Seventeen short stories engage the schizophrenic and sometimes twisted aspects of the human mind, testing emotional and mental limits as it rides a delicate line between the real and the imaginary, indifference and obsession, and sane and insane. Flawlessly melding the suspense, thriller, and horror genres to captivating effect, C K Gauntt's latest is a journey to the deepest recesses of the human psyche, exploring our darkest thoughts and how they eventually affect both our minds and our realities. At what point do we find ourselves crossing the imaginary lines that give us our moral center-that tether us to our world and give it hope and meaning? This is the question that fascinates Gauntt in his latest collection of stories that will frighten you not simply because they are shocking but because they are shockingly close to your own fears about who you are capable of becoming. In "6 Minutes" two men occupy one small room at the end of the world...and fill it with murder; "Encounters" tells the story of the annual beyond-the-grave mayhem and torture that occur along a dark country road; an aged Vietnam veteran and his former squad reap what they sow in "Decimation"; and "The Rising" depicts one man's bloody and unforgiving journey from home during a zombie uprising. Varied stories and styles present a unique brand of storytelling in Gauntt's new collection, each story containing its own deep, dark, and depraved soul. Enticing you to continue on as it mesmerizes, horrifies, and terrifies, its intensity is a live wire you cannot release as it drags you down into a world of forbidden thoughts and sinister acts. Sure to leave you questioning how far you are capable of going, From the Midnight Vault assaults the senses as it forces you to examine the darker angels of your own character.