Jacqueline Vleck

Seven vignettes explore the difference between fantasy and reality, memory and history, and the joy and agony of the human condition.

When an evil corporation threatens to unleash the black plague, Evan Grail, is recruited by his grandfather, Max, into the order of the Black Knights - a secret band of warriors who have been called upon in the past to fight evil and injustice. Evan learns that his parents were murdered by the same twisted villain, Simon Darth, who threatens to unleash the plague. Evan wears the uniform of the Black Knights and must fight Simon's evil army to save the day.

Few athletes in Olympic history have reached such heights and depths as Marion Jones. After starring at the University of North Carolina and winning gold at the 1997 and '99 World Track and Field Championships, her rise to the top culminated at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia. There, she captivated the world with her beauty, style and athletic dominance, sprinting and jumping to three gold medals and two bronze. Eventually, though, her accomplishments and her reputation would be tarnished. For years, Jones denied the increasing speculation that she used performance-enhancing drugs. But in October 2007, she finally admitted what so many had long suspected -- that she had indeed used steroids. Jones was sentenced to six months in prison for lying to federal investigators and soon saw her Olympic achievements disqualified. Now a free woman, Jones is running in a new direction in life and taking time to reflect.

Two estranged sisters are reunited back at their childhood home after going their own separate ways, only to discover that some bonds can never be repaired.