Turn the locks and hit the basement light switch. Check under your bed, and close the closet door. Do you feel reassured? Safe?

So does the she-wolf in her den. So does the confident scientist in the lab. So does the loving mother snuggling with her child, and the professional setting off on a spring vacation. The child who knows his neighbourhood trails, the lover excited by his partner's adventurousness, and the widow trusting an artist to help relieve her grief . . . all feel secure in their stories.

After all, in any situation, who can accurately predict the worst that could really happen?

In this collection of twelve fantastical, speculative, sexy, dark short stories, the worst is the opposite of what you'd expect. But don't worry, these stories are fiction. Any resemblance you may see to someone real, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Ignore those shadows moving in the corner, too. In fact, maybe it's better to leave the lights on . . .