A multi-genre collection of short stories by Chris W. Martinez. Includes: "The Lottery" (science fiction). Joseph Freeman, a low-wage airport worker, drives himself to the brink to support his family in an America that has long lost any trace of upward mobility for people like him. "Wanted" (suspense/thriller). Natalie could really use the two hundred dollars offered in the online wanted ad, but to get it she'll have to cut her hair in front of a total stranger, in his home. "The Oasis" (horror). A young reporter discovers the shocking truth about a controversial assisted living facility, and the deeper he plunges into the facility's dark secrets, the more he realizes the depths of his own capacity for evil. "The Basement" (horror). A nefarious force lurks in the basement of a party house rented by four college friends. "The Vigil" (science fiction). Emaciated and increasingly desperate, Sergeant Renee Burgess fears she may be one of the last human beings to survive nuclear armageddon.