""You like it darker? Fine, so do I," writes Stephen King in the afterword to this magnificent new collection of twelve stories that delve into the darker part of life--both metaphorical and literal. King has, for half a century, been a master of the form, and these stories, about fate, mortality, luck, and the folds in reality where anything can happen, are as rich and riveting as his novels, both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to read. King...

"Standing up for yourself can be hard...Jeremiah decides he's done being the butt of his coworker's jokes at their small game studio. Joel is counting the days until he can quit his family's garden center and hit the road to a new life. Aimee finally works up the courage to ditch her loud-mouthed, annoying friend at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. But when it comes to Five Nights at Freddy's, even the most well-meaning actions can reap horrible consequences"--Back...

"Haunted by the past...To avoid confronting an ugly truth, Nole falls prey to a monster that punishes past transgressions. Growing weaker by the day, nine-year-old Jake looks back on the time before he was sick, imagining life as if he were well again. And, forever desperate to prove his worth to his arrogant brother and distant father, Toby chases victory at an arcade game with horrifying consequences. But, in the unpredictable world of Five Nights...

"Consumed by failure...Desperate to keep his kiddie pizzeria from bankruptcy, Jack lets his animatronics tech pitch him a new invention that might just give him some perspective. Frustrated by an unfair arcade game, Colton throws himself into re-engineering the device at any cost. Marley's best friend goes missing on a tour of the Freddy's Pizzeria Factory; she knows what really happened...but her guilt isn't the only thing threatening to eat her...

"When left in darkness, rage festers. Years of frustration with his family culminate in a loathsome vacation for Bob, who plots a sinister prank to frighten his wife and kids. Matt redirects the residual anger over his many failed relationships into a video game, and ends up birthing the horrible consequences. In room 1280 of Heracles Hospital, something evil is keeping a man alive, a man with gruesome burns all over his body and an iron will to live"--Back...

"What do you wish for most? It's a question that Oswald, Sarah, and Millie think they know the answer to. Oswald wishes his summer wasn't so boring, Sarah wishes to be beautiful, and Millie wishes she could just disappear from the face of the earth. But in the twisted world of Five Nights at Freddy's, their hearts' deepest desires have an unexpected cost"--Back cover.

"Twins Oliver and Trisha are on a canoe trip with their dad when a freak accident leaves their father badly injured. With no cell phone reception, their only choice is to continue down river and hope to find civilization. And they do-in a small village. Except the people there behave strangely, and weirdest of all is the giant scarecrow in the village square. The townspeople seem nervous-obsessed-with the scarecrow. 'He watches over us,' the twins...

"After years of being kicked around, Greg, Alec, and Oscar are ready to take control of their lives. Greg decides to put the controversial science he's been studying to the test. Alec launches a master plot to expose his golden sister for the spoiled brat he knows she is. And Oscar, ever the miniature grown-up his mom needs him to be, decides to take something he wants...even though he knows it's wrong. But as these three will learn, control is a...