Beneath the plague mask is the face in the mirror.

In this terrifying and provocative collection, sixteen writers rage against the devastating psychological impact of illness.

A retiree's decline drives him to a shocking act and a stubborn sculptor's perception is shattered by her hometown blight. A grief-stricken parent embraces an abhorrent sacrifice; a model son is compelled to seek revenge; a busy housewife must reconcile that her tasks are suddenly insurmountable. Mysterious creatures atrophy a man's dreams as well as his muscles; an abandoned vampire must rebuke her cravings; a pyromaniac's world burns when his demons come crawling.

These stories and poems–fraught with regret anxiety, and grief–prove that sick damages so much more than just our fragile shells.