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Every story begins with a single step into the unknown, whether it’s a character stepping into a high-stakes courtroom, a weary traveler navigating the open road, or an author finding a fresh home for their work. Today, I am thrilled to welcome you to my new publishing space.
Transitioning to a new platform is always an energizing milestone. It gives me a chance to reset, refocus, and double down on the kinds of gritty, authentic storytelling that connect you and I. For those of you who have followed my work across platforms like Amazon and Google Play, thank you for being part of this journey. For new readers joining me here for the first time: welcome. You’ve arrived at a great time.
Looking Back: The Foundations of Our Stories
My writing has always been rooted in the realities of resilience and survival. Over the past few years, we’ve explored complex, grounded themes through characters who don't just face obstacles, they navigate the intricate mechanics of starting over.
In projects like “Darkness Under the Light “ and our recent explorations into legal drama featuring characters like legal assistant Carrie Owens, the focus has remained squarely on psychological tension. These stories aren't just about the puzzle or conflict; they are about how ordinary people handle extraordinary pressure.
Whether examining the weight of past life choices, corporate intrigue, or the quiet grit required to rebuild an empire from the ground up, my past narratives have championed self-reliance, strategic thinking, and the pursuit of grace amidst friction.
Writing short fiction has taught me that every sentence must pull its weight. It demands sharp pacing, atmospheric depth, and characters whose decisions carry real, tangible weight. Those core principles aren't going anywhere, in fact, they are forming the bedrock of everything coming next.
What Readers Can Expect Moving Forward
Setting up camp on this new platform means we have exciting new ground to break together. Here is a glimpse of what is on the horizon for our future releases:

• Sharper Psychological Suspense: Expect more character-driven short stories and tightly wound narratives that place capable, independent protagonists right in the crosshairs of high-stakes environments.
• Expanded Worlds and Fresh Voices: I am continuing to dig into intricate legal dramas, gripping suspense, and stories that examine human endurance on the road and in the boardroom.
• Deeper Engagement: This new platform gives me a wonderful opportunity to connect more directly. Beyond the stories themselves, I look forward to sharing insights into the creative process, behind-the-scenes character breakdowns, and the mechanics of building fiction that resonate.

"Survival isn't just about enduring the storm; it's about learning how to build something lasting out of what remains."
Join the Journey
If you enjoy grounded storytelling, sharp pacing, and characters who refuse to break under pressure, you are in the right place. Bookmark this page, drop a comment, and make yourself at home.
Thank you for reading, supporting, and sharing in these worlds. The ink is fresh, the pages are open, and our next chapter starts right now.
— Terry Martin-Back

