From Scout Media comes A Contract of Words—the fourth volume in an ongoing short story anthology series featuring authors from all over the world.

In this installment, the authors wove multi-genre tales around characters entering into contracts, who found repercussions or rewards. From comedy, to drama, fantasy, romance, and horror, these stories put eclectic and unusual spins on what is usually thought to be typical and mundane events. Whether you are honoring a request for euthanasia, satisfying a contract for home improvement, failing to meet an exorcism agreement, or feeling the ramifications of a shady television reality show, you may find yourself gripped with fear from an evil pyramid-scheme company or desperately searching for a loophole in a contract that pits you against a gunslinger at high noon. These stories of both infringement and fulfillment of contracts will warm your heart, send shivers down your spine, and tickle your funny bone.

Whether to be enlightened, entertained, or momentarily immersed in another world, these selections convey the true spirit of the short story and the complexity of promises.

Gabriella Balcom