An old man sweeps a floor. A woman visits her father's grave. A young soldier on leave helps his friend. These all sound normal. But these simple actions are on worlds that it's unlikely you've seen before. Twenty more short stories bring you twenty more worlds you won't soon forget.

Achilles Thornbottom's first Adventure — Achilles was an ordinary boy. But he had never been Outside.

A close call — Something's stalking her. She doesn't know it.

A dry farewell — Her dead father left something for her. Could it possibly be good?

A ghostly lover — She visits his grave every day. He only has eyes for her.

A strange rock — It's the weirdest rock this old miner's ever seen. Where did it come from?

I'm free! — He's trapped. They're rescuing him. But how did he get there?

Might be better not to know — A conspiracy theorist learns the truth.

More than I had imagined — She's on her first dig with this mentor. What she learns has little to do with buried history.

My brother — The prince has been poisoned. Saving his life uncovers secrets some would kill to keep quiet.

Not that old — Can he leave the memories and live his life?

Purple eggs — Three people, one story.

Remembering Earth — An artisan gets surprising news from her family.

Sweet dreams — A dancer has a revelation.

The green one — A young man has a harrowing adventure.

The pig box — Helping an old lady got him more than he bargained for.

The rarest treasure — It's his first real test. Will he survive it?

The song — Be careful what you wish for.

The woods — Something lives there. And it's calling.

Time for some fun — She's on a mission. What is it? What will she do?

Timot's travels — He doesn't travel like we do …

Patricia Loofbourrow