The Haunted Traveler December 2017 Edition

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126 Witchery Kerry E.B. Black Tia ignored her confining new accessories and threw back her head to enjoy the breeze. Its caress carried memories of her childhood, with aunts teasing her curls into fashionable braids or teaching her dance and cooking. Their remembered laughter drowned out the jeers of the assembled below her now. Her pulse quickened, and she tapped her feet on the platform, itching to join her wild-haired aunts in a whirl under a star-filled sky. A bonfire cast the crowd into flickering shadows, transforming the good folk into nightmarish caricatures. I wonder if they see each other for their fiendishness, or do they transfer it all on me? Meat juices crackled as they dripped into the flames. Children clasped foilwrapped, roasted apples, sucking cinnamon-sweet bits from sticky fingers. A hurdygurdy performance contributed to the air of a festival. She whispered into the night, “If this be my stage, I stride it a queen.” A blow from behind blinded her. She lurched until the rough necklace choked. “Quiet, Witch. No more incantations from you.” She recognized the barrister’s voice and understood the emotion behind the threat. She had crafted what the barrister’s wife sought when she found herself saddled with an unwanted pregnancy. Herbs mixed with vinegar to make the womb reject. The barrister took umbrage and pointed an accusatory finger. None of the good folk who had previously sought her assistance came to Tia’s aid. They huddled beneath anonymity, cowards fearful of guilt by association, or they transformed their experiences into evidence for the prosecution. “She bewitched me into drinking the slimming potion. I never sought her help. Why yes, I do look good
now, don’t I?” “In my dreams she told me if I didn’t pay her to minister to my cattle, they’d stop giving milk. Indeed, they were dry, so I did as the dream witch instructed.” Tia conjured images to keep her sanity when the world coalesced into a hemp hanging rope and hungry flame. With an incantation muttered under her breath, Tia summoned her mother’s smiling face. Mother fell to this threat, met this end, when she helped them, too. I should have learned that lesson instead of herb lore and medicine. Her body ached from the tortures. Dried blood scabbed over pinpricks. Private refuges plundered with indelicate instruments. “Confess,” they yelled. She remained impassive, numbed and muted by their betrayal. The wind’s sighs drowned the swelling screams at her feet. With a crash, the trapdoor slammed beneath Tia’s feet. The rope tightened, choked. Their angry faces blurred in a swirl of muddied tears until their leering ended. 127
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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
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66 conjured of kicking it in the fa
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68 mom, but she wouldn’t answer.
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70 with a dull thump-thump-thump. J
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72 Jim Zola The Blind Piano Player
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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 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 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
Page 168 and 169: 166 Brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrrrr… Yup. M
Page 170 and 171: 168 or two of dust, out of the door
Page 172 and 173: 170 Biographies T. Thomas Abernathy
Page 174 and 175: 172 Brett Grinnell lives and works
Page 176 and 177: 174 Real Art Ways, Tomasulo Gallery
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The Haunted Traveler December 2017 Edition

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