The Haunted Traveler December 2017 Edition

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114 Essentially, her home in Belle Vale had been built on farmers’ fields in the early seventies. The surplus population from the City Centre was shipped out to the new Council housing. The area had improved over the last few years, but still Samantha dubbed the place, with a dose of irony, “the Beautiful Valley.” It was quite a green area and close enough to Woolton for her Mother to claim the postcode. The only negative aspect was that on the far side of the farmers field by the M3, was where Wheathill Prison, a grey concrete detention centre was located. This house was definitely ghost free; Samantha had encountered spiritual activity in her Aunties without a doubt. The falling down building had once been an old people home. The day she helped her Aunt move in her little cousin Stephanie waved at someone at the top of the stairs. “Who are you waving to babe? “Enquired Samantha. “The old woman just there”, Stephanie replied pointing at the stairwell. Samantha now quickly switched her mind onto something else, as the other things that had occurred in that house were not the type she wanted to dwell on, particularly on her own, even though she had Sheba. But like her Grandma Francis used to say, “It’s not the dead, you should be afraid of love, it’s the living.” The dog was a fierce protector and would literally go at anyone unrecognisable who strolled up the path. Samantha chuckled to herself, remembering the Mormons (not to be mistaken with Tove Jansson’s Moomins, as she often did). They had come to tell the family about the good word of the saviour. The two young Americans, all sharp suited and Californian smiles attempted to make their way into the garden. Sheba bounded down the pathway, leaping on to the gate. A few more seconds and the two chaps would have been savagely attacked by Sheba’s loyal chops. It was amazing how although they were petrified, they still retained a nervous grin, dazzlingly white and their side parted waxed crew cut hair remained perfectly intact. There was a small sign on the gate, “Beware of the Dog”, but the rain and the elements had practically worn it away. Samantha took a duvet and some cushions from her bedroom and made camp on the chesterfield couch. She opted for a more suspenseful Hitchcock, “Rope”; Psycho was not to be watched alone, even if she had finished in the bathroom for the evening. She watched the film in fragments drifting in and out of sleep. The credits played and she stumbled to the DVD player. She heard the dodgy floorboard on the landing upstairs make a noise, the noise it only made when someone was walking around. She crept to the bottom of the stairs; Sheba lay asleep in her basket, not stirring, how ridiculous she thought, your mind is playing tricks on you. She waited to try and hear for any other sounds. The telephone barked out an incessant shrill. Nobody ever used the landline anymore. It was an old fashioned form of communication. Samantha jumped and Sheba instantly looked at the phone. “Hello,” Samantha answered.
A silence on the line that seemed to last forever. “Hello”, she repeated. “Sammy its me.” her Sister spoke with an agitated voice. “Sorry, Charlie James has had sugar and e numbers from something he ate; he is like a whirling dervish.” “Hi,” said Samantha. “Look sorry I know it’s after ten and I know you are old enough for me to not check on you, but I promised Mum and Dad I’d call. Is everything okay? “Yes, apart from the …………….orgy………….. sorry just chilling, watching a movie.” “I know ignore your voicemail and the texts.” “Sorry I must have fallen asleep.” “Is anyone with you, boyfriend? One of your mates?” “No, I am all…” “I don’t care…I won’t tell Mum and Dad, I just don’t appreciate being kept in the dar…” “Nobody is here. I’d tell you, I’ve had dinner and it’s just me and the dog. All my mates have gone to town, like I’d want them to know I had a free house, they’d turn it into Sodom and Gomorrah.” “Oh, town and a nightclub….sounds divine! Can I come please? I never signed up for all this ….baby puke, nappies and a hyper active little bleeder who has a permanent residence on the naughty step.” “Listen you are not missing out on town, after ten o’clock, think a zombie movie with fat men in tight jeans and orange girls with way too much make up on stumbling on heels.” “Yes, but you’d be too blindingly drunk, to care, anyway, why did you hang up about an hour ago?” “What do you mean?” “I rung, the phone was picked up for a few seconds and then it hung up.” “I never answered the phone.” “Oh, whatever, it doesn’t matter, who uses the landline now anyway, it’s probably a fault on the line. I think the last time it was used was when I went into labour eighteen months ago. I mean, I only used it because I’d exhausted the mobile, disgracebook and snapchat, haha, right I am going to have to go and give this little fella some calpol jelly, I am exhausted, I will see you tomorrow, bye, bye, bye.” Samantha littered her space with scented candles. Her room was crammed full of books. There was no order to her eclectic range of literature, copious volumes of horror and crime books, alongside classics and her collection of art catalogues and exhibition programmes. In the corner was her reading chair. To look at the spindly antiquated rocking chair, it looked exceptionally rigid, but it was surprisingly comfortable. 115
