Answering the Call

Abstract

Answering the Call is a collection of seven short stories set in the 2020s that explores the central theme of being seen. The pieces look at what people try to hide of themselves, be it a secret wish, an emotion, love, power, authenticity, or desire in order to maintain the status quo or because of their own limiting beliefs. In each story these characters are (consciously or not) on a quest for authenticity and healing transformation. These transformations bring in elements of the unseen, invisible, or spiritual worlds that exist alongside the physical one. While most of these stories take place in modern day reality, they each have a fairy tale quality, and the collection ends with a tale about how an entire city reacts when the citizens want to see something that remains a mystery to them. Does being seen/unseen protect, harm, or both? That is one of the many questions hidden within this collection—what other questions might you see? What answers will you find?