of vodka. They thought she did over study. Her entire week and daily schedule