Anthology of Short Stories: Winter 2016 — Paul B. Kohler

An anthology of seven short stories by Paul B. Kohler. The stories range from just eleven pages long for Departure to nearly seventy pages for The Soul Collector. Departure - Departure is a short sequel to my first short story titled AMY. The story picks up several years after that horrific passing of Amy, and is laced with flashbacks of that tragic day of discovering. Hunter/Hunted - This short story takes the age-old mythology of Cupid, and adds a modern day twist. It's part romance, part suspense. Watch yourself, as you never know when you be shot through the heart. Perplexia - Lost and disoriented, a man with questionable origins finds himself trapped in a most unusual place, and in an even more peculiar way. His identity is a mystery, and besides the need to discover his very existence, there's nothing that he wants more than to break free from his unforced confinement. His only obstacle: fear of the unknown … and his lack of clothing. Words That Were Left Behind - Mick and Yvonne's difficulty communicating with each other spell for troubled waters on their relationship front. Frustration leads to anger -- anger leads to abandonment in this mild science fiction tragedy. My Sister's Keeper - When Stuart discovers that his physical touch has far more implications than just the sensation of feeling, he goes to immeasurable lengths to save his fraternal twin sister, Alice, from a tragic fate that is out of her control. Tilted - A self-proclaimed geek -- with a penchant for cheerleaders -- struggles through a particularly unpleasant day, filled with one misfortune after another. After narrowly avoiding expulsion, Chester skips school and takes refuge at a local arcade. As he tries to mentally bolster his collapsing disposition, the pixelated spaceships take more than just his last game life. Filled with despair, he returns to the scene of the early morning incident in an effort to right his wrongs. The Soul Collector, Borrowed Souls, Book 1 - Jack Duffy is the exemplification of average. He lives a normal life with a less than desirable job. He's a distracted husband, living in an ordinary apartment, and is married to an extraordinary wife. That's how he would explain it. At the end of an unusually bad day, Jack's life is turned upside down when he witnesses something truly harrowing. The only thing that can catch him from falling is the soul collector. His primary concern: Will he be allowed to keep his soul, or will he have to give it back?