The year is 2027, and in cities throughout the planet the march of progress has never been more evident. Technologies such as quantum computing and personal genomics once found only in the pages of science fiction are commonplace and have made their way into the remotest corners of society. But for all humankind's accumulated knowledge countless questions and unsolved riddles remain. One such mystery comes from the rural town of Flat Rock, where each spring for the past six years a handful of residents take leave of their families, their town, their world. Present and accounted for one instant, missing the next in a collective vanishing that seemingly strikes at random. Where do they go? Are they alive? Will they return? Questions asked by every Flat Rock resident with each passing year as they struggle to cope with the disaster, to carry on with their lives, and to prepare for the coming seasons.

On a March evening amidst the worst storm Flat Rock has seen in ages, eighteen-year-old Andrew Philips encounters what so many of the town's missing residents are no longer around to talk about. Somehow spared, Andrew struggles with the experience while those around him press for answers he either does not know or will not divulge. As the weeks unroll he finds himself closer to the mystery than he ever imagined, but with each new scrap of evidence comes another question mark, and with every straight answer comes another turn. What is the fate of Andrew and his family, the residents of his town, the people of the world? Are they justified in their feelings of hope or is that simply denial in disguise? Will the march of progress usher them toward a brighter future or has it already unleashed a darkness that cannot be averted . . . leaving them to wonder and fear which moment will be their last. But that’s life, really. You just never know. One minute you’re here. The next minute you’re gone.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This tale and the above intro are under construction. Posting chapters as completed.