The Promise of Eden
Eric Durchholz
 The Promise of Eden tells the story of a young boy, Gregory Coleman, who lives in the small town of New Harmony, Indiana. He is raised less by his largely indifferent parents than by a seemingly kind spirit who masquerades as his imaginary playmate named Anna. Anna teaches Gregory about life and love, while secretly preparing him for a journey she needs him to take to a mysterious world called Ibscaca. Anna is further aided by Joseph, an enigmatic hermit with mysterious ties to the small town. At first Gregory accepts Anna at face value, but as Gregory ages and matures he begins to question Anna's true nature and motives. The fates of both Gregory and Anna are further complicated by the malevolent intentions of Sylvie, a 200-year-old poltergeist which also inhabits the Coleman household. Sylvie is a decidedly evil entity with aspirations of becoming a goddess. While Anna and Sylvie often find it necessary to work together, their relationship is not one of friendship and trust, and their ultimate goals are not the same. As Gregory continues to grow up, he begins to devote less time to Anna. He also begins to develop and explore his sexuality, beginning a relationship with a boy his own age named Jason. Anna, who at first encouraged Gregory to develop other friendships outside their own, begins to see that his new social life is jeopardizing her plans. When Anna's true plans for Gregory are finally revealed, the decisions he makes have a dramatic impact on both Gregory's own world, and that of Ibscaca.