The View From Above

**From award-winning author, Gary Ponzo,** comes four short stories which have all been previously published in magazines--two of which were nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Each one has a twist ending in the tradition of an O. Henry story. Some have labeled them similar to a Twilight Zone episode.

The View from Above: A story of a wife and husband who find themselves trapped below the summit of Mt. Everest in a vicious snow storm. The husband is lost and can't find his way back to camp, while his wife desperately tries to guide him there.

The Birthday Wish: Angela is an exquisitely dressed customer at a neighborhood sports bar. When a young man strikes up a conversation, she decides to ask him to wish her piano teacher Happy Birthday for her. But when the man arrives at the teacher's house, he discovers that his chance meeting with Angela wasn't exactly a coincidence.

The Wish: A young man picks up a hitchhiker only to discover his guest is more polished than he looks. The hitchhiker has a gem called the wishing rock and he offers his driver the chance to make a wish. Will the wish come true?

Saving the World: A clairvoyant teenage girl arrives at a psychiatrist's office claiming she can speak with invisible aliens who are here to destroy our planet. She just needs to come up with one reason why they shouldn't push the button. Who needs more help—the girl or the psychiatrist?

"Gary Ponzo is a fantastic storyteller."

Judith L. Pearson, author of "Belly of the Beast," and "Wolves at the Door."