Shrunk

By Tom Holland

Paulie bought the voodoo doll from the peddler as a goof. Make a wish, he said, any wish and it will come true. Paulie didn't believe him, the doll
was just a way of blowing off steam, so when he wished Tina, his bitch of a wife, would just disappear, he didn't expect anything to happen. And then it began.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tom Holland
• Release date: Jul 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301645077

Tom Holland

Master of Terror - Tom Holland publishes his first eBook short stories via Dead Rabbit Media. Tom Holland’s impressive resume of work has earned him a spot among the best horror creators in Hollywood. From bringing to life the unforgettable Chucky to influencing the undying vampire genre with “Fright Night, Holland is continuing to scare and shock his fans to this day. With his newly formed production company DEAD RABBIT FILMS Holland is writing and directing a new 2013 series for FearNet, entitled “Tom Holland’s Twisted Tales.” Holland began his career at an early age, apprenticing at a local playhouse before entering theatre school at Northwestern University. With a strong desire to act, Holland left college and moved to New York City where he was signed to a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers under the stage name Tom Fielding. Guest starring on numerous shows, he eventually landed in the soap opera world were he had a successful career starring in “Flame in the Wind,” among other shows. In addition, a highlight of his career was playing opposite Anthony Quinn and Ingrid Bergman in the film “A Walk in the Spring Rain.” Holland began studying at the Actors Studio in Hollywood, under the tutelage of Lee Strausberg, but eventually returned to college, attending UCLA where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with his law degree. Upon passing the California State Bar, a screenplay Holland had written was optioned and he again decided to jump feet first back into entertainment. Screenwriting “The Initiation of Sarah” staring Morgan Fairchild and “Class of’84”, Holland continued to write and act, guest starring on TV series like “The Incredible Hulk.” In 1982 Holland’s big break came when he wrote the sequel to Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” for which he received an Edgar Allen Poe Award nomination. Holland’s directorial debut came in 1985 with the vampire horror film “Fright Night,” a classic that was recently remade in 2011 and continues to have a cult-like following today. Holland won a Saturn Award for Best Writing and was nominated for Best Director for "Fright Night." In 1988 he co-scripted and directed the original “Child’s Play,” and again was honored with a Saturn nomination for Best Writing. He then teamed up with horror legend Stephen King and adapted two of his stories “The Langoliers” and “Thinner.” After a brief hiatus, Holland was lured back into the world of horror when he was chosen as one of the featured directors for Showtime’s “Masters of Horror” series. In 2012 he received the The Reaper Award’s LIFETIME ACHIEVMENT AWARD (The Grimmy) presented by Home Media Magazine. Holland and his wife live in Los Angeles and he is the father of actor Josh Holland.

Book preview

SHRUNK

By

Tom Holland

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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Copyright © 2013 by Tom Holland

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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Adult Reading Material

SHRUNK

Tina was at the sink, washing vegetables. It was boring, routine work, like she'd done for, what, the eight years she'd been married to Paulie? Yes, eight stinking years. He worked down at the packing plant, she was part time at the local Piggly-Wiggly, but that wasn't what he'd promised her. Oh, no, she was his princess. He was going to fly her out of their town and to the big city, where he had a buddy who could get him a union job with the bus company. She'd bought into it, anything to get out of where they were. Only it hadn't worked out like that.

The friend turned out to be a drunk, who also indulged in nose candy, so he was out of a job before Paulie left, but he went anyway. She didn't know what happened, maybe they just ended up partying together and feeling sorry for each other, but soon Paulie was back in town with her, and there they stayed.

He got a job in the lumber yard, driving a skip loader and she worked at the drugstore for Mr. Campanelli. Sure, they changed jobs over the years, but what they earned never seemed to go up, so they ended up in this crappy rental house with the flaking paint on the outside, and the running toilet downstairs, with a landlord who never seemed to answer their calls or hear their complaints. If she hadn't been dumb enough to wear new shoes and get blisters on her feet, she'd be working right now, and not making stupid Paulie’s stupid dinner.

Gawd, she hated her life.

A car stopping in front of the detached garage in the back made her look up. There was her hopeless husband, Paulie, getting out of the old, beat-up Ford truck. He'd bought it without a warrantee, and now its muffler scraped whenever he pulled it over the hump into the drive. Paulie started toward the house.

He was tall and thin with dark hair slicked back. He was thirty-nine, but looked older. The sun had burned the lines into his face. It came from working outside, about the only healthy thing he did. She frowned. He had his toolbox under his arm, odd for him, cause he usually left it at work.

She went back to her dishes as opened the door and stepped inside. She glanced down, saw the toolbox was gone. Something happen at work? she asked. You had your toolbox.

Left it outside, he grunted.

Yeah, but why do you have it in the first place? she said. She was putting the bread back in the box. They were going to have tuna melts and frozen fries that night. It was all they could afford.

I got fired, he grunted and headed for the hallway.

What? She said with a start, slamming the door to the bread box with a sharp snap.

You heard me, he said, as he disappeared out the door. She turned after him, almost at a run, appearing in the hallway, yelling after him.

How could you get fired? she shouted, coming after him down the hall. We can hardly make the rent now. We got nothing in the bank, we can't keep gas in the car, we can't even go to Burger King.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking back at her. She was thirty-three, had nice tits, and a sweet curve to her ass, but she was losing whatever attractiveness she had left fast. At least to him. His face flushed. He had the impulse to punch her and fought it, unconsciously balling his fists.

Cause I can't stand that asshole boss, Paulie said, what's-his name, Sagura that jerk.

Who cares what you can't stand? she shot back. We're broke, and I'm only working part time.

So work full time, he said. I'm not stopping you.

He started up the stairs, moving fast. He wanted to escape her hectoring and she knew it. It only made her shout louder after him. You're a failure, Paulie Shaw. A dirty rotten failure who can't do anything. Nothing, not even give me a child.

He stopped in the stairs, whirling on her. "I didn't tell you to stop