PART I

Story Idea as found in my Prompt Jar: A snowstorm traps you in a remote village with a secret—its residents never age. As you unravel that mystery, you realize leaving might not be such an easy thing to do.

Life and Death have been friends for ages, too many for them to remember. So, when Life invites him to a Halloween Party, he can’t really say no. Is it too much to believe that he might have a good time? And what’s he going to do about a costume? It’s nearly too much for a gloomy, grim guy, but maybe a festive evening in the land of the living will prove to be just what he’s needed.

Part Two of “Griggs on the Line” follows Henry Griggs as he’s sent out into the field as an agent for Great Northern Railroad. His task? Gather information regarding anything he sees or hears about rioting, unionizing agitators. What Griggs comes face-to-face with is something a little different…

Is amateur train enthusiast Henry Griggs in the wrong place at the wrong time when he’s recruited to take part in a secret mission to foil a plot against the railway system of America? Or could this be an opportunity that brings him as much adventure on the rails as he’s always dreamed of?

Mina of Starrfĕld has been found guilty of crimes against the state, crimes that may be conveniently covering up a conspiracy against her family. Her sentence? Exile—but only if she can make it out in one piece first.

As the rumors of sickness grow into what is now known as the Black Death, Walter, an average lad, is dealing with a mysterious condition of his own. His family, one by one, grow ill, but what exactly is going on with him?

One summer evening, Paige finds herself caught up in her brother’s intense fascination with a magician’s collection of mythical creatures. Thus ensues a scheme to capture one of said creatures, a road trip to Chicago, and one heck of a captivating magical show.

“If someone had told Diana on the morning of her seventeenth birthday that she’d be running late for school yet making stellar fashion choices, outfitted in high-waisted bell-bottoms and a crocheted top, she wouldn’t have doubted it. Though, she’d be especially proud of her pant selection.”

It’s rough running around with a name like William McGrillis Griswold. You know what would be even more rough? Being stuck in high school forever. This kid can’t catch a break…or can he?

“Gosh, what an unfortunate name. Maybe that name was the start of my unfortunate existence. Or maybe it was when we moved. Or maybe I did something long ago that upset the Universe.”

“He was alone. Or, at least, he felt like he was alone in the great, wide world, but, when you lived in an apartment that’d been haunted for the last hundred years, solitude of any nature was tricky to come by.”