The Haunted Traveler December 2017 Edition

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116 Samantha had inherited the chair from her Great Grandmother. Family members who never visited during Carries lifetime, all congregated like Vultures around her corpse, wrestling over antique coins and jewellery. Nobody wanted the battered antique, though. Samantha had rejuvenated the chair with a simple wash of varnish. It still retained the damage to the right side of the head. Her Grandmothers anarchic Parrot, “Captain”, had gnawed away at it. She sat in the chair slowly rocking as she started to read “The Summer book” by Tove Janson, one of her favourite authors. The light flickered and she looked at the shade. There was a hole just adjacent to where the light wire hung. She’d forgotten about this hole to the loft. Her Dad was not exactly the most thorough of D.I.Y enthusiasts. The house was full of tokens of his handiwork. If you turned the stair light on the kitchen lights went off. Samantha switched on the radio and listened to the classical channel, she cocooned herself into the book. The hourly radio news update came on, more unrest in the Middle East, another sex scandal, and then an excerpt gripped her attention. A sex offender had escaped earlier in the day from Wheat hill Prison. Locals are instructed to remain vigilant. Whilst there is nothing to fear, for the offender is believed to have stowed away on a HGV truck at the motorway. An accident earlier brought the motorway to a standstill. It is believed that this gave the escapee the opportunity to enter one of the vehicles. Inspections are currently underway. Any suspicious individuals sited or activity must be reported immediately. Local authorities believe an assailant may have assisted in the convicts escape. Samantha switched the radio off and went downstairs to make a milky drink. She double checked the burglar alarm was set and the doors and windows were all locked. She took a handful of chew sticks out of a cupboard and led Sheba upstairs. The dog took her customary position underneath the bed, her head just outside of the frame. Samantha arranged a barricade of pillows, put her drink on the window ledge next to her bed and nestled into the covers, continuing to read her book. She dropped her arm down to the side of the bed and gave Sheba’s head a stroke. Sheba gave a contented whine. The house was exceptionally hot now so she dived out of the bed, popped the thermostat off and hung her silk gown up in the wardrobe. Samantha slipped into the depths of sleep and began to dream. She was sitting in her rocking chair, it rocked haphazardly. A sign above her head read in neon lights, “The gateway to the land of clowns.” A scratching sound grew to a loud crescendo, tearing at her very ear lobes. The bedroom light switched on and off rapidly. She looked at the lampshade and looked at the small hole in the ceiling adjacent to it. A piercing blue bloodshot eye stared down at her from the dark loft. She heard an unhuman voice whisper, “Wicked thoughts set their mark on the face especially the eyes.” Samantha awoke and was soaked in sweat. She felt damp on her pillow, drooling in her sleep, a family flaw. Not one of her most attractive features. She dropped her hand down to the side of the bed and stroked Sheba’s head. The dog sensing her upset licked
117 her hard. She lay completely still and tried to drift off once again and before too long, she fell into a black hole of deep sleep. Samantha half remembered during the evening dropping her hand to the side and stroking Sheba’s head. The dog was such a comfort. When Samantha awoke, it was like she’d had no sleep whatsoever. As she stepped on the cold floorboards of her bedroom, the morning chill nibbled at her toes. She looked on the bed for her dressing gown and then remembered hanging it in the wardrobe; a strange feeling shuddered through her body. She opened the pine doors and was totally gobsmacked…..Sheba hung through a wooden coat hanger, with a bloody stump where the head once was. Blood had seeped through the dresses into a dark puddle. She turned hesitantly, to look under the bed.
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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
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12 The Gas Station Jenna Heller “
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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
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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
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38 It Is the Ache that Dwells Withi
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40 “Mary? Come on, please open th
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42 Leah Oates A BOLT FROM THE BLUE
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44 there people were always around
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46 before the storm hits. Once you
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48 “Car spell nargelette,” Ben
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50 It’s poison, the witch said. B
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52 “Sir, if you don’t come peac
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54 was all he had seen on the day
Page 58 and 59:
56 “So…Ax, is it?” Scott aske
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58 you came all the way from out of
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60 of thought; a bright flash, foll
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62 It took a few minutes of brisk w
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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 116 and 117: 114 Essentially, her home in Belle
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
Page 166 and 167: 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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The Haunted Traveler December 2017 Edition

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