Strange Matter

Curtis Chatman and Shelly Miller didn't plan for trouble. They expected a quiet sixth period in the library reading their favorite supernatural tales after Mr. Mayfield's dull biology class. They didn't expect suspension. Fairfield Junior High welcomes Stacy Calhoun, the new substitute. He holds an unnatural power over his class. An appearance as unsettling as his lesson plan, his silvery eyes catch every movement, his pointy ears every whisper.

Tyler Webb has been invited to attend a very special game. Someone has left him a ticket for a final showdown between two old football teams from Fairfield's past. The only problem is, the game is scheduled for midnight, and there's no way Tyler's parents will let him go. Curiosity gets the best of him, and Tyler sneaks out to see the game. Now he's sitting in the bleachers under the moonlight, waiting for the arrival of both sides. But the players are not running onto the field. They're crawling.

Darren Donaldson is staring out his bedroom window at two o'clock in the morning, panicked, looking down the street for any sign of his brother. His older brother, David, snuck out of the house at midnight, taking the car as usual, making Darren promise he wouldn't tell. He's been gone for three hours, the longest he's ever been gone. Something must have happened. Something dreadful. Wait! There's David now! The car is coming down the street. He's killed the engine, coasting toward the driveway.

Trey Porter and his friends have been chased from their campsite by bullies, and are searching for a new one. One that's absolutely bully-proof. They decide on the legendary fort of Widow Hill, a Revolutionary War relic hidden deep in the forests of Fairfield. The path to the fort is not an easy one, however, as someone or something is trying to stop them any way it can. A dark secret awaits Trey Porter. A secret guarded for over 200 years and desired by every dark creature that lurks in the forest.

Michelle Boyd enjoyed her first time water-skiing on beautiful Lake Wataga. She floated peacefully, waiting for the boat to rocket off, pulling her into another thrilling ride. Then her sister saw the dark shape gliding through the water, relentless, large and powerful. It broke the surface with a tremendous splash, a large brown hump as wrinkled as an elephant... and as fast as a ski boat.

Stephanie Meeker has a secret that's getting too dangerous to keep. Her cousin Daniel is determined to win the Fairfield Junior Science Competition, and he has been working on something in his room for days. Now Stephanie has discovered his shocking secret, the greatest science project in the world, but Daniel has sworn her to secrecy.

Even as the project becomes more and more terrifying, Stephanie tells no one about the "Electronic Brain," a computer capable of thinking for itself.

Morgan Taylor was terrified of flying. Shocking visions of fatal falls and explosive crashes shook loose with each thump of the plane. The electrical storm didn't help much, nor did his sister Kelly. The thought of his father waiting at the boarding gate was the only thing pushing back his fear and swelling panic. Then a horrified scream brought Morgan's worst fears to life. Morgan and Kelly learn the horrible secret of an unseen war: a war being waged in our very bedrooms while we sleep.

Max is trapped. A freak snowstorm has him sealed in his uncle's mountain cabin, along with his brother Mark and sister Teresa. But Uncle Shoe is missing, and no one's coming to rescue them. Should they take their chances and hike down the mountain to safety? Max doesn't think so, especially not since he found those huge tracks in the snow. Then there's that inhuman howling coming from the woods. Now barricaded behind the cabin door, Max thinks he knows what it might be.

How could things get worse? First the frantic call from Mom saying that she and Dad would be late getting home, and that the clueless sitter would be over soon to watch us. Then the worst storm in Fairfield history pounds our house, knocking out our power, lights, and phone. And now a hideous man is lurking at our door and won't go away! He is frantically peering in the windows and ringing the doorbell over and over. It's a special, late night delivery for Simon and Sarah White. A deadly delivery.

Mitchell Garrison has made a terrible mistake. While on a class field trip to the museum, Mitchell's friend, Howard, dares him to snatch a small, unguarded artifact from around the neck of an old, emerald suit of armor. Cracking under the pressure of his pal calling him "chicken," Mitchell reluctantly agrees, but soon comes to regret it. That night, with the stolen piece of history tucked safely under his bed, Mitchell finds it difficult to sleep. It isn't very long after he closes his eyes that he has his first nightmare.

Skinny Joe Alister loves collecting rocks. He's a total fanatic about precious gems and rare stones. From kicking around fields, to scouring construction sites, Joe is always on the lookout for something special to add to his collection. Joe and his little brother Gary often prowl the underground walkways of Fairfield Caverns hunting for rocks, staying only in the areas open to the public. Today, Joe ignores his brother's warning and explores a dangerous, little-known section of Fairfield Caverns.

Time's running out for Elizabeth. She and her friend Jacob went to a movie they've been dying to see, but it's sold out. Instead of going home, they decide to spend some time nosing around the train depot, and sneaking on board the Fairfield Express. At first, its just a harmless diversion, but after Elizabeth and Jacob are mistakenly locked in, the engine begins to move. Right before their eyes, the train transforms into a chilling, haunted, death ride.

Karen Sanders loves toys. An avid toy collector, she's always looking for strange and unusual playthings. Her room is practically a toy museum, from treasured rarities in collector's cases to shoeboxes full of battered pieces and parts. Karen's friends tell her about a new store that just opened in Fairfield! A new toy store. She can't believe it! Wasting no time, she and her friends rush to the opening of . . . Kepler's Toys and Collectibles.

While exploring a vacant house, Rachel comes across some weird looking plants. Two months later, the Smith family moves into the empty house. They're very odd people. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, along with their two weird children, look unsettling and act strange. Soon Rachel's suspicion turns to fear when strange things happen to those who come into contact with the Smiths. Now no one's left to believe Rachel. Except for the Smiths....

A long time ago the Fairfield Starlight Drive-In flickered with life, showing Technicolor Westerns, murky mobster flicks, and monster movies. Now overgrown with vines and surrounded by rows of rusted speakers, Jon wonders what it would have been like to see his favorite horror movies on the big screen. He and his friends are about to find out, and to make their scream debut in a special feature - a real creature feature. And their roles are to die for.

An earthquake 200 miles from Fairfield has unleashed something terrible: Clayton T. Motley, a zombie gunslinger looking for revenge. Back in the mid 1800s, one of Shane's ancestors ran Motley out of Fairfield by putting a bullet in his hide. he bullet inside him, however, was made out of something...strange. Now, almost 150 years later, the earthquake has freed the undead gunfighter from his rocky prison - and he wants revenge. He's coming after the only Reece left in Fairfield: Shane.

An online video game has taken the world by storm. After Billy wins the largest Nexus tournament ever staged online, strange things start happening, from his television changing channels by itself, to his computer turning on and off all hours of the night. Now, in the labyrinthian halls of the Fairfield University Computer Science building, Billy is playing Nexus for real - against a horrifying opponent that could not possibly exist. If Billy isn't careful, the game could end with a fatal error.

The Fairfield Triangle has always been an enigma to its namesake town. No one has ever found a reason for the strange events that take place there. Enter Russell Drake. Russell loves solving mysteries. That's why he tags along with his dad, Sheriff Drake, to investigate a disappearance in The Triangle. However, when his back is turned, Russell's crime-solving kit - his most valued possession - vanishes, and the young detective finds himself a victim of the legendary Triangle.