The Circle — Bentley Little

“The shrine. How does it operate? Do you just pray to it or do you have to bring it something or what?” In this unsettling novella by Bentley Little, many strange occurrences unsettle the inhabitants of William Tell Circle: For Helen, a knock on the door brings an unexpected visitor along with lavish gifts, and it seems all her wishes have been granted…but at what cost? For young Frank and his friends, a fabled neighborhood shrine may answer their prayers for a girlfriend, just as their older brothers hope the same source will grant them money. But the older boys' improvised ritual turns into something horrible… For Gil Marotta, a rescue mission to the shrine leads him into a chilling confrontation with the local witch… THE CIRCLE tells the story of a normally quiet community, plunged into the kind of surreal nightmare only Bentley Little can deliver.