A Handful of Sparks: Five Superhero and Sci-Fi Stories

In these five short stories, ordinary and extraordinary humans (and one alien) must find the spark to move forward-out of bad situations, or in the face of catastrophic change. In "Ilene's Box, " an otherworldly visitor goes on a deeply personal, high-stakes mission...to a local pet store. In "Lifeblood, " a hospitalized woman with an unusual gift faces hard decisions about love and sacrifice. In "That Which Kills You, " superhero tropes meet their match in Cherie, a woman too stubborn to lay down and die.
In "Clear as Light, " Mac and Evan's blissful space station retirement takes a frightening, inexplicable turn. In "Ellen Double Prime, " wealthy teenager Ellen Wright finds herself trapped in a nightmarish alternate reality. Some contemporary or  near-future science fiction, some super-powered...all deeply, intimately human. (Yes, even the parts with aliens.)