12 Short Stories of Mystery, Disappointment, Humor, & Reflection

By Cory Stophlet

Quiet Flames tells the tender story of Terrance and Shelly, two widowed souls who find late-in-life love.Satire of internet fame: A single humiliating moment snowballs into global domination.Julian lives a lifetime paralyzed by fear of choice, his quiet existence defined by hesitation and missed chances.A determined woman battles one comically relentless Monday of mishaps.A series of cursed bargains-briefcases, houses, jobs, tickets, and cars-devour their finders one by one, as an unseen Collector patiently gathers every soul.Three boys break into a strange antiquarian bookshop hoping for treasure, only to find themselves in a frightful position.A mysterious statuette that relentlessly follows a cruel businessman forces him to confront his arrogance and cruelty, ultimately transforming it from a haunting curse into a permanent reminder of humility and change.Three gamblers, each clinging to a lucky charm, find themselves trapped in a demonic casino.In a world quietly steered by an all-seeing surveillance AI, professor Julia Robins becomes a hunted "anomaly."And more...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FS7ZC7GB
• ISBN13: 9798266722941
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"