The Man on Table Ten

A Mysterious Science Fiction Tale

De: Luke Smitherd

Narrado por: Luke Smitherd

It's a story that he hasn't told anyone for fifty years. A secret that he's kept ever since he grew tired of the disbelieving faces and doctors' reports advising medication. He's been careful. He hasn't even touched a single drop of booze since that one, fateful evening.

This is why his decision on this day - the decision to have three drinks - will change the life of bright young waitress Lisa Willoughby forever. For today, the Man on Table Ten has decided that he wants to share his incredible tale.

Lisa's been around old drunks before. She's heard her fair share of unlikely urban legends and creepy stories; tall bar room tales of science fiction that made her roll her eyes while wearing a plastered-on smile. But today is different. The Man on Table Ten is different. True, this mysterious stranger's story of psychic abilities and supernatural creatures is straight out of The Twilight Zone... but there is something about his impossibly blue eyes that Lisa just cannot ignore.

©2013 Luke Smitherd (P)2015 Luke Smitherd

Disturbing Short Story

This was the first story I read by this author and it left me with a sick feeling in my stomach, just wondering, "What if..." The queasy feeling came from knowing that if it was a true story (which it hopefully isn't), there would be absolutely nothing I could do about it.

It's like people who are afraid of flying and would rather drive, even though there is a much greater chance of death while driving. People don't like the sense of not being in control that flying brings and that is exactly what this story makes you think about--not really being in control of your life.

The story itself is very eerie and and disturbing. As mentioned above, it makes you think about fate and destiny and who or what is really in control of our lives. You feel for The Man on Table Ten and what he has lived through, but you also worry about him--a lot.

The waitress in the story is really a stand-in for the reader. She learns the story as we learn it and my emotions were pretty much the same as hers as she listened to the man. "Is this man crazy?" "Is he telling the truth?" "Do I really want to know?"

Highly recommended.

great short story

What a treat! A short story that delights without beating you over the head with messages. Just sit back and enjoy this one.

Every Luke Smitherd book is better than the last

This is like the 4th Luke Smitherd book I've bought in the last month, and they all are fantastic. How did I not know about this guy before?

Great story

Very enjoyable story and narration. Kept me sane on my commute. Looking forward to more!

Interesting

An interesting different read from my normal . Really enjoyed it. Recommended it to friends. Read few of his books, The stone man. That one good as

A chilling stock-take.

The Man at Table Ten is a fantastic short story by a very talented author. Luke Smithered seems to have a talent for inspiring a kind of optimistic nihilism in the reader by putting mostly ordinary people directly in the path of unfathomable horror.
Check out his novel, The Stone Man, if you enjoy this story. I always appreciate it when an author narrates their own works, and other than a few minor hiccups with the editing, Smithered does a great job.

great short story

made me think and also value life that much more by the end. no wander he was so into those sausages and drinks