A collection of short stories that includes: -A young rancher who communicates with his neighbor by posted signs, only for his neighbor to one day mysteriously stop replying. -The ghost of a young man who awaits his still living wife on an abandoned, sinking island in the Chesapeake Bay. -A father and husband who desperately searches for a cache of gold hidden by his ancestors in their old general store. -A family awaiting word from a shuttle crew as to whether or not a newly explored planet harbors extraterrestrial life -and what the theological implications may be. -A teenage girl considering an abortion receives a visit from a mysterious woman who urges her not to have the procedure. -A man who cannot figure out why his elderly neighbor spends summer nights in the shed. -And more...