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The Haunted Traveler December2017 E
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Table of Contents Highland Fling Ma
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The Haunted Traveler A Roaming Anth
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8
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10
Page 14 and 15:
12 The Gas Station Jenna Heller “
Page 16 and 17:
14 “It just amazes me that we’r
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16 At the top of the short staircas
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18 up her face and then lowered it
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20 There was a list of prohibited i
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22 “The girls are here, too,” M
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24 THE BONES Stephanie Bucklin “T
Page 28 and 29:
26 “Then?” “Survival.” The
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28 “Lady Mordemag—” Darya sta
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30 could hear Lady Mordemag’s oil
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32 he had to curb his normal method
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34 paused again, listening and wait
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36 complete as it had at the top of
Page 40 and 41:
38 It Is the Ache that Dwells Withi
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40 “Mary? Come on, please open th
Page 44 and 45:
42 Leah Oates A BOLT FROM THE BLUE
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44 there people were always around
Page 48 and 49:
46 before the storm hits. Once you
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48 “Car spell nargelette,” Ben
Page 52 and 53:
50 It’s poison, the witch said. B
Page 54 and 55:
52 “Sir, if you don’t come peac
Page 56 and 57:
54 was all he had seen on the day
Page 58 and 59:
56 “So…Ax, is it?” Scott aske
Page 60 and 61:
58 you came all the way from out of
Page 62 and 63:
60 of thought; a bright flash, foll
Page 64 and 65:
62 It took a few minutes of brisk w
Page 66 and 67: 64 games.” James punched the wall
Page 68 and 69: 66 conjured of kicking it in the fa
Page 70 and 71: 68 mom, but she wouldn’t answer.
Page 72 and 73: 70 with a dull thump-thump-thump. J
Page 74 and 75: 72 Jim Zola The Blind Piano Player
Page 76 and 77: 74 Jim Zola
Page 78 and 79: 76 across their fur and between the
Page 80 and 81: 78 Cadie’s Missing Mike Oberly Th
Page 82 and 83: 80 “Rascal is as rascal is,” th
Page 84 and 85: 82 The Flood Anna Kaye-Rogers The r
Page 86 and 87: 84 the girls. “She’s your dog,
Page 88 and 89: 86 Rainy days are the worst. As she
Page 90 and 91: 88 Jubydream turtle: falls in love,
Page 92 and 93: 90 The Moon Alexandria Cope Margare
Page 94 and 95: 92 early. She packed her things in
Page 96 and 97: 94 some ninja turtle action. Noah s
Page 98 and 99: 96 That’s why even though she was
Page 100 and 101: 98 Belinda slipped off the wet coat
Page 102 and 103: 100 “I liked Pretty Pretty Prince
Page 104 and 105: 102 The black-eyed doll approached
Page 106 and 107: 104 STALKED ON A WINTER’S NIGHT B
Page 108 and 109: 106 is, the playground is dangerous
Page 110 and 111: 108 exposed and the floors were lin
Page 112 and 113: 110 Jason and his fling heard the d
Page 114 and 115: 112 was divided into fifteen minute
Page 118 and 119: 116 Samantha had inherited the chai
Page 120 and 121: 118 For Death’s Amusement Rollin
Page 122 and 123: 120 wore white gloves on its enormo
Page 124 and 125: 122 process of extracting another f
Page 126 and 127: 124 Running Amber Cook They were fo
Page 128 and 129: 126 Witchery Kerry E.B. Black Tia i
Page 130 and 131: 128 Scream Megan Whiting It was a s
Page 132 and 133: 130 terrifying ease, then vanished
Page 134 and 135: 132 Send that thought packing, too.
Page 136 and 137: 134 Tyler switched on the radio. An
Page 138 and 139: 136 veins. Then it stopped. She was
Page 140 and 141: 138 “She showed up at that church
Page 142 and 143: 140 Bear Trap Feivel Wolff He saw t
Page 144 and 145: 142 “I made you dinner, did I not
Page 146 and 147: 144 the windshield. A bit longer an
Page 148 and 149: 146 Now he could make out the tune.
Page 150 and 151: 148 “Tell your momma! Tell her I
Page 152 and 153: 150 Black Swan On the Water Side Co
Page 154 and 155: 152 They looked like Latinas, but I
Page 156 and 157: 154 BROTHERLY LOVE Diane Arrelle Na
Page 158 and 159: 156 Terror carrying her beyond hyst
Page 160 and 161: 158 wonder you’re imagining thing
Page 162 and 163: 160 Listening Neal Steichen Oh, Chr
Page 164 and 165: 162 I drop the mostly empty glass o
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164 Brenda, I swear to God, one of
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166 Brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrrrr… Yup. M
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168 or two of dust, out of the door
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170 Biographies T. Thomas Abernathy
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172 Brett Grinnell lives and works
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174 Real Art Ways, Tomasulo Gallery
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