Tom Martin
Stories (25)
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It Doesn't Matter What Star It Is
It was the holiday office party at Heaven, Inc. and of its 112 attendees, David was the only one that was awake. His feet were up on the monitor table as he unscrewed his flask and took a pull. He held the flask out to the room of cots where his coworkers lay connected to wires and different sorts of tubes. “Anyone? Anyone? No? Huh. More for me, fuckos.” He cackled. The gummy gleam of his SECURITY badge winked light across the wall as he swung his arm back.
By Tom Martin5 years ago in Futurism
Waiting
There’s a derelict building I know of. I’m headed there right now. The subway car is jostling and I keep looking at people to see if they’re sneaking glances at me. I’m pretty sure the pregnant woman isn’t following me but the man in the brown coat is starting to return my stares. I look away.
By Tom Martin5 years ago in Criminal
Everyone Here Knows Me
The plane took off and climbed into the sky. Alice Stockwell shifted in her seat. Was everyone looking at her? It felt like everyone was looking at her. Not too much, but every now and then someone would look up at her and smile. She guessed that it was strange to see a kid flying alone, but she wasn’t used to being stared at. It made her uncomfortable. The air was very stuffy in here.
By Tom Martin5 years ago in Futurism
The Great GI Joe Heist
The summer of 1987 continued to yawn over Minnesota. It was a bright and sunny Friday at the Fairmont Family Splash n’ Play. Walk Like An Egyptian was playing over the PA system again. Some grumbled that that song would never go away but then when the post-solo break came up, everyone whistled along. The pool was roiling with splashing, screeching children. Their exhausted parents lay cooking on vinyl deck chairs. A bored lifeguard fought to stay awake in a high wooden chair at the pool’s edge. Behind the dying palm trees and bushes, a crime was being planned.
By Tom Martin5 years ago in Geeks
The Kid In The Werewolf Mask
The kid walked through the doors of the store, and walked with a purpose. She strode in that way children have when they know where they’re going. Arms stiff at her sides, moving at a good clip, head not turning to see the displays as she passed. All business. She arrowed right at the first bank of logo-festooned endcaps and then left again at aisle fifteen.
By Tom Martin5 years ago in Horror
Birds From Her Piano
Hubert Chlebek, ninety-two, puttled his walker happily down the hall of the Shady Pines Rest Home. It was Sunday morning, and that meant french toast. The smells came floating to him, and he imagined the scent as a gently twisting yellow puff of smoke in the air leading right to his nose. It smelled sweet and inviting. It smelled like a good morning to Hubert and he breathed it in happily.
By Tom Martin5 years ago in Humans
Archie's Candy
Daddy pulled into the driveway. Archie turned from the window and sat in the middle of the couch as he did every day. He adjusted his thick glasses that were held around his head with a black elastic band and placed his hands on his legs. He grinned. He was so happy to see Daddy.
By Tom Martin5 years ago in Horror
If I Can
Did you know that there are ways to induce ghost sightings? I read about it in one of the articles I looked up. I know all about it. Strong electromagnetic fields can trigger them, as can a sound frequency of about 18.98 Hz. Ghost hunters say these attract ghosts, while scientists say they may only trigger hallucinations. You can’t believe that. Scientists are pretty terrible people, and liars to boot. They’ll tell you they have all the answers. Oh, they’ll tell you whatever they think you’ll believe, so long as it’s all you believe.
By Tom Martin5 years ago in Horror
The Puppet In The Cage
I sat idling in the car for a few minutes outside the church, staring at it. It didn’t look special. It was a very plain looking church, bright white, average-sized steeple, sitting to the side of a town common. A shitty looking italian eatery lay about fifty yards to my rear. PIZZA, PASTA & SUBS. The place seemed busy, and why not? In a town like this, no one would know what real italian tastes like. This was the sort of town where a Chili’s would elevate the culture considerably.
By Tom Martin5 years ago in Horror
