Giftwrap Town: Return to Sender

By: Tommy Marcum

Narrated by: Matthew Steele

Every Christmas town has a secret. Giftwrap Town mails its people.

Clara Martin came home for a soft holiday assignment—cover the parade, interview the mayor, write something warm enough to sell postcards.

Then, at midnight, she wakes to a sound no house should make: tape tearing inside her bedroom wall.

By morning, the streets look staged—too perfect, too synchronized, like the whole town is being dressed for a photograph it didn’t agree to. And on the north edge of town, a house is found sealed in clear film from roof to shrub… with the family still standing inside.

The “wrapping” spreads fast. It tightens hallways. It sweetens the air. It turns rooms into airtight boxes. And the worst part is what Clara learns too late: It hunts by vibration.

It listens for breath.

It doesn’t kill—it preserves.

As Clara and her friend Miles scramble to understand the rules, they uncover a buried town history disguised as tradition—an old covenant dressed up as holiday cheer. Giftwrap Town was never meant to be festive. It was meant to be contained.

But when the regional shipping depot begins sealing boxes that weren’t there an hour ago, Clara realizes the truth: Giftwrap Town isn’t a destination. It’s a package—being prepared for shipment.

And once the label prints, someone, somewhere, is going to open it.

©2025 Tommy Marcum (P)2026 Tommy Marcum