Salem and I both love music: from Beethoven to the Beatles, from the harpsichord to bagpipes, from old Irish ballads to the music of the Dropkick Murphys! Inside the piano bench, you will find 25 stories to read when the music is over and all is quiet and still.
Note: All the stories in this room were written around the year 2001. I'm not sure of the exact date.
Kid's Show - A journalist wants to discover the secret behind a popular kid's show character that captivates small children, adolescents and teenagers alike. Kirby's Inferno - The owner of a failing, family-run amusement park gets a silent partner who wants to invest a lot of money in adding thrill rides based on Dante's Inferno. The Land of the Fathers - With the coming of winter, a nomadic family journeys from the cold northern lands to the warm south. Along the way, a little boy asks questions about the history of his people that his grandfather, the Wise One, cannot answer. Lighthouse on Purgatory Point - A couple from New York buy a light station and want to run it as a bed and breakfast until they learn the lighthouse has a bloody past. The Lights at Baker's Island - An artist rents a house on Baker's Island in order to paint its twin lighthouses. Since it is off-season, the only people on the island are the artist, the caretaker and an unknown predator. |
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Miss Mudge's Retirement - On the eve of her retirement, an unpopular teacher descides to throw a party for her young students. Neighborhood Barbecue - Parents of two troubled teens move to a quiet, secluded community in hopes that the change of environment will bring a change in their children's attitudes. The New Neighbors - When a family of Wiccans moves into a tight-knit Massachusetts community, the residents want them out. Nonfiction - After purchasing a house where a horrific murder took place, a woman decides to write a book about supernatural encounters that never really happened. Olde Salem Inn - Four people take shelter from a storm at the Old Salem Inn, but not everyone will make it out alive. |
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One Too Many Husbands - An aging actress marries for the sixth time. Her new husband is a younger man who has his eye on her fortune. An Original Design - A renowned fashion designer wants to design a dress for one of his store managers. Queen of Hearts - An Army lieutenant working for the USO falls in love with a glamorous movie star and rekindles a star-crossed love that began in the past. Return to the House on Haunted Hill - Just before the house is to be torn down, the current owner of the House on Haunted Hill wants to throw a party that parallels the one in which two people were murdered. The Secret of the Sphinx - When a secret chamber is discovered beneath the Sphinx, a linguist is asked to translate the ancient documents found inside it. |
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A Special Christmas - An elderly man prepares to have one final Christmas in his family home before it is put up for sale. Story of a One-Hit Wonder - When his band, Wolfbane, gets a number one hit, Jordan Elliott realizes success has a high price. Summer Youth Camp - A group of gifted students attend a summer camp arranged by their private school, but when they fail to return, their parents fear the worst. The Tattoo - After a musician leaves his tattoo artist girlfriend for another woman, he discovers a strange tattoo on his back. Theophobia - Psychiatrist Lionel Penn is called in by a colleague to help discover the identity of a John Doe who seems to be suffering from an irrational fear of religion. |
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The Third Brother - Based loosely on Shakespeare's Richard III, this is a story of an unscrupulous man who wants to remove his two brothers from power so that he can be the head of a powerful Mafia family. A Walk in the Woods - While taking a walk in the woods, a woman comes upon a handsome, mysterious stranger. The Wannabe - An actress befriends an abused woman who bears a strong resemblance to her. Woman in a Tattered Blue Dress - A Confederate soldier sees the same woman before several major battles. Writer's Block - A bestselling author struggling with writer's block collaborates with a novice writer who has a prolific imagination. |
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