Short stories or character studies? Fiction or non-fiction? This collection of pieces is a combination of all these elements. It does not pretend to tell the classic tale of romance or mystery. It does not provide a twist ending. It does not seek to entertain and provide moments of escapism for a reader burdened by a world that is burdensome. The stories simply attempt to look at the inner workings of ordinary individuals to show that human beings are complex organisms that each carry converging ideas and emotions and different storylines buried deep inside themselves. The themes presented in this way include: happiness and sadness, depression, repression, paranoia, insanity, ruthlessness, shame, pity, intelligence, domination, even social justice and injustice. Look closely at the person who sits beside you at the dinner table or on the train or at the job and what you will find are twisted tales that largely go unspoken. That is what this book of four character stories hopefully uncovers, the individual stories beneath the exterior expression that reveals little. In the end, we can understand the complexities of ourselves in relation to one another and the world about us.