Charlie, now in the car, started throttling the gas as he passed the various shops, pubs and other establishments that made up his unremarkable town. As he waited at a red traffic light, his eyes were drawn to a small crowd forming near the University entrance. He heard a police siren in the distance.
Charlie turns to see where it is coming from. Just as his eyes scan across the historic cobbled streets that are sharply offset by the modern university sitting across a waterfront, his eyes briefly catch Willow - a stunning, leggy, tattooed red-haired woman. He is so taken aback watching her as she jogs through the university grounds that the car behind him lets off its horn. This is enough to catch Willow's attention. She watches with confusion as Charlie speeds away from the traffic lights.
Willow heads into the gym, continuing to perfect her goddess-like physique. She smashes down a series of 200kg weights like it was nothing. The women watch with awe, as the men all fall under the spell of her beauty. After an hour or so, she finished her workout and headed for the changing rooms. She opened her locker to retrieve her belongings: her gym sack and a water bottle. As she closed the locker door, Pippa, her friend and regular troublemaker, was standing beside it.
Willow jumped like she saw a ghost. "Have you heard what happened?" "I told you countless times—you can't creep up on people like that." "Why not? It's fun. "One of these days someone's gonna turn round and drop you." "I'd like to see them try." Willow shook her head in disbelief at her friend's ignorance.
"So what's up?" Pippa's expression changed. "Someone's been killed in the park." Willow's face immediately stopped. "Don't joke about something like that" "I'm being serious. There are cops everywhere" Pippa lowered her voice.
"I swear it's getting closer every day." Willow thought about that. Pippa continued. "It was only last week a seventeen-year-old girl got bumped off outside the station." "What if this is like a modern-day Jack the Ripper?"
"See? I told you to stop watching all that true-crime crap." "It keeps me informed." "It floods you with anxiety."
"It's one of the reasons I don't trust men." "I hear that." Pippa's anxiety starts to boil to the surface. "What if he strikes again?" "He won't." "What makes you so certain?" Willow smiled. "Well, he'd have to be mentally challenged to come on campus. The place is swarming with security."
"For all we know, it could be a cop." "Oh, come on, Pippa, stop it now. You're being ridiculous". Pippa shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past them. After all, all cops are bastards." Willow laughed. The tension broke. They decided to walk home together. Neither noticed the shadow lingering beyond the changing-room doors.
By the time they left the building, darkness had settled across the campus. They walked side by side, continuing to laugh to themselves. A campus guard stepped unexpectedly from a doorway. Willow jumped. Pippa screamed. The guard looked offended. "I'm no Keanu Reeves, but I don't deserve that kind of reaction."
Willow laughed. "Sorry. I can't take her anywhere." "Get home safely, ladies." The guard walked away. He reached for the flask in his pocket. He never saw the man behind him. The knife entered his neck. He dropped to his knees as the blood gushed out like a fountain.
The killer stood over him, debating whether to hide the body or continue stalking the women. He opted for the latter, as he couldn't get enough of the sensation killing was giving him. Willow's room was warm and quiet. Japanese shamisen music played softly from a record. Pippa sat at the table with a glass of tequila.
Outside the window, the killer watched. Willow undressed. Her back was revealed. The tattoo stretched across it. A woman in spider form. Something ancient. Something waiting. The killer's hand trembled over his police radio.
"Constable Mohammed, come in?" He froze. Then switched the radio off. Inside, Willow glanced towards the window. She saw and heard nothing. She closed it. The killer waited. A few moments later, he moved to the entrance. The lock gave way beneath his tools. The door opened.
Inside, the record had begun to loop. Pippa lay face down across the table. The killer smiled. He picked up a knife from the kitchen. Then he heard the shower. He moved towards the bathroom. Steam filled the room. He reached for the curtain. Pulled it back. And stopped. A grown man was trapped in a web.
The strands were impossibly thick. He struggled, but the web held him fast. "What the fuck?" A low purring sound answered him. He looked up. Something enormous crouched above him. Eight legs. A monstrous body. And Willow's face. The half-human, half-arachnid creature opened its mouth. Venom sprayed across the room.
The killer twisted away and ran. He dropped the knife. Behind him, Pippa slowly lifted her head. Her mouth opened. Eight black spider legs pushed through. The killer backed away. There was nowhere left to run.
The two women began to change. Their bodies expanded. Limbs unfolded. Human faces remained atop enormous spider bodies. The killer was equal parts confused and petrified. The predator had become the prey.
"We know what you are," Willow said. "We know what you did," Pippa added.
"Please." "I'm sorry." "I'm a cop! I was coming to save you". Pippa tilted her head. "Cops don't break into vulnerable women's flats." Willow smiled. "You picked the wrong women to fuck with."
Venom struck him. His body locked. He fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes. The two spiders crawled towards him. "We have done this for centuries," Willow whispered. "You are nothing compared to the evil coursing through our itty-bitty legs."
Pippa moved closer. "Our paths may have never crossed, had you not hurt one of our own." The killer struggled to speak. "I don't know what you're talking about." "You know that girl in the park?"
His eyes widened. "She was our newest recruit." Silence. "And now she's dead," Willow said. "Just as you are going to be." Pippa smiled. "This is where the fun starts." "Your suffering is going to be long," Willow whispered.
"Hard," said Pippa. "And delicious." They fell upon him, ripping his skin off like tissue paper. They devoured his insides like a malnourished cannibal that hadn't eaten in weeks. Mohammed's bowels were being swallowed whole, which made Pippa choke. Willow let out an audible laugh as she tore apart his meaty thighs. "I thought you said your mouth was used to taking a heavy load".
Pippa laughs as Willow pushes her two front legs into Mohammed's eyes. They popped like grapes. "Save some for me, you pig". Pippa crawls over and pounces onto his face.
A scurry of loud bangs, followed by something in a language unknown to either of them on the wall, interrupts the feast. "Pack it in, you cunts. Some of us have exams in the morning?"
"Hey, Pip". "Yeah, babe?"
"Fancy some Chinese".
They both laugh as they smash through the walls like they were made of paper. The screams of their neighbour are snuffed out quickly, but Willow drips venom into his mouth like when you bite down on a doughnut, but the jam falls out.
The darkness of night besets the historic university. The distant echo of sirens continues to flood the town. Who or what it was was still to be determined.