One day several individuals would participate-either by design or by fate-in an evil experimental initiative in rural Minnesota.

But first, they would each face trials, and these are their stories: an abduction and the disruption of life goals; the provocations of a jealous family member; confrontation by an old friend; redirection along a career path; addiction and the perils of the drug world; deception and coercion by a beautiful woman; liberation from corrupt authorities.

And the revelation of closely-guarded secrets in the ancestral line of the man who would eventually attempt to manipulate their world.

Offering interpretations of the principles of each of the biblical Beatitudes, these eight short stories provide glimpses into the lives of ordinary people who confront life-altering crises which demand response.