Tom's Story

Tom stared at his gallimaufry of dried apple people.

Dried apple people, for the uninitiated, are figures created from dried apples. Little bodies are added to them. Clothing is stitched for them, and they are posed in a variety of folksy settings. In more elaborate cases, they are placed in tiny pieces of furniture, like desks and rocking chairs. Tom’s collection spread throughout his living room. A sprawling village of indurate fruit faces gazed at him adoringly. He supposed he was their God.

He had been collecting them since he was 8 years old. He could no longer remember why.

Somewhere along the line, the compulsion to explore flea markets and Sally Annes for specimens took over. It outran the love he had for the pieces themselves. Somehow, the individuality of each person was eclipsed by the individuality his collecting gave to him. His passion for the craft became a need for sheer numbers.

Tom sat at his ancient computer and logged onto the internet. This had become a daily ritual lately. He scanned his browser’s history until he found what he was looking for. Behind him, hundreds of faces peered from end tables and hutches. He called up the site he was looking for, and positioned the monitor so that it could be clearly seen in the doorway.

Ebay.

Tom smiled smugly and put on his jacket. It was time for work. While he was gone, his people could stare at the screen and wonder.

Is today the day? Will it all end soon?

Tom fished his keys from his pocket and walked out the door.

He was a Pathetic God. That was certain.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t also be Frightening.