The Haunted Traveler December 2017 Edition

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22 “The girls are here, too,” Mom tried again. “Can you imagine, Abigail has gotten into university.” Granny remained still as a portrait, her face that of a catatonic patient, unmoving and expressionless. She was surrounded by her favorite stuff and photographs that had adorned her flat half a year back, but her apartment still didn’t emanate the pleasant atmosphere of what could be called home. Her family was used to her gloominess – she wasn’t very much talkative during the previous calls either – but she was in by far the worst mood now. Sure, the big, cumbersome shackles chaining one of her legs to her once favorite bed didn’t really help to boost her morale. “How was your last week, Granny?” asked Daddy. Abigail knew why he was interested in this. Her grandfather on the father’s side had been in a poor health for a very long time, and her family was well-off enough to afford a second suite next to Granny’s. Grandpa felt alien from this modern habit, frequently noting that he wanted nothing more than to rest in peace when he died. They had heated arguments over the issue but Abigail perfectly knew they were nowhere near the only family struggling with the burdensome choice between life and death. But the question stirred something inside Granny, putting her out of her silence. Her glassy eyes were that of a dead man gazing into the distance, impenetrable and not the slightest spark of life in them. “When can I see Jacob?” she asked. Mum’s cheek went the color of a whitewashed wall. She glanced at Dad as if in hope of some kind of advice but he was speechless. Silence fell on the whole room since they all knew Grandpa Jacob died thirty years earlier - except for Granny, who didn’t seem to remember. His soul didn’t hold onto the mortal plane, who knows how far it had gotten in its eternal journey. One thing was certain though: bringing him back now was beyond their power. Abigail knew the cruel answer for the question and formed it in her head, perhaps even shaped it with her lips, a short word: never. Granny may have taken notice of her granddaughters’ inaudible whisper because she broke out in a terrible wail. She wanted to escape from the prison of her bed but her shackles didn’t let her farther than a few feet and she ended up sprawled on the floor, screaming into the air. Anne was so much frightened by the unearthly yelling that she too burst into tears. “I think it best if you left Mrs. Rivers alone for the moment, she’s in a precarious state of mind today,” said one of the security guards. Mum and Dad shared a look and nodded in unison, then started for the exit without a backward glimpse. The lights were turned off and the room was enveloped in semidarkness, only a faint glow seeping through the gaps between the thick iron rods from the corridor. Granny kept on weeping miserably, which only worsened Abigail’s headache. Breathing in the stale air convulsively, she tried to calm her sister down, but to no avail. The old visits where they would munch on cakes and cookies were long gone,
only this sorry excuse of a social call remained. After they had dumped the plastic clothing, replaced their belts and pocketed their keys, they were outside once again, Mom and Dad smiling at each other. “It’s so good we’ve got Granny.” “Yes, it’s wonderful.” 23
Page 3 and 4: The Haunted Traveler December2017 E
Page 5 and 6: Table of Contents Highland Fling Ma
Page 7: The Haunted Traveler A Roaming Anth
Page 10 and 11: 8
Page 12 and 13: 10
Page 14 and 15: 12 The Gas Station Jenna Heller “
Page 16 and 17: 14 “It just amazes me that we’r
Page 18 and 19: 16 At the top of the short staircas
Page 20 and 21: 18 up her face and then lowered it
Page 22 and 23: 20 There was a list of prohibited i
Page 26 and 27: 24 THE BONES Stephanie Bucklin “T
Page 28 and 29: 26 “Then?” “Survival.” The
Page 30 and 31: 28 “Lady Mordemag—” Darya sta
Page 32 and 33: 30 could hear Lady Mordemag’s oil
Page 34 and 35: 32 he had to curb his normal method
Page 36 and 37: 34 paused again, listening and wait
Page 38 and 39: 36 complete as it had at the top of
Page 40 and 41: 38 It Is the Ache that Dwells Withi
Page 42 and 43: 40 “Mary? Come on, please open th
Page 44 and 45: 42 Leah Oates A BOLT FROM THE BLUE
Page 46 and 47: 44 there people were always around
Page 48 and 49: 46 before the storm hits. Once you
Page 50 and 51: 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 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
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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
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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