Would you return an accidentally stolen diamond bracelet? In this work of philosophical fiction, a couple on vacation in Israel realize, once they are back in their hotel room, that a diamond tennis bracelet caught on their bag and they walked out of the store with it. Now they are can’t decide if they should return the bracelet or keep it? If they return it, will they be accused of stealing it? They are set to fly back to America in a day, so why risk anything, why not just get on the plane and fly home? In the end, they decide to head back to the store to return the bracelet. The cashier than asks, “Would you like the refund in cash or check?”

Would you tell the police if you knew a drug dealer? What if the drug dealer, isn’t really a drug deal, but a user who just caved in and sold a bit to a friend? What if the drug they sold killed the friend? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Niki goes punting (boating) with her friends at her Ivy League school. The topic of conversation is a fellow student who jumped to her death while on drugs. It’s a terrible tragedy that makes national news and the school and police are on the lookout for who sold her the drugs. As it gets dark, Niki, and her friend Sunetra leave the group to return the rental boat. While on their boat ride Sunetra confesses, she knows the student who sold the girl the drugs. He’s not a drug dealer, but simply a person who had drugs. The girl begged him to sell her some and he finally relented. To confuse matters, the drug dealing student is studying law and wants to be a human rights attorney. Now Niki has a shared secret, and suspects Sunetra only told her so that someone would tell the police, but she wouldn’t have to personally do it.

Would you trade the life of a loved one (or five strangers) for your own? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Marc owns a struggling bar, and uses the money from it to support his struggling family. His wife is pregnant with twins. After the bar closes a stranger comes in, Death, and tells Marc he has slipped, hit is head, died, and she has come to collect him. Death comes to all, but is willing to make a deal. Marc and continue his life in exchange for the life of one of his unborn twins? Or, if he’d prefer, he can trade is life for five strangers of his choosing. What he does know is, without a father, his unborn children are going to have a very difficult future ahead of them. In the end, Marc decides to accept his fate and pass on.

Why are people resistant to (even seemingly positive) change? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Carrie decides to go back to her Florida roots and, with her husband, purchase and improve an apartment complex to its former glory. She spends huge amounts of money renovating the apartments and restoring the swimming pool, and does it all without raising rents. However, no matter what she does, the residents complain. She changes out the appliances and they complain the new ones aren’t avocado green. She rebuilds the pool, and they complain about the noise. She makes the washing machines free, and they complain about the neighbors coming to use them. The last straw is when she changes the complex policy to allow pets, and one of the neighbors drowns two barking dogs in the new pool to send a message. Exasperated, Carrie finally decides to sell the complex.

Can an open marriage ever work? What rules should a couple set in an open marriage? In this philosophical short story fiction, Christine and Henry are preparing for date night, but it’s not with each other. After 11 years of marriage, they are going to couples counseling and have decided that opening up their marriage might help. There are rules though; text ever 30 minutes, no dating people they know. Henry meets his date, Erin, and explains the situation in more detail, which she knew going into their first date. Erin reads the text messages from Christine and helps Henry interpret their meanings. She also helps him understand the real situation his marriage is in. In the end, Henry heads home while Christine heads to the next bar with her date. Henry is starting to wonder if this was the plan all along.

How do you define a rational, versus an irrational act of faith? Why is a faith in God socially acceptable, but not a faith in the Tooth Fairy? Do we have a duty to inform others when we believe their faith is not grounded in our reality? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Bill believes in the Tooth Fairy. Bill is 28 years old. His girlfriend finds this odd, and sometimes socially awkward, but otherwise harmless. This changes, however, when Bill has his wisdom teeth removed and places them under his pillow with the expectation that the Tooth Fairy will accept his offering and provide him her payment as her showing of appreciation. To appease his belief system, Bill’s girlfriend decides to take the teeth and leave Bill some money, but unknowingly does not leave him payment in the “right” amount. Bill interprets this to mean the Tooth Fairy is unhappy with his offering of teeth. His girlfriend comes home to find that Bill has knocked out his own teeth so as to make a second, and what he sees as proper, offering.

How is a child, growing up, effected by being part of a cycle of abuse? How do you end the cycle? How do you explain to your abuser the effect their words have on you, when they believe their actions are better than their father before them? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Sienna is living with a “Monster,” in this case, her father. He does not hit her, but he does yell, and rant, and breaks things. Sienna grows up always on edge that the “monster” will lash out at her. Over time, she builds up equally toxic defense mechanisms. She learns to yell back and to be as hate-filled as her father. This all changes when she goes to college and meets her roommate Clara. Clara does not lash out. She does not accuse. She does not go into conversations prepared for battle. She listens, she is empathetic. She does not “keep score” in their friendship. Sienna assumes Clara has an alternative motive, and continues to be skeptical. Eventually, Sienna comes to see Clara for what she is, a decent human being. Armed with her new knowledge, Sienna heads home for Thanksgiving and confronts her father. Her father credits himself with “breaking the cycle” and being a good father by not physically abusing Sierra that way his father was to him. Sienna is frustrated, and resolves to never speak to him again. Over the Christmas holiday, Sienna decides to visit Clara’s family. Sienna’s mother asks if she, and only she, can come visit. Sienna reluctantly agrees. Her mother arrives, father in tow. The story ends with Sienna in jail, having killed her father.