atmospheric setting
— During a power outage, a girl discovers her computer mysteriously working and receives cryptic messages about Earth, humanity as parasites, and her role in learning everything.
— A grandmother tells her granddaughter about getting lost in a blizzard while buying a Christmas gift, finding shelter in their own barn, and mysteriously recovering the lost watch.
— A twelve-year-old boy runs away on a snowy night, believing his departure will prevent his parents' divorce, only to be found by police and returned home to face the truth.
— A tiger stalks and kills an antelope, then discovers his cached prey has been disturbed by strange new creatures with vehicles, marking his first encounter with humans.
— A girl who dreads summer camp discovers a magical clearing with purple flowers and a marble statue, finding friendship and self-discovery at Camp Renaissance.
— A young racehorse named Judy Garland faces her fears on a muddy track, gets injured in fog, but places second through determination and discovers meaning beyond victory.
— A boy returns to his late grandfather's wilderness farm for the first time since his death, finding solace when sunlight breaks through storm clouds onto a magnolia tree.
— A bored city girl visiting suburban relatives discovers every house has a blonde girl shooting baskets, then becomes trapped in the conformist nightmare herself.
— A girl loses her childhood best friend when their families take opposite sides during the American Revolution's Stamp Act crisis, their final parting at a harbor as he sails away.
— A midnight journey from bed to kitchen for milk captures the disorienting sensory details of being awake at 3:30 A.M.