In this collection, stories chronicle changes, where by a lesson, a journey, discoveries, the confluence of ideas, an accident or some other more esoteric circumstances, we become more attuned to the connections - and distances - between the inner and outer worlds. We grow wings, take flight, and start all over again. More than a coming-of-age or life crisis, it might be said each of these stories begins with a seed and opens into flower. Sometimes the flower could be said to continue the cycle back into the earth, but this is never for naught. Something always remains as a result of this evolutionary transmogrification that gives the reader something to consider, that perhaps wouldn't have happened otherwise.

The first short story collection to be brought forward by Propertius Press, Metamorphosis showcases the efforts of eighteen new authors, in stories representing the best and brightest of over 250 original submissions. These finalists are haunting, thought-provoking tales that will bring you into worlds that may feel strangely familiar, reflecting oddities, triumphs, and even laughter. The stories take you to places you'll want to share and revisit as you experience, perhaps, your own metamorphosis of existence, feelings, or even philosophy. We're never really too old, too jaded, or too exhausted by life to grow wings, take flight, and start all over again.

An old woman boiling laundry in her yard on a remote mountain top suddenly sees a rabbit and thinks dinner is on the way. A young student dealing with the aftermath of rape lashes out, opening a deeper wound. A poet, in despair over making a living, finds the keys to another world – whether real or imagined. A couple of brothers paint remarkable frescoes on the ceiling of a church. The individuals who make up the stories in this collection encounter the unexpected, and don't necessarily live to tell about it. Working around the theme of life-changing experiences, these tales are the culmination of over three years' work.

We recommend you take them in slowly, one at a time.