Karen Costakes

The Meandering Orb Trail of Avery Adludian Stein Karen Costakes

Sam is living a life that is very different than the modern day fairy tale her younger self envisioned. She is neither a writer, an artist, nor a Peace Corp volunteer. Instead, she spends her days selling junk for her father's flailing Ebay business. Her nights are spent trying to pretend that she is not nearing thirty and still living in her parents' house, sleeping in the same bed as she did in elementary school. Amidst an extremely dismal morning, Sam makes a startling discovery. When wearing a pair of antique glasses, Sam finds an odd, ruby-red, half-sphere blob. The orb appears to have mysteriously grown from the faded carpet of her back porch. Sam rushes to the door to inform Matty, her best friend, foodie neighbor, and to confirm her saneness. When Sam steps outside, she makes another startling discovery. She sees a path made up of hundreds of multi-colored orbs. Sam and Matty decide to follow the mysterious path and begin to encounter challenges testing them to their core. When they uncover who the creator of the orb trail is and learn what awaits them at the end of the path, they press through grueling tasks and, at times, disturbing punishments. Join Sam and Matty on this cross-country, cross-globe adventure as they follow the path of orbs and encounter evil descendants with uncanny senses, odd coffee house rituals, ancient riddles, soup stealers, pirate transfiguration, and grotesque, cupcake punishments.