The Haunted Traveler Vol. 1 Issue 1

21
ity. But evidence of the green eyed monster was recognizably
there. Having published little in academic journals and nothing
in the way of fiction or poetry, she was extremely jealous
of those who had, which was why I fell out of her favor. Not
that I was ever in it. But as the years passed and my work appeared
more frequently, her disdain grew until she could no
longer accept me as a member of her department. I was not
sufficiently academic. I did not have the required union card.
But unknown to her, I recently discovered we had something
in common–a dead sibling, mine, a sister, Gail by name.
Hers, a brother named Joshua. Both died at the same age, forty-two;
and from the same disease, Multiple myeloma. Gail
died in nineteen sixty-five. Her brother about ten years ago.
Yet our occult experiences were very similar.
All of this came to me in the higgledy-piggledy construct of
a dream about my sister. I seldom dream about my sister or,
if I do, I do not remember the dream. But this one occurred a
few days ago just before waking. In the dream, Gail pointed
to another woman and told me to do something about her.
“Use it,” were the only words I heard. “Use it,” she repeated.
Then, just yesterday, another colleague told me about Annette’s
brother. She was as close to him as I was to my sister.
Now, all I had to do was to explain my occult experience and let
her imagination play with it.
After the brief interval of silence, Bruce pressed me for
an answer, as I was sure he would. So, happily, I gave him
what he wanted . . . “Many years ago,” I began, “I went island
hopping in the Caribbean. My sons were very young at
the time: ten and six. Because I was freelancing, any vacation
was a working vacation. I’d write from nine in the morning
to noon. The remained of the afternoon was given over to
sightseeing or just relaxing, as much as a freelancer can ever
relax.”
“Come on, cut to the chase,” Paul said impatiently.
He was right. Less is always more effective than more. It
allows the listener or reader to be creative.