Hugo Kramer, royal calligrapher, toiled away at his desk til the wee hours of the morning, working by candlelight with such dedication that he didn't notice two dark figures approach.

The sky was overcast but the mood in the Goldberg household was bright and warm. All the traditions and rituals were being dutifully followed except for one which was being radically reimagined by the black sheep of the family.

The Lazarus Motel had remained in the family for three generations. While its looks had faded, it was impeccably clean and often full. Sarah Lazarus, the newest full-time manager, had only just turned off the blue NO VACANCY sign when a beat up minivan drove in from the snow.

Ask any kid in town and they’ll tell you McDougall Mansion is the spookiest house in the neighborhood. They’ll also tell you that all its original inhabitants perished mere weeks after moving in, having drowned, allegedly, in a boating accident on the pond bordering the property.

Delaney and her mother left the groomer with a renewed sense of confidence. And with good reason: their show dog, Trudy Jenkins, had never looked better. They spent the entire walk home imagining her future fame. That is, until Trudy’s nemesis leapt out from the bushes.

The crew set down their bikes and slowly inched toward the fence, each kid wanting to be furthest behind. Once close enough, what they saw was exactly what they were expecting. Tied to the fence was a doll, the size of a toddler, with a grimacing pumpkin in place of its head.

Gertrude twirled in her spacesuit, luxuriating in the freedom of zero gravity. She left earth many months ago, but only recently became relaxed enough to enjoy the genuine perks of an outer space existence.

Mildred rolled over in bed just enough to read the digital alarm clock sitting on her nightstand. When she saw how late it was she slowly rolled to her other side and began putting on a fluffy pair of slippers adorned with goat heads. The bed groaned under her significant weight.

Jared woke to the gentle sound of soft thuds on his roof. He stumbled out of bed, roused his cat Jinkies, and went to look out from his kitchen to see where the noise could be coming from. Before he could open his window a pineapple came shooting towards him.

Her toilet hadn't worked in 6 weeks and she was growing tired of using the bucket on the porch. She decided to finally overcome her fear of plumbers, and pulled out her phone book.

Rebecca nervously cut the turkey with her brand new carving knife. Once finished with the light meat she allowed herself to momentarily gaze down the packed banquet table at familiar faces. After a second or two she wiped the sweat from her brow and returned to the bird.

Everyone piled into the car and took out their personal items. Seat buckles clicked. Snacks crinkled. A destination was set: Door County. An epic trip began unceremoniously.

With a curious mind but a tentative step, Marcus pushed the kitchen door slightly ajar. He'd been smelling his mother's famous chocolate chip cookies for hours, but hadn't his parents left for vacation the day before?

Autumn winds picked up off the Smiths' deck, knocking their brown umbrella repeatedly against the kitchen window. Astrid watched the leaves swirl from her attic bedroom. She was home alone.

By the time the day of the hot dog eating contest finally arrived, Merideth was in fighting form. She'd been slowly stretching her stomach out for weeks, eating a little more each day until her capacity for eating was unmatched. Her skin glistened as she approached the stage.

The night was dragging, and Franny knew it was only a matter of time before her last chance of leaving this city would come and go. She mumbled an excuse to her distracted mother, picked up her bag, and started for the back door.

It was only noon but Phil was already sweating profusely. His wife had been right, July was no time for turtlenecks.

It was the last warm day of summer. The public pools were closed so Terry and his friends headed to the beach. It was nearly dusk by the time they arrived.