E.L. Martin
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Powered by Nature, Humanity, Humor, Food, Lifestyle, Fiction, and Culture; Oh, and a questionable amount of coffee.
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Stories (67)
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Goliath And His Rage
I will never forget that summer. The air was pungent, stagnant, as if you would never escape the odor no matter how far you ran. The putrid stench coming from the mental health facility at which I interned seemed to follow me to my client home visits and haunt my dreams at night. I was initially reluctant to visit clients at home, but that was a necessary part of my job description. No home visits equaled no pay. I suppose our agency was at least generous enough to pay me additional mileage, and fortunately I was paid more than the Behavioral Health Aids who took far more risks. I was under the tutelage of my superior, Dave Staunton who was rather unforgettable.
By E.L. Martin4 years ago in Fiction
Miss Marigold
Marjorie looked at the gorgeous golden-orange flower. She felt fearful, anxious, dismal, and dull. Her nerves had been numb for some time. She repressed the urge to burst into tears. How could something so bright and beautiful dare to exist? It was as if the flower was poking out of the ground merely to mock her existence. Where had she gone wrong in her life? What had she done that she could not be this meticulously detailed, vibrant flower, but instead the shell of a human being who was once alive? When did she become a mere cog in the machine?
By E.L. Martin5 years ago in Humans
The Quiet Ones
They say my dad never seemed to get angry. The years I spent with him; I never once saw him lash out. It didn't matter if I failed a test in school. It didn't matter how many fights I got in. All he would say to me is, "Johnny, you've got to control your temper. Find an outlet and pursue it."
By E.L. Martin5 years ago in Humans
"The Devil's Food"
"That is the devil's food," Mother stated, sneering at a young woman outside of a local coffee shop. I looked at the young woman's plate with envy. I know envy a sin, but at least her mother never deprived her of one of the most supposedly delicious foods in every normal family's culture. A frothed latte sat next to her plate with a slice of chocolate cake. The layered, iced decadence tempted my eyes and made my mouth water despite having no idea what it might taste like. The icing appeared light and fluffy, and appeared to be filled with the devil's own ingredient, cocoa. A coffee or latte was never to touch my lips, but even more adamantly a piece of chocolate cake was never acceptable either. Back in the 1900s the chocolate creation of devil's food cake came into being, and my family had been depriving their children of it ever since. It sounds crazy, and it is. Despite this, I've come to realize many religious families buy into multitudes of delusions.
By E.L. Martin5 years ago in Humans
The Barns That Built Me
It was a simple life and humble beginning in Appalachia. My father built an old barn way out in the countryside. The barn itself appeared little more than a shack. We lived in a trailer with clean well water. The power went out frequently due to falling trees and weather. I remember making a trip to purchase a generator in a terrible snowstorm because we had no way to run the well pump, and had ran out of the water we saved. The cows, pigs, and horses were always fed, the hay was baled each year, and additions were added onto the barn as income became available.
By E.L. Martin5 years ago in Humans
Humanity's Extinction
I remember when the world government announced the extermination of humanity within 24 hours. The cause wasn't a meteorite, an extra-terrestrial invasion, or a world-wide nuclear frenzy between countries. It was a conscious decision made by the world government for population control and "the good of the planet." A bioweapon had been engineered to directly obliterate mankind on an atomic level. No corpses or disease would remain from its victims. Their bodies would vanish, and the murder would be as clean as if they never existed in the first place.
By E.L. Martin5 years ago in Fiction
The Chest's Contents
A foreboding noise came from the locked chest. Though ominous, it made a familiar, comforting sound like a long-lost timepiece. Such ancient technology shouldn't be running at present, right? Very few things were running at all anymore, after all. Yet the chest pounded once more, "tick tock, click clock." The owner recalled a fable she heard as a young child, the story of Pandora's box. She remembered the woman who unleashed the demons into the world. She often wondered if that was her ancestor. Old sayings like, "curiosity killed the cat" were found in what was left of old literature books she noticed scattered in crumbles of buildings. She often wondered if those were true literary novels or the crumpled remnants of a note one wrote to their child or partner in hopes of keeping something secret.
By E.L. Martin5 years ago in Fiction
Alternative Baking: Vegan AND Soy-Free
In the blue corner we have our reigning champion, SOY! In the red corner, is me, the fighter always on alert and ready to battle against my arch nemesis soy intolerance. It is the lone ingredient standing between myself and veganism, and I'm sure I'm not the only one stuck in this constant battle. Soy is a major ingredient in most vegetable oils, dairy-free milks, vegan butters, and as a valuable protein ingredient in the vegan diet. This can complicate enjoying wholesome sweet treats and baked goods for those of us with intolerances tremendously. After all, there are only so many frozen berry pops and fruit salads one can eat and still enjoy. Occasionally, you crave a slice of banana bread or pastry. When most of the major products you find on your shelf all contain an ingredient your body can't tolerate or alternatively animal by-products, what can you do?
By E.L. Martin5 years ago in Feast
Confessions of An Emo Kid. Top Story - May 2021.
"I'm outside of your window, with my radio!" I sang, blasting Hawthorne Heights's song "Niki FM". After the song finished, I skipped my CD player to track eight, "Ohio Is For Lovers", of their album The Silence in Black and White. I had an hour and fifteen minute bus ride to go, and I was hoping we were picking up the Sutton twins on the way to school this morning. Their grandma is probably taking them today I thought to myself, but still held out hope that our bus was going to snake its way up their tiny road. I made my trusty trombone case as obtuse as possible to discourage other passengers from sitting next to me just in case. Maybe Jared would let me listen to his iPod this morning, and I would get a chance to see if he was riding the bus home again today. The struggle was real.
By E.L. Martin5 years ago in Beat
Tea and Brownies
Refreshments, Madam? Sir? Children? Those of you in between? Everyone needs a good snack, right? What better snack is there than one accompanied by entertainment? My name will forever remain infamous within with my family. Though I would love to say I am embarrassed about some of the past events that occurred, I must say that to me they are now quite old. For fresher ears, however, these short moments are likely funny. So, grab a snack and have some laughs at my expense.
By E.L. Martin5 years ago in Confessions
Pirates of the Parallel
Afar we see a sailing ship! Be they friend or foe? Off the sails, the masts, and bow, to adventure we will go. Through the murk and rocky crags. Against the waves and shore. Do we face treasures aplenty or be it tale and lore? Where shall we sail today, me hearty? Come, let us have a little chat. Tell me, where we shall set foot today, and I will draw the map.
By E.L. Martin5 years ago in Futurism
